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Vice President of Enrollment Management

Employer
Assumption University
Location
Worcester, Massachusetts

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Executive Administration Jobs
Vice Presidents
Administrative Jobs
Institutional & Business Affairs, Admissions & Enrollment
Employment Type
Full Time
Institution Type
Four-Year Institution

Assumption University

Worcester, Massachusetts

 

Vice President of Enrollment Management
 

Assumption University is a comprehensive, Catholic liberal arts institution sponsored by the Augustinians of the Assumption. We awaken in students a sense of wonder, discovery, and purpose, forming graduates known for their intellectual seriousness, thoughtful citizenship, and devotion to the common good. Our curricular and co-curricular programs provide students with an education that shapes their souls, forms them intellectually, and prepares them for meaningful careers. We are a diverse community that welcomes different points of view and embraces all who share our mission. Enlivened by the Catholic affirmation of the harmony of faith and reason and by the pursuit of the truth in the company of friends, an Assumption education transforms the minds and hearts of students.

Assumption University Mission Statement

 

Assumption University is a private, Catholic university which offers its 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students a Catholic liberal education. The University is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, New England’s second largest city. Assumption University seeks an experienced, results-oriented, and mission-driven Vice President of Enrollment Management to join President Francesco Cesareo, fellow members of the Cabinet, and the Assumption & Augustinian communities in executing Assumption’s strategic plan: Ever Ancient, Ever New: Refounding Assumption.  As a relationship driven leader, the vice president will foster ongoing dialogue, transparency, and a commitment to collaboration among individuals, departments and programs.

The vice president will provide inspiration, vision and leadership to 91 staff across enrollment management in undergraduate admissions, athletics, and financial aid, and offer wisdom and support to graduate recruitment. Reporting to the president, this forward thinking and innovative higher education professional will serve as a member of the Cabinet and a resource to the entire community in matters of enrollment management including recruitment, admission, enrollment marketing, aid leveraging and retention.

The vice president must have an understanding of the value of a Catholic liberal education in the 21st century, skill in articulating the complex offerings of a comprehensive university, and demonstrated ability to articulate an authentic and compelling view into the University curriculum and student experience. It is essential that the vice president have a genuine appreciation for and commitment to the Catholic educational mission and identity of the University, which is grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition, along with the ability to articulate this aspect of the mission clearly and unambiguously to prospective students.

An energetic and dynamic leader with a proven record of success, the vice president should understand regional, national, international demographic trends as well as trends within Catholic education, and contextually guide Assumption University’s approach to maximizing enrollment. The vice president will engage in a vibrant campus culture, one which values an active relationship with the broader Worcester community, and fosters strong partnerships across Catholic educational institutions.

Accountabilities:

The new vice president of enrollment management will assume responsibility for, and accomplish the following.

  • Articulate the value of Catholic liberal education in a compelling and attractive way;
  • Work collaboratively with the President, Cabinet, Deans and program directors to articulate a clear vision for institutional enrollment, and develop and implement effective and realistic enrollment strategies across the University’s five schools;
  • Author and implement a strategic enrollment plan reflecting the goals set forth in the University’s strategic plan, outlining the overall tactics and strategies necessary to fulfill institutional goals;
  • Direct, plan and coordinate the university’s enrollment management strategic activities;
  • Develop and implement successful initiatives and methods for oversight, coordination, and management of recruitment, admissions, athletics and financial aid;
  • Demonstrate skill in enrollment marketing, with an ability to effectively articulate the stories and outcomes of Assumption University and an understanding of how to appropriately reach targeted audiences;
  • Demonstrate and cultivate data-driven enrollment operations that result in sustained growth in overall enrollment, academic quality, and diversity of student populations;
  • Review and evaluate policies, process and procedures, ensuring efficiency, effectiveness and unbiased access to an Assumption education.
  • Foster a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the division, and demonstrate sensitivity and expertise in the recruitment and retention of a diverse staff and student body.
  • With the wisdom gained through experience, demonstrate a deep facility for strategically awarding and optimization of institutional financial aid and strategic tuition pricing strategies that increase net tuition revenue.
  • Develop, coordinate and articulate annual and long-term enrollment management strategies, goals, benchmarks, and outcomes that, among other goals, improve selectivity and enhance the University’s academic reputation;
  • Ensure the conduct of ongoing and accurate analysis of actual enrollment results and trends;
  • Expand the use of data-informed decision making, creating and distributing appropriate reports and data, and increase access to data, reporting, and analysis broadly across the University.
  • Ensure fiscally responsible budget management for the enrollment and athletic divisions;
  • Support the comprehensive management of NCAA Division II athletics in all facets of overall vision, staff supervision, budgetary & facilities management, developing a positive student-athlete experience, fundraising, alumni engagement, and collaborative working environment across the various University departments.
  • Liaison, in partnership with the Vice President for Institutional Advancement, the Vice President for Student Success, and the Vice President for Mission, with the Chair of the Institutional Sustainability Committee of the Board of Trustees.
  • Lead admission and coaching staff in developing a nuanced approach to leveraging athletic recruitment and roster management, with an understanding of the competitive nature of DII recruitment and the impact of policies and practices on the retention of athletes.
  • Provide leadership, mentorship, and ongoing professional development of the staff in the offices of enrollment management, undergraduate admissions, athletics, graduate recruitment and financial aid, with a goal of developing individuals and teams who meet the evolving needs of the University and a diverse community;
  • Work successfully with a team of collaborators, thanks to extensive management experience and a track record of decisive insights, with a style that is open, flexible, and respectful of alternative points of view;
  • Cultivate and maximize relationship management as a key element of recruitment and retention.
  • Develop collaborative, productive partnerships between internal departments, including faculty and administrators, as well as with key external constituents including alumni, guidance personnel, and regional employers;
  • Engage the Enrollment Management Council, with members from across the campus, in the development of strategies to optimize student yield and strengthen campus-wide understanding of enrollment management tenets;
  • Work actively with faculty in admissions activities and on retention questions;
  • Lead the university community in conducting appropriate market and brand analysis to support further understanding of Assumption University market and mission appeal and inform best practices in messaging to a receptive audience.

