Vice President of Enrollment Management

Monmouth College, a selective, private residential liberal arts college in Western Illinois and a founding member of the consortium of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM), affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is seeking a Vice President of Enrollment Management. Reporting to President Clarence Wyatt, the Vice President is the senior executive responsible for the College's undergraduate admissions and student financial planning operations. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to liberal arts education with a passion for making a difference in the life of an institution and in the lives of students.

The Opportunity

The Vice President will partner with a dedicated senior staff in leading the institution forward by analyzing the landscape of higher education and society at large to best position Monmouth in an increasingly competitive enrollment marketplace. The Vice President will also be a key partner in participating in and implementing the current strategic planning process, which is focused on understanding the needs and desires of prospective students so as to successfully address the “Three R’s” of increased recruitment, improved retention, and increased revenue.

To serve these larger goals, the successful candidate will plan, develop, and implement admissions, financial aid, and communications plans; will collaborate with faculty, staff, and other internal partners to improve the College’s competitive position; will apprise the Board of Trustees on enrollment and pertinent institutional issues; and will champion the strengths, successes, and vision of Monmouth College to all internal and external constituents. In addition, the new Vice President will develop proposals, analyze data, shape strategic thinking and assess effectiveness of various recruitment and financial aid initiatives; lead the student financial planning program and maintain fiscally responsible policies and practices; partner with Communications to establish recruitment themes of the College; and will collaborate with Academic Affairs and Student Life to develop new curricular and cocurricular programs to strengthen recruitment and improve retention efforts for the College.

Qualities and Characteristics

The Vice President of Enrollment Management will encounter a campus community and Board of Trustees receptive to new ideas, supportive of change, and willing to champion enrollment success.  The successful candidate will join a Senior Staff that is collaborative with a strong sense of community, mission, and purpose.  In return, this new leader is expected to possess the following qualities and characteristics:

• Proven ability to navigate and succeed in challenging, demographic markets.
• Committed to high achievement and ambitious for the institution and for themselves with a drive to make a significant difference in the future of the College.
• Vision, high energy, and enthusiasm to offer transformative change in the lives of young students and create a positive culture within the enrollment division.
• Ability to build strong relationships across campus, and engage students, staff, faculty, coaches, parents, and alumni in helping to achieve the enrollment vision.
• Expertise and leadership in the management of admissions and recruitment with a record of enrollment success.
• Effective manager in financial aid, including strong knowledge and practice in discounting and leveraging with an eye trained on per student and aggregate net revenue.
• Strategic and applied analytical thinking to broadly impact admissions efforts and financial aid outcomes for the College, as well as proven ability in assessing and measuring results.
• Sophistication and clear understanding of the best use of technology in admissions and financial aid to engage students and families.
• Knowledge of social media tools to enhance recruiting and marketing to potential students; ability to develop and refine key messaging about the College in ways that speak most clearly to prospective students and parents.
• Willingness to educate and establish transparency throughout the campus community in an effort to build trust and earn confidence.
• Charismatic with an ease in communication skills to serve as an externally facing representative of the College.
• Inclusive leader who encourages a close, working relationship between admissions and financial aid and furthers the efforts of team building.
• An advocate for the enrollment team who engenders trust and transparency; a mentor who can effectively nurture staff while holding high standards and accountability.
• Understanding, appreciation of, and the ability to articulate the world of private, liberal arts colleges.
• Contributor to the broader Monmouth community; willing to engage with partners and build relationships.
• Engagement with internal partners on initiatives to ensure increased student retention, satisfaction, and completion.
• Ability to establish priorities that align with the college’s strategic plan in order to meet the enrollment objectives.
• Enhancement of diversity among incoming students through the effective expansion of partnerships, pathway programs, and articulation agreements.
• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s or other advanced degree preferred.

Monmouth College

Established in 1853 by Scotch-Irish Presbyterian pioneers, Monmouth College is a nationally ranked, selective, residential college located in West Central Illinois. Monmouth celebrates its history as an outstanding private college dedicated to excellence in undergraduate education and provides a transformative educational experience within a caring and diverse community of learners. Monmouth is home to 800 students, drawn from 28 states and 21 countries and includes approximately 35 percent who are domestic students of color or international students, and over 40 percent first-generation college students. As a residential liberal arts college, Monmouth College empowers students to realize their full potential, live meaningful lives, pursue successful careers, and shape their communities and world through service and leadership.  Monmouth has an endowment of nearly $122 million and an annual operating budget of $35 million.  Monmouth ranks 17^th among National Liberal Arts Colleges in the 2022 U.S. News “Social Mobility” category.

Academics

As a community of learners, Monmouth strives to create and sustain an environment that is value-centered, intellectually challenging, aesthetically inspiring, and culturally diverse. The College integrates a four-year program of general education with in-depth study in the major and a rich array of co-curricular activities in order to foster the discovery of connections among disciplines and of larger patterns of meaning. Through these experiences, Monmouth students explore multiple perspectives on the human condition and prepare themselves for rich personal and professional lives – for leadership, citizenship, and service in a global context.

