Webinar Rewind: Strengthening the Core of Graduate Admissions

Graduate enrollment leaders are being asked to do more with less in an environment that feels anything but stable. Shrinking pipelines, unpredictable yield, tech and policy disruptions, and exhausted teams are the new normal.

In Liaison’s recent webinar, Strengthening the Core: Building Stability, Agility, and Sustainable Growth in Graduate Enrollment, moderator and Liaison VP for Graduate Enrollment Strategy Steve Taylor sat down with Liaison VP for Graduate Enrollment Solutions Jack Klett and Metropolitan State University Associate VP for Strategic Enrollment Carrie Carroll to unpack what it really means to build a strong “core” in graduate admissions today.

Taylor opened the discussion by saying what many in the field are feeling: Everything is moving faster—student pipelines, budgets, technology, and policy shifts—yet the teams thriving are not simply the biggest or best funded.

They’re the ones with a strong core: clear processes, the capacity to pivot, a robust professional community, and a realistic, sustainable approach to growth.

He framed the session around four themes:

1. Stability—reliable systems and processes that give teams confidence.
2. Agility—“disciplined flexibility” to respond to market changes without chaos.
3. Community—a collaborative culture where sharing knowledge strengthens the entire field.
4. Growth—not just “more,” but sustainable, intentional growth that aligns with capacity and mission.

From there, speakers framed those ideas in terms of on-the-ground realities.

When asked what stability looks like in practice—person, process, or mindset—Carroll’s answer was “all of the above,” but especially leadership mindset.

At Metropolitan State University, stability starts with:

• Leaders who set the tone by acknowledging pressure without dumping it on staff.
• Actively caring for teams by supporting staff well-being so they can authentically support students.
• Investing in people and infrastructure through professional development, automated processes, and smart use of technology.

She also emphasized that in a moment when many are leaving higher ed, retaining and supporting staff is itself a stability strategy.

Klett reinforced this people-first philosophy as follows:

• The “heart of the strong core” is enabling and empowering staff to do high-value work.
• Stability comes from identifying your key activities as an admissions office and then using technology to ensure so staff are freed up for meaningful student engagement rather than buried in manual tasks.

Stability, all three agreed, is not a finish line, but an ongoing practice that creates the conditions for everything else.

Higher ed is not usually praised for its agility, but panelists argued it’s not only possible—it’s already happening in the best-run teams.

Carroll linked agility directly to trust across key departments by noting, “Everything travels at the speed of trust.”

When admissions, faculty, program directors, deans, marketing, and IT trust each other’s expertise, decisions are made more efficiently and with less friction.

Klett agreed and added that he’s seeing a shift in the decision-making process across campuses: More leaders are now responding to disruption deliberately and strategically rather than in a panic. For example, they’re asking:

• Do we have to respond?
• If yes, how do we respond thoughtfully?
• How can we scenario plan and stay focused on current priorities?

Paradoxically, this disciplined restraint is itself a form of agility that’s centered on responding quickly when it matters, and intentionally not chasing every noise in the system.

The team also touched on yield challenges—stealth applicants, late deciders, and shifting international dynamics—and how agility now often involves:

• Using data to understand late applicants quickly.
• Tailoring outreach (dean, faculty, student ambassador, etc.) based on what’s known.
• Building flexible pathways instead of one rigid timeline (e.g., “start this term” vs. “we’ll set you up for next term”).

Graduate enrollment has a unique culture: it’s collaborative, even among competitors.

Carrie described how community shows up in her world:

• Within the Minnesota State system, peers share workarounds for a complex homegrown SIS.
• When Metro launched with Liaison’s CAS centralized application platform and integrated with Slate, other institutions walked them through their setups and shared challenges, solutions, and even screenshots.
• Across institutions, leaders recognize they’re serving similar students and goals,
  so “sharing the secret sauce” doesn’t feel threatening—it feels mission-aligned.

Klett echoed this, pointing to NAGAP and other associations where “scrappy” graduate teams support one another because they must. He also urged enrollment leaders to:

• See themselves as subject matter experts on par with faculty in their disciplines.
• Build on-campus communities by sharing data and marketing insights with academic partners; being transparent about tools and capabilities; and helping programs extend their reach, even when central systems are locked down.

In other words, community isn’t just networking—it’s an operational strategy.

If you’re leading or supporting graduate enrollment—and especially if you’re feeling the pressure of the current moment—this conversation offers both concrete tactics and genuine encouragement.

Watch the Strengthening the Core: Building Stability, Agility, and Sustainable Growth in Graduate Enrollment on demand to see how other graduate enrollment leaders are strengthening their core—and to pick up ideas you can implement on your campus right away.