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June 2026
"Enrollment Management & College Advising Corps"
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Guest Editor Emily Chung, Managing Director
Dear Colleagues,
Even as the USC campus quiets down from the usual hum of students, June kicks off a flurry of activities for two programs that embody the Pullias Center’s collaborative approach to research-practice partnerships.
Both the USC College Advising Corps (USC CAC) and the USC Leadership in Enrollment Management Certificate are long-standing programs that were launched to address unmet needs in the community. They are successful because of the strong collaboration with diverse stakeholders, ranging from school districts, national membership organizations, to private funders.
Underlying both programs is the premise that research and promising practices are integrated into on-the-ground approaches to help students embark on their next educational journey, whether it is community college, a four-year university, or advancement in their career.
Right now, we are in full recruitment mode for both programs: selecting the next cohort of dedicated USC CAC advisers, as well as the next cohort of enrollment leaders for the Certificate program. For USC CAC, adviser committees are working with administrative staff to plan an engaging but intensive three-week adviser training in July. And for our Certificate program, educational program designer Dr. Wendy Marshall is coordinating with our roster of stellar faculty to freshen the curriculum for its September start.
Read more to understand how the Pullias Center is engaging in the larger community with its efforts to translate research into policy and practice.
Cordially,
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USC College Advising Corps: Providing Capacity and Changing Lives
By Emily Chung
The USC College Advising Corps (USC CAC) program places well-trained, near-peer college graduates full-time at high schools to provide college guidance. With the investment of our community in the program, including partner school districts, foundations and individual donors, we are able to provide our services at scale. Each year, USC CAC provides college advising services to more than 11,000 students, spanning 33 high schools across ten Los Angeles County school districts.
While AI is only adding to the fire hose of knowledge and information available to students, USC CAC advisers are trusted school professionals who can provide tailored guidance to students. They also ensure the quality and accuracy of college-related information that is vital to college access and success. Research shows that light-touch or virtual college advising efforts do not result in an increase in students being more likely to be accepted or enroll in college. But sustained and effective advising — requiring healthy, in-person relationships — help move the needle for college and financial aid access for students.
Read More
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Prioritizing Professional Development with the USC Leadership in Enrollment Certificate Program
Organizational research in higher education indicates that institutions that prioritize professional development experience lower staff burnout, stronger talent retention, and more sustainable enrollment strategies, particularly during periods of disruption. And for enrollment leaders, ongoing professional development provides the knowledge, skills and support to respond adaptively — rather than reactively— in an increasingly volatile education landscape.
Enrollment leaders need to continuously update their knowledge and skills in data analysis, policy interpretation, cross-functional leadership and collaborations, and strategic communication. We also need leaders who are committed to increasing opportunity and expanding educational access for students. Advancing access, affordability, and student success depends on enrollment professionals’ understanding of structural inequities, financial aid complexity, and culturally responsive recruitment practices — knowledge most effectively developed through sustained professional learning.
Read More
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Spotlight
$15,000 Delphi Award Application Closes on Friday, July 10
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The Delphi Award: Rewarding Scaleable, Institutionalized Support for VITAL/Contingent Faculty
The purpose of the Delphi Award — an annual award given by the USC Pullias Center and AAC&U — is to support policies, practices and programs that ameliorate the issues facing contingent, non-tenure-track and adjunct — also known as VITAL — faculty.
Not sure if your program is eligible, or if your support of your campus' VITAL faculty is Delphi-Award worthy? Then, check out our comprehensive Delphi Award Application FAQ page. It's chock full of everything you'll need to know to prepare a successful Delphi Award application.
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USC Pullias Center for Higher Education to Administer the ACE Fellows Program, the Nation's Premier Executive Leadership Development Experience for Higher Education | |
The USC Pullias Center for Higher Education is proud to announce a landmark partnership with the American Council on Education (ACE). Through it, the Pullias Center will administer the ACE Fellows program, the nation's most prestigious and longstanding executive leadership development experience in higher education. Beginning with the 2026–27 cohort, the Center will deliver and reimagine the curriculum that continues to shape the careers of more than 2,500 higher education leaders since its founding in 1965.
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Pullias Center Founding Director William Tierney Receives USC Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award
Noted higher education scholar and USC Pullias Center founding director William (Bill) Tierney has been awarded the prestigious 2026 USC Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award.
Awarded to a select number of retired faculty at the annual Academic Honors Convocation, the USC Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes eminent careers and notable contributions to the university, the profession and the community.
Read More
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Equity in Graduate Education Consortium Announces New Directors
The Equity in Graduate Education Consortium is pleased to announce Annie Wofford and Sara Xayarath Hernández as its new Co-Directors, marking a new chapter in the Consortium’s effort to build capacity for improving graduate education nationwide.
Read More
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>> A Joint Pullias Center/National Resource Center for the First Year Experience and Students in Transition Webinar
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In this joint Pullias Center-National Resource Center for First Year Experience and Students in Transition webinar, discover how thoughtfully designed peer mentoring can be a game-changer for low-income students’ success as they transition to college. We'll share compelling mixed-methods evidence of an effective peer mentoring model that boosts students’ confidence, sense of belonging and clarity about their academic and career pathways.
Presenters:
Joseph Kitchen, Ph.D., Associate Research Professor, Pullias Center for Higher Education, University of Southern California
Zoë Corwin, Ph.D., Research Professor, Pullias Center for Higher Education, University of Southern California
Jennifer Harvey, Senior Director, Thompson Scholars Learning Community, University of Nebraska, Kearney
Angel Cante, Peer Mentor, Thompson Scholars Learning Community, University of Nebraska, Kearney
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NEW PUBLICATIONS
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Johnson, R. M., Martin, M. M., Oduro, A., & Haynes, M. (2026). How Whiteness Works: Evasion, Protection, and Conditionality in White Staff Narratives on Race and DEI in Higher Education. The Journal of Higher Education, 1-23.
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MORE NEWS
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Royel Johnson is Co-PI on a $175,000 research grant from Los Angeles County Department of Homeless Services & Housing in collaboration with the USC Homeless Policy Research Institute, “Youth Homeless System Improvement (YHSI) Needs Assessment.”
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Happy Summer, and See You in September
We'll be back in September with more higher education research and news in our Pullias Center newsletter!
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