by Dottie Barnes
photo by Amanda Pitts

Lynn McNamara Blue came to Grand Valley in 1968 as a clerk typist. Throughout her career at the university, she has held several positions, including director of Records and Registration, Registrar, and vice provost and dean for Academic Services. In May 2015, she was named vice president for Enrollment Development, a newly created position focusing on enrollment management.

During her 47 years at Grand Valley, Blue has been committed to serving students. She spoke with Grand Valley Magazine about the challenges of retaining and attracting students, changing demographics and the growing complexities of enrollment management.

GVM: What prompted the creation of this new position?

LMB: If you look across the nation, it is very common to have a cabinet level position focused on enrollment. It’s time now because of the demographic pressures and enrollment challenges. Some of the stats through 2027 show a significant loss in high school graduates in Michigan. We’re not the only state losing those numbers.

GVM: What will be done to face these challenges?

LMB: We are putting an institutional focus on enrollment. Grand Valley is pretty special, so we are fairly selective. We want good students. We know what works — improving admissions requirements, attracting and retaining better students, having strong academic programs with first-rate faculty and adding graduate programs where they fit. We want to do more strategizing, but the basic tenets work.

GVM: Grand Valley has enjoyed record enrollment for several years. What about recruiting and retention?
LMB: We have been very successful in achieving our enrollment goals — 24,000- 26,000 students. The number of high school graduates has been dropping since 2008, but our headcount has not. We have been doing some things right and, increasingly, people in the state understand that Grand Valley is a good value. We have a lot of people working very hard to recruit strong applicants. With retention, we always want to do better. We want 100 percent, but of course you’re not going to be at 100 percent. You recruit students one by one, and you retain them one by one. It is a relationship that retains a student, not a program. You can have a lot of programs designed to work with students, but it’s the individual working with the individual that saves that student.\

GVM: You could say retention is everybody’s work.
LMB: Absolutely. The office receptionist, people in financial aid, the support staff in the academic units — it’s everybody’s work. Faculty members are the most critical connection. Students come here for an academic program and they get jobs and into graduate schools because of their connections with the faculty within their majors.

GVM: Speaking of retention, how did Grand Valley retain you for 47 years?
LMB: I’m hard to get rid of! I came here when it was a very small school. The cool thing about a place that’s small and growing is that you can do things. I happen to love change; I happen to love making new stuff and solving problems. So, it was the right place for me. I had latitude to do different things that I might not have had at an institution that’s been around for 125 years. This has been such a great environment and we’re still growing. It’s a hard place to leave, and I think many people feel that way.

GVM: It must have been incredible to see Grand Valley change over five decades.
LMB: I’m one of the fortunate few who has worked at a place that every decade was a different place. It was a different size, it was a different composition, there were different buildings, there were new challenges. I didn’t have to go to another institution to work at a
bigger institution. The fact that I embrace change helps me a lot. I don’t see myself the same as I was in 1967. I adapted to what the institution became in each of those decades.

GVM: You have said you have a soft spot for college-age students.
LMB: The time between ages 18-23 is a huge developmental period. These people come in walking around in adult bodies, but still kids inside. They are idealistic and eager to get out there and do great things. I love watching them grow into people with a little less kid in them. You can almost tell what year a student is from their mannerisms. You can see it in their eyes when they know, “I got this. I got this nailed. I am a good student.” I just absolutely love it.

Fall 2015

25,325: Record number of students

4,155: Number of first-year students

82%: First-year to second-year retention rate

4,136:  Record number of students of color

434:  Record number of international students

GVM: Those who know you well don’t call you Lynn. How did you get the nickname Chick?
LMB: I answer more quickly to Chick than Lynn because from the time I was 3 days old I’ve been called Chick. I was born when my dad returned home from World War II. I was in a basket on our table and my uncle said to my dad, “You finally have your little chick,” and I’ve been called it ever since. Even in my school records I am listed as Chick McNamara with Lynn in parenthesis.

I’m one of 17 children. I am the third oldest and the oldest girl. We all came singularly, we didn’t come in multiples. I learned how to stay organized from my mother because I was lieutenant mother. I still can only cook for 20.

GVM: It’s a rare thing to remain passionate for one job for so long. I’ve heard you say this is your life’s work.
LMB: I had a moment today. I’m going to get teary-eyed for a minute. I had a meeting this morning and when I came downstairs, I stopped at my door and read the sign. And, I wondered what my mom would be thinking if she knew I worked in the office of the president.
It occurred to me at that moment, what a wonderful life I’ve had, and what wonderful opportunities I’ve had and continue to have. It means so much to work with people who have skin in the game and it’s not just a job for them. How could you ask for more?