Data in SEM: A 50-Year Perspective

Article Abstract

Related Issue:

SEMQ Volume 14, Issue 3 (October 2026)

One of the great throughlines of SEM is the use of data. Foundational to creating SEM as a field and as a practice, data usage has evolved and become more known, practiced and refined as our field has become more common and as expectations have increased. Perhaps its greatest utility is the way in which it allows us to start conversations with our institutional peers and understand the student experience. That throughline is likely to extend well into SEM’s next 50 years, and beyond.

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Author

Tom Green

Article Type

SEMQ Article

Competency

Data Reporting & Analysis, Leadership, Student Success & Enrollment Management, Systems Management, Technology Management

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Author(s)

Tom Green, Ph.D., brings 40 years of higher education leadership success to his work. After serving as the chief enrollment officer at multiple universities where he increased enrollment, persistence, and net revenue at each, he served as a senior consultant for and later led AACRAO Consulting. He also served as the Associate Executive Director of the association, leading professional development for more than 11,000 members worldwide. Dr. Green has led hundreds of workshops on enrollment, financial aid optimization, and digital transformation, and has personally helped more than 100 universities address their enrollment, financial, and technology issues. He has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels and is the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Dr. Green holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership, Management and Policy from Seton Hall University.

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