On the latest episode of Student Affairs Voices from the Field, host Dr. Jill Creighton explores the intersection of enrollment management and student affairs with special guest Dr. Christopher Tremblay, Executive Director of Enrollment Management at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. If you're curious about the challenges and changes facing higher education, this episode offers a timely and thought-provoking conversation.
Facing the Enrollment Cliff
The "enrollment cliff"—a predicted decline of about 15% in college-bound students—is front and center in this discussion. Dr. Tremblay walks listeners through the domino effect: declining birth rates and economic factors have shrunk the pool of future college students, and institutions are strategizing how best to adapt. He points out that while enrollment management always relied on advance notice through birth rate data, today, the challenge is more acute. Colleges are shifting focus from just increasing headcount to more nuanced "revenue management." Not every student brings the same tuition dollars, so institutions must balance both enrollment and financial sustainability. The episode also acknowledges the hard truth—some colleges may face mergers or closures as the cliff approaches.
The Looming Impact of International Policies
The enrollment pressures are compounded by changes to visa policies and regulations, making it tougher for international students to study in the U.S. Dr. Tremblay warns of a "double whammy" for colleges: fewer domestic students and fewer international enrollees, as restrictions force many to defer or pursue education elsewhere. Other countries, like Canada and Germany, are stepping in to woo these students, signaling a shift in the global education market.
The Crucial Role of Retention & Student Support
But it's not all gloom—the episode celebrates advances in student success and retention. Investing in support systems, academic advising, and holistic onboarding not only helps students persist but is often more cost-effective for colleges. Dr. Tremblay describes the value of a "high tech, high touch" approach and advocates for ongoing, personalized support through a student's first year and beyond. He even dreams of a four-person support team for each student, recognizing the complexity of academic, financial, and career decisions.
Why Listen?
If you're a higher ed professional, parent, or student wondering what lies ahead, this episode delivers valuable perspectives. It underscores the essential partnership between enrollment management and student affairs, and calls for more collaboration in service of student success.
Tune in to hear how institutions are navigating uncertain times—and why student affairs remain critical to transforming lives.
TRANSCRIPT
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:02]:
Welcome to Student Affairs Voices from the Field, the podcast where we share your student affairs stories from fresh perspectives to seasoned experts brought to you by naspa. We curate free and accessible professional development for higher ed pros wherever you happen to be. This is season 13 on the value of student affairs. I'm Dr. Jill Creighton. She her hers your Essay Voices from the Field host Today on Essay Voices from the Field, we're heading to the enrollment management side of The House with Dr. Christopher W. Tremblay.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:33]:
He brings three decades of leadership in higher education enrollment management. Currently serving as Executive Director of Enrollment Management at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. He also serves as Director of ACRO Strategic Enrollment Management, or SEM Endorsement Program. Tremblay earned both his bachelor's and Master's degrees from Western Michigan University. He has a post Master's Certificate in Enrollment Management from Capella University and a Doctor of Education in Education from the University of Michigan, Dearborn. Tremblay is the co founder and co editor of the Journal of College Access and has served as Editor in Chief of College and University Journal since 2020. He's a scholar and researcher of Walt Disney, teaching the only college course on the life of Walt Disney called Walt's Pilgrimage. Christopher welcome to SA Voices and today we're going to be speaking to you.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:01:19]:
Thank you.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:01:19]:
Great to be here about the enrollment management side of the house and all the things that are going on in acro. But before we go there, we always like to get to know our guests by asking you, how did you get your current seat?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:01:31]:
Wow, that's a long journey. But I will give you the abbreviated version. I actually am grateful that my career in higher education I'm now in my 32nd year and it started because I was an undergraduate orientation student leader. So I feel like it was the impact of student affairs that changed my life and brought me to this profession. So my first job in college was at Western Michigan University as an admissions counselor, actually before I even graduated from college, which was an incredible opportunity. And then I got hooked and I just loved admissions. I loved higher education. And then throughout my career I have done college admissions, I've done financial aid, I've done orientation, and have been doing enrollment management, gosh, for probably over a decade now.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:02:16]:
And I've been at the University of Michigan Talbon's College of Architecture and Urban Planning for five years now. But just prior to that I also worked in College Access within the State of Michigan at the Michigan College Access Network. And I have a huge passion for college access, especially as a first time.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:02:32]:
