At one of the smallest graduate schools in the nation, a system built to serve just over a hundred students is redefining how higher education can grow. CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism has proven that scale isn’t the key to enrollment stability—structure is. By integrating admissions, student affairs, career services, and alumni engagement into one cohesive unit, the school has created a holistic enrollment strategy and management model that continuously fills its pipeline while centering student success. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, <a title="Dr. Drumm McNaughton" href= "https://changinghighered.com/dr-drumm-mcnaughton-higher-education-consultant/">Dr. Drumm McNaughton</a> speaks with <a title= "Dr. Colleen Leigh" href= "https://www.journalism.cuny.edu/faculty/colleen-leigh/" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Colleen Leigh</a>, Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management and Student Success at CUNY Journalism, about how this model works—and how any institution can apply its principles. They discuss how cross-departmental collaboration, empathetic leadership, and data-informed decision-making can transform student outcomes, strengthen retention, and build lasting alumni engagement. Topics Covered <ul type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> How CUNY Journalism unified admissions, student affairs, career services, and alumni engagement under one leadership structure</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> What makes holistic enrollment management more sustainable than traditional recruitment-focused models</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> How shared accountability and communication strengthen belonging and retention</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> The role of empathy and equity in leading institutional change</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> Why belonging—not policy—is the real driver of retention</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> Using alumni engagement as a continuous extension of recruitment and career development</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> How shared services allow small institutions to deliver enterprise-level results</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> The role of data-informed and equity-driven strategies in student success</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> How CUNY Journalism is expanding access through bilingual online and tuition-free programs</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"> What presidents and boards can learn about aligning mission, management, and measurable outcomes</li> </ul> Three Key Takeaways for Leadership <ol start="1" type="1"> <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"> Student Success Is a System, Not a Silo Enrollment, retention, and alumni engagement are interdependent. Breaking down silos creates a self-sustaining pipeline that continuously reinforces institutional value.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"> Data and Equity Drive Smarter Decisions Evidence without equity misses the point. Data should inform which students thrive—and equity ensures that more of them can.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"> Empathetic Leadership Sustains Change In times of transition, empathy and communication hold institutions together. Listening builds trust, and trust drives performance.</li> </ol> Recommended For: Presidents, boards, provosts, and senior enrollment leaders seeking sustainable systems that connect recruitment, student success, and alumni engagement across the student lifecycle. Read the transcript: <a href= "https://changinghighered.com/holistic-enrollment-strategy-and-management/"> https://changinghighered.com/</a><a href="https://changinghighered.com/holistic-enrollment-strategy-and-management/">holistic-enrollment-strategy-and-management/</a> #EnrollmentStrategy #StudentSuccess #HigherEducationPodcast

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