2025-2026 SEM Program: Supporting the Student Journey

Overview

This unique opportunity offers colleges one year of ongoing engagement and support as they develop and implement a Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) project of their choice.

If your college is looking for ways to strengthen its SEM efforts, this program is for you! With Vision 2030, recent legislative changes, Guided Pathways, equity planning, and the Student Centered Funding Formula, our approach to serving students throughout their journey continues to evolve presenting both challenges and exciting opportunities. 

This program fosters a community of practice to support colleges in designing and implementing strategies that:

  • Increase equitable access and success: Ensure students from all backgrounds, particularly those from underserved communities, have opportunities to thrive.
  • Streamline and support the student journey: Simplify onboarding through completion, with a focus on persistence and achievement.
  • Optimize funding and resource allocation: Align SEM strategies with funding mechanisms to maximize outcomes and ensure long-term sustainability.
  • Advance Vision 2030 priorities: Meet key goals like increasing the number of transfer-ready students, enhancing workforce alignment, and reducing equity gaps.

As part of the 2025-26 SEM Program, college teams will:

  • Apply a holistic approach to SEM that emphasizes retention and completion along the student journey.
  • Examine and utilize data to inform SEM strategies.
  • Engage with peer colleges to explore and implement promising practices.
  • Develop and launch a tailored SEM project at their college.
  • Collaborate with a designated team of coaches for guidance and support throughout the program.
  • Access a wide range of resources through the CCCCO’s Vision Resource Center.

Expected Engagement

The 2025-26 cohort will consist of 15 college teams, each with 10 members composed of across-disciplinary group of faculty, support staff, and administrators. 

College teams are expected to participate in the following five activities:

  1. In-person SEM Academy, June 6-7, 2025 (located in the South)
  2. In-person Midpoint Convening, January 15-16, 2026 (located in the North)
  3. In-person Final Convening, May 15, 2026 (located in the South)
  4. Scheduled monthly phone calls with the college team and SEM coaches
  5. Face-to-face campus visits with the college team and SEM coaches, once in the fall and once in the spring

Application to Participate

The window to submit your application to participate is January 29 - February 19, 2025.

 All colleges are eligible to participate even if your college has engaged in the SEM Program in a previous year!

If you are interested in participating in the 2025-26 SEM Program: Supporting the Student Journey, assemble a cross-functional team that includes representatives from various campus groups—such as instructional and non-instructional faculty, support services staff, and administrators. Then, submit the online application linked below detailing the SEM project your college intends to focus on, as well as the composition of your SEM project team.

Applications will be reviewed by the SEM leadership team based on factors such as project relevance, focus, scope, feasibility, potential benefits to students, team composition, and alignment to the Vision 2030 framework. Once pre-selected, college teams will meet with SEM leadership in March 2025 to discuss their proposed project, expected outcomes, conditions for developing and implementing the project, and college leadership support.

Upon acceptance into the SEM Program, colleges will attend the SEM Academy on June 6-7, 2025, where they will collaborate with designated SEM coaches to refine their project goals, key activities, and a detailed implementation plan for the year.

Helpful Tip: If your college is participating in a Partnership Resource Team to accomplish similar goals, consider combining resources to further your work and participation in the SEM Program. 

Steps for Submitting an Application to Participate

  1. Preview the SEM Application Worksheet and review sample SEM topics and projects before submitting your application
  2. If you have questions, please register and attend the SEM Application webinar on February 4, 2025, from 1:00-2:00 p.m.
  3. If you have additional questions, attend the application office hour session on February 11th from 2:00-3:00 p.m. Email Michelle White (mwhite@rpgroup.org) for more information and Zoom link.
  4. Submit your application between January 29 - February 19, 2025.

SEM Resources

SEM Resources can be found in the Community of Practice (CoP)Strategic Enrollment Management section of the Vision Resource Center. (NOTE: To access the Vision Resource Center, a login is required and can be easily set up for all community college faculty, staff, and administrators.)

If you have any questions about the SEM Program, please contact Michelle White (mwhite@rpgroup.org) or Michelle Barton (mbarton@rpgroup.org).