Director of Admission

Ohio Wesleyan University

Delaware, Ohio

Director of Admission

Founded in 1842 and located in Delaware, Ohio, Ohio Wesleyan University is a private, coed, undergraduate, independent, liberal arts college. With historic ties to the United Methodist Church, OWU embraces students of all faiths. In the words of President Rock Jones, Ohio Wesleyan is committed to educating “moral leaders for the global society.”  Included in every edition of the Colleges That Change Lives guidebook since it was first published in 1996, Ohio Wesleyan University is a national liberal arts university that provides outstanding academic programs in the sciences, arts, humanities, and business and opportunities beyond those at other small colleges.

The Position

Ohio Wesleyan University seeks a strong, dedicated leader to join the Enrollment Management team as its Director of Admission. Reporting directly to the Vice President for Enrollment and Communications, the Director of Admission will lead all aspects of recruitment, selection and enrollment of new first-year and transfer students. The Director will be a strategic partner in the implementation of a comprehensive recruitment plan and provide day-to-day leadership to a team of eleven admission professionals (including up to four regional staff members). The Director of Admission works collaboratively with senior enrollment leadership to organize and implement a highly efficient, team-based enrollment model that emphasizes an increase in academic profile, net tuition revenue and geographic diversity. The Director will work to develop and sustain relationships with key constituents, such as prospective students, parents, high school and independent counselors, alumni and community colleges.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The primary duties and responsibilities of the Director of Admission are as follows:

• Lead all aspects of recruitment, selection and enrollment of new first-year and transfer students, to include oversight of the application review process.
• Collaborate with the Vice President for Enrollment and Communications on all matters related to the development and implementation of strategic enrollment planning, team building, personnel, policy and budget.
• Partner with University administration, faculty committees, students, athletics and external organizations to implement a holistic admission plan.
• Provide direct supervision of staff, oversee territory management plans and monitor the travel budget for admissions staff members related to recruitment and outreach activities.
• Coordinate hiring process, oversee training and evaluate admission staff members.
• Fully participate in development and implementation of the recruitment and communication strategies with the Vice President and others including marketing/target analysis, lead generation oversight, prospect-enrollment pipeline development; high school outreach and off-campus recruitment events; alumni volunteer programs; and the development of print and electronic admission materials, tele-counseling, web content and social media.

• Oversee efforts to recruit, enroll, and retain a socio-economically diverse and multicultural student body.

• Provide leadership development and training of departmental and University staff and faculty in areas related to admission, marketing and recruitment of students.

• Analyze recruitment-related data and assess programming activities as part of strategic enrollment planning initiatives.
• Manage a small recruitment territory by representing Ohio Wesleyan at high schools and college fairs, conducting student interviews and information sessions, and reviewing applications for admission.
• Participate in professional organizations and professional development activities to ensure admission practices are contemporary.
• Contribute to University meetings and committees; prepare reports as requested; and manage special projects.

Qualifications and Characteristics:

The successful candidate for Director of Admission will have significant experience in higher education, with a bachelor’s degree in a related field (advanced degree preferred), at least eight years of progressive leadership experience, and a proven track record of success in the following: university admission, including recruitment and enrollment planning and program development; team building within the office and among university departments; human resource and budget management; and data collection analysis and assessment activities.

Additionally, the Director of Admission will have the following qualities:

• A commitment to diversity and sensitive to the needs of educationally and economically disadvantaged students.
• Outstanding writing and superior spoken communication skills; must have the ability to effectively articulate and communicate the distinctive features of an Ohio Wesleyan education to prospective students, parents and counselors.
• Knowledge of human resource management: supervising staff, hiring, training, orientation, evaluation, coaching, managing meetings, policy development, and professional development.
• Advanced understanding of the use of technology as it relates to application processing; prior use of Slate for data management and analysis preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of education policy, financial aid, data management as well as applicable federal, state and University policies and law governing admission and recruitment and the release and disclosure of information.
• Appreciation for the beauty and utility of the liberal arts as a pathway for student success and the ability to articulate this effectively.
• Willingness to support an enrollment management culture through effective collaboration and partnership across campus.

The University

Academics at Ohio Wesleyan starts with a 175-year commitment to the depth, breadth, and rigor of traditional liberal arts, made more powerful today by The OWU Connection. The Ohio Wesleyan faculty developed this signature program as a distinctive approach to higher education in and beyond the classroom. Every student works with mentors to create their own unique academic pathway that can include research, travel, service and internships that lead to their goals for a career or graduate school. The OWU Connection helps students to think big, go global, and get real. 

