by Al Dickenson
Every semester for the past two years, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s College of Community Engagement and Professions (CCEP) has hosted an event centered on students enrolling for the following semester’s classes. This event, Rock Enroll, has become a staple of the CCEP’s student services.
Additionally, its leaders, Maggie Flath and Carly Tucker recently won an award from the Wisconsin College Personnel Association (WCPA) for their dedication and ingenuity in developing this event. Maggie Flath agreed to participate in an interview regarding this event and the award it earned. Maggie serves as the chief event planner for the Rock Enroll events. The next CCEP Rock Enroll event is scheduled for December 4th, 2025.
Maggie is an academic advisor in CCEP. She has worked at UWM since July of 2017 – starting in the School of Information Studies, which has merged to become part of CCEP. Maggie earned a master’s degree in higher education administration in 2018. She also serves as the current chairwoman of the Advising Professional Development Committee.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Could you provide some additional background on this program? What is the Rock Enroll event and how did it come to be?
Rock Enroll started in Fall 2023. UWM previously hosted a campus-wide event called Class It Up with similar goals, but limited funding led to changes that reduced its impact. When the event was discontinued, the CCEP advising team decided to build on the original concept and reimagine it in a new way. I initially thought of having some kind of enrollment open lab. When I brought it to our team we brainstormed on things for a while and came up with Rock Enroll. While it has changed slightly over the years, the overall set up and purpose has stayed the same – to help students get enrolled for the upcoming semester before they leave on break.
Rock Enroll is a daylong enrollment event where all CCEP advisors are together in one room available to help students enroll for the upcoming semester or get as close as possible if they have barriers in the way. We have therapy dogs attend, pizza for lunch and snacks all day, prizes for completing certain tasks, music playing (usually Rock and Roll to stay on theme) and, campus partners attend to help students with other concerns and issues. Faculty and staff also attend to help direct students, answer non-advising questions, serve food, and other duties as assigned.
How does Rock Enroll make an impact on students?
Advising season is very busy and students often must wait a few weeks to get in and see an advisor. Rock Enroll helps them be able to meet with an advisor right away and get enrolled in their upcoming classes together. Students also can work with their advisor to clear holds and resolve any other issues that may be affecting their enrollment. It is also a great community building event. Students have come to know they can expect Rock Enroll to be held at the end of the semester. It is open to all CCEP students, even if they are already enrolled for the upcoming semester. They can come to get a free meal, pet a therapy dog, talk with CCEP faculty and staff, and do other fun activities. The entire CCEP Student Advising & Support Services team attends every semester and pitches in to help however they are needed.
What was the process of receiving this award (i.e., were you nominated, did you have to provide a demonstration or quantifiable results, etc.)?
We were nominated by a fellow advisor in the College of Health Professions & Sciences (CHPS). They saw the great success we had with the event and thought it deserved to be recognized. I had no idea we were even nominated until I was told we had won. I am very proud of this event and all the good it does for students. But it was especially meaningful for a fellow advisor to be the one that made it happen for us.
How did receiving this award impact the program or CCEP, if at all?
I think the award has increased the awareness of the program on campus overall. Two other units so far have decided to begin hosting their own Rock Enroll events (CHPS Advising, and Zilber College of Public Health Advising). The Chancellor mentioned Rock Enroll in his start of the year plenary. I presented on the Rock Enroll event at an on-campus training event called the Student Success Summit and many units seemed interested in giving it a try if possible.
What are the next steps for the Rock Enroll program? How would you like to see the initiative grow in the future?
I would love more advising units on campus to hold their own Rock Enroll events, or for it to become a campus wide event. Even a campus wide “holiday” of sorts would be fun – UWM Rock Enroll day where all units are hosting this event and students know they can go see any advisor on campus for enrollment help. I think we are heading in that direction as two other units have already gotten on board.
