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, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Colleen Leigh, 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

• How CUNY Journalism unified admissions, student affairs, career services, and alumni engagement under one leadership structure
• What makes holistic enrollment management more sustainable than traditional recruitment-focused models
• How shared accountability and communication strengthen belonging and retention
• The role of empathy and equity in leading institutional change
• Why belonging—not policy—is the real driver of retention
• Using alumni engagement as a continuous extension of recruitment and career development
• How shared services allow small institutions to deliver enterprise-level results
• The role of data-informed and equity-driven strategies in student success
• How CUNY Journalism is expanding access through bilingual online and tuition-free programs
• What presidents and boards can learn about aligning mission, management, and measurable outcomes

Three Key Takeaways for Leadership

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Empathetic Leadership Sustains Change In times of transition, empathy and communication hold institutions together. Listening builds trust, and trust drives performance.

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: https://changinghighered.com/holistic-enrollment-strategy-and-management/

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