Episode Three: Beyond Recruitment: Building Belonging in a Changing Enrollment Landscape

In this episode, the B. Donta Truss sits down with GVSU's Associate Vice President of Admissions to explore how the role of admissions is evolving in a rapidly changing higher education landscape.

Their conversation focuses on the “moment we’re in”—from shifting student expectations to the growing impact of AI on recruitment strategies. Together, they unpack how admissions teams can thoughtfully integrate new technologies while still maintaining the human connection students value, and what it really takes to deliver personalized, authentic engagement at scale. The episode also examines the broader challenges facing institutions, including declining demographics and the looming enrollment cliff, and why enrollment management must be approached as a strategic, institution-wide priority. From there, the discussion turns to yield—reframing it as an opportunity to build early belonging and confidence—and the importance of helping students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, find the right institutional fit.

Grounded in both strategy and day-to-day practice, this conversation offers insight into how admissions leaders can adapt, lead, and better serve students in an increasingly complex and competitive environment.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:02

So higher education is dealing with a crisis of uh an image crisis right now. We do know that the larger challenge or threat for higher education is what people think about us.

SPEAKER_00 0:15

You know, recently we have seen several instances across the country, but even closer here in Michigan, where some universities and colleges they haven't figured it, figured what you just described out. I will get an opportunity on a regular basis to be joined by great colleagues who've been extremely impactful in the higher education ecosystem, colleagues who look for pathways and approaches to make sure that we don't leave anybody behind in this great educational journey. Today I am joined by Dr. Danny Velez, an amazing colleague that I've had a great opportunity to work many, many years with. Dr. Velez has partnered with me to ensure barriers are removed, to knock down walls, whatever it takes to help students be successful. And I'm excited to have him join me. With that in mind, let's jump right in. Let's jump right in. Yeah. So tell tell the audience who Dr. Danny Velez is and a little bit about your journey.

SPEAKER_02 1:49

Yeah, well, first of all, Dr. Truss, thanks so much for uh inviting me to this podcast. This is the first time I've been on a podcast, so this is an especially special honor for me. I've been in higher education for almost 25 years, and uh my journey has been through a number of institutions. Uh I started my journey in the uh system of higher education in SUNY's State University of New York, and I spent most of my time there for about 18 years at a MSI, minority serving institution, moved on to uh Pennsylvania in another state system uh institution, worked at a uh HBCU following that, a community college. Um I've been I've lived in about seven states. My higher education journey has taken me to about seven states and came to Grand Valley because Grand Valley um was doing something special at the time when we were all in a state of uh, I would say, uh a state of panic in the in the country and the world, and that was during COVID, where other instant other places were really focused in on the here and now or the there and now. Grand Valley was focused on the future. Grand Valley had developed um a strategic enrollment management plan. They were talking about growing, and I thought that was really bold, ambitious. It and it also demonstrated that they um saw the possibility of the future, and that's somewhere I wanted to be.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

Yeah, thank you so much for sharing. You know, uh, Dr. Velez, I'm a first-generation student, or was a first generation student. You know that. I think you were as well. Yeah. That provides a lens for me that allows me, I believe, to have a bit of a different perspective about the route to and through higher ed. I utilize that lens as I'm making decisions and as I'm navigating systems. Talk a little bit about how being a first generation student has impacted your work in enrollment management, specifically around admissions and recruitment.

