Why Are Higher Ed Employees Burning Out? New Insights From Study

Higher Education Enrollment Employee Burnout refers to the chronic physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion experienced by college and university enrollment department professionals. These employees are responsible for student recruitment, admissions, financial aid, and retention strategies. They face immense pressure to meet institutional enrollment goals, particularly amidst declining student applications, shifting demographics, and budget cuts.

Enrollment management professionals in higher education are encountering significant burnout due to escalating pressures and challenges in their roles. A comprehensive survey of Chief Enrollment Management Officers (CEMOs) revealed unprecedented demands placed on enrollment staff, leading to increased burnout.

Furthermore, the 2022 Top Risks Report identified “staff unavailability, burnout, or turnover” as the most common risk management challenge in higher education, highlighting the urgency of this issue.

The voluntary turnover rate for higher education staff reached its highest point since the 2017–18 academic year, with exempt staff at 14.3% and nonexempt staff at 15.2%, an increase from 7.9% and 9.4%, respectively, in 2020–21. These statistics reflect the growing strain on enrollment departments, where professionals navigate dynamic and disruptive circumstances, contributing to elevated stress and burnout levels.

Source: 2022 Top Risks Report identified.

The Enrollment Hustle: Challenges Faced by Higher Education Employees in the Race for Students

Enrollment professionals in higher education encounter disgruntling challenges while working to attract, admit, and retain students in a competitive and uncertain landscape. These issues contribute to burnout and elevated turnover rates, impacting the overall effectiveness of enrollment departments.

Declining Enrollment Trends

Between 2010 and 2021, college enrollment in the U.S. declined from 18.1 million to 15.4 million students, a reduction of about 15%. Undergraduate enrollment decreased by 3% from fall 2020 (15.9 million) to fall 2021 (15.4 million), continuing a downward trend that started before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Increased Workload and Staffing Shortages

In the 2022–23 academic year, turnover among higher education staff reached its highest level since tracking began seven years ago. The voluntary turnover rate for higher education staff peaked last year since CUPA-HR started measuring it in 2017-18.

High-Pressure Performance Metrics

In a 2022 survey, 19% of provosts reported that faculty members were leaving at significantly higher rates than in the past, while 60% observed somewhat elevated departure rates.

Source: Campus Safety

Emotional Labor and Student Support

Enrollment staff frequently handle increased student anxieties about financial aid, admissions decisions, and career prospects, contributing to emotional exhaustion.

Let’s see how AI technologies can resolve these challenges:

Declining Enrollment Trends

AI analyzes student behavior and historical data to forecast enrollment trends, enabling targeted recruitment strategies.

Pearson, an educational publisher, reported a 5% rise in third-quarter sales, driven by its expansion into AI. Its higher education products featuring AI study tools experienced double-digit growth, indicating increased student engagement and enrollment.

Increased Workload and Staffing Shortages

AI-powered chatbots handle routine inquiries, reducing staff workload and ensuring timely responses.

Professors Joshua Gans and Kevin Bryan developed an AI assistant named “All Day TA” to support student inquiries.

Over a semester, “All Day TA” successfully managed approximately 12,000 student queries, demonstrating AI’s ability to efficiently handle substantial student interactions.

High-Pressure Performance Metrics

Institutions utilize AI-powered dashboards to monitor recruitment metrics and application progress.

These dashboards provide real-time data visualization, allowing enrollment teams to track performance metrics effectively.

AI-powered data tools enable predictive modeling, helping universities identify patterns and forecast outcomes, such as analyzing financial aid patterns alongside enrollment data to determine effective aid packages. 

Emotional Labor and Student Support

AI chatbots offer instant, 24/7 student support, addressing common questions and concerns.

The immediate assistance provided by AI-driven engagement tools has increased student satisfaction, as students receive timely responses without waiting for human intervention.

Institutions adopting AI-driven engagement have reported 80%  improvements in student satisfaction due to the prompt support provided by these technologies. 

Edmo’s Conversation Intelligence takes this further by evaluating student emotions and intent in real time, enabling more personalized and practical support to enhance the student experience.

Conclusion

Burnout among higher education enrollment employees is a pressing issue fueled by declining enrollment, increased workloads, high-pressure performance metrics, and the emotional outcry of student support. With voluntary turnover rates in higher education staff reaching record highs, institutions must adopt innovative solutions to maintain efficiency and well-being. 

AI technologies provide a transformative approach to these challenges, offering predictive analytics for enrollment trends, chatbots for administrative support, performance monitoring tools for data-driven decision-making, and virtual advisors for student engagement. Institutions such as Pearson, Harvard, and the University of Toronto have already demonstrated AI’s potential to enhance recruitment and streamline operations. 

By integrating AI solutions, colleges and universities can alleviate staff burnout, improve enrollment outcomes, and create a more sustainable and responsive educational environment. As higher education continues to evolve, AI-driven strategies will be essential in shaping the future of student recruitment and retention. By adopting Edmo’s AI solutions, universities can ease staff burnout, improve enrollment, and create a more efficient, responsive environment. Edmo helps universities optimize operations and boost student engagement.

WRITTEN BY

Aastha Aarya

Sr. Content Writer

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