NAGAP Perspectives, Fall 2013

VOLUME 26 NUMBER 1 FA L L 2 0 1 3

PERSPECTIVES A Newsmagazine for Graduate Enrollment Management Professionals

IN THIS ISSUE  2

From the President

 3

Secretary’s Report

 4

Student Segmentation for Master’s Degree-seeking International Students

 7

Interview with Matt Cipriano, NYGAP President

 9

Reflections on the 2013 NAGAP Summer Institute

by Fellowship Recipients

 11

Book Review

 14 Navigating Uncharted Territory in San Diego  17 Federal Financial Aid: Past, Present and Future  20 Leadership in Graduate Enrollment Management

www.nagap.org

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FROM THE PRESIDENT The Leader in Graduate Enrollment Management

Dear Colleagues, I’m pleased to present to you the Fall 2013 issue of Perspectives. As a new academic year is in full swing, I know we are all busily attending to our Graduate Enrollment Management duties. Many of us will be reading the contents of this issue in the midst of recruiting, and I wish you well as you reach out to prospective students and engage in meaningful conversations. I also hope that you have been able to connect with fellow NAGAP members and perhaps make some new friends in the process. Perhaps you attended one of NAGAP’s receptions in Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Chicago this year. All three were successful and a big thank you to CAP-GAP for helping host the D.C. fair.

I’m pleased to report that NAGAP’s Summer Institute held in Las Vegas, Nev., was well attended and very successful. I’ve received several emails from new members to our profession expressing thanks to NAGAP for providing opportunities to discuss best practices in GEM as well as networking opportunities.

Plans are under way for the Winter Institute, which will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on January 23-24, 2014. I invite you to enjoy an advanced level of conversation with us at this popular institute.

The 2014 Conference Committee is actively preparing for the upcoming annual conference in San Diego. If you haven’t already done so, please mark your calendars for this event. Perhaps you are presenting this year or plan to volunteer as a moderator or recorder. I encourage you to get involved and take advantage of the opportunity to serve our organization and to enjoy the abundant professional development opportunities.

Your board continues to work on its strategic plan objectives while working with you to define our responsibilities in Graduate Enrollment Management. We are also exploring partnerships to support our mission and provide the association with enhanced and relevant resources.

Now that we are entrenched in a new academic year, I hope those of you who attended our annual conference last April have been able to share and/or implement the valuable information disseminated in Florida on your campuses.

Perspectives serves to continue this same level of professional development, and this issue does not disappoint. Please enjoy the book review, PDI Fellows’ reports, member interview and compelling articles included in this issue. 

James N. Crane NAGAP President

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PERSPECTIVES

A Newsmagazine for Graduate Enrollment Management Professionals

Editor, Jennifer Kulbeck Assistant Dean, California School of Professional Psychology Alliant International University One Beach Street San Francisco, CA 94133 NAGAPpublications@gmail.com NAGAP Perspectives is published four times per year (Fall, Winter, 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.

Submissions should be sent to the editor via e-mail. Articles should be provided in Microsoft Word, with figures and photos provided separately as high-resolution TIF or EPS files. APA style is preferred for documenting sources. Submission deadlines: August 15, November 15, February 15, May 15.

Copyright © 2013 NAGAP 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 US and internationally.

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SECRETARY’S REPORT

UPCOMING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

By Kristen Sterba, NAGAP Secretary

The summer board meeting was held immediately following the Summer Professional Development Institute July 12-14 in Las Vegas, Nev. The busy agenda included a group leadership exercise, reports from each of the committee chairs and a presentation from Liaison International. Liaison International provides centralized application solutions to graduate and professional schools and would like to partner with NAGAP on a future project. Some of the highlights of the meeting are listed below.

Winter Institute for Advanced Graduate Enrollment Management Professionals January 23-24, 2014 San Juan, Puerto Rico

• Sarah Petrakos, NAGAP Treasurer, reported that the organization is in good financial standing, and the board finalized the 2013-14 budget.

• The NAGAP website redesign is nearing completion. The new site will be launched in October 2013.

• There will be three networking events hosted in the fall in conjunction with various graduate fairs.

• The bylaws are currently being reviewed and updated for member approval.

• Plans for the 2014 conference to be held April 30-May 3, 2014, in San Diego, Calif., are progressing well, and the planning committee has met on-site.

• The board continues to follow the strategic plan developed in August 2012, and Julie Deland, NAGAP Vice President, is ensuring that all goals are met.

2014 Annual Conference April 30-May 3, 2014 San Diego, CA

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STUDENT SEGMENTATION FOR MASTER’S DEGREE-SEEKING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Rahul Choudaha, PhD, Director of Research & Strategic Development (rahul@wes.org) Paul Schulmann, Research Associate (pschulma@wes.org) Li Chang, Research Associate (lchang@wes.org) World Education Services, New York (wes.org/ras)

International graduate enrollment is becoming increasingly complex and competitive in an environment of changing student profiles and mobility patterns. According to the Council of Graduate Schools, the overall growth in the number of applications from international students for fall 2013 was 2 percent as compared to 9 percent in 2012 and 11 percent in 2011. Even more disturbing is the fact that the number of applications from China, the primary driver of growth for many schools, witnessed a decline of 3 percent.

In this context, it is important for international graduate enrollment professionals to stay ahead of the trends, better understand their prospective students and develop strategies that align with student needs.

High Low

Financial Resources

Through segmentation, institutions can divide international graduate student populations into identifiable categories

based on common characteristics.

This process provides insight into the behaviors and preferences of these groups, and gives guidance to international enrollment professionals on how to optimize the effectiveness of their outreach efforts.

students which differ in terms of how they seek information on studying in the United States and what information they seek. The four segments are:

A recent research report, “Student Segmentation for an Effective International Enrollment Strategy,” published by World Education Services applies the principles of segmentation for international enrollment management (visit wes.org/ras for full report). Based on a survey of nearly 2,100 prospective international students applying for master’s degree programs in the U.S., we used segmentation to group graduate students by academic preparedness and financial resources and analyzed differences in student profiles along these proxies.

Strugglers: Students with low financial resources and low academic preparedness

Based on the segmentation, we identified four segments of international

Strivers: Students with low financial resources and high academic preparedness

Highfliers: Students with high financial resources and high academic preparedness Explorers: Students with high financial resources and low academic preparedness

Explorers Explorers constitute 24 percent of master’s degree applicants, and are characterized by their high financial resources, and lower academic preparedness. Seventy-eight percent of

EXPLORERS 24%

HIGHFLIERS 33%

STRUGGLERS 15%

STRIVERS 28%

Low

High Academic Preparedness

Figure 1. Segments of Master’s Degree-Seeking International Students continued on the next page ................. ................. ................. ................. ................. .................

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reputation and academic merits and make sure to keep their social media accounts updated regularly.

in the United States. A combination of academic abilities and high financial resources characterize this highly soughtafter student segment.

Strivers

Although one third of master’sseeking students who took our survey categorize as Highfliers, only 15 percent of doctoral-seeking students fall into this category, with more than half (52 percent) in the Strivers segment. These disparities illustrate a fundamental difference between the two. Students applying for terminal master’s degrees are more likely to come from relatively wealthier backgrounds, while many doctoral-seeking students have strong academic backgrounds, but require the financial assistance many doctoral programs offer.

Explorers have either taken ESL courses, or plan to attend one in the future, the largest amount of any segment.

Explorers also have the most financial support from family or friends, with 70 percent indicating them as a main source for funding their studies.

As their name indicates, Explorers are the most likely to study in the United States for the experiential aspects of obtaining a foreign degree. Of all segments, Explorers were the least likely to list program content and course offerings (50 percent), and faculty research (18 percent) among their top three informational needs. Explorers were the most likely to list location as one of the top three informational needs, with 28 percent selecting this option.

