Formal Policy and Enacted Practices at Regional Public Universities: The Orientation and Practices of Recruitment Professionals at the California State University

Abstract

This study examined the work experiences of individuals who perform recruitment activities for the California State University. Based at four campus settings, the objectives were to: 1) analyze the ways in which professionals regard and enact system-wide and institutional enrollment management policies; 2) explore their professional orientations in regards to college access; and 3) examine the congruence of system-wide and institutional formal policy and the perspectives of different groups of professionals.The analysis centered on two levels, the institutional and the ground level perspective. The principal data sources that informed the study were interviews and campus level and system-wide documents. To frame the data gathering and analysis, two theories were used to understand the perspectives of the set of professionals; the study modified the classic conceptualization of `street-level bureaucrats' (Lipsky, 1969) and latent social roles of professionals (Gouldner, 1954). For the broader organizational perspective, the study relied on institutional theory and academic capitalism in the new economy to offer context to the university's move to enrollment management. Findings indicate that professionals varied in how they enacted recruitment practices depending on the institutional context. So, while enrollment management practices are being implemented at the Cal State system, the extent to which the actions were strategic was dependent on the campus environment and the priorities of that university.