Dean of Admissions

DEAN OF ADMISSIONS

TUFTS UNIVERSITY

 

Tufts University seeks an energetic, thoughtful, and accomplished individual to serve as its next Dean of Admissions.  The successful candidate will be an innovative and collaborative leader, with a facility to use and interpret data to inform policy and process and to develop creative and targeted admissions and recruitment strategies to support and further Tufts’ distinctive educational priorities.  The dean will be a leader of and for admissions, with the vision to anticipate and respond to the challenges and opportunities in selective higher education admissions and to serve as an articulate spokesperson on campus and in the public arena. 

 

Tufts is a leader in American higher education, distinctive for its success as a moderately sized university that excels at research and provides students with a personal experience. Its particular combination of research and liberal arts attracts students, faculty and staff who thrive in an environment of curiosity, creativity and engagement.

 

The core of Tufts is captured in its mission and vision statements as well as the values and priorities that will provide guidance over the coming years:

  • Mission: Tufts is a student-centered research university dedicated to the creation and application of knowledge. We are committed to providing transformative experiences for students and faculty in an inclusive and collaborative environment where creative scholars generate bold ideas, innovate in the face of complex challenges and distinguish themselves as active citizens of the world.
  • Vision: To be an innovative university of creative scholars across a broad range of schools who have a profound impact on one another and the world.
  • Value Proposition: Creating and sustaining an environment that prepares to launch all our students into the world fully prepared to chart a course for success requires effective stewardship of our resources during a time of significant challenges in higher education. 

 

The Dean of Admissions leads all aspects of undergraduate recruitment including the selection of first-year and transfer students, the coordination of enrollment goals, and the strategic use of need-based financial aid for the School of Arts & Sciences (A&S), the School of Engineering (SOE), and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts (SMFA). 

 

The Dean works in partnership with the School Deans and University leadership to provide a coherent, strategic direction to all admissions and financial aid policies and initiatives; to align these policies with University and School priorities; to seek continuous improvement in all facets of the undergraduate admissions and financial aid efforts; and to sustain the quality of the University’s admissions outcomes.  The position leads and regularly assesses current recruitment, admissions, marketing, enrollment, and financial aid practices; assesses and addresses market and demographic changes within the US and abroad; and imagines and executes policies and programs to advance the University’s goal of attracting, enrolling, and retaining a highly qualified, diverse, and engaged student population consistent with the standards espoused by the respective faculties.

 

Reporting to the Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences with a dotted-line to the Dean of the School of Engineering, the Dean of Admissions serves on the senior staff of each school and, in concert with the Deans and the respective school leadership teams, defines and leads admissions and financial aid policies and procedures in a most-selective admissions environment.  In addition, the Dean is responsible for keeping the President, Provost, and Trustees informed of the class composition, recruitment efforts, and financial aid priorities.  The Dean of Admissions oversees all personnel, policy, and budget matters for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions with a combined staff of 38 and a budget of $4.7 million.  In addition, the Dean directs the strategic utilization of $28.8 million each year in need-based financial aid for first-year and transferring undergraduates.  The position offers a programmatic vision for strategic outreach and organizational structure as well as for current and long-term financial aid objectives. The Director of Undergraduate Admissions, the Director of Strategic Planning, and the Director of Admissions Outreach are direct reports.

 

The Dean acts as department head for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, managing a staff of 26 admission officers and 12 administrative staff.   The Dean of Admissions also serves a key member of the Tufts Enrollment Council, composed of leadership across Tufts in student services, academics and finance, who work together on strategic enrollment decisions, strategy and policy

 

The Dean:

  • Leads the development of an annual integrated marketing and communications plan to promote the University as an option for high-achieving high school students in a national and international context, including development of relevant on-campus visitation programs and off-campus presentations, the publication of JUMBO magazine three times per year, the continued development of a multimedia web presence, and utilization of current and emerging social media in support of this objective.
  • Plans strategically for changes in a competitive admissions environment, with particular emphasis on application growth in key domestic markets and overseas.
  • Oversees the continuing development of the admissions process at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts.
  • Chairs the selection committee in a “most-selective” environment and sets an entering class of roughly 1,500 first-year and transfer students per year according to the annual budget priorities of the two schools; ensures the academic and personal quality of accepted students as well as the optimization of the demographic composition of the incoming class.
  • Develops and promotes innovative strategies to recruit and enroll a diverse student body; manages the University relationship with Quest Bridge; partners with the Dean of Student Affairs to address structural barriers to access and retention, including the recruitment and selection of students in BLAST and BEST, the summer bridge programs for students from under-resourced high schools.
  • Designs and manages predictive yield models to enhance selectivity, forecast enrollment, and maximize financial aid outcomes in a need-sensitive environment.Develops data analytic capacities to analyze and forecast recruitment and enrollment trends.
  • Participates in the AS&E Enrollment Council, working together with the schools’ executive deans, the financial aid director, and leaders from student affairs and housing to set enrollment policies and monitor enrollment trends.
  • Manages the functionality of SLATE as the undergraduate admissions recruitment and selection technical platform and the Common Application; assesses new and emerging technologies to determine their utility within the University’s recruitment and selection practices.
  • Partners with the Director of Athletics to recruit and enroll a qualified cohort of student athletes across 30 varsity teams; ensures University compliance with the recruitment and admission policies of the New England Small College Athletic Conference; serves on the conference’s Deans’ Council and as chair of that body as required by the conference rotation.
  • Partners with the Tisch College of Civic Life in recruitment and planning for the First Year Global Programsthe 1+4 Service Learning Bridge Year and the newly initiated Civic Semester Program).
  • Represents the University at speaking engagements at high schools across the US and abroad.
  • Acts as admissions source for national media in concert with the University’s Director of Media Relations and manages all media inquiries related to admissions and financial aid in the School of Arts & Sciences and School of Engineering.
  • Participates in local and national conversations on higher education issues like college accessibility and the value proposition of a liberal arts degree.
  • Serves on School and University-wide committees, as needed, and staffs the School of Arts & Sciences & School of Engineering Faculty Committee on Admissions & Financial Aid.

 

The Dean of Admissions possesses a broad vision of the complex issues facing American higher education as well as the leadership to translate these external issues for the internal community.  The Dean must be able to write and speak about the breadth of these matters and provide a strategic, data-driven perspective to guide overall policy and strategy for the relevant administrative units.  At least 10 years of substantive administrative experience in an undergraduate admissions office at the college or university level is required, with leadership experience in this arena preferred.  A bachelor’s degree is required; a graduate or professional degree is preferred.  The Dean must be insightful, compelling, and articulate, and must be receptive to new ideas and proactive about exploring and implementing them.  As a public face of the university, the Dean of Admissions must be able to represent the University effectively while interacting with peers as well as various external constituencies.

 

Tufts University has engaged Amy Sugin and Malissa Brennan of Koya Leadership Partners to lead this search. Please submit nominations, expressions of interest, and applications, including a compelling letter of interest and resumé here.

 

Tufts does not discriminate in its educational programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion or religious creed, disability or handicap, sex or gender (including pregnancy, sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct including acts of sexual violence such as rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation and coercion), gender identity and/or expression (including a transgender identity), sexual orientation, military or veteran status,  genetic information,  or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law.  Retaliation is also prohibited.  Tufts will comply with state and federal laws such as M.G.L. c. 151B, Title IX, Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment and Rights Act, Executive Order 11246 and other similar laws that prohibit discrimination, all as amended. Tufts is an equal employment opportunity/ affirmative action employer. More detailed Tufts policies and procedures on this topic may be found in the OEO Policies and Procedures page.