Vice President for Enrollment

University of Puget Sound, one of the nation's leading liberal arts colleges and among a select few "Colleges that Change Lives," located in Tacoma, Washington, seeks an experienced leader for the division of enrollment management. The new vice president for enrollment will possess a strong record of success, a commitment to collaboration and inclusion, and the technical and strategic skills necessary to provide inspiration and direction in enrollment planning, student recruitment, admission, retention and financial aid.

The vice president will join an enrollment team that has generated positive momentum by developing and launching a variety of initiatives in recent years that have enabled Puget Sound to enroll a talented and diverse class in an increasingly competitive market. These initiatives include the Access Scholars Cohort Program and Tacoma Public Schools Commitment (meeting the full-demonstrated financial need of admitted students from the local area), a partnership with The Posse Foundation in the San Francisco Bay Area, the implementation of a test-optional admission policy to increase access, and two full-ride scholarship programs for students with exceptional academic and leadership potential.

The vice president reports to President Isiaah Crawford, serves as a member of the President’s Cabinet and oversees a staff of 32 in admission and student financial services. The vice president for enrollment will be a key contributor in shaping and communicating consistent messages about the university as part of an institution-wide marketing and branding initiative and will work closely with the president and other members of Puget Sound’s senior staff to provide leadership for the institution as a whole.

The university seeks a leader of exceptional integrity with proven talents and expertise in enrollment. The ideal candidate will possess a strategic mindset, the ability to inspire and motivate an exceptionally dedicated team, willingness to take calculated risks and the interpersonal skills and desire to contribute to a dynamic community and collaborate with all areas across campus. A passion for and the ability to articulate the merits of a liberal arts education is highly desired, as is resourcefulness and creativity. Further requirements include exceptional skill with data and the capability to work with others to mine and utilize key demographic and market data that will lead to continued enrollment success.

Founded in 1888 in a vibrant port city in the Pacific Northwest, University of Puget Sound is an independent, residential and predominantly undergraduate liberal arts college, with graduate programs in education and health sciences, and undergraduate schools of both music and business & leadership. Over the past 40 years, the university has deliberately refocused its mission as a national liberal arts college, attracting an academically excellent student body and committed to increasing its socioeconomic, racial, ethnic and geographic diversity to meet the needs of a rapidly changing population of college students. Today, the university enrolls approximately 2,300 undergraduate students and more than 300 graduate students. Named by The Princeton Review as one of the top 20 most beautiful campuses in the nation, University of Puget Sound ranks among the top 100 National Liberal Arts Colleges in the U.S. News & World Report 2020 edition of America's Best Colleges. Puget Sound hosts a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and is in the distinctive position of being the sole independent liberal arts college in Western Washington and one of only five in the Pacific Northwest. Graduates include Rhodes and Fulbright scholars, notables in the arts and culture, entrepreneurs and elected officials, and leaders in business and finance locally and throughout the world.

Inquiries, nominations and applications are invited. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. The priority deadline for applications is November 25, 2019. Candidates should provide, as two separate documents, a resume and a letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described in the Leadership Profile found at www.wittkieffer.com. These materials should be sent via e-mail to University of Puget Sound’s consultants, Amy Crutchfield, Lisa Meyer and Patricia Coleman, at PugetSound_VPE@wittkieffer.com. The consultants can also be reached through the desk of Paula Verace, executive search coordinator, at pverace@wittkieffer.com.

University of Puget Sound values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity for all persons regardless of age, color, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other status protected by law.