PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (Oct. 12, 2022) – Most people seek to excel in their careers. But it’s not very often that one achieves international recognition for their efforts.
Kimberly Sanders, Ed.D.
Enter Kimberly Sanders, Ed.D., assistant vice president for Strategic Enrollment Initiatives at Prairie View A&M University, who is now a member of an elite group. The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers recognized her as one of only 56 individuals in the world to receive the Strategic Enrollment Management Endorsement.
“The Strategic Enrollment Management Endorsement from the American Association of Collegiate Registrar and Admissions Officers is a unique credential in the enrollment management field,” said Sanders, who is only the fifth AACRAO member in Texas to receive the SEM Endorsement Badge. “The endorsement is about ten years old and has only graduated less than 75 individuals out of over thousands of individuals in higher education.”
Addressing Future Challenges Today
Sanders’ role at PVAMU includes implementing strategies to make sure the university’s annual enrollment goals are met. Sanders ensures her office employs best practices and strategies to support and improve outcomes with undergraduate admissions, collaborating with cross-campus units to work on enrollment and retention strategies. As a member of AACRAO for more than ten years, Sanders has been able to network and collaborate with the brightest in her field, ensuring that PVAMU’s efforts remain on the frontline of university expectations.
“I was forever grateful to have the opportunity to learn and connect with some fantastic leaders, teachers and colleagues from across the country who are experts in the field,” said Sanders. “PVAMU is currently working on updating our strategic enrollment plan, which will be our framework for our enrollment, retention and graduation goals. It will connect us more profoundly with the data to continue tracking student success and working with on-campus and off-campus partners.”
Over the years, Sanders has “developed skills in the field of strategic enrollment management to meet the current and future challenges in the industry,” which has led to the international recognition, according to a statement from AACRAO.
“One of the future challenges in higher education is our stop-out students,” said Sanders. “Many students leave higher education for many reasons, and many of those same students would love to complete what they started.”
Sanders said the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board created a $30,000 grant for institutions to recruit students who had left colleges. It allowed PVAMU to provide scholarships to students who had left “The Hill.” Sanders chaired a committee called Grad TX 2.0 to re-engage the students.
“We have readmitted 30 students since last fall,” said Sanders.
A Solid Foundation in Higher Ed
Sanders earned a B.S.B.A. in accounting from Lawrence Technological University, a specialist degree in community college leadership from Eastern Michigan University, an M.S. in finance from Walsh School of Accountancy, and an Ed.D. in higher education administration from Texas Tech University.
Approaching the 20-year mark in higher education, her career includes roles with Alamo Colleges District, University of St. Thomas at Houston, University of Houston at Clear Lake and Marygrove College in Detroit. Sanders began at PVAMU in March 2020.
AACRAO is a non-profit, voluntary professional association of more than 11,000 higher education professionals representing approximately 2,600 institutions in more than 40 countries. Its vision includes building “a community centered on learner success driven by professional excellence and leadership in enrollment and academic services,” according to the AACRAO website.
Sanders’s international recognition positions her as one of the leaders in her field.
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