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Institutional Positioning in Growth States: Influencers and Strategies of Enrollment Managers at Public Research Universities

Enrollment management practices, principles, and administrative structure are changing the behavior of the contemporary university. Through an examination of public Carnegie Research Intensive and Extensive universities in states anticipating growth in the high school graduate population, the study seeks to provide a greater understanding of enrollment management. The theoretical lenses of institutional theory (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983), resource dependence (Tolbert, 1985), and academic capitalism (Slaughter & Leslie, 1997; Slaughter & Rhoades, 2004), are employed to develop a new view of administrative behavior in current enrollment management organizations. In depth interviews with the individuals leading enrollment efforts at selected universities identify the enrollment manager as an administrator, educator, and entrepreneur. These individuals operate in complex political environments balancing their personal educational philosophies with the needs of their universities. Comprehensive reviews of the strategic enrollment plans at study universities reveal three main goals across all institutions: maintaining financial stability, increasing student and institutional quality, and increasing student diversity. Administrative behavior shows that all three goals are not treated equally and that revenue enhancement activities are prioritized. The administrative behaviors detailed in this study suggest a new ideology related to revenue enhancement for public higher education in the United States.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/196116
Date January 2005
CreatorsHumphrey, Keith Bonhard
ContributorsWoodard, Doug, Woodard, Jr., Dudley B., Woodard, Jr., Dudley B., Rhoades, Gary, Cheslock, John
PublisherThe University of Arizona.
Source SetsUniversity of Arizona
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext, Electronic Dissertation
RightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

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