NAGAP, the Association for Graduate Enrollment Management, invites you to submit a 250-500 word proposal to be considered for the volume entitled The Handbook of Graduate Enrollment Management to be published by Stylus Publishing, LLC.

Book Summary:

NAGAP, the Association for Graduate Enrollment Management, is the only professional organization dedicated exclusively to the needs and concerns of professionals working in the graduate enrollment management (GEM) environment. As an association, NAGAP sees the publication of this edited book as a way to serve the graduate education community by compiling a comprehensive text addressing the academic research, policies, and best practices of GEM.

Graduate students are a distinct population from undergraduate students, with unique needs, challenges, and opportunities. Currently, academic research on this population is sprinkled across academic journals, siloed by academic discipline and function within institutions, represented by several professional organizations. GEM represents a holistic understanding of the graduate student life-cycle, from pre-admission through the student experience, graduation, and alumni engagement.

Best practice expertise is drawn from leaders in GEM, an active membership of more than 1,500 professionals working in diverse organizational contexts. This volume will leverage the expertise of GEM practitioners at many of the world’s most prestigious universities as well as prominent academic researchers examining the graduate student experience.

With the population of traditional aged undergraduates declining, many university leaders have awakened to the potential of expanding their graduate program offerings. Global universities are engaging in GEM activities like marketing, admissions, and graduate student affairs for the first time. Higher education graduate programs have started to recognize the distinctiveness of graduate students and the university professionals who support them. All of this points to the increasing demand for a comprehensive understanding of GEM theory and best practices that bridge the gap from an undergraduate student mindset to the graduate student experience.

Who Can Submit:

Both GEM practitioners and faculty members are encouraged to submit proposals. The intent of this publication is that it is practical and useful to GEM professionals, so case studies from experience to complement research-based chapters are desirable. Individual authors and co-authorship are encouraged for both case studies and research-based chapters.

Submission Guidelines:

If you are interested in contributing to this unique publication, please submit a proposal by July 1, 2022 at https://sites.temple.edu/EMresearch/gemhandbook. Submit a 250-500 word proposal (submission details below) that explains how you will answer one of the two guiding descriptions below:

1,000-2,500 word case studies. Case studies are an in-depth, detailed examination of a particular case within a real-world context to offer readers blueprints for practice and policy development.

2,500-5,000 word chapters. Chapters offer readers a comprehensive resource addressing a particular topic in graduate enrollment management from organizational, theoretical, conceptual, or empirical perspectives. Inclusion of existing academic research is highly desirable as a foundation for best practice and policy.

In addition to your 250-500 word proposal, please provide a copy of your CV or resume and briefly answer (50 words or less per question) the following questions:

Title: What is the working title of your chapter or case study?

Background: What theories, research, and personal and/or professional experiences
ground your submission?

Findings: Describe the call(s) to action or actionable take-aways you intend for the
readers.

Implications and applications: Describe the settings in which your submission would be of greatest use.

Keywords: List up to 5 keywords and/or key phrases that reflect the main
topic(s) of your submission.

Important Dates:

Please submit your proposal by July 1, 2022 at https://sites.temple.edu/EMresearch/gemhandbook

All proposals will be reviewed by September 1, 2022, and selected chapters will have first drafts due by January 15, 2023. Final drafts will be due by May 1, 2023.

About the Co-Editors:

Dr. Joseph H. Paris is an assistant professor of higher education at Temple University. His research and teaching focus on the intersection of institutional effectiveness and college student success and draw upon his professional experience in enrollment management and higher education marketing. His work analyzes the relationships between college admissions criteria and selection methodologies, institutional finance, and access to postsecondary education.

Dr. Stanley J. Kania III is the director of enrollment management in the College of Education and Human Development at Temple University. His higher education experience comprises of graduate and professional student enrollment management operations, enrollment management marketing and strategic planning, and market analysis for program growth and sustainability. His academic research interests include higher education leadership, enrollment management marketing and communication strategies, and institutional structures and models of graduate enrollment management.

Possible Sections and Topics:

The following is a list of possible sections and topics, not to be considered a complete or final list.

The GEM Leader
1. Individual competencies
2. Hiring, training, and building strong teams
3. Navigating campus politics
4. Change and conflict management
5. Budgeting and financial management

Strategic Planning
1. Determining priorities and setting goals
2. Developing strategies and tactics
3. Assessing return and outcomes

Marketing
1. Factors influencing student choice
2. Developing personas
3. Analyzing the competitive landscape
4. Brand management
5. Digital marketing
6. National rankings

Prospective Student Recruitment
1. Recruitment strategies
2. Strategic communication
3. Website best practices in the age of Google
4. Data-driven decision-making

Diversity and Inclusion
1. Access and graduate education
2. The value of diversity in graduate education
3. Best practices for recruiting a diverse graduate class
4. Affirmative Action
5. The inclusive campus and classroom

Admissions Operations and Applicant Selection Methodology
1. Use of standardized tests
2. Holistic admissions
3. The admissions committee
4. Yield management

Financial Aid, Grants, and Scholarships
1. Strategic funding models
2. ROI
3. Student loan debt and its influence on student decisions

Student Support Services
1. Varying needs of full-time, part-time, and online students
2. Orientation and onboarding
3. Career Services
4. Health and wellness
5. Advising models
6. Retention strategies
7. Time to completion and graduation rates

Alumni Relations
1. Alumni engagement beyond fundraising
2. Alumni ambassadors
3. Alumni chapters and affinity groups

The Role of Faculty
1. Academic affairs and policy
2. Faculty program directors
3. Faculty-staff dynamics
4. Classroom experiences
5. Graduate and adult student pedagogy

Technology
1. CRM systems
2. Student information systems
3. Learning management systems

Legal and Ethical Issues
1. Compliance
2. Accreditation
3. Unions
4. Affirmative Action
5. Creating a culture of ethics
6. Current ethical issues and challenges in GEM

International Graduate Student Enrollment
1. Factors influencing international student choice
2. Marketing and international prospective student recruitment strategies
3. Unique support for international graduate students
4. Impact of politics

New Academic Program Development
1. Strategies for new academic program development
2. Assessing market demand
3. Pricing and budgeting
4. Marketing and promotion of new programs