Sitting at one of the university universities that's largest in the U.S. i think you'll be in a great position to be able to speak to what you're seeing in terms of changes. One of the things that we've been talking about in student affairs, and I'm sure more so in enrollment management for about the last 10 years, is this pending enrollment cliff that has been coming towards us. We knew that birth rates in the United States had declined in the Great Recession that happened in 2007. For those of you who were in the profession at that time, it was a bit of a squeeze for everybody from a budgetary perspective. But we also saw massive impacts around housing crises in the country, food insecurity and some other things. And that greatly impacted people's family planning choices. And now we're in a position in higher education where there's, I believe it's a 15% drop off of potential enrollees in universities.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:03:20]:
So I would love to start there. Christopher, if you can talk a little bit about how enrollment managers are planning for this, how colleges and universities should be bracing for this and, and what that means for our profession.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:03:33]:
I guess the blessing of our work is that we always have advance notice because of the birth rate of how many people we think will be ready and eligible to enter college. And so we do have that lead time, but it is definitely a challenging time. While we're still trying to increase the percentage of high school graduates going to college so that we can increase college attainment rates, we know that the starting pool is much smaller and will get smaller for the next. I mean, basically indefinitely from the data that we're seeing from Wiche in terms of high school projections. So it's definitely putting a lot of pressure on colleges and universities. And I would say really enrollment management is shifting to be more about revenue management. And this is where it gets very delicate because cost is one of the primary barriers for students and families as the cost of higher education has increased and there's been less investment at the federal and state level. And so therefore the cost burden is being passed on to the students.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:04:29]:
So really our job is to really articulate the value of higher education and showcase its benefits both financially as well as personally and professionally, and that the workforce needs higher skill levels for those who are graduating from high school. And certainly, I think all of us who are in higher education are proponents of. There are many pathways to post secondary education and some of that might include pursuit of what we would have deemed work in the trades. But like for example in Michigan, that training for the trades predominantly is offered at our community colleges and that is going to college. And so part of it's also shifting the mentality still that college is an option for everybody and that there are multiple pathways to pursuing.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:05:13]:
I think that's an interesting credential framing that you've mentioned that enrollment management is shifting to more revenue management. Can you talk more about what that means to the profession?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:05:23]:
Historically, as I always experienced the work in enrollment management, it was always about headcount and the number of bodies that you enrolled and the number of students. And I think there's more of a movement and has been for a number of years of counting, you know, headcount equivalent. So in other words, not every student is enrolled full time. Some students might be dual degree and so their revenue may be split. And so really using projections that showcase both enrollment but also tuition revenue. Because at the end of the day also not every student brings in the same amount of revenue because you have different tuition rates, you have different lengths of degrees. For example, in my particular college, we have degrees that are four year undergraduate degrees, we have two year master's degree, we have three semester post master certificates. And so really looking at as we set our enrollment targets, how does that translate into the revenue that's being generated? I also feel like colleges related to enrollment management and this enrollment cliff is that I think we are working very hard to protect our existing infrastructure and the educational experience, to protect the quality of the experience.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:06:34]:
And it's like, well, how do you do that when you have less expected revenue? And so I, I think a part of enrollment management is also helping institutions find alternate sources of revenue to alleviate some of that pressure. So whether that be offering some pre college programs or some non credit bearing options that allow you to still offer all of your academic offerings at the highest level in terms of the experiences you want to offer students. Because we don't want to sacrifice that, even though we might have a shrinking size of class. I think that many colleges in the country are going to be faced with some very tough decisions because we all can't win in this race, if you will. So I think that we're going to see many more mergers and or closures unfortunately just because there won't be enough students to fill every degree, every class in the country. So I think we are already starting to see that. I think many of us don't want to see that. But the reality is if there's not students because of the declining birth rate.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:07:34]:
And this is expected to last 15 to 16 years, I believe is the current data set. So it's going to be a change in the way that we have to function, especially in student affairs. I've worked at several institutions where the student affairs model was largely based on student fees for certain parts of organizational structure. And with less students, there are simply less student fees, which means that there are less opportunities to potentially use that resource in a way that benefits students. So it's an interesting thing to think about. Right now. It seems to be more of an intellectual exercise, but I think very soon it will be a reality in our budget lines.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:08:15]:
Absolutely. I think we've already seen, unfortunately, with layoffs by some of the largest and most prestigious universities in the country because they're recognizing that the dollars just aren't there to be able to do that. And so there is going to be, I think, a shift in the types of services and resources that are provided. I think everybody wants to be very conscientious and careful about that because we still have a lot of support that we need to provide to students. They just don't show up and are perfectly experienced. Our system. Right. There's stumbles along the way, there's support that's needed.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:08:47]:
And so I think my hope in this as we talk about the work of student affairs is that that is not sacrificed or doesn't get to be so slim that, you know, it becomes non existent. Because I think it's still going to be just as important tomorrow as it.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:09:01]:
Is today as it was yesterday with the uncertainty of the future of international students in the US and we've got an interesting time ahead of us in higher education from an admissions perspective. Christopher, can, can you talk to us about what those changes are and how you're seeing some of these things that are proposed by the current administration impacting your ability to recruit international students?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:09:23]:
I think what we're seeing happening in D.C. is devastating to higher education and it's basically eliminating opportunities for international students to study in the United States. And I think it's a huge brain drain for us because we're going to see the impact of this for decades because if we're not enrolling these students, we're certainly not going to be graduating them and adding them to the workforce, whether it be in the US or if they go back to their own country or go elsewhere. So those changes obviously have been restrictions on visas. The pause on visas this past summer definitely hurt us because it caused delays. We ended up deferring many students to next year in hopes that they can still get a visa, but there's no guarantee. The new social media screening has added complexity to that and has changed students behaviors and made them much more conscientious about what they can and should be posting on social media and in what channels. So I think all of that is affecting it.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:10:21]:
I think the other regulations regarding you have to get your visa in your home country so you can no longer travel to another country to get that. It is devastating for some students because our international students have been very entrepreneurial and resourceful and determined to get a visa. And so they have flown to other countries and other embassies to try to get that work done and now that option won't be there. And so I think it's unfortunate because it's just barrier after barrier being put in front and we are just going to continue to see a decline in international students. And unfortunately there's not the domestic population that can immediately or fully replace their seats and their enrollments. And so I think it's definitely caused strain and commotion in higher education that we didn't, I think, fully expect to see coming. And so I think that in addition to the enrollment cliff, this is now a double whammy for higher education and has put so much pressure that we have not seen in at least in the time that I've been in higher education, other than again, challenges with COVID Somewhat joked with colleagues that I was like, gosh, it's like I almost want to go back to the COVID years because now they seem not so hard as it does now. We didn't know that then, right.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:11:36]:
What was coming. So I think, you know, the institutions that are going to be successful are going to be the ones that can be nimble and extremely responsive and act diligently regarding either the finance or the finances, either reducing expenses or generating new sources of revenue. I mean, those are really your only two options when you look at the, the financial impact of the international student enrollment crisis.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:12:04]:
And for many schools that are funded by their state governments, we've seen that decline over the years and taxpayer dollars being diverted to other important public services and projects. So it's really a squeeze point for higher education at the moment with the international student enrollment component and with those visa barriers that have been broug on in the last year or so. I've also seen other countries kind of pick up on that and perk up on that. The UK has also done some similar things with putting more visa restrictions on students. So with the UK and the US in combination going, we're going to be admitting less international students like Germany have really picked up the mantle. And I've seen some advertisements where German universities are saying, we know you probably don't speak German, and getting an education in German is going to be very hard, but we're going to help you with that. So come here. We'll teach the language and you can get your degree.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:12:55]:
So. So I wonder how that's going to shift the market.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:12:57]:
I think we saw that with our neighbors in Canada. I know that there was some schools that immediately were trying to capture some of the enrollment that would be coming to the US and it's like, still come to North America, but just come to Canada. So, I mean, they were smart in doing it. I don't know how many students actually followed through on doing that, because if you have your heart set on coming to the United States, there's certain places that I think attract our students in our country. The large coastal cities, the midsize college towns, wherever students feel like there's a fit and opportunity for them. But, yeah, I think we're going to see other countries definitely capitalizing and providing some additional incentives to woo those students. So we. We definitely have to keep an eye on that.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:13:40]:
So the picture we've painted so far in our conversation is a lot of challenges ahead. But what's going well in enrollment management right now? What are universities that are attracting students still doing that, that is working in the environment we have today?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:13:54]:
I would say probably the biggest sense of, I think accomplishment is related to success and a commitment to retention and helping the student in the most holistic way. So I think since I've been in the field, I would say this has been the biggest improvement and kind of mindset the concept that it's cheaper to retain a student than it is to recruit a student. How can we make sure that our graduation outcomes continue to increase? Because there is much scrutiny by the government and other organizations on the outcomes of higher education, and we still have a long way to go to demonstrate that. But I think a lot of it is our students need a lot of academic and social support. We know that there's a lot of students that experience anxiety and the stress levels of just everything going on in the world. I think we all need to be reminded that that just like it affects us, it affects our students. And if their primary focus is academics and then all of their extracurricular activities, but then they're worried about cost or they're worrying about the political environment or they're worried about things going on in the world. Those are detractors can set students up to not be successful, you know, academically.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:15:04]:
So I would say that all of the student success measures from early alerts and follow up and all of the technology that allows both students and universities to track student progression I think is helpful because I think if we can teach students also how to self manage their progress, it's also teaching them a skill, a lifelong skill that should help them in their career because this isn't going to be the first and last time they have to manage life and all the curveballs at throws. And how do you learn from that? Because that's. I think one of the things that I love about higher education is just how much of a learning laboratory it is and how it transforms the lives of our students. I mean, I even think about myself as I entered college as a naive only child. So I didn't have any siblings ahead of me to learn the ropes. But I was grateful that there were people who took me under their wing and I didn't realize the value and role of student affairs until I became an admissions and enrollment management professional. And really it was working as the coordinator of orientation that I even first learned about student development theory and that all of these things that we were doing had data and research behind it as impactful practices to make a student feel like they belong at an institution and that they can be successful.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:16:22]:
I think this is a nice tie in to the partnership that's very natural between student affairs and enrollment management. A lot of people see that nexus happening at the orientation process. Sometimes orientation lives in enrollment management, sometimes it lives in student affairs because we're really kind of establishing now you're a matriculated student and that student affairs engagement kind of begins. Can you talk to us, as a former orientation professional, now enrollment professional about what you see as the most successful ways to onboard students in 2025?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:16:53]:
A great question. I would say that my mantra on this is high tech, high touch. I know that's kind of an old school term, but I think we have to remember that when while digital technology offers some great efficiencies and offers greater access, you know, to onboarding and orientating a student to higher education, I still believe that the personal connection, the personal contact is equally critical and I would actually say even more important because our students, while they are such digital natives, we need to remind them that we still live with and work and engage with other people in person. And that sense of belonging and what I call that Human presence factor I think is important. So I think orientation programs that do both very well. I think there also is what I think over the years I learned is what I would call a time release formula or time release model. I think we have a tendency in higher education to just put everything out there all at once and like kind of as a menu. But I think there's a value in releasing content and information and knowledge sharing in stages as we believe the student needs it and when they engage in, engage in it.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:18:08]:
And so I really think that orientation starts at the time that a student pays their deposit and really needs to go through the end of their very first semester, if not their first year. Because that first year is still a time of adjustment and for some students it's a more challenging adjustment. And so I think thinking about that really almost as an entire year experience is, is critical to make sure that we're there to support students, students when they need us at the time they need us because they might know about the counseling services in over the summer, but until the rubber hits the road in November and they hit that moment where they are needing those counseling services, how do we get them that information at that time? Because we introduced it months ago. And for them think about how much information has come their way since then.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:18:57]:
It'll be an interesting shift in our onboarding models to have kind of maybe weekly touch points or monthly touchpoints with students in their first year rather than bam, here we go over a full two day thing or a week thing or whatever our models might look like. I think it'd be a fascinating exercise in how to capture the attention of students in an ongoing way. But that time release formula might be a better way to engage our services and help students find their place. Because we also know that six week mark is an important inflection point for students who are going to persist to the end of their first term and then ultimately into their second term and hopefully to their second year.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:19:34]:
Yeah, for sure. I have always had a dream and this is a dream that would require just tons of money. But going back to that human presence factor, I actually feel like every student who's enrolled in college needs a four person team that gets assigned to them upon matriculation at the start of the semester. Even before that four person team would include their academic advisor, a financial aid specialist, a career advisor, what I would call a student affairs or student life or engagement professional. Could you imagine having a joint conversation with that four person team and the student student? Because what we do right now, which Just blows my mind is that I'll just give an example when a student might be struggling in a class and they have to decide, do I stay in that class and get a poor grade or withdraw or do I stay in the class because it could negatively impact my financial aid. So what does the student do? The student goes to their academic advisor. They talk about the pros and cons of dropping the class from an academic perspective. Then the student goes over to the financial aid person, person and has to discuss what are the pros and cons of dropping or not dropping the class.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:20:40]:
And then we expect the student to connect the dots between the two of them. Many students can do that, but some students don't do it well or can't do it at all. And so imagine the complementariness of all of those voices being in the same conversation for the efficiency and the effectiveness of the student to make the best informed decision at the end of the day. And then again, everybody kind of knows kind of what's happening. And I just think it's a more holistic approach. Again, if money was no object, I would implement it immediately because I just think that students would benefit from a team of support and the same team that could stay with them through their entire undergraduate experience.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:21:20]:
That or a cross training model that allows everyone to dabble in each other's areas a little bit. I've always a big fan of that type of exercise as well. Which I think leads us to a natural question, question of what do you, as a primarily professional, wish that student affairs professionals knew about the world?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:21:36]:
Wow. Well, probably the first thing that comes to mind is, and I would expect this both ways, I think student affairs would benefit from knowing and understanding how a student got to that seat in that class. Like what did it take in terms of effort in order to attract that student's attention, recruit them to apply, admit them, and then matriculate them and then vice versa. I would actually love for a student affairs professional to remind me and refresh my memory and bring me up to speed on what does it take to support a student from the day they arrive to the day they graduate. Right. Because I think sometimes there's so much going on in our separate worlds and we have to be focused and concentrate on that, that unfortunately we just don't have the luxury of time anymore to go shadow or spend time in student affairs. So I also would love that opportunity to be able to just reminded of what are the current challenges that our students are facing that are real. Now I get nuggets of it.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:22:39]:
Because fortunately I have. We have a great student affairs operation within our academic, school and college. And so I actually get intel on some of the reasons our students are visiting, counseling, for example. So it gives me some insights on what our students, what they're entering with in terms of life challenges and then challenges that experience them. But I think we can always do better, understanding each other's worlds that we live in and then trying to find opportunities to further collaborate for the benefit of the student. At the end of the day, it's all about student success. And that can be defined in lots of different ways at different institutions and for different students.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:23:17]:
Going to go ahead and lean into our theme questions for the season and we're talking about the value of student affairs. And from an enrollment management perspective, it might look a little different. But I think this perspective is a great value add for our season because you see us as kind of an internal external party where you're part of the team, but we're not in each other's day to day universes. So our first question is, when you think about the value of student affairs, what comes to mind first and why?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:23:44]:
The first thing that comes to mind is transformation. Really think that student affairs is about developing each student's potential and meeting students where they are and taking them to the next level. So in terms of, and I think especially developing all of those soft skills that complement the skills that are being learned in the classroom and in any academic experience, because I think that's where the value of higher education is, right? It is about the degree and it is about the credential and it is about the academic training. But when I think about the skill set that I gained as a student through my leadership positions as a student, and I think those are the things that I use almost every day in my job and were most transformative for my life. And I see it time and time again for our students because that's where they feel the sense of belonging to belonging and contribution.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:24:37]:
Can you share a specific story or moment when you saw the value of student affairs come to life?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:24:42]:
I would say this still it was because I experienced it, but then I got to facilitate it for 300 other students who served as orientation student leaders. But I do think the summer that I was an orientation student leader, it definitely transformed my life because it put me in a position to have that peer to peer connection with incoming students. But really the major value was the four weeks of training that I received to prepare to be an orientation student leader. And I got one College credit for it, which I was grateful that there was the academic recognition. But that's where I learned about facilitation and conflict resolution and leadership skills and communication skills, all of that which has just benefited me so much in my career. And still to this day, I get many of our former students who are orientation leaders describe that experience as very powerful and impactful. And for many of them, it planted the seed for a career in higher education. And so I just really feel like those kinds of leadership development programs that are intense and short term can be just an incredible gift to our students.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:25:54]:
And to our third question, what do you think student affairs needs to do to be better understood and better seen in today's educational environment?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:26:02]:
The first thing that comes to mind is that student affairs is essential. I don't think we can operate a modern day college or university without student affairs professionals, without student development theory grounding our work. And again, this is where we create that sense of belonging and support that I think also student affairs are such role models for how to approach this work in a very personal and with humanity in mind. And I think in the world that we're living in today, where I feel like humanity is not number one priority outside of higher education, we have a responsibility, I think, to role model how we take care of each other and how we, we care for each other. Right? Because at the end of the day, to transform those student lives, to make those students feel like they are better than they realize and that we have gifted them and taught them so many things where they can impact the rest of the world because we're counting on them. They are our future leaders. And so I really, you know, always am grateful for the work that our student affairs professionals do. And I always consider myself to be a quasi student affairs professional.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:27:11]:
I always joke with people that I worked in higher education for 20 years before I got my doctorate in education because my undergraduate and master's degrees are in communication, which again, I absolutely loved. But I had so many aha moments when I was sitting through my doctoral classes and I was like, oh my gosh, that's what I've been doing for 20 years. Right? So for me, it was an affirmation that the people who trained me in my work and mentored me, folks like Stanley henderson and Donna St. John, really like, took me under their wing and really taught me what I needed to know and reminded me that I was actually taught by the best in the field.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:27:48]:
Christopher, is there anything else you'd like our NASPA listeners to know about the world of enrollment management and how it impacts the value of student affairs today.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:27:56]:
Absolutely. Please collaborate with your enrollment management colleagues. Learn about both the strengths and challenges of their work and also, I think, be reminded of just the incredible amount of stress that enrollment management professionals are under these days and that that stress shows no sign of alleviating. And so anytime that we can do checks with each other and be there for each other again, I think we are all reminded every day that we are here because of the students.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:28:26]:
Christopher, thank you for all of those thoughts, and I'm going to toss it over to Producer Chris to tell us all about what's going on in NASA. It's time to take a quick break and toss it over to producer Chris to learn what's going on in the NASA NASPA world.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:28:39]:
