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The Enrollment Clinic

James Steen

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VP Enrollment Management & Marketing

Dr. James Steen is the vice president for enrollment management & marketing at Houston Christian University, where freshman enrollment has tripled during his tenure, from 268 in fall 2006 to 954 in fall 2025. Steen is also a senior associate consultant with Encoura + RNL completing more than 100 consultations with at least 20 campuses to improve their admissions, recruitment, marketing, and strategic enrollment planning efforts. Previously, Steen served as assistant vice president for admission and enrollment services at Baylor University. He holds a PhD from Azusa Pacific University and an MBA and BA from Baylor University.

Direct Admissions, Faith-Based Growth, and Engineering Enrollment Wins | James Steen, HCU
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June 17, 2026

Direct Admissions, Faith-Based Growth, and Engineering Enrollment Wins | James Steen, HCU

What if the enrollment KPI you've been optimizing for is the wrong one? James Steen, VP of Enrollment, Admissions, and Marketing at Houston Christian University, joins host Gjergj Dollani on The Enrollment Clinic to challenge some of the field's most deeply held assumptions — and share what's actually driving growth at HCU. With 33 years in higher education enrollment, James breaks down: Direct admissions as both a recruitment strategy and a brand awareness play — and why lower yield r...
Guest: James Steen
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