By Heather Zimar, Managing Editor, Journals and Publications, AACRAO, Live from #SEM2025
Alicia Kornowa of Western Michigan University presented on her recent dissertation research, during “ A Multiple Case Study of Four-Year Public, Non-flagship Universities: Meeting Common Institutional Goals of Increased Enrollment and Academic Profile,” which explored theoretical influences, including SEM, systems theory/thinking, and positive deviance (intentional behaviors that depart from norms of a referent group in honorable ways). Her study included multiple case studies.
Kornowa’s research question was: How did institutions increase overall enrollment and the academic profiles of the first-year class during a period of anticipated decline in the pipeline of college-going students?
She looked at theoretical influences, including SEM, systems theory/thinking, and positive deviance (intentional behaviors that depart from norms of a referent group in honorable ways).
Her methods included:
- Selecting institutions/cases
- Identification of enrollment leaders (purposeful sampling)
- Deeper data pulls (public and institutional sources)
- Interviews with enrollment leaders (semi-structured, virtual meetings
- Data analysis
She selected cases from the Midwest and Northeast and collected IPEDS enrollment data and academic profiles from common data sets. She maximized similarities between cases (institutional type, selectivity, size, residential, course delivery) and used data from four cases.
Additional data included strategic and academic plans, factbooks and dashboards, meeting minutes, master plans, budget overviews, webpages, and news articles.
Findings
Kornowa separated her findings into two principles: data-driven and informed, and interconnected and bi-directional.
“I separated the principles because they were so interwoven among everything and consistent among everything that it was really impossible to separate them as their own unique themes,” Kornowa said.
Themes:
- The campuses’ diversified enrollment (didn’t just focus on one population) and focused on retention.
- Enrollment focus was campus-wide: campuses identified and embraced their brand and value proposition, and the Enrollment Management Division and campus community worked in concert.
- Institutional investment was key to enrollment (campuses created financial incentives and initiatives; campuses invested in organizational structure and talent; and infrastructure enhanced the student experience.
- Campus cultures supported and reinforced enrollment as a priority (campuses identified goals and priorities; enrollment management’s voice was evident; and leadership prioritized and supported enrollment).
- The surrounding environment influenced enrollment success (external funding was uncertain; capitalizing on situations, opportunities, and threats from external entities; and accumulative advantage provided ongoing benefits).
Contributions to the Research:
This study supported conceptual literature: there’s a need to recruit and retain different student populations; enrollment is everyone’s responsibility; campus leadership has a key role in supporting and prioritizing enrollment, environmental scans are important; and SEM concepts and strategies (particularly around data and technology) are valid.
This study, Kornowa said, “makes the connection between how SEM works and why it works.”
She added that in terms of advanced conceptual literature, “it didn’t really matter who set the [goals and priorities] as long as everyone on campus was working toward them. This goes against SEM current literature that [they] must be set by leadership.”
Future Research Recommendations:
- Explore the concept of enrollment management voice.
- Look at the cumulative advantage.
- Consider a systems approach to SEM framework.
An audience member praised Kornowa’s research and work on her campus. “You do this by knowing your institution and tailoring what you’re doing to your institution and your students,” he said. “There’s no template. It is the most difficult thing to do in SEM. Alicia’s research shows the idiosyncratic … and the role, partnership, and inclusion of the faculty.”
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