Hey Jill, great to be back in the NASPA world and there's a ton of things happening in naspa. Did you know that the knowledge communities in NASPA are celebrating 25 years of knowledge creation this year? And this historic milestone is going to be celebrated at the NASPA annual conference from March 7th through the 11th in Kansas City, Missouri. For some of you, you may have always known that knowledge communities have always been a part of NASPA. But prior to 2001, knowledge communities were considered what were called networks. In 1989, through a restructure of task forces, networks, and advisory groups, NASPA approved its first networks New professionals Small colleges, fraternities and sororities Ethnic minorities, gay, lesbian, bisexual urban urban gay, lesbian and bisexual urban institutions Women in student affairs, adult learners and community colleges. Through the years, these networks continued to grow organically as members identified and responded to specific issues of concern in the field. By 2001, the NASPA board of Directors recognized an opportunity to reshape how these communities connected and shared expertise. One of our past guests on our podcast, Betty Simmons, ended up being asked, at the request of the then NASPA President, Gwen Dungey, to lead a transformation that would define how NASPA members would engage for the next quarter century.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:30:14]:
Often affectionately called the grandmother of knowledge communities, Betty championed a new format that would leverage emerging technology to communicate communication to facilitate communication and information sharing among members regardless of geographic location. So what began as nine networks has evolved into a dynamic ecosystem of knowledge communities that serve as portals to naspa. Today's knowledge communities encompass a diverse range of topics and serve as a hub for developing and connecting experts across functional areas. Across functional areas, emerging issues, and member identity identities Knowledge communities have become the beating heart of how NASA members find their people share innovation and advance the field. I'm really excited to be celebrating this at the 2026 Annual Convention at the 2026 Annual Conference. As someone that started Knowledge community back in 2001, I am so proud of the work that the SAPA Knowledge Community has done over the years, but really the work of all the Knowledge Community communities because it truly has become the heart of the association and a way for all NASPA members to be able to get engaged in a way that they want to be engaged. So at the NASPA Annual Conference, the plan this year is to honor this legacy while looking toward the future of how we connect, learn and lead together. From Casey specific programming to opportunities to engage with communities old, old and new, this conference is going to be designed to help you find your people and deepen your NASPA experience so you have a great opportunity to be able to identify with the knowledge communities that you particularly connect with.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:32:04]:
But also you have an opportunity to be able to test the water. As you go to the NASPA conference, check out some of the different knowledge communities, see what's on going they're all about or start today. Go to the NASPA website and on the NASPA website you can easily be able to identify and check out all of the knowledge communities. All you have to do is go on the NASPA website and in the top bar there is a tab that is called Membership plus Communities. If you go and hover over that button you can go down to the Knowledge communities and see all 30 plus knowledge communities that are out there and see what ones make sense. I highly encourage you to check them out today and celebrate the amazing work that the knowledge communities have done, but also the amazing communities that they have become to allow for you to connect with and find more of your own people that are passionate about similar things that you're passionate about. A quick public policy update for this month over the past month, the federal government entered the longest shutdown in history, with potential disruptions to institutions of higher education. However, as many of you know, a bipartisan funding deal through a continuing resolution has been voted on, and this continuing resolution would restore government operations at current levels through January 30, 2026 and provide full funding for select agencies, marking a meaningful step toward ending the stalemate.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:33:34]:
The Trump administration's Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education continues to to draw widespread opposition, with most of the nine invited universities, among them mit, Brown, Penn and the University of Virginia, formally rejecting the proposal linking federal funding preferences to tuition freezes, enrollment caps and restrictions on gender and diversity policies. Meanwhile, the administration's $100,000 fee on new H1B visa petitions has sparked backlash from higher education, healthcare and business groups who warn that it will damage research and international hiring. A coalition of unions, colleges and associations has filed suit challenging the legality of the fee, arguing it exceeds presidential authority and was issued without proper rulemaking in the courts. A major settlement between the Department of Education and the American Federation of Teachers has restored student loan forgiveness processing for millions of borrowers under income, drip driven repayment and public service loan forgiveness programs, with protections against potential tax liability. Federal judges have also stepped in to halt Education Department layoffs affecting civil rights enforcement and to block restrictive campus speech laws in Texas. As litigation unfolds, higher education institutions continue to face uncertainty around funding compliance and future regulatory direction. NASPA has remained active in advocacy efforts throughout this period, joining higher education coalitions to oppose the proposed H1B wage level lottery rule and the Department of Education's expansive Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement, warning of excessive reporting burdens and privacy risks. NASPA also continues to advocate for restoring funding for minority serving institutions, preserving support for research and student aid programs, and in ensuring stability and transparency amid the ongoing federal shutdown.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:35:31]:
You can continue to monitor the 834 active bills across state legislatures and Congress on the NASPA Policy Hub, which is a unique benefit only for NASPA members. Every week we're going to be sharing some amazing things that are happening within the association. So we are going to be able to try and keep you up to date on everything that's happening and allow for you to be able to to get involved in different ways because the association is as strong as its members and for all of us, we have to find our place within the association, whether it be getting involved with the knowledge community, giving back within one of the centers or the divisions of the association. And as you're doing that, it's important to be able to identify for yourself where do you fit? Where do you want to give back each week. We're hoping that we will share some things that might encourage you, might allow for you to be able to get some ideas that will provide you with an opportunity to be able to say, hey, I see myself in that knowledge community, I see myself doing something like that, or encourage you in other ways that allow for you to be able to think beyond what's available right now to offer other things to the association, to bring you your gifts, your talents to the association and to all of the members within the association. Because through doing that, all of us are Stronger and the association is better. Tune in again next week as we find out more about what is happening in naspa.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:07]:
Chris, thank you so much for always sharing with us what's going on in and around NASPA and Christopher. We have now reached our lightning round. I've got seven questions for you in about nine 90 seconds. Are you feeling ready?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:37:19]:
Let's do it.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:20]:
All right, question number one, if you were a conference keynote speaker, what would your entrance music be?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:37:24]:
Gosh, probably Pink Pony Club.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:26]:
Number two, when you were five years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:37:29]:
Ooh, I actually, I never had anything in mind.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:33]:
Number three, who's your most influential professional mentor?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:37:36]:
Stanley Henderson.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:37]:
Number four, your essential student affairs or higher education read.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:37:41]:
Ooh. All right, that one's a tough one, I'm going to say. One of the first books that I read when I became director of admissions was called the Gatekeepers, and it was Inside the Life of an Admissions Operation. And it was a fascinating read.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:54]:
Number five, the best TV show you've been binging lately.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:37:57]:
I never watch tv.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:58]:
Number six, the podcast you've spent the most hours listening to in the last year.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:38:01]:
My favorite podcast is actually the podcast version of CBS Sunday Morning because I just love their feel good stories.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:38:09]:
And finally, number seven, any shout outs you'd like to give, personal or professional?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:38:13]:
Yes, absolutely. I've already mentioned several of them, but I also would love to give a shout out to my work wife, Kimberly Buster Williams, who I do a lot of work with, acro. She has been an amazing colleague and friend.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:38:26]:
And for those who may not be familiar, ACRO is one of our sister associations. It stands for the American association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. So they're basically the NASPA for the side of the house. So if you maybe spend time in both worlds, it'd be a good thing to check out. Or if you're thinking about shifting within Higher Education acronym is a great place to go. Christopher, it's been an incredible and rich dialogue today. If anyone would like to reach you to have conversations after the show, how can they find you?
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:38:53]:
Yeah, the best way is through LinkedIn.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:38:55]:
Christopher, thank you so much for sharing your voice with us today.
Dr. Christopher Tremblay [00:38:58]:
Thank you.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:39:04]:
This has been an episode of Essay Voices from the Field, brought to you by naspa. This show is made possible because of you, the listener listeners. We continue to be so grateful that you choose to spend your time with us. If you'd like to reach the show, you can email us at savoices@naspa.org or find me on LinkedIn by searching for Dr. Jill L. Creighton. We welcome your feedback and your topic and guest suggestions always. We'd love it if you take a moment to tell a colleague about the show and leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you're listening now.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:39:34]:
It really does help other student affairs professional find the show and helps us to become more visible in the larger podcasting community. This episode was produced and hosted by Dr. Jill Creighton. That's me. Produced and audio engineered by Dr. Chris Lewis. Special thanks to the University of Michigan, Flint for your support as we create this project. Catch you next time.
