Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management & Chief Enrollment Officer

Overview

The Division of Academic Affairs is the catalyst for the academic excellence that distinguishes Texas A&M and its graduates. Its commitment to the success of faculty and students is passionate and proven and helps make Texas A&M a preferred destination for the best and the brightest. The Division was recently restructured with the goal of better supporting student success at all stages of the student journey, and now includes Faculty Success, Academic Support Programs, Assessment, Student Success, Academic Advising, Transition Academic Programs, the Aggie Honor System, Ombuds and Curriculum, Enrollment Management, and Strategic Educational Partnerships.

Position Description

The Search

Texas A&M University seeks a strategic and collaborative leader to serve as its Associate Vice President (AVP) for Enrollment Management & Chief Enrollment Officer. As the chief enrollment officer, and reporting to the Provost, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer, the AVP will have the opportunity to craft a strategic enrollment plan at one of the largest universities in the country with ambitious goals. The university has seen remarkable enrollment growth over the last several years, and the AVP will be tasked with implementing a more sophisticated strategy that drives growth for specific programs; leverages data; increases visibility across the State and beyond, especially for their branch campuses; and integrates a holistic enrollment vision with university-wide student success goals.

Texas A&M University is the flagship university of the Texas A&M System, and the only university in Texas to hold simultaneous designations as a land-, sea-, and space-grant institution. With an enrollment of over 77,000 students, it is firmly dedicated to its mission of providing the highest quality undergraduate and graduate programs to its students, while developing new understandings through research and creativity. The university has been deliberate in expanding to make a Texas A&M education more accessible, and has several locations, including locations in Galveston, Fort Worth, Dallas, McAllen, Houston, and Washington D.C.. Nearly 95% of Texas A&M’s students come from the state and 21% are the first in their family to attend college. The university prepares students to assume roles in leadership, and service to society, using the university’s core values as guideposts to lead with integrity and a commitment to making the world a better place. With over 1,300 student clubs and organizations and students participating in 20 Division 1-A level sports in the Southeastern Conference, students engage in a wide range of co-curricular activities outside of the classroom.

The AVP will join Texas A&M at an exciting time, as the university has recently welcomed a new President and Provost and set an ambitious agenda to raise the university’s national stature in research, education, and student experience. The leadership team has also experienced many other new leaders in the last few years after some restructuring, and they expecting the arrival this fall of new deans in the College of Engineering; School of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts; School of Architecture; and the Bush School of Government and Public Service, which allows a tremendous opportunity for the AVP to reimagine how Enrollment Management can partner to optimize enrollment. The AVP will employ a campus-wide mindset in all aspects of their work, collaborating with marketing colleagues and colleges and schools to understand their needs and tell the Texas A&M story to prospective audiences. They will also ensure an office supportive of current student needs, especially as it relates to financial aid and the availability of courses necessary for a timely graduation. The AVP will be expected to bring a deep and sophisticated understanding of data analytics and predictive modeling to enhance the admissions process and better understand enrollment trends of all student populations. The AVP will be a sought after thought leader in the enrollment management space, maintaining a presence in community, regional, national organizations, adeptly fielding requests from the media and the state legislature, and representing Texas A&M to constituents across the state and country.

Texas A&M University has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this recruitment.

Jonathan Lopez with Texas A&M Executive Searches is overseeing this search in collaboration with Isaacson, Miller.

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Texas A&M University seeks a strategic and collaborative leader to serve as its Associate Vice President (AVP) for Enrollment Management & Chief Enrollment Officer. As the chief enrollment officer, and reporting to the Provost, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer, the AVP will have the opportunity to craft a strategic enrollment plan at one of the largest universities in the country with ambitious goals. The university has seen remarkable enrollment growth over the last several years, and the AVP will be tasked with implementing a more sophisticated strategy that drives growth for specific programs; leverages data; increases visibility across the State and beyond, especially for their branch campuses; and integrates a holistic enrollment vision with university-wide student success goals.

