This issue of SEM Quarterly addresses how current SEM practitioners are expanding our understanding of how SEM can be applied in an ever-changing postsecondary educational world. It addresses the essential role of presidential leadership, how our students’ needs change over time, the selection of predictive models aligned with institutional priorities and resource constraints, increasing student persistence by creating institutional environments that render identities visible and recognized, the impact of faculty behaviors on student success, and how we can use metrics consistent with the characteristics of “modern students.”
Presidential leadership, particularly decision-making aligned with institutional mission and strategic planning, influences institutional sustainability. John Haller and Aaron Meis conducted case-study research to examine the roles of presidential planning, enrollment diversification, and intercollegiate athletics, providing case-study examples of institutions that successfully applied these strategies to increase enrollment and improve sustainability. The case studies showed that presidential planning influenced financial sustainability.
Strategic enrollment management depends on timely insight into how student needs change over time. Kimberley Buster-Williams used a cross-sectional survey approach to assess participation, persistence intentions, academic and personal challenges, campus engagement, and course registration experiences at a private four-year university. Results demonstrate sustained participation and year-over-year differences in persistence intentions, academic and personal challenges, engagement, and course registration experiences—supporting early risk identification and targeted intervention.
Predictive modeling has become increasingly important in the practice of enrollment management. Bo Klauth conducted a quantitative study at a small private university that compared the predictive performance of four modeling techniques for forecasting enrollment outcomes among admitted students. Results revealed meaningful differences in model performance across precision, recall, and overall accuracy, highlighting that the optimal model choice should align with institutional priorities and resource constraints.
Student retention is shaped not only by academic preparation but also by the extent to which students feel safe, recognized, and develop a sense of belonging within institutional environments. Rodney Parks conducted a qualitative single case study that examined the persistence of experience of a 22-year-old bisexual senior living with HIV at a private university. Findings indicate that persistence is influenced not only by academic integration but also by the degree to which institutional environments render identities visible and recognized.
Students’ perspectives on enrollment and retention are essential to effective enrollment management practice. Jennifer Passenti and Luke Schultheis conducted a qualitative study with students who remained enrolled during the COVID-19 pandemic to investigate how they experienced institutional support, faculty engagement, and communication during a period of significant disruption. Findings revealed that students overwhelmingly attributed their continued enrollment to faculty behaviors, particularly flexibility, attentiveness, and personalized support. In contrast, students reported little awareness of institutional retention strategies, communication campaigns, or senior administrative efforts.
The reliance on traditional success metrics in higher education increasingly misrepresents today’s students’ achievements. James Michael Williams examined the critical disconnect between traditional assessment paradigms and the needs of “modern students,” who are described as learners whose educational journeys are characterized by demands for flexibility and real-world relevance. In response, he developed the Degree Progress Report framework, which provides improved retention insights, enhanced program viability assessment, actionable data to optimize academic pathways, and a shared evidence base that fosters collaboration between academic and administrative leadership.
We also include one book review. Christopher Tremblay introduces us to The Signal Solution: How Smart Colleges Stop Chasing Applications and Start Converting Students (2025), written by Geoff Baird and Teege Mettile. It provides both the “intellectual framework to understand what’s broken and practical tools to build something better—a system that treats students as complex decision-makers rather than pipeline statistics, that measures momentum rather than compliance, that delivers precision rather than mass communication.”
As the SEM community addresses today’s challenges while planning for the needs of a new generation of learners, we must continue to grow our scholarship and share best and promising practices. Hopefully, this SEMQ edition will provide research and insights to help us achieve student and institutional success.
Happy reading.
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