Qualifications:

The new vice president of enrollment management will possess the following skills and qualifications.

  • Enthusiasm for cultivating and contributing actively to the mission of the University, with respect and appreciation for the Catholic and Assumptionist identity of the institution; capacity to communicate this same spirit to collaborators; 
  • The ability to analyze data, articulate its meaning and impact, and create actionable plans across the university;
  • Highly analytical, with the ability to synthesize information and articulate its impact and meaning to others;
  • Technically savvy with an understanding of how to optimize operational efficiency, capture relevant data and leverage technology to support sound decision making and enhance the student experience.
  • A deep appreciation for the ways in which liberal and professional education are complementary and an ability to communicate this effectively to prospective students and their families; 
  • Substantial professional experience in university admissions, enrollment marketing and financial aid at a senior level; experience at a Catholic, comprehensive university of comparable size and scope is desirable;
  • Strong and effective collaborative leadership skills;
  • Exceptional communication and relationship building skills;
  • Demonstrated success as an innovator;
  • Articulate communicator and effective listener;
  • Proven record of success in expanding into new geographical markets and increasing both the number and quality of domestic and international enrollments;
  • Experience with recruitment of a variety of student populations including undergraduates, graduates, transfers, international students, and veterans;
  • An awareness of the regional and national demographics as they relate to the changing trends in ethnicity and demonstrated success in increasing diversity among students and staff;
  • Understanding of enrollment management best practices, demographic trends and the broader higher education landscape;
  • Understanding of and experience with collegiate athletics and its role in the institution’s enrollment strategy and overall success;
  • Strong expertise in analyzing and interpreting complex and sophisticated data sets;
  • Results-oriented, focused on execution of agreed upon plans and initiatives, nimble in leading changes to plans when circumstances change;
  • Innovative, strategic and creative in realizing opportunities and operationalizing initiatives to meet the evolving needs of students and families, and reflect changes in the marketplace;
  • The ability to build consensus through collaborative leadership and to act decisively when consensus is elusive;
  • Strengths of a team player with exceptional moral values;
  • Willingness to be a visible, enthusiastic presence within the campus community and at university events;
  • An advanced degree is strongly preferred; a bachelor’s degree is required.

Assumption University:

Assumption University, founded in 1904, is a Catholic institution sponsored by the Augustinians of the Assumption and rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition. The University seeks to form graduates known for intellectual seriousness, thoughtful citizenship and devotion to the common good. It supports a Campus Ministry Department, located in the 8,800-square-foot Tinsley Campus Ministry Center, which sponsors a rich variety of faith-based programs, ranging from retreats to mission trips that contribute to the spiritual formation of the students.