Institutions that wish to recruit Explorers should include material about the experiential aspects of studying at their institution in their marketing material.

We recommend that they highlight the positive features of their campus location as well as the availability of extracurricular activities.

Highfliers Highfliers are the largest segment of students applying to master’s degrees

Twenty-eight percent of master’s students are Strivers. This segment has high academic preparedness but lower financial resources than Highfliers and Explorers. As mentioned earlier, this segment is more typical of doctoral students than those in terminal master’s programs. Strivers are the most likely to use loans to finance their studies, with 43 percent indicating such, and are less likely than Strugglers to rely on the financial support of family and friends at 47 percent and 54 percent, respectively.

Strivers (57 percent) are the least likely of any segment to have either taken an ESL course or plan to attend one.

For Highfliers, family support is key to their financial independence, as 69 percent indicated family or friends as their main source of funding. Highfliers are the most sought after international student demographic, but they are also difficult to recruit. More than any other segment, Highfliers listed the institution’s reputation as one of their top three informational needs, second only to program content and course offerings.

Highfliers prefer to use social media managed by the institutions that interest them, with 74 percent indicating this preference. They are also the least likely to attend an education fair, with only 18 percent indicating attendance.

This segment is more interested in the academic quality and affordability of an institution than in the experience of studying abroad. They were almost three times more likely to list financial aid (31 percent) among their top information needs than Highfliers (11 percent) and Explorers (12 percent). They were also the least likely of any segment to list location of the school as a top three information need, with only 13 percent selecting this option, less than half of the proportion of Explorers. In contrast, 56 percent of Strivers listed program content in their top three information needs, the most of any segment.

“Highfliers are the most sought

Although Strivers may need financial support, they are serious and astute students. Eighty-five percent of Strivers search for information on studying abroad on an institution’s website.

We recommend that institutions put information about the quality of the program as well as funding opportunities prominently on their websites.

after international student demographic, but they are also

”

difficult to recruit.

Highfliers are likely to come from comparatively wealthy families, as indicated by their high level of family support. They are also likely to be driven by an institution’s prestige and have access to the latest communication devices. Institutions interested in enrolling Highfliers should create messaging that engages both parents and students about the institution’s

Strugglers Strugglers rank low on academic preparedness and financial resources. Not surprisingly, they are the smallest segment of master’s students, constituting only 15 percent. continued on the next page

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STUDENT SEGMENTATION

CONTINUED

Despite their low concentration, it is important for institutions to acknowledge the existence of this segment as they are likely to need financial assistance and academic support throughout their studies.

Strugglers are the most likely of any segment to use an educational agent (43 percent) and to attend an education fair (24 percent). This suggests that they need help finding information on studying in the United States, as they often engage in services or attend events that provide information to them directly.

Moreover, they are the least likely to list the reputation of an institution (39 percent) or career prospects after graduating (42 percent) among their top three information needs.

This implies that their motivation for studying in the United States differs from other segments, as they have less interest in an institution’s academic merits.

2. Adapt to the changing needs of students: International student needs and behaviors differ not only by different segments, but are also in constant flux. Many recruitment practices designed in the “preFacebook” era are still considered effective by some institutions, while student expectations have changed.

Institutions need to re-evaluate their assumptions and adapt to the changing needs of students.

Conclusion In a competitive and complex environment of international graduate enrollment, institutions wanting to maximize the efficacy of their outreach efforts have to continuously monitor and adapt to a changing environment. We recommend the following to achieve their desired goals:

3. Deploy an analytics-driven framework to formulate international enrollment strategies: To better integrate the diversity of profiles and the changing needs of international students for informed strategies, institutions need to invest in and deploy a systematic framework of analyzing the enrollment funnel and regularly research student expectations and experiences.

1. Recognize the diversity of international students: International students differ significantly in terms of their motivations, needs and behaviors by level of education, source countries and demographics.

Institutions cannot simply apply the same recruitment strategies for all international students. A granular understanding of segments is indispensable in a competitive and cost-conscious environment.

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“The research provides a framework that institutions can use to understand the different needs of international student segments and build effective enrollment

”

strategies.

To view all international students as homogeneous results in ineffective enrollment practices that reflect assumptions and hunches rather than systematic research and analysis. The research provides a framework that institutions can use to understand the different needs of international student segments and build effective enrollment strategies. 

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INTERVIEW WITH MATT CIPRIANO, NYGAP PRESIDENT

By Raymond Lutzky, Polytechnic Institute of New York University NYGAP, the New York State Association for Graduate Enrollment Management, was founded in 2007 as a chapter of NAGAP. What began as a group for professionals from the central and western parts of New York has now grown to encompass all graduate enrollment professionals in the state.

On July 1, Matt Cipriano took over as the new president of the organization.

Currently, Matt is administrative manager at the Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, a part of the New York University School of Medicine. The Sackler Institute offers programs in the basic medical sciences leading to PhD degrees and combined MD/PhD degrees. Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Connecticut College, a master’s degree in media ecology from NYU, and is currently working towards his EdD in higher and post-secondary education in NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. I had the chance to sit down with Matt after the NYGAP annual summer conference for his first interview as president to learn more about his background and the future for the chapter.

Matt has worked in graduate admissions for more than 12 years, but his career started in a very different way. Upon graduation from Connecticut College, he started a job working for an antique jeweler doing marketing and web design. However, his position came to an abrupt end with an 11 p.m. phone call telling him not to show up to work the next day.

“I was told ‘don’t come in, the building is currently on fire’…the next morning it had turned into a 5-alarm fire and rather than put it out, they tore the building down with all the stock and inventory inside, leaving nothing to sell or post a website about,” he said.

Although Matt spent a good deal of time looking for work, his search began right around September 11, 2001.

“There were hiring freezes and it was difficult to find a job…I was being a little choosy until month five,” he joked.

attendance at conferences and would review publications as they came out. However, while presenting at the 2008 conference in Denver, he was approached by a group of admissions officers from biomedical programs.

Around that time, a friend mentioned that she knew of open positions at New York University in the School of Medicine.

“After a handful of interviews, I eventually ended up at NYU and nine months later was named an assistant in the Sackler Institute,” said Matt.

“They came and found me and said that they would love to have me involved in the New York City conference the next year,” he said, which led him to hosting a dozen biomedical schools at an event before the 2007 conference.

Remembering the experience, Matt remarked that “it was a great event; we discussed admissions processes, summer programs, sharing information – it proved to be very useful.”

After 11 years at Sackler Institute, he rose from the role of administrative assistant to a manager overseeing the admissions process.

Matt had previously considered a career in education while in college, but as a teacher rather than an administrator.

His work with that group led him to become more involved and eventually help to co-found BioGAP, the Biomedical Sciences chapter of NAGAP.

“During my unemployment, I did some substitute teaching at middle school and high school level and discovered that working with students that age is terrifying…so I had written off education at that point,” he said.

“That’s when I really became ‘hands on’ with NAGAP,” said Matt, who remembers meeting NYGAP past president Josh LaFave in the hallway of the conference hotel that year. “He asked why professionals from New York City were not more involved with NYGAP…I informed him that the NYGAP organization didn’t do much for New York City.”

Fortuitously, with his hiring at NYU, he was able to get back into the world of education at the graduate level.

NAGAP entered the picture for Matt as he began to take on more responsibilities at NYU. “Within a few years I worked my way up to an admissions coordinator position, and my boss recommended I join a professional organization,” he said.

