Director of Undergraduate Admissions
The mission of the Undergraduate Admissions Office is to promote educational opportunities, provide quality service, and facilitate new student enrollment at the University.
Overview:
This position encompasses all areas of admission, including the following: visioning, supervision, training, education and instruction, evaluating, planning and assessment, policy-making, directing of all internal and external operations, recruitment, project coordination, IT development and budget administration. The Director serves as the chief undergraduate admissions officer and is responsible for meeting the annual goals for the enrollment of the freshman and transfer class. The Director is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of all admission decisions and enrolling a class that meets the quality standards set forth by senior administration. The Director must continually assess demographic data both regionally and nationally and predict future enrollment of new undergraduate students. He/she is responsible for staying abreast of national trends in admissions, recruitment, marketing and communications and ensure the university is engaged at the national level with best practices. The Director is also responsible for engaging with admission colleagues both regionally and nationally to dialogue over national and regional issues and network closely to further the goals of the University. The Director must ensure critical processes like applicant background review/checks and other UNC System policies are adhered to, as well as NACAC best practices.
Responsibilities
Visioning and strategic direction
• Responsibility to create, communicate and execute the vision and strategic direction of the Admissions Office.
• Responsibility for ensuring annual progress toward five-year strategic goals.
• Accountable for providing accurate data to university community to assist in federal reporting and planning.
Management of internal and external affairs
• Responsibility of budget execution/management for a million dollar budget.
• Oversight responsibility for project management, labor planning, workflow analysis, IT development, policy-making and continual assessment, customer-centered philosophy execution, quality/accuracy analysis, and constituent-based marketing plan.
Supervision and development
• Responsible for direct and indirect management of 30 permanent staff members, several temporary staff and student employees, and a team of more than 50 student volunteers. Management includes hiring, training, evaluating, and development of each employee.
• The Director is accountable for ensuring that proper training programs/manuals are developed, executed and updated annually by the appropriate trainers.
• Director is accountable for continual staff development of all staff members and development of the office unit as a customer-centered, high-quality service unit.
Public relations
• Responsibility for evaluating and ensuring that the needs of all constituents are met in a customer-centered approach.
• Ensuring that appropriate networks, partnerships, and relationships are established and nurtured is an important achievement of the unit.
• Development and continuation of a positive, trusting, and esteemed office reputation is critical. This reputation must exist with campus administrators, staff, students/families, colleagues, and secondary schools.
Chief admissions officer
• The Director services as the chief undergraduate admissions officer and is responsible for meeting the annual goals for the enrollment of the freshman and transfer class.
• The Director must continually assess demographic data both regionally and nationally and predict future enrollment of new undergraduate students.
• He/she is responsible for staying abreast of industry trends in admissions, recruitment, marketing and communications and ensure the university is engaged at the national level with best practices.
Accuracy and integrity
• The Director is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of all admission decisions and enrolling a class that meets the quality standards set forth by senior administration.
• The Director must ensure critical processes like applicant background review/checks and other UNC System policies are adhered to, as well as NACAC best practices.
Networking and development
• The Director is also responsible for engaging with admission colleagues both regionally and nationally to dialogue over national and regional issues and network closely to further the goals of the University.
Qualifications:
Required
The formal education required for the position of Director of Admissions is a minimum of a master degree. Coursework in management, counseling, budgeting, marketing, research, conflict management, public speaking and communications are preferred. The position requires a minimum of five years of progressive experience in a successful admissions operation in a four-year college or university setting. Significant experience at the Director or Associate Director level with strong supervisory and budget management experience is required. Strong planning, assessment/analysis, research, and organizational skills are essential. Thorough understanding of enrollment planning, including yield analysis and applicant trend data is required. In-depth knowledge of admissions related IT development, marketing/recruitment strategies/trends, and customer relations development is necessary. Additional demonstrated abilities should include effective public speaking, networking and relationship development abilities, diplomatic, professional and collaborative communication style, sound philosophy of team development, strategic visioning and execution, inclusivity and understanding of people from many diverse backgrounds, creative thinking and problem-solving skills, and strong work ethic.
Preferred
• Background that includes developing, evaluating and improving recruitment marketing plans and strategies, with an emphasis on digital marketing.
• In-depth experience with Slate for undergraduate admissions.
• Knowledge of Banner information system.
