In order to support a new knowledge-based economy, President Obama has determined that more of the nation's population will need a college degree. While much of the research on two-year colleges has focused on public community colleges, there are a number of private, independent two-year colleges whose graduates will also contribute to a…

When the author entered the profession in 1978, the phrase "enrollment management" was non-existent. One worked for admissions, financial aid, student accounts, or registration and records, and each department worked independently from the others. Most professionals specialized in one area (e.g., admissions) and then spent their entire career in…

"Fresh start" or amnesty policies have made their way across American universities and colleges. As the Director of Student Enrollment Services/Registrar at Polk State College, in Winter Haven, Florida, the author, who was not a proponent of amnesty, set aside time for several weeks to research amnesty policies and related best practices. Her…

The transfer function is one of the defining missions of community college systems, and it is of great importance to understand the experiences of the students who are or have been on the transfer path. Along these lines, it is essential for both sending and receiving institutions to know how their efforts to assist students with the transfer…

Spring is a time for gardening, blossoms, and baseball. At American college and universities, it is also a time for commencement ceremonies. Students are recognized for their scholastic achievements as faculty and staff close out another academic school year. Family and friends applaud the graduates and celebrate their success. Students show their…

The author never planned to work at a college, but she finds she is vice president of student development at a community college; she served previously as assistant to the dean of academic services, as registrar, and as dean of enrollment management. She started her career in health care administration, and her master's was in public…

The array of admissions models and the underlying, and sometimes conflicting goals people have for college admissions, create the dynamics and the tensions that define the contemporary context for enrollment management. The senior enrollment officer must ask, for example, how does an institution try to assure transparency, equality of access,…

Community colleges offer Hispanic students a critical gateway to bachelor's degrees, but these institutions also have low transfer rates to four-year institutions. Some research suggests that Hispanic-Serving community colleges have higher Hispanic transfer rates. This paper examines transfer patterns of a national sample of Hispanic community…

A review of the literature on student transfer supports the concept of developing the Degree Partnership path between community colleges and universities. In this article, the authors summarize the literature's findings regarding barriers to successful student transfer. A brief description of "key program elements" will convey how the partnership…

Change, competition, and its consequences are particularly salient for California's community colleges. At its peak in 2002, California's community college system educated more than 2.5 million students annually. Nevertheless, California's community colleges receive the smallest proportion of the state education budget while enrolling nearly three…

Institutions across the nation have strengthened their enrollments through such strategies and tactics as coordination of recruitment activities, enhancement of financial aid processing, implementation of effective retention strategies, development of new instructional programs, a focus on intensive marketing activities, creation of one-stop…

Over the past two decades, the number of community colleges independently offering baccalaureate degree programs has steadily risen. Though still confined to a very small number of institutions and limited degree programs, this phenomenon continues to generate widespread attention and controversy. This occurs because the trend challenges…

Outsourcing--defined as an "institution's decision to contract with an external organization to provide a traditional function or service" (IHEP, 2005)--is nothing new to higher education. For decades, institutions have been "contracting out" or "privatizing" a variety of operational functions, hoping to reduce costs, improve service quality,…

The "Talking Stick" is published bimonthly, six times a year in January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December by the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International. Each issue is divided into three sections: Features, Columns, and Departments. These sections contain articles…

At AACRAO's Annual Meeting in April 2003, Tom Stewart was presented with the APEX Award for Achieving Professional Excellence in his field. He was recognized for his tireless work and commitment to SPEEDE, the electronic transmission of records. Over the almost 40-year span of his career, he has earned the SACRAO and AACRAO Distinguished Service…