The two discussed the idea of bringing a metro-area coordinator into the NYGAP leadership, who would focus on New York City and the surrounding area. After keeping in contact after the conference, Matt soon took on the role of NYGAP coordinator for the New York City area and began his work with the regional chapter.

NAGAP was the only professional organization dealing with graduate admissions at that time, and Matt attended his first conference in Chicago in 2005. As a new member of NAGAP, he limited his involvement to

“During that time I also became a continued on the next page

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MATT CIPRIANO

CONTINUED added that these points are important to the admission process as well, because “if you don’t have successful students in your program and if you aren’t able to retain them, you won’t make your class size, it won’t look good for the admission of future students… why would a student come to your institution?” he asked.

mentor for three individuals in graduate admissions through the NYGAP mentorship program while also serving as vice president of BioGAP,” he recalled.

As his tenure at BioGAP ended and his mentoring relationships ran their course, Josh LaFave’s time as NYGAP president also ended and Matt “decided to take a run for it.”

To Matt, graduate enrollment management focuses on the entirety of the student experience rather than the single admissions process.

Even though he is the new president of NYGAP, Matt finds graduate enrollment management as difficult to describe as most professionals in our field.

While looking at the future of NYGAP, Matt sees challenges and opportunities for the chapter.

“I find it easier to look at admissions and look at how the concept of graduate enrollment management has expanded the role of admissions offices,” he said.

“The switch from graduate admissions to GEM is a fairly new one; the focus has been on best practices in admissions and processes, dealing with vendors… but with the shift to GEM, one of the bigger challenges is defining that shift,” he said.

Today, graduate enrollment management really involves looking at the whole student life cycle, from admission, through their time as a student and into graduation – and even beyond graduation to their relationship as alumni.

He points to the fact that in the past, many members of NYGAP were in “traditional” admissions roles, but now those roles are expanding based on university directives and how the profession is changing.

One approach NYGAP has used is focusing on educational programming and professional development that is expanded to the entirety of the student experience, while still making it relevant to admissions professionals.

“Looking at graduate enrollment management from just an admissions standpoint brings students into an institution but it doesn’t really comment on the quality of students, how those students interact with their communities, how successful they will be…retaining students or even what they will be doing after they graduate,” said Matt. He

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“One of the ways we focused on this at our recent NYGAP conference was to have educational offerings on social media,” he said.

Typically, previous conference programs had focused on how to use social media to attract students. At NYGAP, the conference committee put together a panel that dealt with everything from the admissions process to alumni relations and best uses of social media in all contexts.

“There were some great ideas, including how to attract and communicate with students in foreign countries like China, where traditional means may be blocked,” said Matt.

By focusing on a mix of traditional and new tactics, NYGAP is working to bring departments together and break down “silos” between admissions, student affairs, and alumni relations and development activities. Matt emphasized that “these departments really need to communicate across the student life cycle to ensure that not only is the admissions process successful, but that success of the student is assured.” With these and other goals for the future, Matt is looking forward to a successful term as NYGAP president during this transitional time for the graduate enrollment management profession. 

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REFLECTIONS ON THE 2013 NAGAP SUMMER INSTITUTE BY FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENTS

By Becky Eby and Troy R. Joseph

Becky Eby University of Nebraska, Lincoln There are those who say, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” This statement does not ring true for the 83 individuals who attended NAGAP’s 2013 Summer Institute for New Graduate Enrollment Management Professionals. With two days of informative and insightful presentations and countless networking opportunities set against the backdrop of the neon lights of Las Vegas, NAGAP’s next generation of professionals left wanting to share all they had experienced.

Many of those in attendance had been on the job for three years or less, making the opening session of this year’s institute, an Introduction to the Profession of Graduate Enrollment Management, highly beneficial. The session provided a summary of the components of graduate enrollment management, as well as a synopsis on the evolution of the field. Dr. Kristin Williams’ presentation allowed participants to look at the big picture of graduate enrollment management before the subsequent presentations explored the varying components of the profession.

The remainder of day one’s sessions focused on the topics of legal issues and international enrollment management and included an exceptional fromtheory-to-practice session. Due to the small size of the group, participants were able to learn not only from seasoned professionals in the field, but also from their peers. Whether it was through the discussion of a shared problem or a story about a recently implemented best practice, everyone felt confident they were not alone in facing challenges and that they had the foundational knowledge needed to be successful in their positions.

Day two of the institute included presentations on demographic trends

Keith Ramsdell, Professional Development Committee Chair, with Becky Eby, Troy R. Joseph and John Bury

As someone who is brand new to the profession, I found value in every session, and I left the institute energized, inspired and ready to get back to the office. NAGAP’s Summer Institute for New Graduate Enrollment Management Professionals is a great way for new professionals and their organizations to benefit from years of experience and a breadth professional knowledge. I would recommend all new professionals take advantage of this enriching opportunity and mark their calendars for next year’s Summer Institute.

and financial support, recruitment of underrepresented groups and navigating through generational differences to recruit the best and brightest graduate students. The presentations not only clarified the current state of graduate enrollment management but also provided participants with a window into the future of enrollment trends.

All were encouraged to be creative, to reach out to underrepresented groups and to foster unique partnerships to continue to their organizations’ goals.

The plenary presentation provided by Mr. Trent Gilbert provided insight into how graduate schools can communicate and connect with graduate students from varying generations and called for everyone to think critically about what Xers, Millenials and “the 15th generation” consider when selecting a graduate program.

Troy R. Joseph University at Buffalo, State University of New York Attending the Summer Institute for New Graduate Enrollment Management Professionals was a rewarding experience. In addition to socializing with new professionals from other institutions in an exotic locale, my two main reasons for attending the institute were to learn best practices from experienced Graduate Enrollment Management (GEM) professionals and to network with other new professionals.

These sessions, combined with opportunities to network with new and veteran graduate enrollment management professionals over breakfast, lunch and an evening reception, created an atmosphere of professional development and growth.

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REFLECTIONS

CONTINUED In today’s global education village, professionals are challenged to adapt to the changing policies surrounding graduate enrollment and recruitment.

One such change – the coming of Gen X – was cleverly delivered in the plenary session presented by Trent Gilbert, When Generations Collide. Through an engaging, intuitive presentation Trent heightened our awareness of what we should expect with the populations we will be engaging for the next twenty years. As he highlighted, the Millennials are coming. So what does this mean for recruiting graduate students in the future? Mr. Gilbert focused on changing student expectations, and provided key characteristics that would assist GEM professionals in adapting to the changing student market. Increased electronic recruitment and more customer engagement are necessary in directly catering to the needs of these changing students.

“In today’s global education village, professionals are challenged to adapt to the changing policies surrounding

”

graduate enrollment and recruitment.

The institute agenda was comprised of an array of presentations which were educational and informative. However, the introductory and final sessions proved to be exceptional. Dr. Kristen Williams’s opening session, Introduction to the Profession of Graduate Enrollment Management was engaging and insightful. Her dynamic presentation provided GEM fundamentals focused on traditional admissions and recruitment and provided awareness of the field’s evolution into a more holistic enrollment management system. Her session was an ideal guide for new GEM professionals who seek to develop careers based on ethical best practices.

After attending the institute I have decided to conduct an in-depth analysis on the graduate fairs attended by University at Buffalo GEM staff. This will assist in strategic graduate fair attendance and increase the diversity of our recruitment efforts.

The Summer Institute for New Graduate Enrollment Management Professionals offered fresh and practical applications for new GEM professionals to consider as they advance in their career. The presentations were educational, enlightening and applicable to daily GEM activities. I would recommend it to any new GEM professional, as it provides best practices and unique opportunities to network with other experienced professionals in the field. 

