In contemporary thought, countless examples demonstrate how groups have succeeded despite constricted resources—from the Spartan defense at Thermopylae to the Dunkirk evacuation in World War II. Graduate enrollment leaders in higher education today may well feel like they are fighting their own battle, trying to reach their enrollment targets without sufficient resources while also navigating the complex landscape of increasing competition, shrinking budgets, and staffing turnover.
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically reshaped higher education, accelerating trends like the shift to online learning and exacerbating pre-existing budgetary constraints. Enrollment leaders are now tasked with doing more with less, managing expanded portfolios and dwindling resources. However, inspired by historical examples of resilience in the face of adversity, graduate enrollment leaders can overcome these limitations by adopting innovative strategies, forging strong partnerships, and embracing technology.
Impact of Resource Constraints on Graduate Enrollment
Graduate enrollment leaders face the obstacle of navigating modest budgets that affect every stage of the enrollment funnel. From branding and advertising efforts to lead generation and yield activities like campus tours and scholarship allocation, each initiative requires funding and other resources to work effectively. When budgets are cut, enrollment leaders must make difficult decisions about what to prioritize, potentially sacrificing long-term gains for short-term survival.
Understaffing compounds the challenges associated with overseeing budgets and financial management in higher education. With fewer team members available to process applications, nurture leads, or participate in recruitment events, enrollment teams may struggle to build the authentic relationships that drive student applications and yield. Over time, this understaffing can also erode institutional knowledge, making it hard to retain insights into past successes.
Culturally, the pressure to do more with less takes a toll. High-visibility enrollment efforts can turn into high-visibility failures, leading to burnout and disengagement among remaining staff. As management consultant Peter Drucker famously noted, “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Without adequate resources, even the best strategies can falter if a healthy organizational culture isn’t maintained.
Strategic Leadership Responses
Graduate enrollment leaders with limited resources must adopt agile, strategic approaches to overcome the difficulties facing higher education today. In an environment of shrinking budgets, they need to plan for exceptions and disruptions, such as by combining job responsibilities across roles and finding creative ways to build brand recognition and generate leads.
Internally, leveraging relationships across the institution is key. Graduate colleges, central enrollment offices, individual program recruitment teams, and faculty members all play important roles in the enrollment process. These stakeholders can collaborate to promote programs, yield admitted students, and even fill gaps created by reduced staffing. Faculty involvement, in particular, can be instrumental in building the relationships needed to convert admitted applicants into enrolled students.
Externally, strategic partnerships are essential for long-term success. By collaborating with partners who provide not just products and services but also long-term support, enrollment leaders can ensure that their efforts are sustainable. These partnerships often become a lifeline in terms of access to expertise, tools, and strategies that enhance institutional capacity despite fewer resources.
How Technology Alleviates Constraints
In times of limited resources, technology offers graduate enrollment leaders a vital opportunity to do more with less, streamline operations, and focus on high-value tasks. One powerful tool for achieving those goals is the Liaison Centralized Application Service (CAS), which automates time-consuming administrative processes, such as document verification and processing. By handling these tasks, CAS frees staff to concentrate on more meaningful activities like building relationships with prospective students, a critical factor in driving both applications and yield.
Another essential technological asset is Liaison Othot, an AI-driven platform that uses predictive and prescriptive analytics to guide decision making. In an environment where staffing turnover is high and institutional knowledge is often lost, Othot can help maintain operational continuity, supply data-driven insights, and inform more effective enrollment strategies.
Technology also encourages the development of strong, long-term partnerships. Enrollment leaders can connect with tech partners to share best practices, build long-term strategies, and help evolve their tools to meet changing institutional needs. By leveraging technology effectively, enrollment teams can maintain productivity and achieve their goals, even in the face of constrained resources.
Meeting Enrollment Targets with Limited Resources
An effective graduate enrollment management plan is crucial for leaders who face increasingly complex challenges. But with the right strategies, partnerships, and technology, they can thrive despite limited resources. By adopting strategic agility, building strong internal and external relationships, and leveraging cutting-edge technology, leaders can streamline their operations and maximize their impact.
In this era of doing more with less, a thoughtful combination of these approaches will not only help institutions meet their enrollment targets, but also build sustainable pathways for future success.
Graduate enrollment leaders don’t have to face these challenges alone. At Liaison, we’re committed to providing the tools and expertise to optimize your resources. Contact us today to learn how our technology and partnerships can empower your institution to meet its enrollment goals.
About the Author
Written by Stephen Taylor, Vice President, Graduate Enrollment Strategy at Liaison. With over 20 years of experience leading and supporting large grad teams and a leadership philosophy focused on culture building, Stephen brings a unique perspective to the trends shaping higher education.