Admissions offices are at a breaking point. Surging application volumes, shrinking budgets, and staff burnout have intensified the pressure to “do more with less.” According to the National Student Clearinghouse, total postsecondary enrollment was up 3.2 percent in spring 2025 (+562,000) compared to spring 2024, with undergraduate enrollment standing at 15.3 million. Yet institutions are struggling to maintain a stable admissions workforce. According to a recent report from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, (CUPA-HR), more than two-thirds of admissions coordinators and counselors leave their positions within three years—with negative consequences since they serve as critical points of contact between institutions and prospective students. At the same time, equity concerns loom large, with critics highlighting how human-driven processes risk perpetuating implicit biases against underrepresented applicants.
How Leaders Shape, Signal, and Build Cultures: A Discussion Guide for Academic Leaders and Their Teams
Among the many desired traits most prized in academic leadership, the ability to shape (or reshape) institutional culture is sometimes overlooked in favor of fiscal acumen, the ability to drive
Lisa Jasinski
May 4, 2026