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BOOK REVIEW

Reviewed by Daniel J. Bennett, Assistant Dean Emeritus, UCLA, Senior Consultant, World Education Services (WES)

College (Un)bound: The Future of Higher Education and What It Means for Students Jeffrey J. Selingo, Boston/New York, New Harvest: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013 In my last review of recent books on the current state of the American university (Perspectives Winter 2012), I noted that Jeffrey Selingo, editor at the Chronicle of Higher Education, stated in a 2011 address to the Council of Graduate Schools that his bookcase was teeming with volumes criticizing the current state of the university. Mr. Selingo, a keynote speaker at the 2009 NAGAP annual conference, now adds his own book on the subject. The introduction: “Over the last thirty years – and particularly in the first decade of the new millennium – American higher education has lost its way.” And further: “American higher education is broken.” Selingo proceeds to explain how U.S. colleges and universities lost their way, outlines changes in higher education, and speculates on what may be expected in the future.

Selingo notes that costs are spiraling out of control, quality is declining, high attrition predominates and the U.S. is now #12 among developed nations in terms of level of attainment in higher education by its young people. The bachelor’s degree is the new high school degree, there is a proliferation of majors as well as credential and mission creep, colleges and universities are using aggressive advertising and recruitment techniques to lure in students who then take on too much debt and often pursue too many degrees only to end up underemployed.

The author is concerned that “Colleges are turning into businesses where customers…expect to be satisfied.”

He criticizes universities for indulging “customers” with climbing walls, hotellike residences and resort-like campuses.

However, Selingo also chides the university for being resistant to change and lacking accountability, and thinks it should operate more like a business

opposed to top-down on the orders of presidents or corporate consultants.

Also, housing, student affairs, and other campus operations need to be responsive to the expectations of contemporary students. For example, food service and housing should be sensitive to the needs of an increasingly diverse domestic and international student population, not only to attract these students to campus and make them comfortable but also to facilitate their studies. Gone are the days when the university could put two or three students to a room and serve them institutional food.

Those who have attended a higher education conference in the last couple of years know it is inevitable that Clayton Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation (“a process by which a product or service takes root initially in simple applications at the bottom of a market and then relentlessly moves up market, eventually displacing established competitors”) will enter these discussions about higher education. The book’s second section, The Disruption, posits that since the 2008 financial crisis, a sea of red ink, disappearing state support for higher education, the dwindling supply of full-paying students from here and abroad, attractive new undbundled alternatives (e.g., MOOCs – Massive Open Online Courses), and the growing value gap (high tuition, heavy debt, low-paying jobs) will lead to changes in higher education.

when it comes to innovation. Selingo lauds education entrepreneurs such as the Khan Academy for moving more rapidly into adaptive learning technology and online education.

Selingo is favorably impressed with the use of business consultants by universities. For example, the University of North Texas: “There, leaders called in the management consulting firm Bain & Company, famous for helping corporate America restructure its operations [this reader notes they are also famous for becoming an issue in the 2012 presidential campaign], to assist the university in designing the college of the future for its branch campus in Dallas.

The model shaped by Bain called for a limited number of majors tied to the needs of the local economy (such as business and information technology), classes offered year-round, and hybrid courses (a combination of online and face-to-face classes).” My experience at UCLA suggests that the best academic programs are developed collaboratively from the ground up by faculty as

Selingo is taken with innovations such as online education and software that collects data from and makes recommendations for students, e.g., “…Naviance, a technology platform that helps students plan their careers, guide their college choices, and manage their application process.” The author agrees continued on the next page

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“Personalized classes are one way

group” for academic achievement equal to a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university?

that big data has the potential to shape the future of higher

Selingo argues, “Colleges and universities are one of the few entities left that provide a bundled service, from the classes to the dining halls to computer centers to career advice.”

He suggests that like the traditional telephone company, these “services,” including academic delivery, can be unbundled to allow students to pursue higher education through a variety of means separate from a whole.

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education.

with an idea from Craig Powell, founder of Connect-EDU, that universities indeed could eliminate admissions and use data to enroll students in colleges and universities: “Personalized classes are one way that big data has the potential to shape the future of higher education.

A farther-reaching application of the data is to use it to help students make decisions about their education long before they ever set foot on a college campus or in a classroom.” After all, “If websites such as eHarmony and Match.com can help two people fall in love based on a short questionnaire, we should be able to design a better method for matching students with colleges.” Though the book is primarily focused on undergraduate admissions and degrees, NAGAP members beware: one day someone inevitably will extend these concepts to graduate enrollment management!

“To some, the concept of a computer directing students to particular courses or pairing them with appropriate classmates for

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discussions may seem Orwellian.

These might include online and hybrid courses, courses taken at a variety of colleges and universities (providing that accreditation and regulatory policies be liberalized to allow more flexibility for transfer of credit), and a variety of uses of technology, from data-driven choices of courses, adaptive learning, and selection of majors and schools made through the use of algorithms. Selingo admits, “To some, the concept of a computer directing students to particular courses or pairing them with appropriate classmates for discussions may seem Orwellian. [!]”

Selingo discusses the possibility of awarding “digital badges” rather than degrees: these “would allow people to demonstrate skills and knowledge to prospective employers without necessarily having a degree.” Even he calls this a “fringe” idea and must summon controversial Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as a supporter to give it traction. The “badges could be awarded by traditional colleges, they could also be given out by professional organizations, online education providers, companies, or community groups.” “The big question, of course, is whether employers would view badges as credible, especially when compared against a traditional college diploma.”

For this reader, another big question is why employers should find a “digital badge” awarded by a “community

Selingo acknowledges the value of a traditional bachelor’s degree program and campus experience and notes that many of the “disrupters” he discusses, who challenge traditional higher education and in some instances even getting a degree at all, often themselves hold traditional degrees.

“I always wonder, and usually ask, if they think the experience they are proposing is as good as what they received. The question typically makes them uncomfortable, and the answers are usually nuanced. In the end, those

building alternatives to traditional higher education are not trying to put Harvard or Michigan State out of business, but instead are attempting to disrupt the business model of hundreds of lowquality colleges spread throughout the country [emphasis added]. Whatever alternatives emerge from those experiments, whether it’s a degree from the online, self-paced Western Governors University or a certificate of completion from edX, the new online massive school formed by Harvard and MIT, these new options should be good enough for them or their own son or daughter.”

In response to the concern that students develop better skills to succeed in the workplace, Selingo recommends they seek a passionate faculty mentor, take on a research project, go on a transformative global experience (if they can afford it), and be creative, take risks, and learn how to fail. All good advice, though these options appear more likely to exist on a traditional campus rather than among the unbundled alternatives.

Selingo correctly calls the student debt situation a crisis. As I write, The Wall Street Journal notes, “The rising mountain of student debt, recently closing in on $1.2 trillion, is forcing some entrepreneurs to abandon startup dreams and others…to radically reshape their business plans,” thus impacting even those who are trying to succeed at self-employment. However, as Ellen Shrecker writes in her book on the “the end of the American university,” the student debt crisis really began to develop in 1972 when the Nixon administration initiated a shift from federal direct grants to colleges and universities, promoted by Johnson’s Great Society initiatives, to student loans. Thus, individual funding of higher education replaced collective funding, an action that over time facilitated the development of forprofit, largely vocational colleges and universities that until recently, largely continued on the next page

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escaped public scrutiny and, at the same time, undermined support for public universities. While Selingo praises this development in terms of the use of technology and non-traditional pedagogy by these non-traditional colleges and universities, some see a more negative overall impact on higher education.

Selingo predicts that computers and data-driven decision making will lead to a more personalized education, there will be more hybrid courses, there will be an unbundling of degree programs, that colleges will have more fluid timelines for beginning and ending study, and that loan eligibility will be more frequently evaluated, financial aid may be based on potential earnings, and graduates pay back loans as percentage of income, and the country will encourage more savings for college.