Monmouth offers more than 50 programs in the natural sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. In addition, Monmouth offers small, seminar-style classes; impactful internship and study-abroad opportunities; and summer research experiences for thoughtful, intellectually engaged, and ambitious students. Monmouth also offers a general education curriculum designed to guide students toward realizing their personal and professional ambitions. In addition to courses required for their major, Monmouth’s Core Curriculum provides depth, breadth and integration of knowledge for students in an environment that builds character, promotes citizenship, and prepares them for successful careers.

Beyond the Classroom

Students at Monmouth are truly the liberal arts in action. Sorority life was founded at Monmouth. Pi Beta Phi and Kappa Kappa Gamma-national women’s sororities – known as the Monmouth Duo – were founded by Monmouth students. And while Greek life is one of the largest student communities on campus, students are also musicians, actors, writers, and researchers. In addition, Monmouth’s athletes enjoy training, practice and game facilities that are renovated and among the finest in the nation for an NCAA Division III college. Such advantages have helped Monmouth rise to national prominence in football, men’s and women’s track, and women’s basketball.

Monmouth also takes great pride in its facilities. Thanks to a strong commitment by the Board of Trustees and the generosity of alumni and friends, millions have been dedicated to renovations in the past 15 years and the 112-acre Monmouth College campus truly has that “wow” factor.  The campus is composed of impressive, distinctive, and traditional brick buildings.  Monmouth College's Center for Science and Business was designed to encourage collaboration among students and faculty from traditionally separate disciplines by the configuration of the offices, classrooms, and laboratories. The Dahl Chapel and Auditorium hosts most musical events at Monmouth College.  The Auditorium, a 600-seat facility built in 1896 with its warm acoustic environment has been praised by visiting artists. The building, which has been enhanced by $1.5 million in renovation projects, is also home of the community’s popular Maple Leaf Community Concert Series.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Monmouth strives to create an environment that is supportive, inclusive, and welcoming to all students, including those from historically underrepresented student groups. Monmouth students acquire an understanding of the myriad of cultures that exist in society and acquire the skills to live, celebrate, and appreciate the diversity of those cultures.

When Monmouth was founded, its early leaders made the decision to admit women and students of color.  The current campus community is proud its founders took that stand and seeks to learn from their example, to continue to make just decisions, to stand up and speak out when circumstances demand we do so. Monmouth is more diverse than you might expect, especially for being located in a midsize town in the Midwest – 35 percent of our students are American minorities and international students. We’re proud that our students from different backgrounds make a home here, and we actively seek ways to support them. Our work is far from done. We are listening and learning along the way.

Monmouth has created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan that reflects its dedication, aspirations and desire to create an environment where all individuals experience a strong sense of belonging and have an equal opportunity to succeed. As an example of the College’s deep commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, Monmouth recently dedicated the Champion Miller Center for Student Equity, Inclusion and Community.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group embodies the Monmouth College commitment. By researching best practices and making individual and institutional recommendations, it gathers the voices of our College and turns them into action. As a result of strategic planning, the DEI working group will focus on a variety of strategies.  More information can be found here.

Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College is located in Monmouth, Illinois, less than 3.5 hours from Chicago and St. Louis. Known as the Maple City because of its tree-lined streets of Victorian homes, Monmouth is the Warren County seat and home to 8,800 residents. The College is situated in an historic residential neighborhood, which serves as the center of the city. Residents enjoy small town living and easy commutes to work.  Many of the amenities of larger cities are also in Monmouth or one of its neighboring cities.  Live music, festivals and performances can be found in Monmouth as well as historic markers around town that commemorate the proud city history, from its development as an agricultural community, to visits by famous figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, Wyatt Earp, Joseph Smith, and Ronald Reagan.

Monmouth College is about an hour’s drive from Peoria, Illinois, and from the Quad Cities (Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa; Rock Island, East Moline and Moline in Illinois – a vibrant community of 400,000 people.). These popular destinations provide families with opportunities to visit museums, a planetarium, zoos, malls, and sample a wide range of cuisine. Monmouth is also a 20-minute drive to a staffed Amtrak station in Galesburg that offers at least three daily trips to Chicago. For a very reasonable price, riders can be in the heart of the Windy City in less than three hours.

To Apply

Monmouth College is being assisted by Napier Executive Search in finding the best professional to fill the position of Vice President of Enrollment Management.  To arrange for a confidential conversation or if you wish to nominate someone for this position, please contact Mary Napier (mary.napier@napiersearch.com) or Laura Robinson (laura.robinson@napiersearch.com).  To apply, please send a resume, a detailed letter of interest and contact information for three professional references by email to:  monmouthcollege@napiersearch.com.  For assurance of full consideration, please submit application materials no later than August 5, 2022.  Resumes 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.

Monmouth College, an Equal Opportunity Employer, is committed to diversity and encourages applications from women and minority candidates. Monmouth does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, military service, marital status, sexual orientation or other factors as prohibited by law in its employment policies.