SPEAKER_02 3:57

Yeah, great question. Um, yeah, as a first gen student, you I re I remember my own time, my own journey in higher education. I remember um really early on when I was in high school, um, not knowing that I would actually go to college until I was uh a senior in high school where I was told that I was going to college. I, you know, I had that teacher who said, You're going to college. And I said, Okay, I guess I'm going to college. And I started applying uh uh feverishly to a bunch of institutions. Um, but it was a difficult process because, you know, I had a family that um where I had to ask them for the you know the the W-2s and the income statements, and I had a a family who would say, What do you need that for? That's none of your business. And so it was it was really uh challenging because they've they've never gone through that process before. And so they were, you know, I was trying to help them along while um uh no one was really helping me along in that process. And so what has that done for me? It's helped me understand that um every that we've got to uh treat our learners um as if um they they all do not know the college-going process. Don't take for granted that that everyone or anyone really knows the college-going process. Um, it's important for us to ensure that we are breaking down barriers, that we're identifying whatever barriers exist, exist, and that we are making ourselves student-friendly, student-centered in that process, but also family-friendly and family-centered in that process, because the college-going experience is very much not just about the student, but it's about the entire family. And so we got to look at how we communicate, for example, with families uh very differently. So as we are using technology to be on the cutting edge of getting to learners, we have to understand who is that technology leaving behind. Because in some families, the conversation about college, about education, about life happens at the dinner table and it happens in in old tech, not new tech ways. It's it happens because uh a publication comes to your home, a postcard comes home, not because uh an email went home or a text message went home. Whereas the student may get the text message and the email, the the parent or the family does not. So just thinking about how we model um our model our systems and our our processes in such a way that gets to the learner and the families in you know in some of the more um uh way basic ways and ways that ensure that barriers are are broken down.

SPEAKER_00 6:43

Yeah, absolutely. Yo, um you you touched on so many points, Danny. Um, and and there are things that we have to pay attention to as we are conversing um and building relationships uh and knocking those walls walls down with the parents and uh and the learners. And on top of that, we have a ton of things going on in higher education right now. Talk a little bit about what you've identified as the the big issue, the big concern that we should be paying attention to that.

SPEAKER_02 7:13

Yeah. So higher education is dealing with a crisis of uh an image crisis right now. You know, we have a demographic cliff, everyone uh talks about the demo the demography and its impact on enrollment. We have less humans, so we have less individuals to recruit. Um, but we do know that the larger challenge or threat for higher education is what people think about us. And um, you know, that that boils down to um what they think about affordability and the impact of uh a degree on actually out getting outcomes. And so in our role, we have to make sure that we're telling the story of what it means to earn a four-year degree and what outcomes that has for not only the learner, but the family. And that a four-year degree is still a um a viable and important degree for lifetime earnings, that your lifetime earnings um you know more than more than double uh when you um earn a four-year degree. And so uh our our job in um combating essentially the the negative narrative is one where we are um giving the families real information about what it costs to go to college, um how um how quickly they can earn their degree, and what support services they have available to them to ensure that they're getting their degree in a timely fashion. So um in order to do that, we have to be we have to be kind in our process. We have to understand that um there are multiple pathways to earning that degree and that not everyone is ready to do it in a traditional way. And so, in the work of admissions, we have to understand the different learner types and we have to be able to communicate the different ways in which those learners can earn that degree. But that's not we can't do that in isolation. We need the entire university to come along with us. Uh, the university has to provide the product, if you will, that we are essentially selling on behalf of the institution that is relevant to learners where they feel like they can invest and that they should invest in that degree.

SPEAKER_00 9:35

Yeah. You know, recently we have seen several instances across the country, but even closer here in Michigan, where some universities and colleges they haven't figured it, figured what you just described out. And so it has caused them to close. And it's predicted there will be other closures. We know some of the impact is because of demographic shifts, like you've talked about. We know part of that is the birth, dearth. It's just not as many persons being born, which then means they're not as many persons graduating from high school. So the pool is getting smaller. What's your thoughts on how when that does happen, where a school must close, how can we assist at Grand Valley State University to ensure that those learners still have a great opportunity to continue their education, to continue their their the the drive to reach their aspirations without missing a beat.

SPEAKER_02 10:40

Yeah, yeah, it's really unfortunate that we we do see um a loss, um, you know, closing of institutions that have been around for you know over 150 years in many cases. Um we've seen some of that here locally, as you've said. And you know, at Grand Valley, we've been very responsive to uh to those learners. We've been able to provide them with an avenue, uh, you know, a teach out agreement. We've been able to provide them with um support services, um, breaking down the um the barriers or the red tape for enrollment, you know, providing um specialized um uh tuition and scholarship opportunities for those learners, uh knowing that we don't want to we want them to complete, we owe it to them to complete. Um, and we owe it to the higher education community to be good stewards and good partners in that process. So not only is Grand Valley's responsible to its its own students, own learners, but we're responsible for the learners within our community. And when the community is impacted by such a closure, it's wonderful when we're able to step up and be able to say, we're here to provide to provide you with an education of complete your degree uh and do so in a way that's affordable and that's supportive.

SPEAKER_00 12:04

Right, and without barriers.

SPEAKER_02 12:05

Yeah, absolutely, and without barriers, because you know, it's one thing to say, come transfer to Grand Valley and and go through our process, but the processes are not designed for that learner in that particular moment in time with those circumstances. So we have to meet the learner where they are and adjust the circumstances so that that learner is able to then access Grand Valley at the point at which they are. And that's what we've done. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:32

Yeah. You know, Danny, it's it's so important that we're integrating beyond cutting-edge technology into our processes, uh, into the work that we do. But it's also important to have strong relationships with our prospective students and our current students. How do you balance that uh in an office like admissions and recruitment?

SPEAKER_02 12:59

Strong relationships. You know, I think it really goes to um ensuring that um you are not forgetting the basics of ensuring that you have the connections with the community, um, ensuring that you are out in the community working with um organizations. One such way we do that is through our eighth grade pathways uh to Grand Valley. Um our eighth grade pathways to Grand Valley allows us to connect with leaders in the community, families in the community, uh, children, students in the community, um, and it allows us to be seen as you know, just part of that community. And so those relationships then um allow the community to see us more than just a higher education institution, more than just a business.

SPEAKER_00 13:49

All the the work and the the pieces that that you have described throughout your responses, you know, reminds me that enrollment management it's it's a space that that can be filled with ups and downs. Um it's intense work. Um sometimes you go unthanked. So thank you for all that you do. Thank you. Um but but a big part of your role is leading a great team, as you've mentioned, and they experience all those things that I've just mentioned, the ups and downs, the intensity, the make sure you do better next year than you even did this year, even though you did really well. How do you lead in a manner that balances productivity and excellence, but but with also the well-being and all those pieces that come along with keeping the team together?

SPEAKER_02 14:48

Yeah. Um, you know, leadership, um, just like as you know, um, you know, you don't you you you lead through um various challenges and you adjust your leadership approach uh based on those challenges, based on the dynamics of the day. We um I for me, I'm I'm fortunate to have a really uh talented and strong team. And you know, I think about uh leading a team similar to when we work with students. Um I think about it in terms of challenging the team, but also supporting the team. So challenge and support. Um and it's important to provide the team with the the feeling of security um and um support through so that they can weather the storms that come and when and they can celebrate when the um those storms um you know turn into sunny days. You know, we we are a very um data-heavy profession, um, and we do a lot where we are not just measuring for the sake of determining where our enrollments are going to come through, but we we measure to see how we're also performing. And I think that um that areas that don't look at leveraging their data in that way really miss an opportunity uh to innovate and really miss an opportunity to challenge um themselves to think differently about how they interact, not just with the data, but with their teams. In our office, we have a fun committee, and the fun committee is responsible for ensuring that we're always keeping an eye on fun in the office, to ensure that we're engaging with things like um, you know, a the soup and chili kickoff, ensuring that we're buying pizza and we're buying donuts and that we're really just taking care of each other, that before the recruiters go out on the road, um they're buying them uh, you know, a small uh welcome or care package that they can take with them. You know, it's the little things that are super important that you don't take your eye off because those are the people that are interacting with our students and families. And so the last thing you want is for them to feel like they don't like they feel like they don't matter. You they you have to absolutely be certain that the approach you're taking makes them feel like they absolutely matter because they do.

SPEAKER_00 17:20

Absolutely. Thank you for that. Yeah, I'm gonna come over and see who that person is in charge of funds so I can dive in on some of that. Yeah, love it, love it. And the pizza day reminds me when it's pizza. We'll let you know when pizza comes in. Yes, yes. Yo, um Danny, I opened up this morning with um sharing comments with our strategic enrollment management leadership academy. And one of the things that I mentioned this morning is that we at Grand Valley appreciate and push hard to celebrate the fact that we're not closing doors to students, but we're opening doors to learners.