Texas A&M University is the flagship university of the Texas A&M System, and the only university in Texas to hold simultaneous designations as a land-, sea-, and space-grant institution. With an enrollment of over 77,000 students, it is firmly dedicated to its mission of providing the highest quality undergraduate and graduate programs to its students, while developing new understandings through research and creativity. The university has been deliberate in expanding to make a Texas A&M education more accessible, and has several locations, including locations in Galveston, Fort Worth, Dallas, McAllen, Houston, and Washington D.C.. Nearly 95% of Texas A&M’s students come from the state and 21% are the first in their family to attend college. The university prepares students to assume roles in leadership, and service to society, using the university’s core values as guideposts to lead with integrity and a commitment to making the world a better place. With over 1,300 student clubs and organizations and students participating in 20 Division 1-A level sports in the Southeastern Conference, students engage in a wide range of co-curricular activities outside of the classroom.

The AVP will join Texas A&M at an exciting time, as the university has recently welcomed a new President and Provost and set an ambitious agenda to raise the university’s national stature in research, education, and student experience. The leadership team has also experienced many other new leaders in the last few years after some restructuring, and they expecting the arrival this fall of new deans in the College of Engineering; School of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts; School of Architecture; and the Bush School of Government and Public Service, which allows a tremendous opportunity for the AVP to reimagine how Enrollment Management can partner to optimize enrollment. The AVP will employ a campus-wide mindset in all aspects of their work, collaborating with marketing colleagues and colleges and schools to understand their needs and tell the Texas A&M story to prospective audiences. They will also ensure an office supportive of current student needs, especially as it relates to financial aid and the availability of courses necessary for a timely graduation. The AVP will be expected to bring a deep and sophisticated understanding of data analytics and predictive modeling to enhance the admissions process and better understand enrollment trends of all student populations. The AVP will be a sought after thought leader in the enrollment management space, maintaining a presence in community, regional, national organizations, adeptly fielding requests from the media and the state legislature, and representing Texas A&M to constituents across the state and country.

Texas A&M University has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this recruitment.

Jonathan Lopez with Texas A&M Executive Searches is overseeing this search in collaboration with Isaacson, Miller.

Opportunities & Challenges

The AVP will build on an exceptionally strong enrollment foundation to guide the Enrollment Management team in shaping the future of Texas A&M around class composition for certain programs, increasing access, maintaining academic excellence, and assisting student success objectives. They will ensure that Texas A&M continues to be recognized as a first-choice university for Texans in a highly competitive higher education landscape by addressing the following opportunities and challenges:

Develop and execute a collaborative, adaptive, and strategic enrollment management plan

The AVP will be joining Texas A&M at a pivotal time to create and implement a new strategic enrollment vision in alignment with new university-wide strategic objectives that will allow the university to continue to attract and enroll the best and brightest students throughout Texas, while also promoting accessibility and student success to fulfill its land-grant mission. The AVP will determine the appropriate recruitment and yield activities necessary to support these ambitions while also working with stakeholders across the institution to craft their stories; highlight their strengths; and align recruitment strategies and marketing messages. The AVP will also be a key member of the Provost’s leadership team to plan future academic offerings in response to student wants and needs to continue to reaffirm its standing as a destination of choice. Overall, the AVP will be a highly visible storyteller and strategist internally and externally to cultivate a university-wide culture for strategic enrollment management.

In developing a strategic enrollment plan, the AVP will employ exceptional analytical acumen and the ability to leverage data and predictive analytics to drive enrollment decisions, identify opportunities for new recruitment markets, effectively optimize the distribution of financial aid, and ensure the classes needed for each program. Using the vast amounts of student data available at the institution, they will work to better understand factors that influence student behavior during the enrollment process and develop models that help to predict the successful recruitment and yield of students. Further, they will develop a financial aid strategy that allocates aid in the areas of greatest need and leverages financial aid dollars to meet key enrollment goals.