The author acknowledges, “Parts of this book previously appeared in somewhat different forms in the Chronicle….”; and this timely book emanates from recent headline stories. As I finished this review the Obama administration released a preliminary proposal to link student aid to new ratings of colleges based on measures such as graduation rates and post-graduation earnings, that, along with MOOCs and competency-based learning, are ideas discussed in this book. However, headlines often focus on alarmist critiques without historical perspective or a larger context. Is U.S. higher education broken? Have our colleges and universities lost their way?

“Selingo predicts that computers and data-driven decision making will lead to a more personalized education, there will be more hybrid courses…graduates pay back loans as a percentage of income, and the country will

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college.

higher education, including accreditation to ensure quality, has a long and proud history. The Morrill Act of 1862 that established provisions for the funding of land-grant colleges was the first of several steps at the federal level, right on through the GI Bill after World War II and Johnson’s Great Society, that culminated in the 20th century with many great public universities and increasing public access.

U.S. higher education continues to be widely acknowledged as the best in the world that attracts students from far and wide, even to many of the lesser schools Selingo dismisses. The U.S. system of

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Increases in college and university tuition and other costs leading to excessive borrowing as well as reductions in quality (if this truly is a problem) should be seen in this light and solutions should be considered not just in the context of reducing costs through online education and unbundling of degree programs and campuses. Many believe it is the political process in the U.S. that has lost its way and is broken. Fixing it might provide the key to re-establishing quality higher education for all citizens as a priority.

encourage more savings for

Many developments have negatively impacted U.S. colleges and universities in recent years; the disempowerment of the middle class through an increasingly inequitable tax system is among the most significant. In California, home to the ten-campus University of California, one of the most prestigious land-grant universities, Proposition 13 (1978) drastically limited the ability of the state to tax individual and corporate property at market rates. Wealthy individuals and corporations (because of loopholes in the law, corporations are often able to avoid reassessments of property for tax purposes when it changes hands) have benefited greatly and funding for education has suffered. Since the 1980’s major reductions in federal income tax rates on high earners have created great

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disparity in incomes and wealth in the U.S. and deprived government of the ability to support infrastructure at the level of the 1950’s and 1960’s when the middle class burgeoned. In a recent op-ed piece published in the LA Times, Hedrick Smith notes, “From 1979 to 2011, 84% of the nation’s increase in income has gone to the wealthiest 1%.”

References: www.claytonchristensen.com/keyconcepts Jaschik, S., “President Obama Proposes to Link Student Aid to New Ratings of Colleges,” Inside Higher Education, August 22, 2013 Shrecker E., (2010), The Lost Soul of Higher Education: Corporatization, the Assault on Academic Freedom, and the End of the American University. New York: The New Press Simon, R., “Student-Loan Load Kills Startup Dreams,” The Wall Street Journal, August 14, 2013 Smith, H., “Middle-Class Mayday,” Los Angeles Times, August 4, 2013 

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NAVIGATING UNCHARTED TERRITORY IN SAN DIEGO A note from the 2014 Conference Planning Committee

Thank you to everyone who has submitted a proposal and attended our webinar on how to create a proposal for a NAGAP Conference Education Session. The Conference Planning Committee is working hard to bring the NAGAP membership a comprehensive and educational annual conference in 2014. We encourage members to get involved with the process! The quality of our educational sessions rests on the quality of the proposals we receive. We encourage you to disseminate the call for proposals to other professionals who may have valuable information to share with our membership. We also encourage you to collaborate with others.

Consider using our social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) to reach out to your colleagues.

The session categories listed below are suggestions based on feedback from your evaluations and call for ideas. The categories and sub-topics are designed to touch upon what you consider most important and of greatest interest: Adapting to 21st Century Learners and Marketplace • Alternative pathways to certification, licensure, etc.

• Certificate programs • Changes in the world of work, job market and careers: What are the implications for graduate programs?

• Changing trends in social media • Creating partnerships with businesses and undergraduate feeder schools • Current trends in academic disciplines and professional schools • Dealing with more informed and tech-savvy prospects, applicants and students • MOOCs • Online learners: Program development, marketing, yield and retention geared to this unique audience • Recruiting on a budget • Use of recruiting agents

2012-14 NAGAP GOVERNING BOARD Officers President James N. Crane

Assistant Dean Graduate Studies

Brigham Young University

BYU Graduate Studies

105 FPH

Provo, UT 84602

Phone: 801-422-1586

Fax: 801-422-0270

Email: james_crane@byu.edu Vice President Julia B. Deland

Harvard Graduate School

of Education Secretary Kristen Sterba

University of Arkansas for

Medical Sciences Treasurer Sarah Petrakos

Simmons College Immediate Past President/ International Relations Chair Joanne Canyon-Heller

Roosevelt University

Admissions and Enrollment • Best practices in admissions technology • Best practices in online application processing and review • Centralized vs. decentralized admissions processing • Data driven decision making • Transcript evaluation best practices • Using and interpreting test scores and GPA in the admissions process Career, Staff and Personal Development • Admissions leaders as staff developers and mentors • Advanced leadership for GEM professionals • Assessing leadership styles • Career assessment and career counseling skills • Career counseling for graduate admissions and enrollment professionals • Career paths in graduate enrollment management or in higher education • Change theory and practice: Initiating and managing change in GEM environments

The Leader in Graduate Enrollment Management

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• Continuing education for all graduate admissions professionals • Current issues facing GEM leaders: What strategies can be used to address them?

• Effects of institutional change on work of GEM professionals • Finding and sustaining a work-life balance • Leadership 101 for GEM professionals • Leading an admissions or GEM team in today’s economy • Managing self-care for you and your staff • Millennial generation as our co-workers, colleagues and supervisors • New skills needed for changing roles in GEM offices/departments/schools • Qualities of leadership: General and specific to GEM • Sources of personal professional development • The relationship between a central graduate admissions/GEM office and individual departments/schools • What do new GEM professionals need?

Committees Chapters Chair Cammie Baker Clancy

Empire State College-SUNY

Conference Chair 2014 Teisha Johnson Illinois College of Optometry

Education Chair Dave Fletcher

Barry University

Marketing & Social Media Chair Francesca A. Reed

Marymount University

Compliance, Legal and Ethical Issues • Access and disability services • Affirmative action • Authenticity of admissions essays, test scores, degrees and international transcripts • Cleary Act compliance • Criminal conviction/disciplinary history of applicants • FERPA • Legal issues during the application process • Legislation and accreditation requirements: Involvement of GEM professionals in data collection and reporting • Mandated health insurance

Membership Chair Judith Baker

Nazareth College of Rochester

Online Education Chair Marcus Hanscom

University of New Haven

Professional Development Chair Keith Ramsdell

Lourdes University

Publications Chair Jennifer Kulbeck Alliant International University

Globalization: Understanding a New Generation of International and Multicultural Domestic Students • Cultural differences: Implications for academic programs, admissions process, faculty education and student services • Diversification of your student populations: Implications for recruitment, retention, student services and financial aid • Trends in enrollment projections for domestic English language learners • Trends in international admissions and enrollment • Updates about countries, programs of study and credentials evaluation

Research and Global Issues Chair Joshua LaFave

State University of New York

at Potsdam

Publications Committee Nicquet Blake, PhD

University of Texas Health

Science Center San Antonio

Graduate Student Funding and Financial Aid • Centralized vs. decentralized financial aid advising and services • Debt management education for current graduate/professional students • Effects of the economy • External sources of funding: Finding new sources of financial aid in today’s economy • Federal loan forgiveness and grants • Funding for international students and diverse populations • Satisfactory academic progress (SAP): Best practices for tracking, notification and academic support • School-based financial aid: Criteria and selection processes • Veteran’s benefits

Marianne Gumpper

Fairfield University Raymond Lutzky Polytechnic Institute of New York University Mallory Maggiacomo

Marist College Kate McConnell

Saint Joseph’s University

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NAVIGATING UNCHARTED TERRITORY

• Services for special populations: Diversity, international, disabilities and veteran • Tracking continuing students to graduation: Strategies and services • Tracking of job placement for reporting purposes • Yield and orientation strategies • Supporting and engaging alumni

Marketing and Enrollment Management • Admissions professionals: Integral players in academic planning • Alumni engagement in the recruiting process • Best practices using market research • Feeder schools: Outreach, identification and collaboration • For-profits: What can we learn from them?

