Octane—Listening, Adapting, Succeeding: Insights from 3 Enrollment Leaders

In a time when higher education faces seismic shifts, from demographic declines and political uncertainty to a rising demand for workforce alignment, enrollment leaders are rethinking what it takes to thrive. To gain perspective on how institutions are adapting, we spoke with three experienced enrollment vice presidents (and enrollmentFUEL clients): Kevin Windholz, MA, of Oklahoma City University, Iris P. Godes, MEd, of Framingham State University, and Eric R. Young, PhD, of Malone University. Their insights offer valuable guidance for peers navigating similar terrain. 

FROM ADMISSIONS TO INSTITUTION-WIDE STRATEGY

For many, enrollment management began as a calling to serve students. But as Kevin Windholz, Vice President for Enrollment Management and University Communications at Oklahoma City University, explains, the role has evolved dramatically. “Even when I started here 13 years ago, the job of the VP for Enrollment was to bring in the first-year class and shape it,” he says. “Today, it’s all about survival. The freshman class is just one piece of a much larger puzzle.” 

At this top liberal arts and sciences university with over a century of history, Windholz credits his Oklahoma City University president for reframing the institution’s strategy. “We were trying to make the market want what we had. Our president taught me we have to listen to the market and change who we are to meet its demand.” 

Dr. Eric R. Young, Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing at Malone University—a private Christian university in Ohio—echoes that shift. “The number one enrollment challenge we see is the shifting demographics,” he says. But it’s not just about numbers. “Government policy and public perception around cost and value have created new hurdles.” It’s up to enrollment leaders to bridge these gaps, communicate value, and dovetail with the institution’s larger strategy and messaging.  

VALUE, PERCEPTION, & THE POLICY LANDSCAPE

Nowhere are those external pressures felt more acutely than in Massachusetts, where the public Framingham State University has operated just outside Boston since 1839. Iris P. Godes, Vice President of Enrollment Management, emphasizes the unprecedented difficulty of planning amid political unpredictability. “Should changes to Pell or the loss of subsidized loans happen, that will be devastating,” she says. “And because of how things are working in Washington, we can’t even assume that won’t happen. We have to plan as if it will.” 

Godes, who began her career in financial aid, brings a rare, dual lens to enrollment and funding strategy. That perspective can be invaluable as enrollment leaders balance the different meanings of the concept of value. 

“Having that background has been a massive benefit. I can speak both languages—compliance and recruitment. And when financial aid directors push back, I understand exactly where they’re coming from.” 

She’s also focused on countering the growing skepticism around higher education. “Everyone doesn’t belong in college, but the message shouldn’t be ‘you don’t need college’ in exclusion of all else. There are many pathways, and we need to communicate that nuance.” 

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY & PERSONALIZATION

In a landscape flooded with communication channels and constant digital evolution, all three leaders stress the importance of personalization in enrollment communications. 

“We don’t want cookie-cutter solutions,” Godes asserts. “Students should hear from their counselor, build that relationship from the beginning. And partners must be able to support that one-to-one feel.” 

Technology is also critical for meeting a landscape where challenges and expectations change faster than they ever have. Personalization used to be “nice to have,” but now it’s pretty much essential; so too have other technologies and expectations skyrocketed to prominence or vanished as fast as they appeared. 

“When I was new to enrollment in 2002, things weren’t really that much different than they were 5 years earlier,” Windholz recalls. “But now here in 2025, it’s already a lot different than it was in 2020. Not only does the landscape change in terms of views and politics and such, but technology also changes so fast now compared to how it used to. What can be ‘in’ at one moment becomes outdated so quickly, sometimes just a year or two later.” 

For enrollment partners, being at the vanguard of these changes can be a key differentiator to maintain institutions’ trust and build a partnership that supports long-term success. 

THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP

When we asked what enrollment leaders want from a partner, we saw a few common factors emerge: innovation, accountability, and a true partnership approach. 

“I’m looking for innovation. I’m looking for currency, and more than that, I’m looking for not cookie-cutter,” explains Godes, pointing to enrollmentFUEL as an example of a team that gets things right. “I need a partner who will understand my institution, what my needs are, how to communicate in our voice. A true partner will tell me when I’m wrong, but also listen to me when I’m right.” 

Windholz agrees, highlighting the operational excellence and responsiveness he values in partners like enrollmentFUEL. “We’ve worked with partners before who launch a campaign and then walk away. What I like about enrollmentFUEL is they adjust on the fly. They pause an email if it’s not working, change domains, and let us know why. We need that kind of ongoing engagement, and it makes a big difference to work with people who have walked in our shoes.” 

Dr. Young also values transparency and shared accountability. “When we look at potential partners, we consider whether they’ll just live in a silo or if they embrace truly being a partner. enrollmentFUEL continuously demonstrates a shared commitment to our success, and we can have honest, direct conversations.” 

ADAPTING FOR THE FUTURE

Looking ahead, all three leaders see both opportunity and challenge. 

“Malone has a distinct Christian mission,” says Dr. Young. “There are no other schools in our market with the same focus. Our opportunity is to communicate that clearly and meaningfully to prospective students and families.” 

At Framingham, Godes sees potential in the school’s diverse student body and small-campus environment, but acknowledges the difficulty of standing out in a crowded, prestigious region. “We’re 20 miles from some of the most widely recognized institutions in the world. 

We need to show that our value is just as high, even at a lower cost.” 

For Windholz, institutional agility is paramount. “We need to reassign the work forces at our institution to meet the changing demographic. Services for non-traditional learners—like transfer, graduate, international, and online students—will be just as important as those services for the incoming, traditional first-year students.” 

Each leader offers a different institutional context, yet their advice converges on one principle: listen and adapt. “We can make things so hard,” says Windholz. “But the solution is actually simple: If you’re trying to make the market want what you have, you won’t grow. If you change to meet what the market wants, you will.” 

It’s a powerful reminder in a time of uncertainty. As higher ed grapples with change, the best strategy may be the one that starts by listening—to students, to data, and to each other. 

About the Author
Aaron Porter, MA, is enrollmentFUEL’s Associate Vice President for Client Relations. He has spent his career devoted to enrollment management, with positions including the Director of Admission at Tusculum College, Director of Admission at Bryan College, and most recently, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Carson-Newman University. Over the past 18 years, Aaron has helped over 30,000 students gain access to transformational experiences at four-year private institutions. Connect with Aaron at Aaron.Porter@enrollmentFUEL.com.