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SUNY Potsdam director of graduate studies works to improve enrollment management

Posted 6/10/13

POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam Director of Graduate Studies Joshua LaFave is working to improve enrollment management for advanced degree programming on a state and national level. LaFave is working with …

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SUNY Potsdam director of graduate studies works to improve enrollment management

Posted

POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam Director of Graduate Studies Joshua LaFave is working to improve enrollment management for advanced degree programming on a state and national level.

LaFave is working with Christopher Connor, the assistant dean for graduate enrollment management services at the University at Buffalo on a research project. The two are working to create a comprehensive definition of graduate enrollment management and a best practices model.

They are examining ways to improve efficiency and budgetary maintenance and figure out how to improve yet differentiate the graduate student experience on campus.

"Traditionally, operations and services at the graduate level on college and university campuses have been fractured," Connor said. "Our main goal with this project is to establish a sound definition for GEM, based on the most current research of our profession."

LaFave chairs the research and global issues committee for the National Association for Graduate Enrollment Management (NAGAP), which Connor also serves on.

This project looks specifically at NAGAP members' current roles and responsibilities, while analyzing structure, process, and student experience.

"What we are really seeing is a diversification of the GEM professional," LaFave said. LaFave and Connor hypothesize that today graduate enrollment management is an interdependent model with some interdepartmental collaboration.

However, with professionals supporting multiple phases of a student’s studies, an integrated interdependence model would support stronger relationships and a differentiated student experience.

Preliminary research findings were recently presented at the annual American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers conference in California.