• Graduate branding in an undergraduate culture • Research reports: Implications for graduate programs and enrollment • Return on investment: Are your tactics paying off?

• Setting enrollment goals • Social media: How, what to use, and data on effectiveness • Using CRMs effectively • Veteran initiatives, recruitment • Virtual interactive recruitment: Information sessions, webinars and chats

Is there a specific topic about which you’ve wanted to learn more, but aren’t sure whom to ask? Ever wish you had a forum for sharing your challenges and successes? Are you looking for new ideas and innovations? In San Diego, we hope to help you achieve this and here’s how: Engage with Panelists: Panels will ideally have three to four participants, one of whom also serves as the moderator/team leader. Panels are typically comprised of individuals with expertise and/or related experience on the topic. They are a great opportunity to hear from professionals both domestically and across the globe who may be facing situations similar to yours.

Student Life Cycle in a Graduate Enrollment Management Model • Career advisement and support • Creating and sustaining a graduate culture and sense of community • Life cycle of students: Prospects to alumni • Retention: Identification of patterns and development of strategies

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Take part in a Special Interest Forum: The Special Interest Forum (SIF), led by a facilitator, is a round table discussion during which attendees may discuss a specific topic of interest in a small group setting. This format should maximize the opportunity for open dialogue between

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conference attendees, as participants share their experiences and thoughts.

Discover and learn from Presentations: As in the past, these are educational sessions in which the presenter(s) shares information with a theater-style audience. Presenters are encouraged to integrate media (e.g., PowerPoint, video clips, links to websites) and to engage the audience throughout the session.

Presentations should be structured so that sufficient time is allotted for audience participation, take-home messages, and questions and answers.

Gain knowledge of best practices attending a Rapid Fire Session: In a Rapid Fire Session, four or five discussion leaders are given 10 minutes to present best practices. Session topics will involve current, relevant, cuttingedge information about best practices in hot topics for graduate enrollment management. At the end of the session, a facilitator will monitor a question-andanswer period so that you can interact with the presenters.

The Conference Planning Committee is hard at work making sure that you have a great experience at our annual conference in beautiful San Diego. You can look forward to new programming, engaging guest speakers, networking opportunities and entertainment unique to San Diego. We look forward to seeing you in April! 

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FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

By Stephen Brown, Assistant Dean of Enrollment Services at Fordham University School of Law & Michele Kaminski, Director of Financial Aid at Touro Law School “How do I pay for school?” “Who benefits from my graduate degree?”

“What role should the government and the taxpayers have?” “Is my degree worth it?” These are questions many of us have been hearing for years, but the clamor for answers has been growing.

This article provides some context to answer these questions, in terms of federal aid and loans, other policies, repayment plans and loan forgiveness.

We will also look to the future to highlight key issues under consideration as the U.S. Congress looks to reauthorize the Higher Education Act in 2014.

Graduate and Professional Students In the world of financial aid, graduate and professional students sometimes seem to be an afterthought. While the concept of financial aid in the United States can be traced to “work study” programs at the College of William & Mary and Harvard University in the 17th century, modern federal financial aid is rooted in the Higher Education Act of 1965 – one of the “Great Society” programs of President Lyndon Johnson.

The goal was to make higher education affordable to students and families of limited means, and focus on postsecondary education and training. Basic Educational Opportunity Grants and some loans were offered to students and families that could prove “need.”

The argument for this initiative was that the individual and society would both benefit from an educated workforce (at the certificate, associates or bachelors level). The benefits of advanced degrees, however, were attributed primarily to the citizens who earned the degrees, not society as a whole.

Student Loans Federal Direct Loans are the largest source of funding for graduate and

professional students. While graduate and professional students are not eligible for basic federal grants like the Pell Grant, up until 2012, they were eligible for need based loans in limited amounts. These small amounts grew slowly until 2012 when the maximum annual limit for the subsidized loans was $8,500 – an amount unchanged since 1993.

“In August 2013, the U.S. Congress passed the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of

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2013.

to prove that he or she can repay the loans or enlist a guarantor who can demonstrate sufficient income and/or assets to meet credit-lending standards.

The annual limit for the unsubsidized loans was set at $12,000 in 2007, up from $10,000 (unchanged since 1994).

However, in 2012, the federal subsidized loan for graduate and professional students was eliminated by the Budget Control Act of 2011.

In August 2013, the U.S. Congress passed the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013. Federal student loan interest rates had been cut for undergraduate students over the 5 years since the 2007 College Cost Reduction and Access Act and were set to return to the previous 6.8% rate in 2012. The Congress passed a one year extension of that rate in the Federal Highway Act of 2012. When that legislation expired in July 2013, the government responded with new legislation tying the interest rate to the 10-year Treasury note.

Students may still borrow up to $20,500 in direct loans (unchanged since 2007) but these are unsubsidized, so interest accrues on the entire loan as of the date of disbursement. Undergraduate students who can demonstrate need may still receive interest subsidies on their loans.

Rates for borrowers in the 2013-2014 academic year are 5.41% for Direct Loans and 6.41% for Grad PLUS. These loans also carry fees of 1.05% for Direct Loans and 4.2% for GradPLUS. As the economy recovers and as the yield on 10-year Treasury notes rises from record lows, rates will likely increase beyond what they were on June 20, 2013.

One change that some see as positive and others as the cause for the “spiraling indebtedness” of students was the 2006 extension of the Federal PLUS loan (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students) to graduate students as a result of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Beginning July 1, 2006, graduate and professional students had the ability to borrow up to the school’s “Cost of Attendance,” less other student aid.

These “GradPLUS” loans are given to borrowers who do not have derogatory credit as defined by the Department of Education; some borrowers who have amassed a derogatory credit history may still take out GradPLUS loans with support from a guarantor. Borrowing under this program has grown rapidly over the past seven years.

Transparency and Accountability The watchwords of the Department of Education in the past few years have been “transparency” and “accountability.” Schools have been required to provide information on costs, projected costs, graduation rates, career success, retention, fire safety, and crime, among others. Colleges are required to provide “shopping sheets” when recruiting veterans, and are encouraged to provide them to all prospective students. Students who file the FAFSA

While private education loans are available, these often require the student

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Generally speaking, the Bill gave wide latitude to the Secretary of Education to design the ICR program with a repayment period that could not exceed 25 years. The borrower would pay a percentage of his or her earnings (20%, generally speaking) toward the loans.

Any amount remaining at the end of 25 years would be “forgiven” or canceled.

receive information on graduation and default rates from the Department of Education.

While these requirements have their supporters and detractors, graduate and professional students continue to be an afterthought. The “shopping sheet” template provides data on 6-year graduation rates, median undergraduate borrowing, Pell Grants, PLUS loans and other information not necessarily useful for graduate students. If a graduate or professional school does not have its own FAFSA code but shares one with its University, then the graduate students may be seeing undergraduate statistics – generating more questions than clear, transparent information about the graduate programs. One example of this is the College Affordability and Transparency Center website: http:// collegecost.ed.gov/catc.

