The Higher Education Experience

Getting Started in MS Higher Education Administration and Policy

After a few years of working full-time in undergraduate admissions I knew that to advance in the field I would need to get an advanced degree. I was working at Northwestern so I decided to take some courses as a non-matriculated student to see if the program would be a good fit for me. After that first class I was hooked! The class size was small and the discussions were intimate and engaging. The professor was knowledgeable but tremendously down-to-earth and approachable. That first class epitomized my entire experience in the program, one that was characterized by great learning in a tremendously engaging environment of people who shared my passion for education.

A Challenging and Dynamic Career

After completing the degree I took a position as a regional recruiting manager for colleges and universities at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where I was able to utilize my background in admissions and the educational foundation provided by the master's program. In 2002 I took a position in graduate admissions at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business where I am currently the Interim Associate Dean for Student Recruitment and Enrollment. I really find this role to be fulfilling and challenging. I am responsible for all full-time MBA admissions to arguably the world's best business school. I handle everything from budgets to operations to human resources to marketing and recruitment. I like the complexity of my job. With proprietary institutions growing significantly, the advancement of technology and online learning this is truly a fascinating time to be doing what I am doing. The traditional models for admissions are obsolete, and in many ways my team and I are trying to rethink how admissions can be done effectively in this new environment.

A Solid Academic Reputation

I feel that the Higher Education Administration and Policy Program prepared me to think more critically about the world of education and prepared me well to deal with the rapidly changing environment in which I work. I also know that the reputation of the program has opened a lot of doors for me. Northwestern University and the School of Education and Social Policy are very well respected brands in higher education, and that reputation has added a great deal of credibility to my professional profile and given me a tremendous number of opportunities.

Professional Growth and New Challenges

I really enjoyed my work in financial aid. Financial aid is a unique field within higher education - in some ways it exists on the periphery, as it's only indirectly connected with an institution's primary academic mission. On the other hand, it is fundamentally important to some students because it provides the foundation for them to attend; otherwise, they would be struggling (or completely unable) to fulfill their financial obligations. Getting students the funding they need is very fulfilling work.

Not long after graduating from the program, I was offered a position at the Department of Education as an Institutional Review Specialist within the Department's Federal Student Aid Division. We're essentially government auditors who verify that colleges are following the many regulatory requirements to provide federal financial aid funds to students and ensure that colleges are fiscally sound and capable of handling federal funds.

I love pretty much everything about my current position. Most of what I do involves assisting schools with their distribution of federal assistance to students, or assisting students when schools fail to properly perform that function. On rare occasions, we may also fine or shut down schools that don't live up to their responsibilities. At its heart my job is to protect both students and taxpayers and I feel privileged to be able to support those two interests every day.

Key Takeaways

The most important thing I learned in the Higher Education Administration and Policy Program was that every institution, no matter how large or small, has its own unique character, culture, and context, and that those things must be taken into consideration within any discussion of that institution. America has a long history of allowing its colleges a great deal of autonomy, and this in turn has produced an incredibly rich and diverse higher education system. The breadth and depth of Northwestern's curriculum enabled me to see how various functions of an institution are interconnected as well as how they are influenced by the institution's mission and leadership.

Network of Colleagues

If you were to ask me what stands out foremost in my mind about my experience in the program, I would say it was working with and learning from my fellow students. People in my cohort were incredibly energetic, motivated, and intelligent, and I gained as much from them as from my professors. You form relationships in a program like this that really last, and those friendships and connections will be with me throughout my career; I feel lucky to have met the people I did in the Higher Education Administration and Policy Program.

Exciting Research Opportunities

One of the primary reasons I chose Northwestern's program was the Master's Project. The opportunity to take an in-depth look at a topic of my choice was attractive to me. I enjoy research and I believe that it can positively inform our practice.