Implement a targeted recruitment and yield strategy to increase enrollment among specific programs and populations

In recent years, Texas A&M has achieved unparalleled enrollment growth, outpacing peers both regionally and nationally. However, there are opportunities to grow and better strategize for certain programs and locations. The new AVP will be charged with developing a recruitment strategy that balances and accounts for the university’s desire to maintain enrollment, while growing targeted programs and increasing accessibility. Opportunities for enrollment growth include programs in The Bush School of Government & Public Service (possible undergraduate programs); College of Arts and Sciences; School of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts; the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and better leveraging the branch campuses to expand Texas A&M’s reach. The AVP will work closely with the Provost’s leadership team and deans to determine growth objectives in alignment with Texas A&M’s mission of providing access and ensuring workforce development for Texas residents.

Once objectives are determined, the AVP will leverage internal and external partnerships to strategically build targeted enrollment pipelines, especially bolstering enrollment in schools and majors that are undersubscribed or have capacity for growth. The AVP will also help ensure Texas A&M reflects state demographics by increasing the number of first-generation and transfer students across socio-economic status. The AVP will partner closely with the Division of Marketing and Communications, deans, and branch campus leadership to craft a compelling narrative that will enhance the Texas A&M brand and drive enrollment among the desired student populations and programs.

Lead a holistic enrollment management function in support of university-wide student success efforts

Increasing retention and graduation rates are key institutional goals, and as a key member of the Provost’s leadership team, the AVP will be integral to these efforts. The AVP will collaborate across university leadership especially with the Office for Student Success, the Division of Student Affairs, and the deans, to support incoming students, with a focus on their retention, achievement, and timely graduation. This process will begin with a smooth and synchronized handoff of incoming students to offices involved with orientation and academic advising and will continue with seamless support in financial aid and course registration during their time on campus. The AVP will sit on both the Student Success Committee and Academic Operations Committee and will engage in frequent and ongoing dialogue with campus partners to ensure the alignment of the enrollment vision with retention and graduation goals. To this end, the AVP will support the Registrar in ensuring the data they need for the sufficient availability of classes and will help eliminate barriers related to registration that might impede student persistence or graduation. Further, the AVP will work to educate all stakeholders on the changing demographics of the student population, with a focus on eliminating financial and achievement disparities.

Cultivate, empower, and guide an Enrollment Management team committed to excellence

Upon arrival, the AVP will unite the Admissions, Outreach & Recruitment, Scholarships & Financial Aid, and Registrar functions around a comprehensive vision and strategy through team building, professional development, and the training necessary to deliver on strategy to promote excellence, with an emphasis on adaptability, process improvement, providing seamless support, and ensuring the necessary infrastructure to be successful. They will evaluate current practices, policies, and procedures, and determine how best to adapt regularly to ensure an enrollment management function that is highly integrated and aligned with broader enrollment and student success goals. They will be a strong advocate and mentor for the enrollment team and their work, and will lead with both data and heart, actively listening and incorporating the expertise of their staff while enhancing coordination with the goal of continuously improving how Texas A&M serves prospective and current students.

Increase access to a Texas A&M education in partnership with branch and satellite campuses

While enrollment at the College Station campus has been the main focus of this role in recent years, the new AVP will be expected to work closely with the Provost, deans, and leadership at A&M’s other campus locations to evaluate enrollment objectives and possibly expand their portfolio of program offerings in an effort to complement and add to what is offered in College Station. The Texas A&M Higher Education Center at McAllen, which opened in 2018, and the Galveston campus, which has seen declining enrollments for 10 years, are especially in need of strategy. The AVP will work closely with leadership to help craft their value propositions and increase their visibility in the market while highlighting what makes each campus location distinctive. Further, recruitment messaging and marketing materials should maintain a consistent voice and style across campuses, and admission processes and procedures should align to the greatest extent possible to create a seamless experience for prospective students applying to any Texas A&M campus. Improving campus aesthetics will also be important to provide a compelling prospective and current student experience, and expanding community partnerships will be necessary to help ensure a pipeline of students. With success, the AVP will be viewed as a valuable asset to the deans and university leadership around how best to leverage these locations to expand academic offerings and access to a Texas A&M education.

