GEM to the Corporate World

By Dave Fletcher, DMin, Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine, and Kate McConnell, MBA, Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies

GraduateEnrollment Management is a complex, multi-faceted operation that touches all parts of the student lifecycle and requires collaboration with different university offices and a variety of people. However, for many of us in GEM, successful operations also mean collaborating with entities outside of the university. In the Fall 2022 issue of Perspectives, we featured the stories of four of our colleagues who have moved from the GEM world inside of the university to the GEM world in a corporate or vendor capacity. They are still our colleagues, working toward enrolling students with the best fit who will benefit from graduate education. In this issue we feature the stories of three more such colleagues.

Read on to find out why some made the move and how their GEM experience benefits them daily in the work they do today, collaborating with those of us who continue to support GEM from the university side.

with Jack Klett

Jack Klett, Manager of Academic Partnerships, ETS

What prompted your decision to make the change?

When I made the change, I had spent nearly 17 years on college campuses as an administrator; over 20 years on a campus if you include my own undergraduate experience. Contributing to a single institution has its own rewards because you can name the students you helped, or the initiatives that were approved and you helped advance. You can identify the ways you have contributed to the campus community. Yet I found myself wanting to expand my sphere of influence to help more broadly. Presenting at NAGAP Summits and the regional chapter meetings and conferences was very rewarding and left me wondering how I could do more for higher education beyond just a focus on my institution. This was when I began having conversations about what may be out there beyond working for a single college or university.

What led you to apply to your current company?

Non-profit colleges and universities have inspiring missions. It is important for me to work for organizations that aim to serve these institutions in ways that meaningfully advance their missions. ETS has an inspiring mission of its own: to advance quality and equity in education. The ETS mission is one that aligns so perfectly with myriad institutions of higher learning. Joining ETS was an ideal way for me to remain true to the promise of higher education while expanding the number of institutions, practitioners, and learners I could serve and assist.

What about your experience working in a university setting has helped you most in your role with your current company?

Much of my time is spent working with graduate deans, faculty, and GEM professionals. I have a deep understanding of the challenges and pain points encountered in these roles. In many cases, I have dealt with the same challenges when serving in those capacities. Speaking the language, having been in their shoes, helps me tremendously in establishing the trust that is so important in my role. To paraphrase Teddy Roosevelt, people don’t care what you know until they know that you care. The fact that I have shared experiences creates an opportunity to build rapport and trust based on the fact that I care because I, too, have been there.

What do you wish your colleagues in higher ed knew about the vendor/corporate side of GEM?

I think many in higher ed think the vendor side is all about making as much money as possible. That simply isn’t my experience. I’ve seen companies intentionally not make a sale out of concerns around fit. I’ve witnessed companies provide free consulting and other services to help GEM professionals better serve their institutions and students. Most of the professionals I have met on the vendor side see profit as a result of what they do, not the reason they do what they do. Yes, if you work with a company serving higher ed, you will likely be pitched something in time, but there is usually a lot of value you can gain in simply having the free discussions with the sales team, viewing the free webinar, or participating in the free conference. If nothing else, doing so provides an opportunity to learn, as well as discover whether the company is a fit for you should the time come you are in the market for services.

What do you wish your current colleagues in the vendor/corporate side knew about higher ed?

Time is precious. I’ve worked side by side with faculty who are managing classes, service, and research.

Their email overflows with messages from students, administrators, colleagues, and committee work. GEM professionals have similar time constraints as they juggle the needs of prospective students, faculty, and staff. For this reason, I try to never ask for a meeting unless I am certain I can provide something of value for free during that discussion. It could be access to a new study, new thought leadership, or even a free service or product offering. If that meeting ends with each attendee having gained something of value, we are more likely to meet again. Continuing the conversation builds rapport and trust and leads to better outcomes for all. It all starts with respecting the time that has been given.

What are the pros & cons of your change and what do you like or miss about changing from an institutional role to a vendor role?

I miss the campus community. I worked for Philadelphia University for 11 years before leaving. When I walked across campus for a meeting or to grab a bite in the dining hall, I knew just about every face I passed. It may have been a five-minute walk from my office, but it would prove longer as I stopped to chat with someone about an initiative, a meeting, a project. While this still occurs on the company side, the scale of it at an institution brings with it a sense of belonging to something larger. Campus communities bring with them a sense of limitless potential and possibility because they are infused by the spirit of students who believe they can and will change the world. That spirit is contagious, and I miss it. I’m not sure it is fully replicable in any other setting. That said, helping those institutions at scale provides its own positives because they are so important to so many. You aren’t helping an institution. You are helping a community. That is incredibly rewarding. n