It Was SEM All Along: Strategic Enrollment Management Lived One Career at a Time

Rebecca L. Hapes, Ph.D., serves as the Associate Registrar in the Office of the Registrar at Texas A&M University, where she leads initiatives related to student records administration, FERPA compliance, academic records policy, and registrar communications. Her portfolio includes oversight of registrar website content and maintenance, commencement program production, digital accessibility compliance efforts, stakeholder training, and internal professional development programs. Drawing on experience spanning admissions, academic advising, and registrar operations, Hapes brings a strategic enrollment management perspective to policy implementation, records stewardship, organizational effectiveness, and student success. She works collaboratively with academic and administrative stakeholders across the institution to advance process improvement, accessibility, and compliance initiatives that support accurate, efficient, and student-centered services. Hapes earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology; a master’s degree in agricultural education; and a doctorate in agricultural leadership, education, and communication, with a specialization in educational human resource development from Texas A&M University. She also holds graduate certificates in advanced pedagogy in agriculture and leadership education, theory, and practice. Throughout her career, Hapes has been committed to developing higher education professionals, fostering collaborative partnerships, and advancing practices that enhance both institutional effectiveness and the student experience.