Students are leaving Illinois in droves. A recent College of DuPage revenue projection shows officials expect a 4 percent decline in enrollment at the start of the fall 2018 semester.

Scott Friedman knows this. And that’s why he sees Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) as a priority.

SEM is a strategy that allows colleges to identify enrollment issues. It also helps colleges focus on what is best for students’ success.

Friedman is a candidate for the newly-minted associate vice president for student affairs position at COD. He spoke at an open interview on April 4.

“SEM is critical for every community college,” Friedman said. “We have the opportunity to get out there at a time that enrollment is fluctuating and somehow unpredictable. Managing enrollment but doing it in a way that engages everyone is a huge opportunity. It is a great way to build trust in the community.”

Friedman also believes a nationwide decline in state funding for community college education should force college officials to be more conscientious about the way dollars are spent.

“We live in a time when states’ investment in higher education continues to dwindle,” Friedman said. “It doesn’t matter how many students you bring in to serve, the state is giving you nothing. We need to be extremely conscientious about the dollars that we spend.”

Spending conscientiously would mean focusing COD on the success outcomes of community college students and preparing students for what employers in the district need, according to Friedman.

“We need to make sure that our graduates are ready to walk on jobs and have more than technical knowledge; they need to work on teams,” Friedman said. “We have the opportunity to be a huge economic engine, which COD already is, and even more so for the long-term.”

Due to a recent budget impasse, Illinois failed to make payments to the college in the absence of a state budget. The Illinois Community College Act of 1965 prescribed that the state government is responsible for one-third of instructional cost at community colleges. For the next fiscal year, COD expects to get 6 percent of its total revenue from the state government.

“Six percent doesn’t look like 33 percent,” said Trustee Alan L. Bennett during a recent vote to increase tuition.

Scott Friedman currently serves as dean of student engagement at Moraine Valley Community College. He oversees academic advising, counseling and career development, disability services, new student orientation, transfer center, articulation initiatives, human development courses and study abroad.

Friedman has a doctorate in disability studies from the University of Illinois-Chicago, a master’s degree in adult education form Northern Illinois University, a bachelor’s of arts degree from Elmhurst College and an associate of arts degree from Elgin Community College.

He spent years working with students with disabilities and provided collaborative leadership on physical, electronic and programmatic campus accessibility.

“This experience has allowed me to be analytical; it has allowed me to read federal regulations and apply them to my work,” added Friedman.

The college will host two other open interviews for the associate vice president for student affairs position. Mia Hardy will visit campus on April 12. The last candidate, Countance Anderson, will visit COD on April 13. Both events will occur in SSC 2201 from 2 p.m. to  3 p.m.