The Value of the Internship

My Internship at the International Office at Northwestern was instrumental as it provided me my first real experience with international student/scholar services. Near the time of graduation my internship supervisor learned that the University of Illinois Chicago's Office of International Studies was about to open a hiring search and put me in touch with the director there. After a short time in a temporary position I was hired on for the Coordinator position. Right away I began working on things like assisting departments and international employees in obtaining work authorization, advising international students, faculty, and staff about their immigration status, and programming for our international community. In 2011 I was promoted to my current position and took on responsibilities that include financial operations, supervision of all student workers and graduate assistants, and general office management. I love the challenges that occur every day in our office and I learn from each one of them. I'm able to apply so much of what I learned in my courses and in my internship in my work.

Exceptional Faculty

All of the faculty in the Higher Education Administration and Policy Program are really knowledgeable about their field. I appreciated that my instructors could bring their real-world experiences to the discussions. The faculty are also wonderful at helping students to build their professional network by inviting higher educational professionals to speak in classes and assigning informational interviews that help students make professional connections.

Discovering a Passion for Community Colleges

The Higher Education Administration and Policy Program helped me discover that I really wanted to work in the community college setting. I feel connected to the mission of community colleges and I knew that this was an area where I could make a real contribution. Through the Master's Project I also learned not only how to do research but also the potential that research has to inform strategic change.

Building a Career

After graduating with my master's I moved to Urbana-Champaign because my husband was completing law school there. I was lucky to find a position with the Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) at the University of Illinois. There, I was able to build on my passion for community colleges by doing meaningful research and working on various Illinois grants that deal with issues such as college readiness, students transitions, and access and equity.

After OCCRL, I moved back to the Chicago area worked for the City Colleges of Chicago. Shortly afterwards I took a position at Harper Community College as a Research Analyst in the Institutional Research Department. One of the best things about this position is the ability to affect institutional change through the various initiatives and strategies at Harper College. They have done a great job rolling out their strategic plan and making an effort to involve the campus community with their various student success initiatives.

I have recently begun a doctoral program in Adult and Higher Education, where I look forward to focusing my dissertation on the research initiatives I've undertaken at Harper. I know that the Higher Education Administration and Policy Program provided me with the foundation necessary for a challenging and fulfilling career.

Connections to Faculty and Colleagues

While the coursework and Master's Project were extremely valuable to me, I think the network of friends and colleagues that I gained through the program was the most essential. I really appreciated the ways in which the program helps students connect the one another and to alumni because those professional connections are essential in a career in higher education. I also appreciated the ways in which the faculty serve as mentors to the students. It was one of my instructors who advised me that central administration would be a good place for me and encouraged me to apply for the opening in the Office of Administration and Planning at Northwestern. Though the job was previously held by more experienced professionals the Vice President took a chance on me, in large part because of my NU degree and the connections I had made.

Professional Growth

Right after graduating from the master's program I was able to take on some high-level projects in my position in Administration and Planning. For example, facilitate the university-wide strategic planning process as well as strategic planning for individual schools at the University. I am also on the university's planning and budget committee, which helps make recommendations for how to strategically allocate university resources. In 2011 I was promoted to my current position as Director of Planning and Associate Secretary to the Board of Trustees. In this new role I am retained my responsibilities in strategic planning but I now work directly with the board of trustees to ensure that they are informed and knowledgeable on key university issues and involve them in key decision making. What I like most about my job is the ability to see the university from that high level, and help shape the agenda for what the key issues are.

A Meaningful Career

When I was working as a financial analyst, I was beginning to have a difficult time connecting to the mission of my company. After much thought and research, and with extremely fond memories of my undergraduate and graduate years in mind, I found myself drawn towards higher education. I made the decision to pursue a career that I felt I could believe in and be passionate about. I feel a strong connection with the overall mission of higher education and its ability to serve as a springboard for personal advancement and social change.

Learning and Thinking Broadly

I chose Northwestern's program for a number of reasons, the primary being its diverse curriculum. The Higher Education Administration and Policy Program taught me to think strategically, globally, and systematically about higher education. The ability to link student affairs, budgeting, policy, research, financial aid and admissions to the University's mission has been essential in my career.

