Partnership with Liaison to Advance the Field of Graduate Enrollment Management

NAGAP's decision to partner with Liaison is the result of over 18-months of discussions around mutual benefits, strategic alignment, and sustainability. As a professional development association for GEM run primarily by industry volunteers, NAGAP seeks to enhance its impact and long-term effectiveness in several keyways. 

Firstly, the partnership will further establish NAGAP as a leader in the graduate enrollment management space. Collaborating with a reputable company with a 30-year track record and successful partnerships with over two-dozen other non-profit organizations not only lends credibility to NAGAP's position within the industry but also strengthens the association's influence at the forefront of advancements in GEM.  

Secondly, the partnership will generate additional revenue. In this challenging time of uncertainty for higher education and rising costs for good and services impacting the association, this collaboration with Liaison will provide a new sustainable revenue source from a percentage of GradCAS royalties that NAGAP plans to reinvest in its mission of promoting excellence through education and professional development. 

Thirdly, the partnership will provide NAGAP and its members exclusive access to valuable industry data. This data will greatly enhance the association's research opportunities and contribute to its role as a thought leader in graduate enrollment management. It will also enable member institutions to make informed decisions. 

Fourthly, the partnership will allow NAGAP to provide additional tangible benefits to its members. Liaison's expertise in education technology, specifically centralized application services, offers valuable tools and resources that can enhance professional development opportunities. This added benefit reinforces the association's commitment to supporting the growth and success of all its members. 

Lastly, the partnership contributes to NAGAP's broader mission of increasing access to graduate education and promoting diversity efforts. Liaison's centralized application services can streamline and improve the application process, making graduate education more accessible and inclusive. 

In summary, NAGAP's decision to partner with Liaison is driven by the strategic pursuit of industry credibility, financial sustainability, enhanced research opportunities, membership benefits, and a commitment to advancing access and diversity in graduate education.  

NAGAP will only share data and information with Liaison related to this partnership and will ensure that it is utilized in strict accordance with the limitations established within the partnership agreement.  Liaison is committed to safely managing the data, responsibly communicating with association members, and successfully aligning with NAGAP's expectations related to this partnership. Liaison will never disclose data externally without NAGAP's explicit approval. Moreover, any data sharing will strictly occur in aggregate form, ensuring the utmost protection of the privacy of individuals and their respective institutions. 

Members stand to gain from this partnership in several ways. With this additional source of revenue, NAGAP’s leadership expects to be able to enhance existing education and professional resources, such as the website and The Exchanges. In addition, the association will continue to evaluate its members' needs and expectations to identify additional areas for potential investment including advanced technologies, increased research offerings, and professional development programs. 

Not every staff person in your office needs to be a NAGAP member to leverage the advantages of joining a centralized application service (CAS). However, Liaison wholeheartedly supports and encourages individuals within your institution to become NAGAP members. This belief is rooted in the understanding that the more professionals who benefit from NAGAP's offerings, including its robust professional development opportunities, the greater the collective enrichment of knowledge and expertise will be within the field of graduate enrollment management. Liaison encourages widespread participation in NAGAP, recognizing the value it brings to individuals and the broader graduate education community. To that end, Liaison will pay for one institutional membership for any adopter of GradCAS that is not already a NAGAP member. (Some restrictions apply)  

There is a list of NAGAP members currently using the platform, however it is not published publicly.  This document is available upon request by prospective users from either NAGAP or Liaison.  

GradCAS serves as a comprehensive platform for a diverse range of graduate programs spanning various disciplines, much like The Common App does at the undergraduate level. It centralizes applications for master's, doctoral, and graduate certificate programs in fields such as arts and sciences, education, public affairs, and interdisciplinary studies. Admissions criteria are flexible, allowing individual graduate programs autonomy in determining requirements such as transcripts, letters of recommendation, and standardized test scores.  

GradCAS is inclusive and not tied to a specific professional discipline. Its target audience comprises a diverse group of graduate applicants pursuing education across various areas of study. It offers a centralized application service that spans multiple graduate disciplines, offering a standardized process, while allowing flexibility and customization for each program. 

Discipline-Specific CAS applications are designed to target distinct academic or professional disciplines, such as Athletic Training (ATCAS), Nursing (NursingCAS), or Business (BusinessCAS). Each CAS is tailored to a specific discipline and aligns with unique accreditation requirements and industry standards that characterize that field, engaging applicants with relevant questions and prerequisites designed for admission into a particular program of study. The requirements may include discipline-specific exams, portfolios, or other criteria, and can be more rigidly set for participating programs.  

Every CAS provides a valuable advantage to students by enabling them to submit applications to all programs within their desired field of study and include all application materials in one place, using one platform. This enhances convenience and widens accessibility, simplifying the process of applying to graduate school and making it straightforward and efficient—an attribute common to all CASs. Liaison will engage in consultation with each school to identify and address their individualized CAS needs in order to provide the best solution.