The University of Colorado Colorado Springs invites inquiries, applications, and nominations for the newly formed position of Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management. The new Vice Chancellor will be an innovative and forward-thinking leader who is able to lead with vision, creativity, and collaboration in support of achieving bold enrollment goals.
About the University
(UCCS) is one of four campuses in the University of Colorado system and is home to almost 12,000 driven students, more than 800 experienced faculty members, and more than 800 devoted staff members. On its awe-inspiring campus, UCCS focuses on providing an academically excellent environment at a value to students across the United States, and more than 80 nations. UCCS is committed to access, diversity and student success as well as the boundless possibilities fostered by a UCCS education. More than 35 percent of the UCCS student body is racially diverse, roughly 20 percent are military-affiliated and 23 percent are the first in their family to attend college.
UCCS offers 53 undergraduate degree programs, 24 graduate degree programs, and 8 doctoral programs. UCCS is also home to the world's only Bachelor of InnovationTM program, which allows graduates to master multi-disciplinary skills and graduate ready to create real change in the world. UCCS was recently classified as a "High Research Activity" university by the Carnegie Foundation and takes pride in being the only higher education institution in southern Colorado that explicitly includes research as part of its mission. Overall, UCCS is constantly focused of preparing students to have success in the future, and understands that every single employee on campus has a significant effect on that focus. The experience students gain at UCCS provides an incredible service to the community of Colorado Springs and the greater southern Colorado region as a whole, with UCCS contributing about $600 million each year in economic impact in El Paso County alone.
In 2020, UCCS launched a new strategic plan with seven core strategies: 1) Learning, Engagement, and Belonging, 2) Retention and Graduation, 3) Research and Creative Excellence, 4) Financial Strength, 5) Deliberate Investment, 6) Distinctive Programs, and 7) Partnerships and Outreach. These seven strategies are interconnected and work simultaneously, in concert, to guide UCCS path to 2030. The Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management will play a critical role in helping UCCS achieve success within the strategic plan as the university prioritizes the student journey from recruitment through graduation.
The city, which was recently ranked as the number two Best Places to Live by U.S. News & World Report in 2022, known as Olympic City USA, rests at the base of Pikes Peak, the inspiration for the song "America the Beautiful" and a must-see for residents and visitors alike. The 14,115 foot summit is just one of dozens of area attractions, including scenic trains, museums, parks, a zoo and more. With a mild climate and 247 days of sunshine each year, the Springs boasts some of the state's best recreation opportunities.
About the Position
The Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management (VCEM) holds a significant and influential position at the University, with the opportunity to make a tangible contribution to the future of UCCS and to the success of a highly diverse student body. Reporting to the Chancellor, the VCEM is a member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet and serves as the chief enrollment officer with the principal responsibility for developing a comprehensive enrollment management strategy, in collaboration with other cabinet members, that fosters an integrative recruitment, admissions and retention effort consistent with the university’s strategic goals and direction. The VCEM will be tasked with building a full-life cycle approach to enrollment management in order to recruit, attract, select, enroll, retain, and graduate UCCS students.
The successful candidate will enhance the systems and structures to aid in enrollment management planning and decision making at all levels and will lead an ongoing institution-wide conversation about vision, goals, and strategy. The Vice Chancellor will possess great analytic and technological depth, the ability to improve upon every metric in the enrollment spectrum, a working knowledge of current national issues, and a proven capacity for embedding enrollment management priorities within institutional values and aspirations. The new Vice Chancellor will also be a strong collaborator with superior interpersonal communication skills and will possess the professional currency that will garner the trust and confidence of senior leaders, faculty, campus constituents, and division staff.
The Vice Chancellor will lead and mentor a staff charged with recruiting and enrolling an academically driven and diverse student body. The Vice Chancellor will supervise a highly experienced and motivated team of professionals to include: Sr. Executive Director of Financial Aid, Sr. Executive Director of Enrollment Management, Precollegiate Center Director, Executive Assistant, Finance/HR Manager, Executive Director of Online Operations. Leading them in their oversight and responsibility for Enrollment Management (Registrar Undergraduate/Graduate/Domestic/International Recruitment and Admissions, Orientation), Financial Aid/Student Employment/Scholarships (Financial Aid Counseling/Compliance, Scholarships, Student Employment), Precollegiate Development Program Support and Success Center, Online and Academic Outreach, and Online Operations. The Assistant Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications will have a dotted-line reporting to the VCEM.