New Challenges for a New Campus

My first professional position after graduating from the Higher Education Administration and Policy Program was in the Business & Finance department on Northwestern's campus in the Middle East. Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) is located in Doha, Qatar and began offering classes in 2008. I was recruited to be one of the first members of NU-Q's administrative team specifically because of my experience in the master's program, and the work that I did during my internship and my background in finance. I utilize what I learned in the master's program every day. Because our campus is so young and is constantly evolving I work on a very diverse set of projects. During my time at NU-Q I have participated in the recruiting and hiring of five of the seven members of the Business & Finance team, authored policies and procedures for the Qatar campus, managed accounting activities, supported the creation of the first exchange programs for NU-Q students, created a student group office, and have become NU-Q's research administrator, among many other projects and initiatives.

Flexible Coursework

I began working full-time at Northwestern as Program Assistant in the Gender Studies Program about six months before I began the master's program. I continued to work there through my time as a student and took courses on a part-time basis. I was drawn to the flexibility that the program allowed, especially the evening classes and the ability to change the number of courses I was taking each quarter. Though I could have chosen to waive my internship because I was working in higher education full-time I was able to do an internship at the University of California-Riverside's LGBT Resource Center for five weeks during the summer. This internship experience was invaluable and helped me make professional connections I still maintain. I'm grateful that the program was really willing to work with me to make sure that I got the most out of my experiences in and out of the classroom.

Transitioning to Student Affairs

I enjoyed my work in Academic Affairs at Northwestern, but I really wanted to experience Student Affairs, specifically supporting LGBT students. Having a master's degree in Higher Education or Student Affairs is strongly encouraged, if not required, for almost every job in the specific field that I work in. Most of my colleagues have a comparable degree, so I have found the credential essential in getting to the point I am at professionally. Beyond the credential itself, I have found the content of Northwestern's program has really helped me understand the inner workings of a university. All of my colleagues were exposed to student development theory and the history of higher education in their master's programs, but not all had courses addressing budget and finance, law and ethics, and public policy. I really appreciate the breadth of topics that are covered in Northwestern's curriculum and would definitely recommend the program to potential students.

Previous Experience is Valued

I decided to pursue a master's degree in Higher Education Administration and Policy not because I had a specific career goal in mind but rather because I think that it is important that we continue to improve our skills and abilities and give ourselves the opportunity to be open to and changed by ideas and people different from us. The most striking aspect of the teaching at Northwestern was professors here really try to elicit the experience and knowledge of students. I really felt that my experience and viewpoint were valued. I also loved how diverse my classmates were both in terms of their professional and educational backgrounds and the areas of higher education in which they worked or interned. Drawing me out into a community of learners has been very different from my previous education, which was done largely by myself and I have found that I can learn a great deal from my colleagues.

Linking the Master's Project to Current Work

I chose to focus my Master's Project on test-optional admissions policies at colleges and universities. Through the coursework I learned that minority and first generation students tend to underperform on standardized tests, so I was interested to see how students performed at schools that did not require them to submit an ACT or SAT score. I really thought that this policy had the potential to increase minority enrollment at institutions and help otherwise capable students with low test scores attend college.

After graduating from the master's degree program I took a position in DePaul University's Enrollment Management office in the Division of Planning and Management. In this role I gather data to inform institutional policies. One of my primary projects was researching a possible move to a test-optional admissions policy at DePaul. We discovered that other indicators are more predictive of success at DePaul and therefore implemented a test-optional admissions policy for students entering after fall of 2012. I find significant fulfillment in my work and I know that the Higher Education Administration and Policy Program was crucial preparation for this work.

Applicability to Practice

When I began in the program my intention was just to take a few courses. However, in every class I would take I noticed that I would learn something that I could use in my teaching. For example, I became aware of the importance of working in groups — group learning. Rather than lecturing to my classes, I began using the teaching methodology that I had experienced as a student at Northwestern. I also wanted to complete the Master's Project. As a scientist I am used to doing research that is very quantitative in nature. I really enjoyed the fact that I was able to do some qualitative research for my Master's Project on problem-based learning in medical education.

Ongoing Learning

A colleague once told me that it is important to cross-fertilize the mind. I have been doing that in a systematic manner over many years. I really believe in lifelong learning and the Higher Education Adminstration and Policy Program was a wonderful way for me to continue to learn and grow. Since graduating I have been able to take on more administrative duties at my job and have a clearer understanding of the institutional context in which I teach.