Vice President for Enrollment Management

Department: 500050 – Office of the VP for Enrollment SV

Position Summary

La Salle University, a coeducational, Catholic four-year university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, seeks candidates for Vice President for Enrollment Management. The Vice President for Enrollment Management is the chief enrollment officer with the responsibility to impact enrollment at an institution that is committed to excellence, access, and community. Reporting to the President and providing leadership for admissions, financial aid, and retention, the Vice President leads La Salle’s strategic recruitment efforts, working in partnership with key stakeholders to carry out an enrollment plan that is grounded in best practices and enhances La Salle’s ability to attract, enroll, and retain talented students locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. The Vice President will embrace the best use of current technology in the execution of an enrollment strategy that is forward-looking, innovative, data driven, statistically informed, and continually assessed and refined.

Essential Duties

The Vice President will oversee the enrollment division which includes a staff of 32 professionals in the areas of:

• Undergraduate admission – first year and transfer students
• Graduate and adult student admission
• Financial Aid
• Student Accounts Receivable
• Enrollment services, operations, systems, and analytics

The expectations for the Vice President for Enrollment Management require that the successful candidate possess the ability and experience to accomplish the following responsibilities and priorities in these key areas:

• Lead enrollment with vigor, enthusiasm, and a contemporary vision for what is possible.
• Develop the vision and strategic direction for student recruitment efforts and have primary responsibility for articulating and implementing a strategic, entrepreneurial, and data-driven enrollment management plan.
• Engage others in the vision for enrollment and galvanize the La Salle community in support of a dynamic and goal-focused enrollment operation.
• Serve as a thought partner and strategic leader in support of La Salle’s retention goals in collaboration with Student Development and Campus Life and Academic affairs.
• Provide leadership for admission, financial aid and student accounts receivable staff and manage a financial aid budget of approximately $40 million and an annual operating budget of $1.28 million (not including salaries).
• Serve as a central and vital member of the University’s Executive Cabinet, working supportively, collegially, and interdependently with colleagues to lead across the institution.
• Develop and implement the University’s comprehensive enrollment program, including market assessment and segmentation, brand promotion, and recruitment tactics to meet the University’s enrollment, retention, and net tuition revenue goals.
• Further strategic directions, priorities, and goals for the overall unit and for each office within the unit; use data and analytical expertise to make proposals and decisions; and link budgets and expenditures to measurable outcomes while seeking creative ways to achieve enrollment goals, in both domestic and international markets, graduate and undergraduate programs, as well as first year and transfer students.
• Work closely with the President, Provost, and Vice President for Finance and Administration to optimize revenue generation within housing, financial aid, pricing, and the leveraging of institutional resources to recruit and retain students and manage net tuition revenues.
• Follow enrollment management trends, stay abreast of new technologies, and oversee the implementation of these innovative mechanisms and/or the modification of existing practices.
• In collaboration with key stakeholders, develop leading KPIs for the enrollment division and lead a culture of continuous assessment, measurement, and data-informed strategies.
• Empower and strengthen the enrollment management team to continually assess and refine the strategy and tactics needed to achieve enrollment goals in a rapidly changing technological environment.
• Lead a transparent and forward-looking budgeting process for the enrollment area that aims high, projects clear outcomes for expenditures, and evaluates achievements in the context of cost effectiveness.
• Ensure the integrity of all financial aid programs; create and update policies on compliance, ensuring accuracy and complete regulatory compliance; and develop workshops and programming focused on financial literacy and college affordability (for graduate and undergraduate students).
• Working in conjunction with the Vice President of University Marketing and Communications, exploit cutting-edge communications technology (e.g., website, social media, digital marketing) to reach students in the ways they can best hear and respond to.
• Provide leadership to three direct reports: Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management; Executive Director, Admission & Technology; and Associate Director of Graduate and Adult Admission.
• Synthesize a variety of changes and policies over the past ten years at La Salle, distilling them into a cohesive picture for students and families, and providing realistic and achievable goals for the University.

# of Direct Reports: TBD (currently 3)

Required Qualifications

Candidates for this position should have a significant number of years of professional experience in enrollment, with previous experience in private higher education preferred. An appreciation and demonstrated understanding of a mission driven institution is strongly desired. A bachelor’s degree is required, while an advanced degree is preferred. 

The Vice President for Enrollment Management will encounter a campus community largely receptive to new ideas, supportive of change, and willing to champion enrollment success. The successful candidate will join a senior team 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:

• Significant professional experience managing the complex interplay of marketing and recruiting strategies, enrollment goals, yield, and financial aid; genuine enjoyment in leading, managing, and implementing large-scale strategic analysis; and a track record of success in improving every metric in the enrollment spectrum.
• Entrepreneurial spirit and skill and experience to advance enrollment and retention strategies.
• Ability to employ sustainable efforts in building external partnerships with individuals and organizations that appreciate the strengths of the institution.
• Evidence of a track record of building campus coalitions around recruiting and supporting students of promise for their institution.
• Sophisticated understanding of cutting-edge marketing and communication techniques, including digital marketing and social media.
• Commitment to access and diversity and ability to embrace and extend the Lasallian mission of the University.
• Skill in the recruitment of a variety of student populations including undergraduate, graduate, first year, international, and transfer students, with an understanding of the necessary variation of approach for each group.
• Experience working with financial aid leveraging organizations.
• A desire to deeply partner with direct reports to strengthen staff preparation, instill best practices in all areas of the division, while setting forth a spirit of responding to the needs of current and prospective students.
• Knowledge of and commitment to the mission of La Salle University.

Physical Requirements and/or Unusual Work Hours

• Extended hours and weekend work will be required for certain events and at peak times.

Special Instructions to Applicant

La Salle University is partnering with NES to identify the best professional to fill the position of Vice President for Enrollment Management. To arrange for a confidential conversation or to nominate someone for this position, please contact Mary Napier or Laura Robinson or Suzi Nam.

To apply, send 1) a resume, 2) a detailed letter of interest regarding your interest in La Salle University, and 3) contact information for five professional references by email to: lasalle@nessearches.com. 

For best assurance of full consideration, interested individuals should submit application materials no later than July 26, 2023. 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. Anticipated start date is fall 2023; the selected candidate will be based on the La Salle campus.

La Salle University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports a fully inclusive, equitable, and diverse working and learning environment. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.