Perspectives Spring 2023

A Newsmagazine for Graduate Enrollment Management Professionals

Editor, Melissa Sersland

Recruitment & Marketing Money Matters

Director of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment at The Graduate School, Northwestern University Evanston, IL

GEM Operations

NAGAPpublications@gmail.com

Dealing with Understaffed Teams in Higher Education

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NAGAP Perspectives is published three times per year (fall, spring, summer). Articles of particular interest for publication are graduate enrollment management research/ study results, how-to articles, success stories, reports of workshops/ seminars, book reviews, etc.

Student Lifecycle, Engagement, and Support

GEM Operations

Submissions should be sent to the editor via email. Articles should be provided in Microsoft Word format, with figures and photos provided separately as high-resolution TIF or EPS files. APA style is preferred for documenting sources. Submission deadlines: August 30, January 6, May 17.

Student Lifecycle, Engagement, and Support Enrollment Modeling & Strategic Planning

Copyright © 2023 NAGAP

Enrollment Modeling & Strategic Planning

Career, Staff, & Personal Development

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

NAGAP is committed to diversity and inclusiveness in all of its activities. This commitment embraces respect for differences including age, culture, disability, education, ethnicity, gender, life experiences, race, religion, and sexual orientation. NAGAP champions an open exchange of ideas in a collegial environment that embraces academic freedom, cooperation, mutual respect, and responsibility. NAGAP supports activities that promote and nurture professional development, best practices, research, and collaboration of a diverse and global community of graduate enrollment management professionals, encouraging dialogue that fosters professional growth among all of its constituents, in the U.S. and internationally.

Career, Staff, & Personal Development Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

NAGAP Friends,

Springtime is here, which for many means admissions deadlines, admissions interviews, and recruitment weekends. It is also the season for graduations, and I have a high school senior so this spring is going to be the continuation of the lasts—last dance, last game, etc. Spring is also when we host the annual NAGAP Summit. I am very excited that we will be in New York City for this year’s event, and I look forward to connecting with you. We have an exciting slate of speakers, and we will be located in the Crossroads of the World—Times Square. If you are not able to join us, you can always connect with your NAGAP colleagues on The Exchange, attend one of our webinars, or attend a chapter event.

I recently had a conversation with someone about why I am so passionate about NAGAP. For me it is simple: NAGAP changed my life. When I began volunteering, I met and became friends with amazing people from across the country. With those friendships comes different perspectives, community, and advice. NAGAP has given me so much. I would not be the same personally or professionally without my experiences in NAGAP. If you are interested in becoming more involved with the association, visit the NAGAP website (https://www.nagap.org/membership/volunteer-opportunities) for a list of opportunities. You can also contact your chapter or look at starting or becoming a member of one of the new NAGAP communities.

I hope that you enjoy this issue of Perspectives. Please feel free to reach out to me or any of the Governing Board members with any questions, and thank you for allowing me to serve as your President.

In appreciation,

Dealing with Understaffed Teams in Higher Education

Inthe first year of the pandemic, the higher ed labor force experienced devastating losses. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that from the start of the pandemic to December 2020, 430,000 employees left the higher ed workforce, representing about 9.1% of all higher education employees (Bauman, 2022). There have since been signs of a rebound, with an estimated 318,900 jobs added to the workforce in the first half of 2021. Still, in many administrative offices in higher education, staffing shortages remain common. According to a survey published by Educause in March 2022, more than a third of respondents said that they were “strongly considering” leaving their current institution, and another 17% said they were planning to retire soon (as reported in Zahneis, 2022). As large numbers of higher education professionals leave roles, many offices have struggled to fill these empty positions, leaving the remaining staff overworked.

We reached out to several graduate enrollment management and graduate student success professionals to hear about their staffing struggles. Almost all of the higher education professionals we spoke to indicated that over the past two years, their teams have faced dire staffing shortages. One GEM professional at Clark University said, “There’s one position that we’ve been trying to fill for over a year! It’s quite difficult, because you’ll go through three rounds of interviews with a candidate, bring them to campus, and then have them not accept a job. We advertise the position in all of the higher ed publications

and on LinkedIn, and have tried to rely heavily on our own network, but it can be challenging when it comes to specialists in certain fields.” Similarly, Caitlin Getchell, director of graduate academic policy and student success at The University of Tulsa said, “Our Graduate School team had a lot of turnover this year with seven of our nine team members leaving between the beginning of July and end of September. Unfortunately, that meant that for several months we only had three to four team members on staff at any given time… Depending on the role, the most challenging aspect for filling the positions was either

a lack of candidates with the experience we hoped for or not being able to meet candidates’ salary expectations.” Another admissions professional at a private institution in the South faced similar challenges, saying, “My team was understaffed for most of 2022 with the exception of a few months… We advertised on NAFSA multiple times for that role, and I also posted in the Exchange and with our regional chapter. The challenge was finding someone with existing experience that wanted to relocate to our area at the salary we were able to provide. We ended up adjusting the position back to an entry-level role after unsuccessful offers.”

Candidates weighing multiple offers proved to be a challenge for a GEM professional hiring for a CRMfocused position in the Midwest. “The position was a crossover between admissions and IT, so we were competing with individuals interviewing with higher education or other IT departments. These IT job searches seemed to move quickly, and the salaries for these positions also seemed very competitive. As a result, from the time we started phone interviews, we had multiple candidates accept other job offers.” Hybrid work was also a sticking point. “We saw other CRM-focused positions that were fully remote being posted at other institutions, and during phone interviews candidates asked about how many days they needed to be in the office. Multiple candidates asked if we could be more flexible with our policy (which is about half in the office, half at home).”

