Enrollment growth for undergraduate certificates (6.6%) dwarfed that of associate and bachelor's degrees, according to preliminary figures from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
If you've worked in enrollment for more than a minute, you know the ground keeps moving under your feet. Fewer students. More scrutiny. A world where "AI" and "ROI" get tossed around in the same sentence as "application funnel." Strategic Enrollment Management used to focus on managing the process: recruit, admit, yield, repeat. The job now stretches far beyond that. It involves steering a complex system that balances institutional mission, market realities, and rapid technological change. So how do you lead when everything — students, staffing, policy, even purpose — feels like it's in motion? You start by asking better questions.
Hybrid learning is here to stay—Gen Z demands flexible, tech-enabled education. Smart AV tools boost engagement and solve key challenges in hyflex classrooms.
Some colleges are slowly deploying generative AI into academics and operations. San Jose State University President Cynthia Teniente-Matson is championing a vision of "AI everywhere."
AI can process information, recognize patterns and generate insights, but true understanding—the foundation of experiential learning—requires direct human engagement.
