2 min read

Episode 39 - Paying Attention to the Gender Gap



 

On this episode of the Enrollment Edge I talk to Dr. Scott Shoemaker, Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Retention at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California. During Scott’s 30+ years in enrollment, he’s seen high and lows of recruitment that are often tied to the ebb and flow of demographics. However, the current environment of shrinking college going populations has his attention. For years, PLNU has focused attention on gender balance in their student body - called shaping the class. Yet, each year, recruiting male students is getting more and more challenging. 

In this Enrollment Edge episode we’ll talk about the realities that colleges are facing and work through some strategies that you will want to take note of if you’re going to recapture this diminishing area of the college student population. For most colleges, it's not about shaping a class, it's about filling an incoming class. Scott shares some of his successes and failures and provides the listeners with some realistic tactics that will help recruit men back to college!


About Our Guest

Scott is in his 36th year of serving in Christian higher education, all at his alma mater Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California.  After completing a bachelors degree in psychology, he began his professional career in admissions and served for 5 years as a counselor and assistant director.  In 1992 he moved to Student Development and served as associate dean for community life for 6 years.  During his time in student life he completed a masters in counseling at the University of San Diego.   In 1998, he assumed the role of director of admissions and chief enrollment officer, a role he has continued in various iterations for nearly 25 years.  PLNU saw marked growth in the student body both in numbers and in profile during this season and PLNU now demonstrates some of the highest retention and graduation rates in the CCCU, while also one of the most academically competitive and ethnically diverse campuses.  Scott enjoys the day to day management opportunities with a large team, as well as strategic planning and forecasting aspects of enrollment management. As a part of this leadership journey, he earned his Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Azusa Pacific University in 2012. He has served on the NACCAP board of directors and as a member of the CCCU Chief Enrollment Officer’s commission.  Scott is a southern California native and enjoys backcountry hiking, skiing and of course, the beach.  He and his wife Michelle live near the campus in Point Loma and have 3 adult children.