Across the board, those that we talked to reported that traditional methods of recruiting candidates had proven less successful, and that not being able to meet candidates’ salary expectations was a common reason candidates cited when declining a job offer.

In the meantime, teams have been working overtime to pick up the slack. Getchell said that for her team, “Being understaffed definitely took a toll on everyone, especially given that it was for a longer time frame and the morale of losing a new team member every few weeks. Most of the staff who left were from our admissions team, meaning those of us still in the grad school needed to learn the admissions systems and procedures quickly to make sure there wasn’t a break in service for our prospective and admitted students. Luckily a couple of the staff who left had moved into new roles on campus and were still able to help field questions and act as back up if we ran into unexpected issues. In short, we handled the situation by everyone taking on additional responsibilities until we had new staff members hired and trained.” The admissions professional at a private school in the South we spoke to added, “Our team handled being understaffed by pitching in to help with the work where they could, but

it also meant that some of the strategic initiatives we tried to implement were less of a priority while we focused on our primary job descriptions. It offered some opportunities for staff to branch out from their regular duties and learn some additional roles, which also led to some promotions for those individuals last year. We are a small team, though, and the impact of multiple openings has also meant more burnout and less effective work overall as we’ve continued to stretch our staff thin.”

These narratives echo what surveys of higher education professionals have been showing. The Educause poll referenced above asked respondents about the extent to which certain factors are playing a role in their decisions; top answers included “Poor management (47%)”, “Wanting more income (46%)”, “Better jobs elsewhere”, and “Lacking staff/resources” (both at 42%) (as reported in Zahneis, 2022). As the admissions professional at a private school in the South noted, understaffed offices lead to increased burnout, which can in turn lead to dissatisfaction at work and even seeking a different position, which further exacerbates the existing staffing shortage. Thus, what starts as one person leaving can have a “snowball” effect on an office.

What, then, is to be done? A few suggestions: recruiting and maintaining a full staff needs to be of utmost importance to managers. Filling a gap in the team needs to be the highest priority, lest they find themselves tasked with filling three positions instead of just one. Relying on traditional methods of recruiting candidates (job boards, LinkedIn, existing networks) is no longer sufficient: managers must think creatively about what candidates are asking for, whether it’s a larger salary, the option of working remotely, or the ability to customize the role, and advocate for that to their leadership. n

Bauman, D. (2022, March 28). Higher Ed’s labor force is nearly back to full strength Thank the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Zahneis, M. (2022, April 5). Higher Ed’s labor shortage is easing. but these parts of its work force are struggling to return to normal. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Amanda Miller is the associate director of admissions at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Agnes Scott College and a master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

PhD Program Enrollment: Lessons from Nurses Pursuing a Second Doctorate

Theshortage of PhD-prepared professionals is prevalent in many disciplines, but it is particularly alarming in nursing, where PhD graduations have been outpaced by retirements of PhD holders for more than two decades and where PhD enrollments, which were initially stagnant, have now begun a gradual decline in the last eight years.1-3 During my own PhD in Nursing program, I set out to uncover the factors contributing to this shortage. What I discovered surprised and alarmed me.

My dissertation research focused on nurses who have obtained a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree— which is nursing’s practice (or clinical) doctorate—and are pursuing a PhD. The DNP has been flourishing in nursing since its inception almost 20 years ago4 so I was curious as to why a small but growing number of DNP-prepared nurses were now turning to PhD education. I questioned, “What would lead a nurse who has already accomplished so much to seek a second terminal degree?”

Methods and Findings

Using a qualitative methodology called existential phenomenology5,6 I interviewed 10 DNP-to-PhD students from across the U.S. to better understand their career and educational decision-making. Each student described being on a unique mission, and the

PhD, they believed, was essential to accomplishing their mission.

For some, their mission was what I expected to hear. They wanted additional skills and knowledge to conduct research, or they desired to make long-lasting changes for entire populations of patients. But for others, their mission was less conventional. They wanted to manage their vulnerabilities. These DNP-PhD students saw the PhD as a shield to protect them from powerful others who might want to take advantage of them. Or they saw the PhD as a badge of honor, a gateway to acceptance within the academic community.

Implicitly resting in the background of each mission, influencing students’ career and educational decisions, was the nursing hierarchy. Many participants bluntly

“What would lead a nurse who has already accomplished so much to seek a second terminal degree?” - Lauren

Muñoz, MSN, FNP-BC

explained that nurses with a DNP are considered secondrate compared with their PhD colleagues, and they shared disturbing stories of microaggressions in academic and clinical settings. Whether they liked it or not, the PhD, they said, was the “pinnacle” of the nursing profession. Some admitted they were seeking a PhD because they wanted to be part of that elite group or at least wanted the clout and opportunities the PhD would afford.

Themes of DNP-PhD Pursuit

The reasons for PhD pursuit among the DNP-to-PhD student participants centered around five themes:

1. Having needs the DNP can’t meet: “I had to go back and do more”

2. Considering dreams and circumstances: “Now’s the time”

3. Developing confidence: “You can do this!”

4. “I’ve been very supported” / “I had no support”

5. “It had to be an internal drive for me.”