Assumption offers over 2,000 undergraduate students study options in four schools including D’Amour College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Froelich School of Nursing, launched in 2019; the Grenon School of Business; and the relatively new School of Health Professions. Combined the university offers 35 majors and 49 minors. Students weave together their focused coursework around a strong Core Curriculum and through a curriculum grounded in the liberal arts and extending to the domain of professional studies. Primarily residential, 96% of graduates complete their degree in four years, 81% complete at least one internship, research or experiential learning opportunity; and, in typical years, students volunteer more than 100,000 hours locally and around the world. Up to fifty Light the Way Scholarships are awarded annually to recognize students who positively impact the world in meaningful ways through service, innovation or volunteering.

At the graduate level, 400+ students, mostly part-time, participate in 13 graduate programs across the School of Graduate Studies, the Grenon School of Business, and the School of Health Professions. Offerings include on-campus, online and blended options. In addition, Assumption offers six dual degree and accelerated master’s degrees for undergraduate students in applied behavioral analysis, rehabilitation counseling, special education, school counseling, clinical counseling psychology and MBA.

On the 185-acre Worcester campus located in a quiet residential neighborhood, Assumption University opened the Tsotsis Family Academic Center in 2017 housing classrooms, a 400-seat performance hall, the Grenon School of Business, the Honors Program and the Fortin and Gonthier Core Texts and Enduring Questions Program. In November 2020, Assumption completed construction of the 41,000-square-foot Richard J. and Sophia Catrambone Health Sciences Center, a three-story building with a number of state-of-the-art teaching facilities equipped with the latest training tools to benefit those in the Froelich School of Nursing, School of Health Professions, and several other departments and majors. The nursing floor features a large nursing skills lab with seven full-sized hospital beds for teaching patient care, as well as four simulation labs with high-fidelity ‘manikins’ that simulate actual patient conditions that can be controlled remotely by a simulation lab technician. Four state-of-the-art classrooms were designed for active learning in a realistic clinical environment, and a number of spacious study areas, conference rooms, and lounges located throughout the building encourage collaboration among students.

Assumption opened its own campus in Rome, Italy, in 2012, investing nearly $1 million in renovations. Staffed by full-time Assumption faculty, the semester-long experience affords students the ability to explore the city as a “living classroom”. The program has been ranked among the top ten study abroad programs offered by American colleges and universities and is a differentiator that is regularly listed as a key factor in a student’s decision to attend Assumption.

Over 30% of the student population are student-athletes in one of Assumption’s 24 NCAA Division II teams. Student-athletes are recruited both nationally and internationally. Assumption Greyhounds play in the Northeast-10 Conference, recognized, academically, as the strongest in Division II, as well as for its athletic excellence. New enhanced competitive club sports were introduced in 2019 including, men’s swimming, women’s ice hockey and e-sports. In addition to athletics, students also thrive in more than 60 student-run clubs and organizations.

While the majority of students come from New England, approximately one-third of the freshman class is from outside of New England. On average, 33 U.S. states and territories are represented among the student-body, with 11 countries also represented. The percentage of students from underrepresented populations has averaged 24% of the entering class in the last several years, which has resulted in a more diverse student body. The University continues to enroll first generation students, which has been an important aspect of the mission since the University’s founding in 1904.

For more information about Assumption University, go to www.assumption.edu.

Statement on Diversity:

At Assumption, our Catholic and Augustinian roots facilitate, in a unique way, the development of a community that reflects the richness of our diverse world. In the Confessions, St. Augustine reminds us of the Biblical teaching that all people are created in the image and likeness of God, the foundation for the Catholic tradition’s respect for the inherent dignity of all human beings. This respect is at the heart of who we are at Assumption University.

For this reason, we seek to nurture and are deeply committed to a community in which the human dignity of every member of the University is preserved and celebrated. Therefore, Assumption provides the means through which each member has an opportunity to contribute to the vitality of the whole, a contribution that is valued, as is each individual.

Strategic Planning:

Assumption University’s new strategic plan, Ever Ancient, Ever New: Refounding Assumption, embodies an ambitious vision for the institution. This courageous and innovative plan, which reflects the collective ideas of the community, charts a direction for the University that remains firm in its commitment to its mission, but unlike previous plans, seeks to take full advantage of the opportunities for institutions with a long and storied history such as Assumption. In this plan, we are conscious of challenging external factors and the significant impact the coronavirus has had, and will continue to have, on higher education, requiring an openness to operating in new ways without sacrificing what makes us who we are.

View the Strategic Plan here.