The Vice Chancellor will work closely with cabinet members, faculty, staff, members, and alumni in the development and execution of a comprehensive strategic enrollment plan that will shape UCCS in the years to come. The Vice Chancellor is solely responsible for managing the University’s admissions, online initiatives, and enrollment activities. In Admissions, the Vice Chancellor develops, manages, and evaluates a team of admissions professionals who are student facing to assure urgency, consistency, and the highest ethical standards. To this end, the Vice Chancellor establishes and measures key performance metrics, and provides data-based information to specific units to analyze their effectiveness. The Vice Chancellor coordinates with all of the academic divisions to assure that the University’s personal approach to students is reflected in every communication, tactic, and event. To this end, the Vice Chancellor is responsible for coordinating Open Houses and other informational events online and on-ground. The Vice Chancellor also coordinates high school visits and college fairs, presents and represents the institution in a variety of forums. Further, the Vice Chancellor works with the Director of Admissions to render admissions decisions to prospective students, and to assure that UCCS delivers on its promises and acts with the highest integrity.
In leading the division of Enrollment Management, the VCEM will be expected to:
- Provide leadership and innovation in the creation of a new organization combining all aspects of enrollment management at UCCS.
- Engage the entire campus in the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategic enrollment management plan that is aligned with the mission, academic vision, and strategic plan of the institution.
- Oversee all aspects of a comprehensive enrollment plan with growth goals that include strategies to recruit and enroll traditional undergraduate, transfer, returning adult, graduate, online, international students as well as attracting resident and non-resident students.
- Create the capacity to support individual colleges, departments and programs and partner with them on the strategy in attracting and enrolling new students.
- Work to update and revitalize articulation agreements in collaboration with academic leadership for community college transfer students.
- Champion a strategy with the VC of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that fosters a culture of advancing diversity and equity and enhancing inclusiveness by creating access for underrepresented students.
- Monitor and assess enrollment performance to evaluate the effectiveness of: recruitment and retention efforts, scholarship programs, and social media and emerging marketing technologies that enhance yield with potential students and their families.
- Enhance enrollment and retention efforts in support of campus goals and metrics adopted by the Board of Regents.
- Collaborate with and support of Academic Affairs in its pivotal enrollment-building initiatives.
- Manage a budget exceeding twenty million dollars
- Exhibit responsiveness, flexibility, and creativity to ensure the University meets or exceeds enrollment goals given the dynamic and competitive enrollment environment, utilizing resources effectively and efficiently to achieve the optimal balance between ongoing goals of increasing quality and diversity of students while maximizing net revenue.
- Implement a bold vision for future enrollment that is anticipatory and ever evolving to meet student needs and market demands.
- Evaluate and improve the practices of the students’ experience, including timely, effective, and positive engagement with students and families throughout the admissions process through matriculation to graduation.
- Lead enrollment planning efforts by working closely with the Chancellor’s Cabinet, Deans, Associate Deans, Associate VCs, colleagues across the university and community partners to develop, implement and modify a multi-year strategic enrollment management plan with associated strategies to achieve the university’s qualitative and quantitative enrollment goals and objectives at the campus, college, department, and program level.
- Lead with a passion for advancing diversity and equity and enhancing inclusiveness as well as the ability to create access for underrepresented students.
- Develop strategic partnerships with faculty and academic deans to advance enrollment efforts and success.
- Anticipate and respond to a rapidly evolving environment to help UCCS stay current and competitive.
- Develop, and analyze admissions data, making informed decisions about short and long range enrollment goals and new market opportunities.
- Direct and oversee the development of recruiting strategies and enrollment programs to enhance student-institution fit and successful student transition to the University.
- Represent and promote divisional programs, services, and initiatives to internal and external constituencies and the general public, as appropriate.
- Plan, develop, and implement strategies for generating resources and/or revenues for the organization.
- Design, establish, and maintain an organizational structure and staffing to effectively accomplish the organization's goals and objectives; oversees recruitment, supervision, and evaluation of unit staff.
- Develop and manage annual budgets for the organization and performs periodic cost and productivity analyses.
- Lead the strategic enrollment governance structure steering committee.
- Prepare and deliver reports to the CU Board of Regents, CU System, Chancellor’s Cabinet, and campus on enrollment strategies, initiatives, and data analytics.
- Participates in the review, development, and establishment of general University policies and procedures as a member of the Cabinet.
