Assistant Dean, JD Admissions & Financial Aid

University of San Diego School of Law

San Diego, CA

Assistant Dean, JD Admissions & Financial Aid

The University of San Diego School of Law (“USD School of Law”) seeks a new Assistant Dean, JD Admissions & Financial Aid to lead a collegial, student-service-oriented professional operation.  Reporting to the Dean and working collaboratively with the Dean’s leadership team, faculty, alumni and the legal community, the Assistant Dean supervises six professional staff and provides the vision and administrative leadership for all functions related to law school JD admissions, admissions-related diversity initiatives and financial aid programs. 

USD School of Law is the first-choice law school for its students at a rate nearly 40% higher than LSSSE participating CA-ABA law schools.  Applicants are drawn to USD School of Law’s faculty commitment to teaching and professional mentorship; the School’s distinctive culture of student collegiality and mutual support; its top-notch student support services; and the richness and variety of practical learning experiences that the law school sponsors.

With the tagline of “The Perfect Climate for Studying the Law,” USD School of Law is the leading law school in California’s second most populous metro area, anchored by the global city of San Diego (“America’s Finest City”) and with a regional population exceeding three million.  A national law school with both full and part-time programs, USD School of Law offers an 8:1 student-faculty ratio; a collaborative and community-minded institutional culture; and international opportunities.  The law school’s location at the heart of the University of San Diego’s Spanish Renaissance campus affords an unsurpassed setting for scholarship, teaching and learning.  In conjunction with the university’s graduate schools, USD School of Law offers joint degree programs in international relations, peace and justice, business administration and real estate.  A direct admissions program allows University of San Diego undergraduate students to waive the LSAT or GRE testing requirement when applying to the law school.  A JD acceptance rate of 34% in 2023 yielded a first-year class of 259, 45% of whom identified as diverse.  The University of San Diego’s Horizon Project hopes to achieve its goal of recognition as a Hispanic-Serving Institution during the 2023-24 academic year, the 75^th anniversary of USD School of Law’s founding. 

The Assistant Dean supervises the Director of Admissions & Diversity Initiatives, the Director of Financial Aid, the Assistant Director of Admissions, a Financial Aid Counselor, an Admissions Coordinator and an Admissions Assistant.   As the law school’s chief admissions and financial aid officer, the Assistant Dean leads all prospective student diversity initiatives; develops and implements competitive marketing and recruitment strategies to strengthen the academic quality and diversity of the student body; and takes a data-informed, comprehensive approach to building enrollment and strategically leveraging financial aid to meet JD enrollment, diversity and retention goals. 

The Assistant Dean is responsible for administering the law school federal work-study program; for administering the law school’s private scholarship program; for strategically distributing a $19M financial aid budget to 800+ students and balancing the standardized test and GPA qualifications of the incoming class to meet the goals of the law school.  The Assistant Dean directly engages potential students to encourage them to choose USD School of Law as their law school and leads retention efforts following their matriculation.  As part of a campus with a strong culture of collaboration, USD School of Law expects its Assistant Dean to work closely with senior law school leadership and faculty in achieving institutional recruitment and financial aid priorities.  The new Assistant Dean should be a problem-solver who is equipped to assess and improve existing practices and build new systems that will sustain a high-functioning enrollment operation.   USD School of Law seeks candidates with leadership experience, including administrators with demonstrated success in managing projects related to admissions and financial aid who are ready to step up in seniority.

Qualifications: 

• Five years of leadership experience in law school admissions and financial aid.
• Advanced degree required.
• Demonstrated compliance experience with all federal, state and university regulations and policies as they relate to admissions and financial aid.
• Demonstrated success with enrollment management, including developing, implementing, analyzing, evaluating and revising an annual recruitment plan and admissions plan in collaboration with the law school faculty and administration.
• Demonstrated ability to develop effective programs to advance the recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented backgrounds.
• Proven skills in using advanced features of enrollment, admissions and financial aid software.
• Demonstrated experience in managing department budgets and financial aid budgets.
• Advanced data analysis skills.
• Marketing and public relations skills with an advanced understanding of the role of outreach for enrollment goals.
• Exceptional communication skills, including effective writing and public speaking.
• Successful experience in staff supervision.
• Valid driver’s license required and the ability to travel during peak recruitment periods.

Review of candidate materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment.  A complete application will include a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae and contact information for five professional references who can speak about the candidate’s qualifications for this appointment.  Named referees will not be contacted without the candidate’s prior consent.  Chuck O’Boyle of C. V. O’Boyle, Jr. LLC is leading the search and will furnish an internal position description upon request.  Expressions of interest, applications, nominations and inquiries should be directed to Mr. O’Boyle at chuck@cvoboyle.com.