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 increases our understanding of the essential role of academic advising in enrollment management; how quiet leadership can be provided from the “invisible middle;” the need for taking a holistic approach to provide services using a caring framework to low-income families and communities; the importance of providing data across the student lifecycle to academic administrators, faculty and administrative staff; and the key factors that shape student retention at community colleges.

Effective academic advising is essential for student success. P. J. Woolston and Sean Bridgen call for the creation of a strategic, integrated partnership that pairs academic advising with enrollment management. They contend that in mature enrollment management operations, advising should support students in creating educational experiences that align with their goals and should serve students rather than reducing their success to enrollment metrics. 

Quiet leadership, often residing in the “invisible middle,” is exercised not through authority, but through alignment, advocacy, and the ability to move systems forward. Kimberly Taylor-Benns discusses quiet leadership and leading from the invisible middle from her perspective as a higher education practitioner, emphasizing self-awareness, empathy, and self-regulation, and reminding us that “leadership is not a title, it’s a choice.” 

While enrollment of students from low-income families and communities is on the rise, many institutions lack effective integrated and comprehensive approaches to address the unique needs of students from historically marginalized backgrounds. Jayne Davis, Cynthia Demetriou, and Candice Williams introduce the Carolina Covenant Model of Care, a holistic approach for undergraduate students that provides services through a caring framework of modeling, dialogue, practice, and validation. They contend that financial assistance alone is insufficient to meet these students' needs. We must also provide developmental services with care to truly support them.

The increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation in higher education is fundamentally reshaping enrollment management strategies. Shaimaa Nabil Hassanein suggests that institutions should move beyond passive AI adoption and instead foster AI proficiency across the higher education ecosystem. By adopting the T^3 Model (Trigger, Tailor, Track) as a framework for integrating AI proficiency in higher education, institutions will be enabled to assess needs, personalize implementation, and track progress, all while preserving essential human oversight. 

Enrollment managers have long embraced using data-driven decision-making. Angela Sullivan, Amanda Bosque, Matthew Fifolt, and Gregory Pavela describe a new framework for SEM practices that led to the development of the “Enrollment Funnel Report,” which traces every student inquiry, from initial contact through enrollment, that is used by chairs, program directors, and supporting administrators to help them better understand the flow of prospective students through the enrollment funnel. They also share additional training that improved access to this data and facilitated strategic decision-making by faculty program directors, admissions committee members, and others interested in student recruitment and retention. 

American community colleges have experienced a persistent decline in enrollment over the past decade that threatens institutional funding, workforce readiness, and regional economies. Patricia Benavides-Dominguez and Christopher Benedetti conducted a quantitative study at a Texas community college to determine whether demographic, environmental, and academic variables influence community college enrollment. They identified the critical roles of age, enrollment status, financial aid, and GPA in shaping student retention at community colleges and offered actionable strategies to improve it.

We also include one book review. Hannah Rounds introduces us to Higher Education and Public Policy, Third Edition: Reframing Strategies for Preparation, Access, and College Success (2024), written by N. J. Daun-Barnett and E. P. St. John. It provides a strong foundation for higher education and public policy analysis through an in-depth, comparative case-study approach.

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.