Qualifications
UCCS seeks candidates, committed to student success, with sustained, effective, and significant higher education leadership experience in an enrollment management position. The new leader will be ambitious in achieving enrollment goals while also encompassing the compassion, student centeredness, and commitment to access reflected in UCCS core values.
The candidate’s professional experiences should include:
- A Master’s degree in a relevant field of higher education and at least 10 years of progressive and relevant responsibility and leadership in enrollment management at the level of Assistant/Associate Vice Chancellor or above at comparable institutions is required. Experience in the role of Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management or other similar cabinet-level position is preferred.
- Extensive capabilities in using qualitative and quantitative data to drive effective marketing, recruitment, admission, and student retention programs.
- Ability to manage operational aspects of the enrollment management function, including effective budgeting and fiscal management, personnel and strategic planning processes, and proficient use of web-based technologies.
- Extensive knowledge of strategic enrollment management theory and practice with demonstrated success in leveraging analytics to increase enrollment, maximizing net tuition revenue while increasing quality and diversity.
- Demonstrated success with contemporary marketing and outreach principles, strategies, and techniques, enrollment management software and systems, as well as external sources.
- Ability to analyze complex problems, interpret operational needs, and develop integrated, creative solutions.
- Evidence of successful collaborations with a wide range of stakeholders within and outside the university, including the ability to lead and manage change.
- Evidence of willingness to take measured risks to accomplish the goals of the institution.
- Success as a creative and innovative leader whose work is informed by effective strategic planning, assessment, and staff development.
- Demonstrated success with improving retention and graduation rates among other specified outcomes.
- Demonstrated effectiveness and successful leadership as a culturally competent professional with broad experience interacting with and supporting the needs of diverse stakeholders, including division staff and undergraduate and graduate student populations.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and implement assessment plans, including the ability to use assessment results to improve the effectiveness of services and programs.
- Extensive experience and evidence of outstanding success in determining appropriate staff size to ensure equity in hiring, training, developing, supervising, and assessing/evaluating staff performance in the achievement of division and unit goals.
- Active participation and leadership in local, regional, and/or national professional organizations.
The successful candidate will be an outgoing, persuasive, charismatic, and articulate leader known for their fairmindedness, consistency, resourcefulness and creativity in developing and presenting sound and well thought out ideas. Additional attributes include:
- Ability to lead by example and keep campus leadership well informed on matters pertaining to the division.
- Reputation as an outstanding communicator and an inclusive decision-maker who is successful in being transparent.
- Demonstrated skill working with diverse cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives.
- High emotional intelligence including the ability to recognize and make full use of the field expertise of staff members within the division.
- Proficiency in developing appropriate and relevant goals and objectives that are clearly linked to the mission of the division and the institution.
- Exhibit responsiveness, flexibility, and creativity to ensure the University meets or exceeds enrollment goals given the dynamic and competitive enrollment environment, utilizing resources effectively and efficiently to achieve the optimal balance between ongoing goals of increasing quality and diversity of students while maximizing net revenue.
- Current knowledge in areas of compliance with state, regional and federal requirements.
- Knowledge of strategic and assessment planning and implementation.
- Excellent, demonstrated direct- and matrix-leadership skills and capabilities, negotiation skills, and team-building behaviors in working with a wide range of opportunities and inherent challenges.
- Strong planning and organizational skills, including ability to manage multiple relationships.
- Personal characteristics associated with highly productive and successful professionals, including a vigorous work ethic, sound judgment, integrity, demonstrated initiative, appropriate professional appearance, attitude and personality to work effectively with colleagues, senior leadership of UCCS, and other stakeholders
Salary Range: Generally starting at $150,000-200,000
The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should send, as two separate documents, a resume and a letter of application that relates skills, abilities, knowledge, and professional experiences to the stated qualifications for the position and notable achievements. The packet should be sent to: VCEMUCCS@wspelman.com.
Recruitment is underway and will continue until the position is filled. To ensure full consideration, applications should be received by July 1, 2022. Confidential inquiries should be made to Megan Spelman, President, William Spelman Executive Search at (585) 750-7091 or Megan@wspelman.com.
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs is committed to providing a safe and productive learning, living and working community. To assist in achieving this goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective applicants being considered for employment. Background investigations include a criminal history record check, and when appropriate, a financial and/or motor vehicle history check.
UCCS is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. In compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, the University of Colorado does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, political affiliation or political philosophy in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. Alternative formats of this ad can be provided upon request for individuals with disabilities by contacting the Office of Human Resources at (719) 255-3372.