First, the DNP was seen as not enough. Some had been satisfied with their DNP careers initially but developed new interests and goals. Others had been dissatisfied with the DNP from the start. For this latter group, the PhD was giving them what they wanted all along from doctoral education. A few also felt that having both doctoral degrees would help them bridge the divide they saw between DNP- and PhD-prepared nurses in academia.

The second theme related to the timing of PhD pursuit. A few had dreamed of obtaining a PhD for many years but had been unable to do so because of family responsibilities, lack of confidence, finances, and other impediments. For most, changing circumstances had prompted their return to school. When scholarships and hybrid or online programs became available; coworkers, mentors, and family supported the decision; and frustration with their current role grew intolerable, these nurses felt the time had come to seek a PhD.

Developing confidence comprised the third theme and highlights one of the most surprising aspects of this study. Despite the participants being highly accomplished, they described severe intimidation of the PhD. Many admitted that the DNP was promoted by colleagues, faculty, and friends as being easier and quicker than a PhD, leading them to write off PhD education, even if their interests better aligned with a PhD-related career. It often took

meaningful exposure to others with a PhD for them to realize that this degree was not out of reach.

The fourth theme centered on the presence or lack of support. While participants looked to family, colleagues, and others for support, their relationships with mentors most determined whether they felt supported or not. Many shared glowing stories of mentors who were “cheerleaders;” they recognized students’ capabilities and interests and encouraged them to pursue a PhD. Others, however, described mentors who were sources of intense discouragement. Interactions with unsupportive mentors during their DNP program actually convinced some students of the need for a PhD. Another participant endured a PhD faculty mentor who ignored and belittled her, nearly prompting her to quit the PhD.

Finally, theme five outlines an essential character trait of participants: internal drive. Each DNP-PhD student recounted a history of perseverance with other degrees and careers, as well as in their personal lives. Despite incredible obstacles that had threatened their PhD pursuit, they “powered through” and made a commitment to do whatever it took to finish. Most were also self-avowed lifelong learners. They loved school and had an insatiable desire to learn and grow.

Takeaways for PhD Enrollment

Intimidation of the PhD was prevalent even for nurses with graduate degrees and years of clinical experience, so it is surely a factor in others’ educational decision-making. To boost PhD interest and enrollment, students need meaningful exposure to PhD-type work and to those who have a PhD.

Promotion of the PhD is also paramount. PhD programs and students are costly for schools7 but without them scientific advancement within disciplines will suffer. GEM professionals must advocate for equitable attention and resources for programs that do not yield high margins. Internal drive is helpful, probably essential, for PhD pursuit. Therefore, GEM professionals should seek to increase enrollment of applicants who have a history of showing perseverance in the face of obstacles. Admission questions should elicit stories of internal drive, both within and outside of academic contexts.

Finally, PhD programs must be accessible. Individuals’ circumstances may change at any time, prompting them to consider PhD enrollment. GEM professionals must be ready to capitalize on these opportunities by meeting students where they are, offering simple enrollment processes, funding options, flexible program structures,

RECRUITMENT & MARKETING

and comprehensive career counseling and program information.

PhD programs face many challenges, but understanding how intimidation, degree promotion, internal drive, and accessibility affect decision-making for or against a PhD can help to increase enrollments.

*This study described in this article has also been submitted as a manuscript to the Journal of Professional Nursing and is currently under review. n

Reference List

1. American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN]. (2021). PhD in nursing: PhD in nursing resources. https://www. aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Research-Data-Center/PhD

2. American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN]. (2006, March). AACN position statement on nursing research https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/News/PositionStatements/Nursing-Research.pdf

3. American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN]. (2022b, February 24). The research-focused doctoral program in nursing: Pathways to excellence. https://www. aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/News/Position-Statements/ Pathways-Excellence-Position-Statement.pdf

4. American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN]. (2004). AACN position statement on the practice doctorate in nursing https://www.aacnnursing.org/DNP/Position-Statement

5. Thomas, S. P., & Pollio, H. R. (2002). Listening to patients: A phenomenological approach to nursing research and practice. Springer.

6. Sohn, B. K., Thomas, S. P., Greenberg, K. H., & Pollio, H. R. (2017). Hearing the voices of students and teachers: A phenomenological approach to educational research. Qualitative Research in Education, 6(2), 121-148. https://doi. org/10.17583/qre.2017.2374

7. Stoesz, D., Karger, H. J., & Carrilio, T. (2010). A dream deferred: How social work education lost its way and what can be done (1st ed.). Routledge.

Lauren Muñoz is a postdoctoral associate for the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity at George Washington University, where she is currently working on a project to address burnout and moral injury in health and public safety workers.

Lauren holds a BSN, MSN, and PhD in Nursing from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. As a nurse, she worked in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings and also as a rheumatology nurse practitioner. Her research centers around the career decision-making of nurses, including how burnout alters educational and vocational pursuits.

Summer Professional Development Institute!

“As a newer GEM professional, I found this summer institute to be very helpful! I’m sure I will be able to apply what I have learned in my position, and I was able to meet and network with many people due to the smaller group size.”