IBR: Income Based Repayment Program Participation in the ICR program was not as strong as some in the government had expected. Among the reasons considered were the “high” co-payments (approximately 20% of the borrower’s income) and the requirement that only Federal Direct Loans could be repaid through ICR (though there was a provision for borrowers to consolidate their Federal Direct Loans and older bank loans into one Direct Loan to become eligible for ICR).

Many universities now provide financial aid counseling sessions for graduate and professional students, in addition to the online entrance and exit counseling required by the government, to walk them through the relevant information and provide additional debt management counseling.

In 2007, Congress again revisited the ICR program and, as part of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, created the Income Based Repayment (IBR) program, which became effective July 1, 2009. The repayment calculation was based on a slightly lower percentage of the borrower’s income (approximately 15%) and the program was opened to both Direct Loan and bank loan borrowers.

Income Driven Repayment For most of the past 50 years most Federal student loans had an anticipated repayment term of 10 years. With the advent of the Federal Income Driven Repayment Plans, that timeline is changing.

“These income driven programs have essentially re-defined need

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ICR: Income Contingent Repayment Program

for Federal and.

In 2010, Congress again sought to increase participation in IBR, and as part of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act changed the terms again – but effective for new borrowers beginning in 2014. The new program would reduce the co-payment again to approximately 10% of the borrower’s income and offer “forgiveness” or cancelation after 20 years of payments.

In 1993, as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, the U.S. Congress created the Direct Loan (DL) program. The National Service Bill was also passed that year, and it is clear that part of the reason for the creation of the program was to make it easier for heavily indebted students to pursue careers in public service. The DL program introduced the Income Contingent Repayment Program (ICR).

PAYE: Pay As You Earn In 2012, presidential candidate Barack Obama proposed a new repayment plan in a speech at the University of Colorado. Essentially, using the power of the Secretary of Education to set the terms of ICR, he proposed adding an additional version of ICR that would mimic the 2014 program, but for current borrowers. As the changes were required to be revenue neutral, borrowers with any Federal loans prior to October 2007 or who had not borrowed any Federal loans after October 2011 were deemed ineligible.

These income driven programs have essentially re-defined need for Federal aid. Need is still calculated for undergraduate students, but a smaller percentage of need is being met by grants. Graduate students may borrow; they do not have “need” by definition.

Instead of looking at students’ and parents’ ability to pay while in college, income driven repayment looks to their ability to repay following education (whether completed or not). Repayment for many has shifted from a 10 year standard to a 20-25 year standard – just in time for borrowers’ children to begin repaying their student loans.

Rethinking the Investment in Education, Loan Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness PSLF: Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program One of the reasons for the creation of the Income Contingent Repayment Plans was to encourage graduates to pursue careers in public service. As part of the 2007 College Cost Reduction and Access Act legislation that created the IBR (effective in 2009), Congress created the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. This program became effective in October 2007.

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The PSLF was designed to work with the ICR and IBR programs (and later with PAYE). If a borrower working in government or for a non-profit corporation made 120 scheduled monthly payments on their Direct Loans under ICR, IBR, PAYE or a standard 10 year repayment plan and had any balance after the 120 months (10 years), their outstanding balance would be forgiven and that canceled amount would not be taxable.

This is a major change to defining who benefits from education. If the borrower works in government or the non-profit sector, society and the borrower both benefit and share the cost. This program is currently available and borrowers are taking advantage of it, though the first forgiveness will not occur until November 2017 at the earliest.

Today, some in the government and in foundations are questioning this program as public policy and use of taxpayer funds. Currently references to the ICR and IBR programs and PSLF are included in the Promissory notes for Federal loans, and it is expected that current borrowers would continue to be eligible for these programs even if they are discontinued.

changes to repayments, changes to loan programs, cost sharing and more as we move through the reauthorization process.

Financial aid for graduate students is not an afterthought, and even the simplified “shopping sheet” data is often difficult for graduate students to navigate because of the dominant undergraduatecentered framework. Graduate enrollment management professionals who understand the different elements of financial aid and loan programs have a significant contribution to make in helping students understand how best to finance their education.

The Future In 2014, Congress will begin reauthorizing the Higher Education Act of 1965. Many of the changes to higher education finance since 2008 have occurred through other legislation.

This will be an opportunity to look at the Federal student loan program in its entirety. Expect to see accountability and transparency, tuition regulation,

A Fresh Perspective on International Education Setting the Standard for Accessibility and Service Providing evaluations of international educational credentials that help you make prompt, well-informed decisions for graduate admissions.

For more information or to obtain application forms visit us at www.edperspective.org or call 312.421.9300.

Educational Perspectives is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)

ALL credential evaluations completed in 5 BUSINESS DAYS (upon receipt of all necessary documentation)

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LEADERSHIP IN GRADUATE ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

By Colleen Flynn Thapalia, The College of Saint Rose

From a session at the 2013 NAGAP annual conference presented by Linda Horisk, Fordham University School of Education & Larry Schwartz, Triangle Coaching Leadership in any organization is influenced by the past experiences of its leaders in guiding organizations and schools, teaching, coaching or professional development. When provided an opportunity to actively explore concepts of leadership, Graduate Enrollment Management (GEM) professionals gathered at the recent NAGAP meeting sought the expertise of session leaders Linda Horisk and Larry Schwartz for several reasons.

These included:

Joanne Canyon-Heller, NAGAP President 2010-2012 The single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit for an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them. To me, this is the most important aspect of being a good leader. At the last NAGAP governing board meeting, I looked around the room, listened to what my colleagues were saying, heard about the accomplishments that they had made.

I realized, with a big smile on my face, that I have been a part of their growth.

What can be better than that?

more importantly, participants were encouraged to explore their rationale for not choosing the other two animals.

In the ensuing discussions, attendees agreed that the St. Bernard connoted reliability and supportiveness. The fox inspired visions of craftiness, cunning and speed. Impressions of the lion, however, ranged from predatory and always having to have control to being honest and protective of the team. The overarching consensus of the group was that most traits could be viewed as either a positive or negative. No animal is better than the other; all are

• seeking guidance developing mentoring strategies, • obtaining ideas for improving individual leadership mantra and • developing leaders equipped to operate with political competency The concept of leadership was introduced when facilitator Ms. Linda Horisk asked the GEM group to think of three animals: a lion, a fox and a St. Bernard dog. Participants were asked to select the one animal they though best applied to them and then explore the rationale for their choice. Perhaps

just different and offer distinct attributes.

The same is true of leaders. Leaders will manifest with different styles and attributes or different skills and abilities.

Some leaders are very clearly natural leaders, while others evolve into varying levels of leadership. So what does leadership mean to GEM professionals?

During their discussions, the GEM participants identified positive traits of leadership. The list included: • Making difficult decisions and decision making in tough times • Employing social influences that inspires a group toward an end result • Reaching out to understand how to motivate people • Living the quote from Ralph Nader, “Produce more leaders, not followers” • Acknowledging that leadership is a lifestyle, not a verb • Leading by example, showing the way • Changing your approach In their bestselling book, The Leadership Challenge, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner outline the five practices of exemplary leadership. Attendees were asked to recall a personal best experience, or a significant — “peak” — moment as leaders in GEM. Many of the responses included reducing office turnover (low continued on the next page

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“According to Kouzes and Posner,

James Crane, NAGAP President 2012-2014 (current president)

“Leaders see open doors where

I believe that a true leader is one who can be led, who mentors but can be mentored. A leader is someone who has the courage and foresight to embrace change and to surround oneself with people who may be smarter and who challenge your thought process with different points of view. I’ve had many examples of leadership in NAGAP and have been mentored by some of the best. I feel blessed to be in a position to give back and to help the organization move forward. turnover reflects good leadership), an event planning example and a leader focusing on the effort of the group rather than the effort of an individual when complimented about a task that was masterfully done.

