The privilege of having a career in higher education is helping students learn. The enrollment management professionals at your school are responsible for formulating and implementing a plan that attracts the best students to your institution. This month, we were able to gain many insights into this critical role by sitting down with an accomplished professional in the field, Steven Klein, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management at Angelo State University.
After reading, we invite you to continue the discussion in our LinkedIn group or follow HigherEd Careers on Twitter.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: You are currently the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management at Angelo State University and have spent the better part of 20 years practicing enrollment management. Would you briefly explain what encompasses enrollment management at your university and how you chose this profession?
Steven Klein, Angelo State University: Enrollment management is a rational, data-informed and systematic approach to understanding the dynamics of enrollment at a particular institution and to optimize enrollments based on those dynamics. Angelo State has created an Enrollment Management Division for the first time in its history as it is poised to grow from 6,000 to 10,000 students over the next decade. Admissions, financial aid, registrar and career services make up the direct reports to this unit, but we touch so many other areas to achieve our results. We work with student life, residence life, the academic community, multicultural services, athletics, alumni, development on a regular basis -- there is really no part of a campus community with whom we don't partner at some point. I chose the profession because I can make a difference in people's lives and the satisfaction I get from knowing that I am part of a team.
Hibel: What are some of the major challenges in general in the field of enrollment management today? How have these challenges changed from 5, 10, or 15 years ago?
Klein: Clearly, the economy is top of mind for so many in enrollment management. Families are not as comfortable with paying for higher education as we experienced just a few years ago. Couple that with the overall decrease in high school graduates, the demographic changes of those seeking higher education (more single heads of family, low-income families, a higher proportion of underrepresented and underprepared students), decreases to federal and state support to campuses and student aid, changes to family income and concern about job security, the hits that family income and investments have taken -- and campuses are faced with significant new realities. Campuses that had been investing heavily in direct student aid, infrastructure improvements, enhancements to residential living programs, and the like are suddenly faced with a wholly different approach to the services they can provide.
Hibel: Following up from the previous question -- you discussed some challenges. However, often from challenges, unique opportunities are developed. What positive changes or opportunities have you seen in enrollment management over the past few years?
Klein: Technology improvements allow us to reach more students in ways that were unimaginable 10 years ago. Ten years ago, texts were the words that made up a book! Today, it has a whole new meaning. The focus on rapid and continuous new student enrollments remains, but the demographic changes are causing much of the enrollment discussions to focus on retention efforts as well. There is a greater awareness of the financing challenges faced by families. The reality of shrinking state and federal budgets has put a renewed emphasis on finding ways to support students -- especially those from low- and middle income families. The recent federal legislation to shift funding from bank-based subsidized loans to increased Pell Grant funding is one example. The changes are helping us connect and think outside the traditional box.
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