Working With a Vendor to Achieve Your Goal: How WES and IELTS Helped to Thwart Falsified Documents

Itwas March 2022 when Kutztown University started to receive some awkward emails claiming to be from WES or IELTS. It didn’t sit right. Kittie Pain, director of graduate admissions, and her staff reached out to each company directly for confirmation regarding the documents they had received. Within a few business days, they received the feedback they suspected. The communications were, in fact, fraudulent and each company would open an investigation.

It sounds as though the story would end there, but it doesn’t. WES and IELTS continued to work closely with the university for months to come. In that process, they learned from one another and gleaned important insights to share with others.

How WES and IELTS Handle Security

Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous operators who prey

on individuals applying for college admissions. However, both WES and IELTS have measures of security in place so these actors will not be successful.

To protect your institution from fraud, WES recommends never accepting electronic evaluation reports from applicants or other individuals by email; only accept them directly from WES either through their secure, online portal, AccessWES, or by physical mail. If you would like

to create an AccessWES account for your institution or department, please submit the AccessWES request form to get started. WES also offers a free integration with Slate that automatically uploads completed evaluation reports and authenticated documents directly into your Slate system. If you currently use Slate for your applicant management and would like to set up the integration, please submit the Slate integration request form

IELTS test security and the integrity of IELTS results are their utmost priority and at the core of everything they do. IELTS test security refers to measures taken before test day, on test day, and after test day. They have an embedded multi-layered process within their test delivery operations to systematically prevent, detect, and mitigate the risk of fraud or malpractice. But no single measure alone can ensure security; your role is also critical.

IELTS has always provided Test Report Form (TRF) Verifications to universities. However, they have seen an increase in requests for TRF Verifications since the fall of 2019. They have also seen a growing interest in their presentations to university staff members about the importance of test security as a way to protect a university’s credibility and the university’s admissions process. IELTS suggests that all universities accepting IELTS scores should register for the free IELTS Results Service E-Delivery to ensure institutions are ONLY receiving scores directly from the test center.

If you accept IELTS scores directly from applicants, they recommend that your admissions process include verifying the authenticity of IELTS Test Report Forms. Should you come across a Test Report Form that seems suspicious to you or not searchable in the IELTS Results Service account, please complete the Results Service Support Request Form. If IELTS USA cannot locate the Test Report Form, they will escalate it to the appropriate IELTS Test Center partner (British Council or IDP) to start a formal investigation. Once the British Council or IDP has concluded their investigation, one of their staff will reply directly to you with the results of the investigation. The process usually takes approximately five-to-seven business days.

Working with WES and IELTS to Prevent Fraud

Kutztown University (KU) is a Slate school, so documents can be uploaded by everyone, and sometimes people will upload a transcript. While an uploaded transcript is not considered an official document, reviewing unofficial documents helped the graduate admissions staff catch fraud earlier in the funnel. When the staff saw potentially fraudulent documents coming in, they would immediately send them for verification and confirmation. Once a transcript was confirmed to be fraudulent, they would cancel the application and send a notice to the applicant to let them know why. This also resulted in an early warning placed on the applicant’s file.

As a reminder, WES and IELTS point out that GEM professionals should never accept evaluations or test scores that aren’t received through the portal and that their services integrate with Slate. If you receive an email from someone claiming to be a WES employee, check the sender’s email address domain. Only email addresses with the “@wes.org” domain are legitimately from WES. Every IELTS test taken at an authorized IELTS test center will have scores available for either E-Delivery, or for Verification using their free online IELTS Results Service. The Service includes three options that we urge you to register for and build into your application review process.

• Verification,

• E-Delivery where you can download csv, xml, or json data files, and

• API integration.

Secure Your Admissions Process

To recap, both IELTS and WES offer digital portals that make it fast and easy for any admissions officer to gain access to evaluation reports and test scores.

IELTS Results Service is fast and simple to use. Any scores on the system that do not match 100% with the Test Report Form submitted to you can be submitted to the IELTS USA team through the process mentioned above.

In addition to manually downloading the scores, you can also register for API integration, an upgrade to the

... No single measure alone can ensure security; your role is also critical.

E-Delivery Service that allows scores to flow directly from your Results Service account to your CRM where they will match with existing applicant records.

When in doubt, WES has a dedicated team of regional directors that work directly with their institutional partners to advise on best practices in credential evaluation, answer questions about the reports they receive from applicants, and support their international enrollment goals. If you ever receive a suspicious email from an applicant or someone attempting to represent themselves as a WES employee, we encourage you to reach out directly to your regional director for clarification. If you are unsure how to contact your regional director, you can do so through the partner contact form found here

Conclusion

What continues to happen with Kutztown University, WES, and IELTS? To this day, they continue to evolve through ongoing conversations with one another. They alert each other to patterns they see, new government alerts, and even Reddit posts! By working together, they are setting a high bar for protecting against international admissions fraud, ensuring a secure process for both international students and institutions alike.

World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. For more than 45 years, WES has set the standard of excellence in the field of international academic credential evaluation. Learn more at www.wes.org

IELTS USA is a non-profit providing information and support to organizations that use IELTS to measure the English language proficiency of international applicants. IELTS USA works with US stakeholders to increase the number of institutions and programs that use the test throughout the United States. IELTS is accepted by approx. 3,500 US institutions. Learn more at ielts.org/usa n

If you would like more information about how the IELTS Results Service works, or about signing up, please contact us on stakeholder@ieltsusa.org

Shawn is a passionate international education professional with experience developing international academic partnerships and managing programs that promote international mobility. He serves as a regional director at World Education Services (WES), where he supports clients to ensure they meet their credential evaluation needs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of California, Irvine and is currentlypursuinganMBAatTheUniversity of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Marianne joined IELTS USA after working in international admissions for several years in North Carolina and DC. She currently works with all graduate programs at US institutions to ensure they understand the IELTS test. Additionally, she works with the IELTS partners on the Joint Research Committee to support researchers based in the US. Prior to working at IELTS, Marianne earned her master’s degree in International Communication from American University.