SPEAKER_02 18:07

Yeah, it's about uh being a shepherd, um, you know, admissions being a shepherd at the front door. It's uh it's it's not about, you know, uh creating, it's not about being a gatekeeper, it's about being a shepherd and someone that um ensures that um we are looking at learners holistically. Um and that I said earlier about looking at learners uh from not from a deficit lens, but from an asset-minded lens. So trying to ensure that when we're looking at um who applies to grand value their application, that um we are taking into account all of their lived experience. And you know, whether that is um what's you know what may be happening within their community, what's happening in their school, um, it's important for us to look at that learner um uh from all from all angles, um, not just from their test scores or from their GPA um or from uh the the neighborhood that they come from or the family they came from. But it's important for us to ensure that um we're looking at them um as a whole. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:19

You know, it's a lot of noise around higher ed and and going to college, right? Yeah. Um I know when I was coming through the college ranks, I knew that going to college and getting a college degree was really my number one option. I knew that that would be the option that would activate many things afterwards, right? I don't know if if our prospective learners and even our audience are aware of the major benefits of getting a college degree. And I would imagine some are questioning that. Again, that was the option that I saw, and it was really clear for me. Talk to the audience about the value of a college degree and your thoughts on that concept. Yeah, well, it makes you a better dresser.

SPEAKER_02 20:15

And you know, the value of a college degree, you know, lifetime earnings potential. You know, we know that um uh a four-year degree um leads to a um a lifetime of earning of, you know, uh over a million dollars more in your lifetime. We know that um you have more uh a higher likelihood of of greater health outcomes as well. Um you have greater likelihood of generational wealth and generational health also. Um, you know, and and I think that, you know, the um what you get from the community that you develop um in higher education is one that um cannot be um uh overstated or understated, where you have um access to other great minds that allow you to then access uh other great uh places um and um avenues that can provide you with um access to opportunities that you may not have been able to access um where you whereas you didn't go uh to to college or to a uh to earn a four-year degree. And I say four-year degree, not that um earning a a two-year degree isn't important, but a four-year degree is the the earnings potential is significantly higher when you earn a four-year degree than um a two-year degree and and a high school diploma potential. It's also about the um what you get from the education, the educational experience, how that opens your mind to um new new ideas, new thoughts and possibilities. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:57

Yeah. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 21:58

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 21:59

You know, this is The Pathways Project podcast. So we can't go through this without talking about a pathway into Grand Valley State University. We got a ton of pathways that we've created, right? I mean, we could go out to our GV next and Google pathways on the and we will see all the different pathways that we've established established at Grand Valley. Tell me what's your favorite and why.

SPEAKER_02 22:22

Well, the eighth grade pathways to Grand Valley. I mentioned it earlier. The Pathways program assures eighth graders that we talk with that they are being told, at least by us, and maybe by us for the first time, that they can go to college, that they will go to college, and that we're there to support their journey. We're able to then stay connected to those learners all the way through high school, providing them with access to college to Grand Valley and to workshops that help them learn about the college going experience. We also connect with their families. If their families are interested in going to college, we can help them identify the right pathway for them, whether it is Grand Valley or somewhere else. So it's just such a wonderful way that the university connects with families early on and stays connected with them all the way through. We had an inaugural class this year that came through from the uh Detroit Achievement Academy. Um, out of the 25 learners we inducted, 22 applied to Grand Valley. I think it's really quite amazing. Um, and you know, we just had a session with their current students and the alumni here at Grand Valley. So now we have, you know, this concept of each each one teach one. So you had those that came before you going back to to provide you with the wisdom for how to get through. So now you have their former eighth grade pathway students going back to talk to the um on uh up and coming eighth grade pathway students. So it's it's was just a wonderful thing to see and to be a part of that kind of generational experience. Yeah. So so yeah, it's it's my absolute favorite. And it's wonderful to be in the community and tell the community um, your children uh are going to college and we're going to support them. We're gonna support them with um uh tuition assistance, we're gonna support them with um with scholarships, we're gonna support them with um student success initiatives. We we'd support them with night uh, you know, free tickets to to games, and you know, it's it's really quite uh uh an incredible program. And I'm not really aware of any other program similar to it.

SPEAKER_01 24:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:52

Thank you, Dr. Velez. Yeah, yeah, thank you. Knocked it out of the park. Thank you. Appreciate you. Congratulations on all the great work that that you've done and you'll continue to do. Thank you for spending some time with me today. Um, and thank you all for for joining us and uh be on the lookout for our next podcast coming soon. Thank you very much. Thank you.