Signals It’s Time to Rethink Your Enrollment Technology Stack

Liaison Senior Solutions Consultant Nailah Hakeem-Brown, M.Ed., is a passionate higher education strategist who partners with colleges and universities to showcase cutting-edge enrollment technology systems that drive student recruitment and enrollment success. With over a decade of experience spanning admissions counseling, operations leadership, and ed tech consulting, she brings a unique, practitioner-informed perspective to solving institutional challenges.

Before joining Liaison, Nailah spent over four years at Houston Christian University (formerly Houston Baptist University), where she led strategic territory management, revamped recruitment campaigns, and played a pivotal role in transitioning and optimizing CRM platforms. Her leadership directly contributed to record-breaking enrollment years, thanks to her deep focus on efficiency, collaboration, and student-centered outcomes.

At Liaison, she helps institutions leverage platforms to enhance application management, streamline workflows, and create personalized student journeys. Her work is rooted in a deep understanding of the day-to-day challenges enrollment teams face, making her a trusted advisor for higher ed leaders across the country.

Beyond her technical expertise, Nailah is committed to advancing equity in education and creating more accessible pathways for all students. Whether mentoring colleagues, speaking at events, or collaborating with institutions, she brings empathy, innovation, and purpose to everything she does.

“One of the most common pain points I see is the reliance on manual processes by enrollment teams,” she said recently. “Because outdated systems often lack key functionalities or user trust, staff frequently manage daily tasks outside the CRM by using spreadsheets, emails, or other disconnected tools.

“Another inefficiency arises when higher ed institutions try to compensate for their legacy systems by integrating multiple additional platforms to bridge the gaps. This patchwork approach creates data silos, limits visibility into the full student journey, and disrupts communication across departments. As a result, staff productivity suffers, and prospective students experience a fragmented, less personalized engagement.”

Nailah believes enrollment teams should begin by assessing where gaps exist between their technology, strategic goals, and enrollment outcomes, particularly around recruitment, yield, and the overall student experience.

“A modern tech stack should serve as a strategic partner, not just a transactional tool,” she explained. “If teams are consistently working around the system, experiencing lags in communication, or unable to track engagement effectively, these are clear signs the technology is no longer supporting evolving student expectations. The experience should be seamless, not just for students but for staff as well. When friction exists on either side, it’s time for an objective reassessment.”

With that in mind, it’s important for institutions considering technology upgrades to evaluate specific criteria or red flags to before investing in another short-term solution.

“Institutions should prioritize solutions that enhance both the student and staff experience,” she explained. “A key criterion is usability. If the platform is not intuitive or scalable for the team managing it, then it will inevitably fall short for students as well. One red flag to watch for is selecting a system with more complexity or customization than the institution can realistically support.

“While robust platforms with ‘bells and whistles’ can be attractive, they often require additional staffing or technical resources that some teams may not have. The right system should match your team’s capacity while still supporting your enrollment goals long-term.”

Learn more about Liaison's enrollment technology solutions here.