Kittie Pain serves as the director of graduate admissions at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. She holds a bachelor’s degree from McDaniel College and a master’s degree from Drew University. She likes good books and a stiff Manhattan.

If you receive an email from someone claiming to be a WES employee, confirm the sender’s email address domain is wes.org.

2023 Graduate Enrollment Summit

2022–2024

NAGAP Governing Board

Officers

President

Kristen Sterba

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Vice President

Naronda Wright

Georgia Southern University

Secretary Brett DiMarzo Boston College

Immediate Past President

Jeremiah Nelson Catawba College

Executive Director

Kari Stringfellow

NAGAP, The Association for Graduate Enrollment Management

Publications Committee

Dave Fletcher

Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine

Caitlin Getchell University of Tulsa

Kate McConnell

Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies

The NAGAP Conference Planning Committee is thrilled to be putting together an incredible experience for 2023 in New York City! This year’s GEM Summit is centered in one of the most entertaining and culturally rich parts of the world. We anticipate a robust attendance from our growing membership, ready for networking, professional development, and reconnecting with colleagues from around the world.

This year’s GEM Summit will take place at the New York Marriot Marquis in Times Square from April 12-15. Centered in the heart of Manhattan, this will be a time to reenergize, gain depth in your area of expertise, and learn something new. We are excited to share, learn, and grow with you in our ever-evolving graduate enrollment world. This will be another chance to connect with others dedicated to the entire lifecycle of our graduate and professional students.

The GEM Summit registration is now open! You can find all the most updated information here. We look forward to seeing you in New York City at the 2023 GEM Summit!

Amanda Miller Brandeis University

Katie Olivo

Shenandoah University

Kittie Pain

Kutztown University

Tania Rachkoskie

The George Washington University

Ethan Robles

Tufts Gordon Institute

Nicole Sloan

University of Florida

Troy Sterk Seattle University

Directors

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Brian Derossiers-Tam University of Toronto

CHAPTERS

Katie-Ann Mason Bridgewater State University

EDUCATION

Fran Reed Neumann University

EXTERNAL RELATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS

Keith Ramsdell Ashland University

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Michael Merriam Framingham State University

MEMBERSHIP

Ryan Taughrin University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Anthony Perez Medical College of Wisconsin

PUBLICATIONS

NAGAP Chapters

Student Lifecycle, Engagement, and Support

Melissa Sersland Northwestern University

RESEARCH

Amanda Ostreko University of Kansas

Enrollment

Modeling & Strategic Planning

Career, Staff, & Personal

For those of you looking to get more involved with NAGAP, your local chapter is a great place to start. Chapters provide a wonderful opportunity to network, to participate in regional workshops and conferences, and to assume leadership positions. They are also a great resource for learning more about GEM, especially if you are unable to attend the GEM Summit.

NAGAP has eight regional U.S. chapters, one international chapter, and two special interest chapters. To find out which chapter your state is a member of, visit NAGAP’s Chapters page. Here you will find contact information for each chapter president, and a link to the chapter’s website or social media page. Most chapters have a “join” or “contact us” link on the landing page.

If you find your state is not affiliated with a chapter, you may be interested in beginning a new chapter. For more information, review the How To Get Started overview. Questions? Please contact us at info@nagap.org

Helping Decentralized Admissions Offices

Work Together: Creating Opportunities for Collaboration and Community Among Graduate Admissions Staff

GEM to the Corporate World

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.

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

Strategic Partnership Council

The Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) is designed for organizations whose missions are aligned with NAGAP’s and who wish to become more strategically engaged with our association.

Through customized marketing and collaboration platforms we offer bundled packages and unique opportunities for organizations to help build and maintain year-round relationships with our members and GEM professionals across the nation and around the world.

To learn more about the SPC, visit our website: https://nagap.org/strategic-partnership-council

Q&A

What prompted your decision to make the change?

Over the years at Temple and Villanova, I learned the secret sauce to doubling and tripling enrollment. I asked myself, why help one client when I can apply my process at scale for multiple institutions?

What led you to apply to your current company?

I met one of the managing directors of eCity Interactive while working with our MBA students at Temple. He subsequently submitted proposals to support our website and marketing efforts. eCity’s case studies, professionalism, and prominent higher-ed client roster were impressive, so when the time came to leave, it just made sense.

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

To power your enrollment marketing funnel in higher ed, it’s critical to have a wide variety of skilled personnel.

The Exchange

In my experience, roles like marketing automation and paid digital marketing were particularly challenging for us to find – we were getting outspent by industry and other institutions. This pain point helped form my vision for eCity to assist our clients by providing these services at relatively affordable rates.

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

Be direct and transparent about your budget, as it allows for a more efficiently scoped and successful proposal to meet your objectives. I find clients can be gun-shy when the conversation turns to the budget.

