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Article Type

Professional Proficiency

Article Abstract

Related Issue:

Strategic enrollment management (SEM) initiatives benefit when SEM committees are inclusive and collaborative. When financial aid professionals are excluded, the risk that certain initiatives will fail increases, especially if those initiatives involve academic changes. Here, the authors explore the reasons financial aid offices and academic affairs, including other college personnel who contribute to academic program development, may struggle to collaborate and identify some of the essential contributions financial aid leaders can make to SEM. Finally, ideas for increased collaboration between academic affairs and financial aid are provided.

Author(s)

christensen-r--smRocky Christensen, Ph.D., is the Director of Financial Aid at Johnson
University in Knoxville, TN. Christensen has been in higher education for
almost twelve years. He previously served as the executive director of
Admissions and then director of financial aid at Central Christian College of
the Bible where he began to see the importance of working collaboratively
within a SEM framework. Christensen completed his Ph.D. in higher education
leadership from the University of Missouri. He earned his masters of arts from
Biola University, his masters in public affairs from the University of
Missouri, his graduate certificate in educational policy, his graduate
certificate in clinical bioethics from the Medical College of Wisconsin, his
bachelor’s in theology from Ozark Christian College, and his bachelor’s of
biblical leadership from Ozark Christian College. Christensen earned the SEM
Endorsement Badge through AACRAO and is a Certified Financial Aid
Administrator through NASFAA. His current research interests are centered
around the role of financial aid in SEM, college pricing, and tuition
discounting implications for greater net revenue and enrollment. In his
current role, he is passionate about partnering with students and families to
promote access to and afford the educational training each student is
passionate about.

grunden-c--smCynthia Grunden is a Financial Aid and Higher Education Specialist at Powers
Pyles Sutter & Verville PC. Prior to her current role, she worked in
higher education for 20 years. Grunden earned a doctor of education degree in
educational leadership and organizational change from Roosevelt University,
and a M.S. and B.S. degree from Indiana University. Cynthia earned the SEM
Endorsement Badge through AACRAO and is a Certified Financial Aid
Administrator through NASFAA.

walters-k--smKeri Walters is the Assistant Provost for Transfer Initiatives at Methodist
University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She previously served as the
registrar at Columbia College Chicago, where she gained an interest in federal
compliance issues in higher education and a deep appreciation for her talented
colleagues in financial aid. Walters earned her Master of Science in college
student personnel services at Miami University (Ohio) and her Bachelor of Arts
in theatre and music theory at Ashland University (Ohio). Her current research
interests are centered around building equitable, state of the art processes
and operations that serve transfer students throughout all phases of the
student lifecycle.

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Endnotes

  1. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators who, in 2013, enlisted a group of
    college leaders to draft its
    Recalibrating Regulation of Colleges and Universities report.

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