Doane University, a comprehensive university rooted in the liberal arts and the oldest private institution in higher education in Nebraska, invites applications and nominations for the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing (VPEMM) position. This newly imagined position oversees and coordinates all aspects of Doane’s enrollment and marketing efforts.
Doane University is recognized for its high-quality, convenient, and affordable education programs. Historically, Doane University has provided undergraduate and graduate degree programs to students at its residential campus in Crete, at its satellite campuses in Lincoln and Omaha, and Online. In recent years, Doane has expanded to include enrollment of non-degree seeking and non-traditional students through certificates and dual-credit programs. The Crete, Lincoln, and Omaha region is recognized as a hub for arts, culture, outdoor recreation as well as Nebraska state government, education, and healthcare.
The University enrolled 2,900 full-time and part-time students in Fall 2020, including 990 undergraduate traditional residential students on the Crete campus. Thirty percent of Doane’s students are first-generation students. Led by the vision of its new president, Dr. Roger Hughes, Doane University aspires to expand the University’s outreach and brand recognition and increase enrollment across all student populations. The new Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing will play a key role in achieving the University’s bold strategic goals.
The Position
The VPEMM reports to the President and serves as a member of the President’s Leadership Team. The VPEMM oversees the recruitment, admission, financial aid, and marketing functions, and is responsible for planning, implementing, and executing effective data-driven strategies to attract and enroll undergraduate first-year, transfer, graduate, online and adult students. The vice president leads the recruitment, admission, financial aid and marketing teams in the continued cultivation of current markets to maintain existing enrollment strength, and in the development of new markets to drive enrollment growth. The VPEMM will be committed to the University’s efforts toward creating a more inclusive campus community and will lead the enrollment, financial aid, and marketing efforts with an innovative and equity-focused vision for the University’s future.
Keenly aware of Doane University’s distinctions and the rapidly changing market, the vice president is responsible for developing, articulating, and implementing a comprehensive strategic marketing, financial aid, and enrollment plan that optimizes growth opportunities in alignment with the University’s vision and mission. This includes supporting environmental and digital marketing investments to drive awareness and build the recruitment funnel across all enrollment streams. The VPEMM develops and manages forecasts, predictive models, reports, and budgets for the entire first-year, transfer, graduate, and online enrollment funnels, and will deploy expertise in leveraging existing and emerging technologies while continuously improving business processes. The VPEMM partners with others across campus to attract a diverse and inclusive student community.
The role of athletics remains critical to the University’s undergraduate student recruitment process; the VPEMM must partner effectively with coaches and the entire athletics department to establish and expand the effective recruitment of student-athletes. In collaboration with other members of the President’s Leadership Team, the VPEMM contributes to the development of strategies regarding retention, tuition and fees, and financial aid leveraging. The vice president tracks and measures progress and outcomes, ensuring all enrollment management and marketing initiatives are assessed and adapted for efficiency and effectiveness and understands the University’s broader competitive market position. Direct reports to the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing include the Director of Admission, Director of Enrollment, Director of Financial Aid, and Interim Director of Marketing.
Qualifications
A Master’s degree and at least seven years of leadership experience in enrollment management is required. Excellence in analyzing and organizing information and deriving actionable insight from data to produce results is also required. The new VPEMM will be a collaborative professional who can articulate a complex vision with the clarity of a thought leader and will be eager to engage the Doane University community, prospective students, and others in creative marketing, recruitment, and enrollment experiences. The successful candidate will demonstrate the desire to further develop, mentor, and motivate staff. Candidates must demonstrate strategic leadership skills with boldness, humility, and a commitment to teamwork. The ideal candidate will have experience with delivering the new first-year and transfer classes and in increasing graduate, online, and other recruitment streams. Experience in change management to improve all marketing and enrollment processes, excellent written and verbal communications skills combined with strong data analysis and technology skills, and the ability to foster collaboration with faculty and other key constituents are expected. The successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to a culture of equity and respect and the ability to build positive communication and relationships with internal and external communities. The ideal candidate will have the acumen needed to help propel Doane University forward. An entrepreneurial mindset and a commitment to the mission of Doane University and its strategic plan will be essential.
Application and Nomination
Doane University is an inclusive and global community. Candidates from diverse backgrounds and candidates who support equity and inclusion are strongly encouraged to apply for this senior leadership role. Review of applications begins July 29, 2022 and continues until the position is filled. The anticipated start date for the new Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing is Fall 2022.
Interested candidates should apply for this position online via the Williams & Company website at: www.williamscompany.net. Confidential inquiries and/or nominations may be directed to Martha Smiles at: Martha@williamscompany.net or (860) 33-4710.
Please visit Doane University’s website at www.doane.edu
Doane University is an equal opportunity employer and seeks candidates who reflect the diversity of our society.