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The AVP will build on an exceptionally strong enrollment foundation to guide the Enrollment Management team in shaping the future of Texas A&M around class composition for certain programs, increasing access, maintaining academic excellence, and assisting student success objectives. They will ensure that Texas A&M continues to be recognized as a first-choice university for Texans in a highly competitive higher education landscape by addressing the following opportunities and challenges:

Develop and execute a collaborative, adaptive, and strategic enrollment management plan

The AVP will be joining Texas A&M at a pivotal time to create and implement a new strategic enrollment vision in alignment with new university-wide strategic objectives that will allow the university to continue to attract and enroll the best and brightest students throughout Texas, while also promoting accessibility and student success to fulfill its land-grant mission. The AVP will determine the appropriate recruitment and yield activities necessary to support these ambitions while also working with stakeholders across the institution to craft their stories; highlight their strengths; and align recruitment strategies and marketing messages. The AVP will also be a key member of the Provost’s leadership team to plan future academic offerings in response to student wants and needs to continue to reaffirm its standing as a destination of choice. Overall, the AVP will be a highly visible storyteller and strategist internally and externally to cultivate a university-wide culture for strategic enrollment management.

In developing a strategic enrollment plan, the AVP will employ exceptional analytical acumen and the ability to leverage data and predictive analytics to drive enrollment decisions, identify opportunities for new recruitment markets, effectively optimize the distribution of financial aid, and ensure the classes needed for each program. Using the vast amounts of student data available at the institution, they will work to better understand factors that influence student behavior during the enrollment process and develop models that help to predict the successful recruitment and yield of students. Further, they will develop a financial aid strategy that allocates aid in the areas of greatest need and leverages financial aid dollars to meet key enrollment goals.

Implement a targeted recruitment and yield strategy to increase enrollment among specific programs and populations

In recent years, Texas A&M has achieved unparalleled enrollment growth, outpacing peers both regionally and nationally. However, there are opportunities to grow and better strategize for certain programs and locations. The new AVP will be charged with developing a recruitment strategy that balances and accounts for the university’s desire to maintain enrollment, while growing targeted programs and increasing accessibility. Opportunities for enrollment growth include programs in The Bush School of Government & Public Service (possible undergraduate programs); College of Arts and Sciences; School of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts; the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and better leveraging the branch campuses to expand Texas A&M’s reach. The AVP will work closely with the Provost’s leadership team and deans to determine growth objectives in alignment with Texas A&M’s mission of providing access and ensuring workforce development for Texas residents.

Once objectives are determined, the AVP will leverage internal and external partnerships to strategically build targeted enrollment pipelines, especially bolstering enrollment in schools and majors that are undersubscribed or have capacity for growth. The AVP will also help ensure Texas A&M reflects state demographics by increasing the number of first-generation and transfer students across socio-economic status. The AVP will partner closely with the Division of Marketing and Communications, deans, and branch campus leadership to craft a compelling narrative that will enhance the Texas A&M brand and drive enrollment among the desired student populations and programs.

Lead a holistic enrollment management function in support of university-wide student success efforts

Increasing retention and graduation rates are key institutional goals, and as a key member of the Provost’s leadership team, the AVP will be integral to these efforts. The AVP will collaborate across university leadership especially with the Office for Student Success, the Division of Student Affairs, and the deans, to support incoming students, with a focus on their retention, achievement, and timely graduation. This process will begin with a smooth and synchronized handoff of incoming students to offices involved with orientation and academic advising and will continue with seamless support in financial aid and course registration during their time on campus. The AVP will sit on both the Student Success Committee and Academic Operations Committee and will engage in frequent and ongoing dialogue with campus partners to ensure the alignment of the enrollment vision with retention and graduation goals. To this end, the AVP will support the Registrar in ensuring the data they need for the sufficient availability of classes and will help eliminate barriers related to registration that might impede student persistence or graduation. Further, the AVP will work to educate all stakeholders on the changing demographics of the student population, with a focus on eliminating financial and achievement disparities.

