School-Level Strategies for Graduate Enrollment Growth
Growing graduate enrollment isn’t about ownership—it’s about obligation: to students, to scholarship, and to the future. That perspective shaped Assistant Dean Erick Watt-Udogu’s presentation at the 2025 East Coast GEM Summer Conference, held June 4–5 at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. Hosted by NEGAP and its East Coast partners, the conference brought together graduate enrollment professionals for two days of high-impact sessions and practical exchange. Watt-Udogu’s talk, “School-Level Strategies for Data-Driven Enrollment Growth,” focused on how schools—particularly those with small but focused teams—can drive sustainable results by embracing enrollment as a shared responsibility.
At the heart of his session was a framework called the Six Drivers of Enrollment Impact, which includes:
- Orientation Toward Strategic Action
- Creating a Culture of Enrollment Ownership
- Cross-Campus Collaboration for Impact
- Using Data to Drive Enrollment
- Technology as a Teammate
- Defining and Living Your Brand
Together, these drivers outline a holistic approach to school-level enrollment strategy that goes beyond recruitment tactics. Watt-Udogu emphasized that each driver requires intentional effort and internal alignment—not just tools or messaging. Brand, for instance, is not about logos but about the everyday fulfillment of a school’s values across spaces, processes, and people. Technology, likewise, is not a replacement for human engagement, but a teammate in helping applicants navigate complex systems and questions.
Throughout the session, participants engaged with real examples from Rutgers Graduate School–Camden, including predictive modeling, chatbot integration, and strategic communication tools. But the focus remained on culture: building teams that think ahead, act with clarity, and reflect shared investment in student success. Watt-Udogu invited attendees to view enrollment not as a function isolated to one office, but as work that lives in classrooms, advising sessions, community outreach, and hiring practices. For institutions committed to growth with purpose, the takeaway was clear—when schools claim their role in enrollment, impact follows.
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