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

The Enrollment Clinic · Jun 17, 2026 · 37m

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 rates can coexist with enrollment growth

How HCU nearly doubled its engineering program in a single year…