VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND

Richmond, Virginia

 

The University of Richmond is searching for its next Vice President for Enrollment Management, a proven leader who will build on the University’s significant accomplishments and help shape the strategic direction for enrollment management in the coming years. This position reports to the President of the University and serves as a member of the President’s senior leadership team, a strong and collegial group deeply committed to the University’s mission and characterized by transparency and a disciplined, analytical approach to decision making in all areas of the institution. The Vice President leads a staff of 48 talented people in admission and financial aid.

QUALIFICATIONS: This position is both interesting and complex, requiring a smart and nimble strategist who is deeply committed to the values of a liberal arts education. The Vice President for Enrollment Management must share in the University’s unwavering commitments to diversity in all of its forms, to student access and to affordability. The University of Richmond seeks candidates with an established record of successful leadership in the fields of admission, financial aid, and/or enrollment management. The person who will succeed in the Richmond culture must be deeply collaborative, skilled in quantitative analysis, and highly ethical. Candidates should also have an appetite for the fast pace characteristic of the University. A detailed position profile outlining opportunities and likely priorities can be found here: http://lahtisearch.com/Richmond-VPEM.pdf

THE UNIVERSITY: The University is unique in its configuration as a highly selective, top-ranked liberal arts college that is also home to a law school, MBA program, and school of professional and continuing studies. The University enrolls approximately 4,100 students across its five schools; the vast majority of full-time students are traditional undergraduates.  Richmond enrolls approximately 800 first-year and 60 transfer students annually for study in the School of Arts & Sciences, the Robins School of Business, and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies.  The undergraduate student body currently represents 46 U.S. states and more than 70 countries. Retention and graduations rates are excellent for students from all backgrounds and continue to increase. The University of Richmond is committed to access and affordability, is need-blind in admission for domestic undergraduate students, and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all traditional undergraduates.

Through implementation of its strategic plan, The Richmond Promise, which concluded in 2014, the University has achieved ambitious goals, including expanded commitments to access as well as increased diversity of the undergraduate student body.  The University has increased undergraduate applications by 49% since fall 2007 from 6,653 to 9,921. Enrollment of domestic students of color in the first-year class has grown from 11% to 28%.  The percentage of Pell-eligible students has grown from 9% to 18% during that same period while average SATs for incoming classes have increased 40 points.  Significantly, the University of Richmond community is well-versed in enrollment metrics and understands why strong enrollment is vital to institutional strength.

The University’s 350-acre campus is built in the Collegiate Gothic style on the hillsides surrounding a lake. It is consistently recognized among the nation’s most beautiful campuses. Recent projects include enhancements to academic facilities, student life facilities, and athletics facilities. Design work is complete for the new Queally Center for Admission and Career Services, expected to open in summer 2016.  Through generations of careful stewardship, the University of Richmond has maintained an excellent financial position. The University’s annual operating budget is $255 million, and its endowment stands at $2.3 billion.

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA:  Richmond, the capital of Virginia, has a population of 1.23 million (metropolitan area) and is host to a number of federal and state agencies, a dynamic biotech research center, a highly respected teaching hospital, a Federal Reserve Bank, two of the nation’s top 100 law firms, and five Fortune 500 companies. Richmond has a wide array of cultural, athletic, educational, recreational, and culinary options and the city is frequently recognized for creativity and livability (www.grpva.com/doing-business/accolades). Richmond is ideally situated 90 miles south of Washington, D.C., and less than two hours’ drive to the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay to the east and the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah National Park, and New River Gorge to the west. For more information about Richmond and the surrounding area, visit www.richmond.edu/city/river.html, www.visitrichmondva.com, and www.grcc.com.

TO APPLY:  Lahti Search Consultants (www.lahtisearch.com) is assisting the University of Richmond with this search for a Vice President for Enrollment Management. If you wish to have a confidential conversation about this opportunity, or to nominate someone, please contact Terry Lahti at terry@lahtisearch.com or 814.282.3093. To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter to richmond@lahtisearch.com. Resumes will be reviewed beginning in late March and will continue until the position is filled. Expected start date is summer 2015.

For more information about the University of Richmond, visit www.richmond.edu.

The University of Richmond is committed to developing a diverse faculty, staff, and student body, and to modeling an inclusive campus community which values the expression of differences in ways that promote excellence in teaching, learning, personal development, and institutional success. In keeping with this commitment, our academic community strongly encourages applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds and candidates who support diversity.