Thoughts After 44 Years in Enrollment Management

Mary Hendry, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Services at Roosevelt University in Chicago, retires this month after serving 44 years in the profession. She has held the titles of admission counselor, assistant director of admission, coordinator of continuing education admissions, director of admission, dean of admission and financial aid, vice president for enrollment management and vice president for enrollment and student services.

How did you get into the business of enrollment management?

I was involved as a college student at Saint Xavier in Chicago—clubs, organizations, tour guide, etc. So when I was a senior (1966-67) I was offered the job as Admission Counselor. In the spring I went on a couple of recruiting trips with the young woman I replaced. That summer I attended a two-week training session for new Admission Counselors at John Carroll University in Cleveland and then began my career on July 1, 1967. Forty-four years later I am planning to retire?and cannot believe all that time has passed?but what a great career I have had!

Why have you stayed on this career track?

I have enjoyed a variety of different jobs and promotions so I have never been bored, or stuck in a rut. When our children were little I was able to work 2 or 3 days a week and had responsibility for 17 local high schools. Then I worked with transfer students, adult undergraduates and later graduate students. I returned to full-time work when I was made Director of Admission in 1985. Thereafter, I was given responsibility for Financial Aid and later the Registrar?s Office. I was made a vice president and served on the president?s cabinet. After 29 years at my beloved alma mater I accepted a position at Roosevelt University. I was intrigued by the new opportunity and the challenges at a place that prided itself on its mission of social justice. And I really felt it was a place that needed me and where I could make a difference. A couple of years after I arrived I was asked to take responsibility for Student Affairs and combine it with Enrollment Management. It has been very rewarding to bring the two areas together, to break down the silos and create a team that is all about recruitment and retention. As much as it was a difficult decision to leave SXU, if I had not left, I would have missed out on knowing and working with a great group of people at this special place for the last 15 years.

What has been the biggest change for the better in admissions since you started?

I immediately think of technology?as a young Admission Counselor I spent so much of my travel time lost in strange cities?would there had been a GPS then! There were no computers on desks, no cell phones, no emails, no faxes?the list goes on and on. In the Admission Office in 1967 there was a dear retired nun who kept track of our prospects and admits on 3×5 cards! We are so much more timely and efficient now than then.

What has been the biggest change for the worse in admissions since you started?

Well, probably because of that same technology we can be tempted to depersonalize our relationships with students and parents. Personal touches are still important and make a difference?a phone call, a note, an invitation to visit campus are still very important. I once hired a young woman because of the wonderful personal attention she provided our oldest son during his college search. I?m a firm believer in the importance of using social media in recruitment efforts but it is not the only way to touch students.

What do you enjoy most about leading an enroll-ment management division?

I have always worked with an exceptional group of individuals who have certainly taught me more than I have ever taught them. And most of the time we are having FUN while working?not frivolous fun?a very satisfying fun. The longer I work in higher education the more I appreciate how inter-related all of the functions in a college/university are?curricular and co-curricular?faculty, staff, students, parents, alums and friends of the university. Whether we work in the physical plant or in Institutional Advancement each of us can contribute to making a positive experience for our students.

What aspect of the job do you enjoy least?

It is never easy to let someone go but I have learned that the person who is not performing well is probably better suited for another career and in the end is often relieved to be relieved of a job that they didn’t love.

Who has been the greatest influence on your career and why?

I have worked for some great men and women Presidents who have mentored me and challenged me to perform well. I have told all of them that my greatest gift is a knack for hiring good people—some of whom I have even hired twice! All of those staff members I have worked with over the years have influenced me. And, of course, terrific students are the reasons why we do this work in the first place. We sure learn from them.

Would you still encourage young people to pursue careers in enrollment management and why?

I would tell anyone who would listen to me what a great job this is. I tell our staff often that what we do is noble. How many careers can you pursue in which you change lives for the better every day? In all my years in higher education I have never once had a student or parent tell me that it was a mistake to attend college?even for awhile.

What are your plans for the future?

I look forward to doing all sorts of things I have not made time for while working?art lessons, long walks?most of all spending more time with my husband, children and grandchild. It will be heaven to call the shots on my own time. And, who knows, it might be nice to work a little bit instead of a lot! I might consider consulting, or a part-time career.