Now a University of five separate but interconnected schools, Assumption will continue its evolution as a competitive and more selective institution. It will be known for its strong commitment to its mission; its solid academic reputation that rests on a classical liberal arts curriculum rooted in the Catholic, Augustinian, and Assumptionist traditions; its strong professional programs shaped by its mission; and faculty who are recognized as teachers, scholars, and mentors. Drawing on the enduring vision of its founders, the Augustinians of the Assumption, the University will emphasize excellence in all dimensions of the student experience through an integrated approach that allows students to discover the importance of ideas, the beauty of learning, and a vocation that will give meaning to their lives.

The Vice President of Enrollment Management will lead the enrollment management team and broader community in the strategic enrollment planning and implementation of tactics, changes and processes to support three specific strategic goals relating to enrollment management:  1) Establish a culture of using data and analysis to guide enrollment strategy and decision-making; 2) Grow undergraduate demand for Assumption among traditional-age students; 3) Diversify Assumption’s total enrollment revenue composition.

Worcester, Massachusetts:

The city of Worcester is a robust, vibrant city that “combines the warmth of a small town with the convenience of a thriving city.”  Recognized time and again with the All-America City Award, Worcester combines the opportunities and cultural amenities of a big city with the allure of an accessible and easily-navigable college town. Home to eight universities and 35,000 university students, the second largest city in New England offers late-night diners, clubs, museums, concert venues, two professional sports teams, ethnic restaurants and theatres in Worcester’s vibrant downtown. There are 53 parks, including the largest urban nature sanctuary in New England and the Olmstead-designed Elm Park. The Worcester Art Museum consists of 36 galleries and 38,000 objects from around the world spanning eight millennia. The Hanover Theater for the Performing Arts features a wide variety of first-rate performances including an annual Broadway series and concerts by leading artists. The Worcester Red Sox (WooSox), the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, play at the recently opened Polar Park in downtown Worcester. The University is the exclusive founding educational partner of the WooSox, providing several benefits for Assumption—including internships, experiential learning and job opportunities for students—as well as enabling the University to contribute to the economic revitalization of the city. The winter outdoors person can access 27 ski trails at nearby Wachusett Mountain. An admirable mix of old and new residences, Worcester offers housing options and an overall cost of living that are more scaled to a mid-size city. In addition to the strong higher education presence, there is a robust and thriving hospital and health-care industry, as well as a rising biotech industry that has helped to fuel the renaissance of the area.

Worcester is not technically the geographic center of New England, but it feels that way. Boston, Providence, Hartford, Springfield, and even New York City are within a short drive of Worcester, which is at the crossroads of several major routes, including the Massachusetts Turnpike 90; interstates 190, 290 and 395; and Routes 9 and 146. Amtrak and MBTA rail services are available at the beautifully renovated Union Station to offer an alternative mode of transportation. Those flying to Worcester can choose Worcester Regional Airport (with flights from New York City, Philadelphia, and Ft. Lauderdale), Boston’s Logan, Providence’s TF Green Airport, or Bradley International Airport in CT. Sports enthusiasts can visit Worcerter’s Polar Park stadium to take in a WooSox game or visit Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, TD (Boston) Garden, and Basketball Hall of Fame are all within 50 miles. Cape Cod and Killington Ski Resort are less than 200 miles away.

To Apply:

Napier Executive Search is assisting Assumption University with this search for a vice president of enrollment management. If you wish to have a confidential conversation about this opportunity or submit nominations, please contact: Mary Napier, mary.napier@napiersearch.com  or Catherine Capolupo, catherine.capolupo@napiersearch.com. To apply, please send the following four items: 1) a resume, 2) a detailed letter of interest, 3) a one-page reflection on Assumption’s mission statement, and 4) contact information for three professional references by email to: assumption@napiersearch.com  For assurance of full consideration, please submit application materials no later than November 26. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. All applications and nominations will be considered confidential and notice will be given before references are contacted. The vice president of enrollment management is expected to start late spring or early summer 2022.

Assumption University is a comprehensive, Catholic liberal arts institution sponsored by the Augustinians of the Assumption. We awaken in students a sense of wonder, discovery, and purpose, forming graduates known for their intellectual seriousness, thoughtful citizenship, and devotion to the common good. Our curricular and co-curricular programs provide students with an education that shapes their souls, forms them intellectually, and prepares them for meaningful careers. We are a diverse community that welcomes different points of view and embraces all who share our mission. Enlivened by the Catholic affirmation of the harmony of faith and reason and by the pursuit of the truth in the company of friends, an Assumption education transforms the minds and hearts of students. An Equal Opportunity Employer. Assumption favors diversity and strongly encourages women applicants and applicants from underrepresented racial minorities.

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