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

Assess the organizational culture and internal capabilities of your client before providing a solution. You might believe you have the right tool or strategies, but if the team isn’t able, or doesn’t have the desire to utilize it, the project will ultimately fail. We see this often with CRM and marketing automation implementations.

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?

On the client-side, I had the luxury of understanding every aspect of the student journey. But now, since I have multiple clients each with a complex portfolio of programs, it’s nearly impossible to be that immersed. This is both the benefit and tradeoff of working within an agency. n

Q&A

What prompted your decision to make the change?

After COVID forced everyone home, we reconsidered our living situation and decided to move to Texas to be closer to family. We have two young children and wanted them to be able to spend more time with their grandparents.

What led you to apply to your current company?

I knew that my institution did not prefer that individuals work fully remote, so it made it impossible for me to stay. I chose to apply to my current company because I wanted a role that would still be close to higher ed but offered a better salary now that I lived in a more expensive city.

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

Having almost 10 years of experience in higher ed has greatly benefited me in my current role at an OPM [online program manager]. I am able to better understand our partner’s point of view as they begin a partnership with us

and offer insights internally into issues around the politics and process issues common in the university setting.

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

Even though we are an outside vendor/OPM, we truly have your best interests at heart. We want to see your university be successful and try to offer our partners the ability to overcome financial challenges and reach their full potential in the market. Our company culture is very pro-education and is very focused on making education accessible to a larger population.

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

I wish that more of my colleagues understood some of the nuances often found in a university setting. It’s not always as easy as “this makes the most business sense” when it comes to decision making. Our job is to be a supportive partner in those instances and offer advice and guidance based on our bank of knowledge.

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?

While I am very happy in my current role, I do miss the on-campus atmosphere – the excitement at the beginning of term, the side chats with faculty members about their research – those things are hard to replicate in the tech world. n

NAGAP Leadership Academy Alumni: A Look Back at the Cohort, the Program, and What Has Been Applied to Their Work Environments

Asa refresher, there have been two NAGAP Leadership Academy cohorts. The first, before COVID, met in New York City and had about twenty attendees. Toward the end of COVID’s height, the second met in Boston and had about a dozen attendees. This conversation wraps up the experiences of a few alums from each cohort, who each had unique takeaways.

The NAGAP Leadership Academy application process is self-selecting and low impact. Individuals must prepare a statement of why they want to pursue the Leadership Academy and request letters of recommendation/support. Then, a committee evaluates the applications to choose the cohorts each year.

Again, I met with Jennifer Jones (Virginia Tech), Henry Cantu (University of Connecticut), Adam Huang (Cornell

Tech), Scott Eubanks (Eastern Washington University), Kristin McAuliffe (Boston University), Ellen Lloyd (College of Mount Saint Vincent), and Trista Wdziekonski (University of Michigan). Jennifer, Henry, and Adam were members of the original cohort and could not present their capstone projects at Summit due to COVID. Scott, Trista, Ellen, and Kristin were in the second cohort and presented their capstone projects at Summit in 2022.

I asked each person if their institution supported them in pursuing the Academy.

Adam Huang (AH): Yes! My supervisor at the time, Ray Lutzky, advocated for the entire team and encouraged us to view this as part of our jobs. He told us that we would get a lot out of it and that we should take full advantage of the meetings.

Trista Wdziekonski (TW): I was supported, and it was discussed in my annual review too. I would bring back bits of what I was learning to my enrollment management team throughout. Honestly, it was “would you recommend this to others” or “would you share this with others” and immediately, I was sharing it with my team. Other leaders at the university have seen value in my experience as well.

Scott Eubanks (SE): Oh yeah, totally. Most of my job is identifying the cost of something before people jump into it. I was very clear that I needed relief time to do my capstone, and my boss was super supportive.

Jennifer Jones (JJ): Definitely. They supported me financially but then recognized that the virtual meeting times were part of my job and my workday.

Kristin McAuliffe (KM): My university was very supportive. My supervisor [insisted] that I do the academy, and I was lucky I didn’t have to travel [Kristin is with Boston University and was in the second cohort]. I blocked off time on my calendar to attend what I could of the virtual sessions.

Henry Cantu (HC): Yes, luckily, and I presented it to the university that it was an opportunity to help the school and the program I was with.

Ellen Lloyd (EL): Yes. My supervisor was supportive of me learning more about myself and the graduate sphere. I truly valued the 360-degree assessment and especially the feedback from my supervisor.

What was your relationship like with your mentor?

SE: My mentor was phenomenal. She’d reframe things for me to look at differently, which is a superpower. She was good at asking better questions…[in order]...to have the conversation result in something.

HC: Through my mentor, I learned a lot of leadership concepts. She had some great perspectives and allowed me to see things from different angles.

What was your capstone’s general topic, and have you implemented it at work? (Some participants were not able to see their cohort through due to COVID)

TW: The SEM plan on my campus is to dive more into the success rate of cohorts, so my topic was “Master Student Success and Retention Values for Master’s Cohorts.” My capstone project was working parallel to my workday.

SE: Building an undergraduate-to-graduate pipeline. It involved a grass-roots effort to inform the undergraduate population (faculty included) of graduate programs and teach the students how to triangulate their educational goals.

KM: The capstone project was meaningful because I saw the need on campus and wanted to fill it. My title was “Building Community and Collaboration in a Decentralized Environment,” and it’s designed to provide training, networking, idea-sharing opportunities, and mentoring across colleges within Boston University.

HC: The concept was to bring together the different offices and staff who worked directly with the school of nursing where I was at the time. My goal was to create an enrollment management working group to help them from the beginning with advising and student engagement through graduation, and include alumni engagement.

EL: My capstone was focused on increasing interdepartment communication to improve graduate enrollment processes. I’ve been at the table more and able to advocate for our students.

Was it a worthwhile experience?

AH: I would say so. It’s a worthwhile investment on any professional level because you can take away three-tofive bullet points to make yourself a better leader. It’s like a buffet! You can pick and choose what you want since there’s so much information you’re receiving. I loved the team bonding and networking.

TW: No doubt, I got a lot out of it. I’ve used many, if not most, of the things we covered within the first year alone.

It’s a worthwhile investment on any professional level because you can take away three-to-five bullet points to make yourself a better leader.

CAREER, STAFF, & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

I’m sure I’ll be referencing my workbook for future use! The Emotional Intelligence section was valuable for being a good leader.

SE: Absolutely. I loved being a part of a group of friends from the Leadership Academy who could share insights with me throughout the year and at the conference. In addition to leadership, it taught me so many fundamental management skills that are not trained. It was a marvelous experience, and I’m really glad I did it.

JJ: It’s worth every penny. Advocate for yourself to get the funding to go. It paid for itself ten-fold.

KM: Yes. A program like this was outside of my comfort zone. I wasn’t involved with NAGAP before this, so this is my entry to this. NAGAP is already an idea-sharing organization, so the value of professional development in general, the fact that it was more than checking off the box, has inspired me to do more and to help more people. Coming back from Summit gave me a lot of validation.

HC: Oh, absolutely. Again, the opportunity to think through situations. I know I can bring some of this to my new situation here at UConn. The leadership concepts and discussions I’ve had with my coaches are things I can apply to my new role. The biggest takeaway was

that I could meet colleagues who are doing similar things professionally, and it helped me to connect with so many people I wouldn’t have otherwise connected with. I’ve grown with NAGAP because of it. I’m more involved and would not have been without the Academy. I’ve been able to connect in a greater sense.

EL: I would say so. Many people might think it’s a high price tag, but, at the same time, if you see what impact can be made because of this, it pays for itself.

Each person interviewed was willing to speak freely about their experience and takeaways. If you have additional questions, please, connect through The Exchange or learn more about the next cohort at https://www.nagap. org/leadership-academy n

Kittie Pain serves as the director of graduate admissions at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. She holds a bachelor’s degree from McDaniel College and a master’s degree from Drew University. She likes good books and a stiff Manhattan.

The

Experts Bureau

The NAGAP Experts Bureau provides members, as well as outside media, with valuable and reliable resources in the matters of GEM. NAGAP members benefit from having well-respected colleagues within the organization who can confidently and respectfully respond to their best-practice questions or concerns.

Areas of expertise include, but are not limited to:

• Recruitment & Marketing

• Graduate & Adult Student Services

• Ethical Issues in GEM

• International Recruitment & Retention

• Staff Professional Development

• Admissions Policies & Procedures and Operations & Technologies

• Diversity & Inclusion in GEM

• Academic Program Development

• STEM, Biomedical, Medical School Recruitment and Retention

Questions, concerns, or feedback for the Experts Bureau may be directed to nagapmedia @ gmail.com.

“It’s worth every penny. Advocate for yourself to get the funding to go. It paid for itself ten-fold.”

NAGAP

with NAGAP Committee Chairs

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

The membership committee, more broadly, works on membership recruitment and membership engagement. Practically, our team has focused on finding new ways to connect with colleges and universities who may not have NAGAP membership, holding webinars and virtual events to give members a space to check-in with each other, posting on The Exchange to facilitate conversation, and thinking about policy and new initiatives that can be implemented to increase our member base. Additionally, we are responsible for running the NAGAP First Timers session at the annual summit, along with doing follow up at the time of member renewal in late June/early July. Finally, the membership committee is working closely with others to implement and launch NAGAP Communities in 2023.

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 in GEM through the need or desire to find a job in higher education that had a balance of student interaction, along with administrative work/project management. It was clear from my first job after my master’s program finished that a career in residence life and related functional areas was not the best fit for me. I was always interested in a job in undergraduate admissions, and had research interest

in college access, but really could not put all the pieces together at 24. When my first job in GEM came up, it was part processing paper applications, with the idea that they needed someone to build a recruitment and admissions marketing plan for a School of Education; and this was in 2013! Fast forward a decade, and I have been in the field ever since.

I stayed in GEM because of the variety of work, and the ability to do that work with fellow staff, faculty, etc. Additionally, it gives me a unique perspective in understanding how a university runs. I find the diversity of projects and approaches challenging and exciting.

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

I am the assistant dean for enrollment management in University of Buffalo’s (UB) Graduate School of Education. My job involves leading our admissions office, which has a team of five staff members handling admissions operations, recruitment, and communications. Additionally, I oversee data analytics and assessment for the school, with a specific focus on ensuring we are not just admitting students, but creating a data environment that helps us understand retention, graduation, and success in our school. Finally, in the past six months, I have added components of student services to my team. We are currently working to figure out better ways to remove bureaucratic red-tape and barriers, both from a staff and functional standpoint, and a student standpoint, between our unit and the broader university.

At this point in my career, I really enjoy managing people. I have spent considerable time on the “front lines” of GEM work; traveling for graduate school fairs, writing email content, holding individual student appointments, etc. I really enjoy seeing my team members thrive, and seeing their ideas come to light.

We are currently working to figure out better ways to remove bureaucratic red-tape and barriers, both from a staff and functional standpoint, and a student standpoint...

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

I have been involved in NAGAP for as long as I have worked in GEM, thanks to support and guidance from my supervisors and mentors in my first position (shout out and thank you, Sara Langston)! After presenting at a NAGAP conference on some of the work of our office, I was lucky enough to ask some questions about getting involved in my chapter, and my engagement and involvement has stayed consistent since.

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

Truthfully, I am excited about finding ways to show what NAGAP has to offer to folks in GEM and GEM-adjacent positions who do not realize what we have to offer. I think the graduate enrollment space is so expansive with respect to positions and position titles, and the idea of helping someone find their professional home

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and a space to grow outside of their current job is really rewarding. I do not think I would have received some of the foundational knowledge I needed in my career without NAGAP, and it helped me understand the landscape of graduate enrollment from a much broader perspective.

What do you like to do for fun?

I couldn’t answer this question without first stating my undeniable love and support of the Buffalo Bills. If there is a home game, you will find me in the stadium, and for every other game, cheering on at home with my partner and two daughters, or my good friends. Outside of that, I love playing board games with my partner, Holly, being a dance dad to my two daughters, and finding all sorts of ways to make the day exciting and fun for them. On a perfect fall day in Western New York, I love a good hike. Finally, nothing is better than doing a good dig into a crate of old vinyl to find something new to listen to. n

... I was lucky enough to ask some questions about getting involved in my chapter, and my engagement and involvement has stayed consistent since.

with NAGAP Committee Chairs

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

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

The Publications Committee is responsible for the three issues of Perspectives that are released each year. Our committee copy edits the entire issue, produces much of the content, and collaborates with our designer to put each issue together. We are always looking for content and our members consistently reach out to our networks to encourage submissions from colleagues. If you are interested in submitting an article for Perspectives, we would love to hear from you! We also have committee members who assist with the NAGAP Insights blog.

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 was working at a business-to-business publishing company as a custom media manager and freelancing for my alma mater’s alumni magazine (my alma mater is the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University). The director of alumni relations at Medill let me know the Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid was hiring an assistant director. I applied and was able to kick off my career in graduate enrollment management in January 2015. I quickly fell in love with working with graduate students and helping them make their dreams come true. Making admit calls and getting to hear the excitement in their voices were some of my favorite days on the job! While trying to decide my path in higher education, I pursued a master’s in higher education administration and policy, and that degree cemented for me that I want to work in enrollment management long-term.

Last summer, I started as the director of graduate admissions and recruitment at The Graduate School at Northwestern. In this role, I focus on supporting our 110+ PhD and master’s programs with our CRM and also with central policies, procedures, and best practices. I really enjoy the breadth of our program portfolio. We work with fully-funded PhD and MFA programs as well as professional master’s programs, and all of these departments face unique challenges. I’m constantly learning about each of these departments and about PhD admissions, which I have never worked with before.

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

I joined NAGAP in 2019, taking advantage of the student membership discount while completing my master’s degree. Soon after, I volunteered for a committee and joined Publications. As a journalism major at Northwestern, I have always loved writing and copy editing. Since I don’t have as many opportunities to create content in my current role, I enjoy working on Perspectives to continue interviewing people, writing articles, and editing content. I also love highlighting best practices and the great work of our colleagues as well as helping others have the opportunity to be published in an association publication.

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

Last year, our committee completed the Perspectives redesign. It was a big project and I am really proud of that work. My main goal in this committee chair position is to encourage more members to submit content to Perspectives and to hopefully make it easier and less intimidating to do so.

What do you like to do for fun?

I have a nine-month-old daughter, and I like to just watch her explore and play. I also like to go for a walk outside or order takeout and watch a movie.

What is one thing about you people would never suspect?

It’s a running joke in journalism that journalists hate math, but I have always enjoyed math and took differential equations in high school. n

STAFF, & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

NAGAP Communities for Perspectives

InSeptember 2022, NAGAP launched a new way to connect with fellow members: NAGAP Communities. Less formal than a NAGAP Chapter, Communities are informal networks of graduate enrollment management professionals who share a common interest or affinity and wish to share knowledge or engage in community building. Communities can use their shared interest to discuss current topics through the message board on The Exchange, can meet informally to connect over similar ideas, or potentially meet in person based on shared interests.

As of January 2023, the Business and LGBTQ+ Communities are in the process of being formally created, and Communities focused on those interested in Research, and those in Education schools are in the process of being created. Folks attending the NAGAP Summit in New York City in April 2023 will have opportunities to join these communities, or find folks with similar interests to get the ball rolling on new committees.

Please visit the NAGAP website for more information about how to start a community, and what it entails. Most NAGAP Communities have kicked off from a conversation started on The Exchange. We encourage you to take a look at those conversations to see if one is in progress, and if not, start a new thread!

If you are not sure where to get started, the Membership Committee is here to help! Email info@nagap.org and a member of the committee will follow up to get the conversation started. n

Ryan Taughrin is the assistant dean for enrollment management at the University at Buffalo’s Graduate School of Education. He currently serves as the membership chair on the NAGAP Board, and previously served as the NYGAP chapter president.