with Fran Reed, Neumann University

Q A &

with NAGAP Committee Chairs

Fran Reed, Education Chair

In a nutshell, what does your committee work on (or are responsible for)?

The Education committee is responsible for providing a broad education curriculum for NAGAP and GEM professionals. The committee coordinates educational content with Publications, Professional Development, and Conference Committees.

What led you to your career in graduate enrollment management (for instance, how did you find your first role in GEM? Why have you continued in this field since?)

I started working in higher education in my early 20’s. I never thought I would make a career out of it! I first started working with adult students at The Catholic University of America, from there I was hired in my first role as a Graduate Coordinator at Marymount University. I loved working with the adult population and at that time was also attending graduate school, so it made sense. I had not initially planned to stay in the field after I graduated but once I was looped into NAGAP I knew this was the profession I wanted to be in and would thrive. I was fortunate enough to progress in my career and not only work in GEM but gain experience in Undergraduate enrollment as well.

Tell us about your current role in graduate enrollment management. What do you enjoy most about it?

I am currently the Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing at Neumann University. I not only oversee Graduate and Degree completion, but Undergraduate Admissions, Financial Aid, Operations, Marketing/PR, and Neumann Media. In this role I have the opportunity to bridge the gaps between Undergrad and Grad and help create synergy between these areas. In this tight and competitive marketplace, we need to be thinking “big picture” all the time. I still very much enjoy attending our Graduate Open House and orientation events. Even 20+ years later, it never gets old seeing the excitement of students considering graduate education and choosing your university.

How long have you been involved in NAGAP, and what led you to becoming involved?

I have been involved with NAGAP since 2001. I had a colleague that told be about NAGAP and said if I wanted to learn the ins and out of grad, I needed to be part of this organization. So glad I listened to her! Joanne CanyonHeller, a former NAGAP President, was the first person that approached me about getting involved. I was attending the Annual conference and she told me to check out the marketing committee meeting as they were looking for new committee members. That’s how it all started.

What are you most excited to work on or accomplish in your committee chair position?

The committee already had a great foundation, so our goal is to keep the momentum and continue to introduce new content and provide our membership and other GEM professionals with great resources. We recently just launched the NAGAP Blog, Insights, which I am extremely excited to introduce. It is a long time coming! I have a committee with extraordinary talents, we are excited to be working together.

What do you like to do for fun?

I always enjoy hanging with my family. Now that my kids are older and one is already out of the house, I enjoy traveling to new places and visiting wineries and breweries with my husband and friends near our home.

What is one thing about you people would never suspect?

I am a pretty open book for the most part. I have a history of traveling great distances to work and that hasn’t changed (Home base is about 2 ½ hours away from my work). Also, people tend to be surprised when I tell them I am an only child. n