How then can leaders “lead others to places they have never been before?”

Kouzes and Posner suggest a fivestep process to exemplary leadership practice. The first is to “Model the Way.” This requires a leader to clarify the organization´s values and personally set (model) the example. As one conference attendee declared: “You can´t be a 9-5 leader.”

After committing to modeling the way, exemplary practice #2 requires leaders to “Inspire a Shared Vision,” as Martin Luther King Jr. did 50 years ago with his “I Have a Dream” speech. Some of the ideas for a shared vision in the field of graduate enrollment included a vision of GEM professionals producing leaders and inspiring colleagues to grow in the knowledge and efficacy of their profession, and evolving to lead the entire field of Enrollment Management rather than ceding to the professionals in undergraduate enrollment management.

According to Kouzes and Posner, “Leaders see open doors where others see brick walls,” and GEM professionals can demonstrate exemplary leadership in their individual institutions by continuing to work in teams to develop and inspire a shared vision for GEM.

others see brick walls,” and GEM professionals can demonstrate exemplary leadership in their individual institutions by continuing to work in teams to develop and

”

inspire a shared vision for GEM.

integrate new technologies, strategies and processes, while simultaneously experimenting and taking calculated risks with a view to making the mundane processes in GEM more efficient and more relevant. Implementing this practice requires GEM practitioners to:

In a video interview with conductor Itay Talgam, the presenters illustrated how a leader can share resources, facilitate, and provide the right atmosphere where members can see how their input contributes to the entire enterprise. While the context in the video is music, GEM professionals can see this as a metaphor for leadership challenges unique to this enterprise.

• Be consistent learners (students) — research and network • Connect with GEM colleagues through professional organizations, Listservs and social media

Leadership practice #4, “Enable Others to Act” encourages leaders to foster collaboration and strengthen others. Ideas from the floor to put this practice into action included:

• Search GEM-related job descriptions for key concepts and phrases • Obtain feedback through surveys, conduct focus groups, analyze data, facilitate SWOT analyses

• Identify new areas you need to learn

• Use feedback spiral for to design new initiatives

• Use performance appraisals as opportunities for growth

• Create and implement action plans

The leadership practice #3 identified by Kouzes and Posner is to “Challenge the Process,” which calls upon leaders to search for opportunities to continued on the next page

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LEADERSHIP IN GRADUATE ENROLLMENT The Leadership Challenge

Jeffery T. Johnson, NAGAP President 2008-2010 My personal-best experiences, during 14 years on the Board as President of NAGAP, involve the importance of perseverance and endurance. I recall the stock market crash in 2008, and the ensuing challenges of bringing NAGAP’s 2009 conference to the “Big Apple” for the first time ever. Then, in 2010 in San Francisco, I remember well the union workers striking outside the entrance of the hotel. These challenges certainly did not occur at ideal times, but the Board and the Conference Committee pulled together and worked collaboratively to provide gold-star events for our members. In the end, I believe we are not always judged by how we handle ourselves during the best of times, but rather, how we react and lead during life’s most challenging times. These moments in leadership — the hardships and difficulties that we endure and overcome — truly define who we are and who we become and how we lead.

Kouzes, J.M. and Posner, B.Z. (2012). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, 5th edition (25th anniversary edition).

Jossey-Bass; San Francisco.

In this highly readable examination of leadership, Kouzes and Posner use research and experience to outline five “practices of exemplary leadership.” It falls within the transformational leadership literature, which assumes that the best leaders inspire their teams with vision in order to build cohesiveness within the team and effectiveness of their efforts.

While based on research, the text is accessible to general readers and is widely used in MBA and other graduatelevel leadership development courses.

The five exemplary leadership practices are:

• Connect in social ways, not solely professional ones • Ask for input and act on it quickly — encourage risk-taking, accept mistakes • Encourage collaboration • Conduct “learning lunches” • Participate in NAGAP and chapter webinars

The company´s founder, Eileen Fisher, leads by having her company embody her values, which include flexibility to try working in different areas of the business, not working extra hours, maintaining physical, spiritual and educational wellness, and giving back by supporting the establishment of new women-owned business.

In executing the final leadership practice, “Encourage the Heart,” leaders should recognize the contributions and celebrate values and victories of the people they lead. To illustrate this point, the presenters shared a video titled “The Wholeness Philosophy” profiling Eileen Fisher, a women’s clothing manufacturer.

In a discussion of how to encourage the heart for GEM professionals, attendees focused on creating awareness of the field and helping all members of graduate enrollment teams gain a sense of commitment. Among the ideas generated: identifying best practices and sharing them with key stakeholders, involving staff in collecting, analyzing, reporting and sharing admission-related data, and building team first attitudes by volunteering and working on service projects as a team.

1. Model the Way

“The company´s founder, Eileen

2. Inspire a Shared Vision

Fisher, leads by having her

3. Challenge the Process

company embody her values,

4. Enable Others to Act

which include flexibility to try

5. Encourage the Heart

working in different areas of the business, not working extra hours, maintaining physical, spiritual and educational wellness, and giving back by supporting the establishment of new women-

”

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In a final activity, Larry and Linda arranged participants in matched pairs in a row. Their task was to maintain a stick in the air, trying to coordinate and getting it to the floor. As the group worked together, it became clear that the stick was too high. Too many people were talking at once. The activity was not completed successfully to the participants’ satisfaction. They wondered aloud whether they all fully understood continued on the next page

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Tom Rock, NAGAP President 2006-2008

Leadership Videos

My best leadership moment as Past President of NAGAP came when I realized that I have been a good mentor. Whether we mentor young professionals or more seasoned professionals, we mustn’t lose sight of this need. Fortunately, organizations like NAGAP provide many opportunities and outlets to mentor others. It’s so rewarding, often years after establishing the mentoring relationship, when a colleague recognizes what a great mentor we were and acknowledges this. Sometimes we mentor when we don’t even realize it or think about it. It’s a normal, subconscious reaction to being a leader and a quality that so many possess.

Session leaders Linda Horisk and Larry Schwartz compiled an impressive playlist of videos, including: • Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech • Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” talk about entrepreneurship on TED.com • Kouzes & Posner videos on www. leadershipchallenge.com • Itay Talgam’s video post on the 99 faces blog, www.99faces.tv

the parameters and rules of the activity, if they understood the goals of the activity and how they could have avoided directive leadership from emerging. Despite the activity bringing out some leadership pitfalls, participants were energized by the active learning process.

Eileen Fisher company’s “Wholeness Philosophy” profiled on Leading with Kindness blog, http://www.wliw.org/ leadingwithkindness/profile/eileen-fisher/35/

NAGAP_Magazine_2013_Layout 1 2/12/2013 11:04 AM Page 1

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Enrollment management technology and credential services designed exclusively for graduate schools Envision the future.

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There’s no substitute for quality and integrity.

National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) WHO is NACES? NACES is an association of private foreign educational credential evaluation services committed to formulating and maintaining ethical standards in the field of foreign educational evaluation. ®

WHY choose a NACES member to evaluate your international credentials?

Since 1987, NACES has been committed to setting the standards for the credentials evaluation profession. ®

NACES membership provides an assurance to the user that the evaluation performed is reliable.

For a list of current members, visit www.naces.org

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