Cultivate, empower, and guide an Enrollment Management team committed to excellence

Upon arrival, the AVP will unite the Admissions, Outreach & Recruitment, Scholarships & Financial Aid, and Registrar functions around a comprehensive vision and strategy through team building, professional development, and the training necessary to deliver on strategy to promote excellence, with an emphasis on adaptability, process improvement, providing seamless support, and ensuring the necessary infrastructure to be successful. They will evaluate current practices, policies, and procedures, and determine how best to adapt regularly to ensure an enrollment management function that is highly integrated and aligned with broader enrollment and student success goals. They will be a strong advocate and mentor for the enrollment team and their work, and will lead with both data and heart, actively listening and incorporating the expertise of their staff while enhancing coordination with the goal of continuously improving how Texas A&M serves prospective and current students.

Increase access to a Texas A&M education in partnership with branch and satellite campuses

While enrollment at the College Station campus has been the main focus of this role in recent years, the new AVP will be expected to work closely with the Provost, deans, and leadership at A&M’s other campus locations to evaluate enrollment objectives and possibly expand their portfolio of program offerings in an effort to complement and add to what is offered in College Station. The Texas A&M Higher Education Center at McAllen, which opened in 2018, and the Galveston campus, which has seen declining enrollments for 10 years, are especially in need of strategy. The AVP will work closely with leadership to help craft their value propositions and increase their visibility in the market while highlighting what makes each campus location distinctive. Further, recruitment messaging and marketing materials should maintain a consistent voice and style across campuses, and admission processes and procedures should align to the greatest extent possible to create a seamless experience for prospective students applying to any Texas A&M campus. Improving campus aesthetics will also be important to provide a compelling prospective and current student experience, and expanding community partnerships will be necessary to help ensure a pipeline of students. With success, the AVP will be viewed as a valuable asset to the deans and university leadership around how best to leverage these locations to expand academic offerings and access to a Texas A&M education.

Key Responsibilities

The AVP serves as the university’s chief enrollment officer and is tasked with advancing an enrollment strategy that aligns with the institutional mission, goals, core values, and resources. The AVP will work closely with university leadership around enrollment strategies and broaden the visibility and reach of Texas A&M through effective marketing and recruitment. The AVP will lead and champion innovative outreach and financial aid strategies to recruit, admit, enroll, and retain first-year and transfer students, especially ensuring access to Texans, while working collaboratively with key leaders across the university and externally to meet enrollment objectives and ensure synergies between enrollment and student success goals. This will include working closely with other campuses and locations to expand their reach.

The AVP reports directly to the Provost and provides leadership and direction to Admissions, Recruitment, Financial Aid, and the Registrar. The AVP will oversee a team of 500 with 4 direct reports, including an Assistant Vice President for Scholarships and Financial Aid, an Assistant Vice President and Registrar and an Assistant Vice President and Executive Director of Admissions. They will also be responsible for the management of a $250 million budget, including $230 million in financial aid.

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Qualifications & Characteristics

A successful candidate will exhibit leadership and vision in enrollment management and bring to the position most, if not all, of the following desired qualifications:

Bachelor's degree or equivalent and 10 years' experience
Minimum of 5-8 years of experience in enrollment management, preferably with experience at a large, R1 institution
Demonstrated leadership skills including strategic planning, systems thinking, and budget management
A track record of expanding recruitment pipelines
Experience with and proven success in developing and implementing sophisticated admissions, financial aid, and registrar strategies
Excellent collaborative, relational, and interpersonal skills with a high level of transparency; past success in hiring, retaining, leading, and mentoring a strong team
Experience establishing partnerships with retention and student success programs to effectively support students
Significant strength in oral communication and an ability to be a compelling advocate and spokesperson to a broad range of internal and external audiences
Proven ability to analyze, summarize, and present complex data to various constituencies, including administration, faculty, staff, alumni, the board, students, and families
Previous experience with student information systems such as Slate, PeopleSoft, or Salesforce and technologies that help students chart a clear path to graduation

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