By pursuing one (or more) of over 90 majors, students will learn to think critically and creatively, solve complex problems, communicate their ideas, apply their knowledge in real-world settings, and thrive in an environment rich with diverse cultures and backgrounds. At Ohio Wesleyan, students work in small classes with faculty members who are outstanding scholars and researchers — and passionate teachers. They push, challenge, inspire, and work with students on research and creative projects. Students consistently rank the faculty highly for quality of teaching, excitement about their academic disciplines, mentoring, commitment, and accessibility.

Ohio Wesleyan is a residential campus, with nearly 90% of students living in its combination of traditional residence halls, fraternity houses, honors housing, and specialty thematic dwellings known as SLUs that allow small groups of students with similar interests to live and learn together. The University typically attracts students from nearly every U.S. state and 30-40 countries, adding an international flavor to campus that includes an annual Culture Fest celebration.

Ohio Wesleyan’s campus blends uniquely traditional and contemporary buildings. It is filled with iconic, century-old academic halls including 10 sites on the National Register of Historical Places, as well as a science center with its own scanning transmission electron microscope and an environmentally friendly aquatics center that is heated and cooled with the aid of 90 geothermal wells. Campus is also home to two nature preserves; two observatories; new fitness center and dance studio; LEED-certified aquatics and recreation center; and new and newly renovated student housing, including an Honors House and Black Cultural Center. Over the next five years, OWU plans to spend $60 million in renovating 70% of student housing.  Upgraded athletics facilities include iconic Selby Stadium, with lighting for night games and an interactive scoreboard.

The Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at Ohio Wesleyan University, which opened in fall 2018, is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware County, and the City of Delaware creating a business accelerator and education center on the OWU campus. Ohio Wesleyan student-interns assist with product research, marketing strategies, budgeting, and graphic design - www.owu.edu/delaware-entrepreneurial-center.

The University offers nearly 100 student clubs and organizations that provide ample opportunities for students to get involved, make lifelong friends, and develop their leadership capabilities. Nearly 80% of Ohio Wesleyan students participate in community service, logging some 40,000 hours each academic year. In addition, more than a third of OWU students typically participate in at least one varsity sport. Ohio Wesleyan is a competitive member of the NCAA Division III and North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), offering 25 Battling Bishop varsity sports, including 13 for women and 12 for men.

For more about Ohio Wesleyan University, go to https://www.owu.edu/.

Delaware, Ohio

Ohio Wesleyan University is located in Delaware, Ohio, a place filled with friendly people, fun shopping and dining, and plenty of cozy coffee shops.  A town of 38,000 residents and one of the top 20 fastest-growing areas in the country, Delaware is a quaint and thriving small town with more than 20 restaurants within walking distance of campus, the Strand movie theater ( the oldest, longest-running theater in Ohio), community celebrations on First Fridays, a bustling nightlife, and art, music, and shops in the historic downtown. Delaware has much to offer - arts and culture, locally-owned restaurants, breweries & wineries, indoor and outdoor sports, shopping and history - there's something for everyone.

Just a 30-minute drive from Delaware is Columbus, Ohio, the 14th largest and third fastest growing city in America, with its own great art scene, nightlife, sports, music, shopping, and student internship opportunities. The New York Times named Ohio’s capital city one of its 52 Places to Go in 2019 noting innovative urban transportation and revitalization of the Scioto Mile for festivals, watersports, and art.  Columbus is booming, and not just in population. From COSI, the nation’s top science center to a new 36,000 square feet LEGOLAND Discovery Center to a brand new National Veterans Memorial and Museum, there's an energy and excitement in the city. In addition, Columbus has an incredible culinary scene, nationally acclaimed distilleries, black box stages, music halls, and more to deliver unforgettable nightlife. Neighborhoods on all sides of downtown are bursting with new places to eat and shop, and artists are shaping new areas of the city into dynamic spaces to explore. Combined, Delaware and Columbus offer small-town amenities and friendliness coupled with a rich cultural life, professional sports, fine dining and shopping, and housing options. 

To Apply or Nominate

Napier Executive Search is assisting Ohio Wesleyan University with the search for the Director of Admission. To arrange for a confidential conversation or to nominate someone, please contact Laura Robinson (laura.robinson@napiersearch.com) or Mary Napier (mary.napier@napiersearch.com). Interested candidates should send the following: 1) a professional resume; 2) a detailed letter of interest; and 3) the names of three professional references with their contact information including current institution, title, relationship to the candidate, and their email address and phone number.

These materials should be emailed to OWU@napiersearch.com no later than October 17, 2019. All applications and nominations will be considered confidential and notice will be given before references are contacted.

OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, a private liberal arts college located 20 miles north of Columbus, in Delaware, Ohio, promotes and celebrates an inclusive environment free from constraints in areas of culture, race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, religion, family relationship, or economic barriers. Applications by members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged as OWU is an equal opportunity institution and has a strong commitment to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion.