Executive Director of Admissions

Western Washington University, with over 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students, and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands, and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master's-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.

About the Department

The Admissions Department supports Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. The mission of WWU's Office of Admissions is to identify, attract, admit, and help enroll today’s brightest scholars and most promising future leaders. We will counsel and evaluate prospective students as individuals with unique strengths, needs, and paths as we build an increasingly diverse, talented, and dynamic student body.

About the Role

As part of the Division of Academic Affairs and reporting to the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, the Executive Director of Admissions leads a team of about 30 permanent staff and a large team of student staff. This role demands strong leadership, exceptional communication skills, technological fluency, a deep dedication to excellence in higher education, and a commitment to student success and development. The Executive Director is an integral part of the Enrollment Management Unit and a critical player in developing enrollment strategies for the university.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive, data-informed recruitment strategy including segmented recruitment plans, utilizing market data and enrollment trends to target prospective students effectively.
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the admissions office, including application processing, review, and the final decision-making process.
• Build and lead a high-performing admissions team, cultivating a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous professional growth.
• Oversee the planning and coordination of on-campus recruitment events, including campus tours, information sessions, group events, fall preview events, and admitted student days. Guide the coordination of participation in off-campus events such as college fairs, high school visits, and receptions.
• Collaborate with University Marketing to develop and distribute effective promotional materials and communication strategies across various channels (print, web, email, text, social media).
• Collect, analyze, and interpret enrollment data to evaluate the effectiveness of recruitment strategies, identify trends, and provide regular reports to senior leadership.
• Leverage deep expertise in Slate CRM and a strong understanding of the enrollment management lifecycle to enhance systems and processes. Collaborate with IT, institutional research, and administrative units to optimize outcomes.
• Work closely with other university departments, including Financial Aid, Academic Advising, Orientation & Transition, University Residences, the Registrar’s Office, academic units, and Athletics, to ensure a seamless and supportive experience for new students.
• Provide recommendations and guidance in the development of state and university policy. Develop, implement, and enforce admissions policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations as well as institutional rules and policies.
• Plan, develop, and control the departmental budget, ensuring effective utilization of financial resources.
• Practice sound modeling, assessment, and strategic planning to support the university's vision, mission, and strategic goals.
• Build recruitment plans, develop timelines, and execute admissions and recruitment plans in collaboration with university partners.
• Stay current with national and regional trends in university admissions and high schools.
• Serve as a key contributor to enrollment management planning for the university.
• Develop strategies and plans to recruit new students in a changing enrollment landscape, considering factors such as high school graduation volumes, community college enrollment levels, and shifts in student demographics and geography.
• Research industry practices and implement procedures consistent with best practices.
• Review applications for admission, often providing decisions on the most complex files.
• Oversee the design of processes to ensure the clear, efficient tracking of application review from beginning to end.
• Serve as the final authority on appeals of admission and scholarship decisions.
• Work with Enrollment Management and others to establish the scholarship model for recruitment.
• Identify and implement effective awarding strategies for Admissions scholarships and tuition waivers in collaboration with the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Admissions and Financial Aid colleagues.
• Collaborate with Enrollment Management colleagues in aligning the work of the Admissions Office in supporting campus enrollment goals, including increasing access and diversity.
• Research, assess, and prioritize the university’s positioning on College Search platforms.
• Guide and provide expertise in the development of communications strategies for admissions and enrollment management efforts (print, media, and web content), ensuring they are clear, accessible, inclusive, and represent the university well.
• Model, support, and hold others accountable to the university’s values of integrity, dedication, excellence, creativity, and teamwork.
• Provide overall direction and supervision of staff with diverse job responsibilities and skillsets, demonstrating effective leadership in training, motivating, and counseling.
• Work with stakeholders to assess change readiness and provide direct support and coaching through transitions.
• Set a strong example and standards for excellent customer service.
• Ensure the training of new employees and provide leadership and management best practices to develop a strong sense of teamwork, equity, and investment among the admissions team.
• Set clear performance expectations and hold employees accountable.
• Exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, coaching, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked for at least 3 direct reports within the department.
• Communicate regularly with the leadership team and all staff about issues impacting operations.
• Serve as spokesperson for admissions at recruitment events (on campus and off) as well as at other events.
• Represent the office professionally and effectively among university and external constituents.
• Serve on campus and external committees, boards, and/or task forces.
• Establish and maintain strong collegial relationships with students, families, faculty, administrators, and community members.
• Actively participate in professional meetings, conferences, and workshops.
• Meet and communicate regularly with colleagues in similar positions/roles at other institutions.
• Consult with deans, directors, staff, and faculty throughout campus on matters relating to admissions and recruitment.
• Serve as the campus point of contact for admissions-related matters.
• Serve as a resource for all academic departments.
• Routinely make admissions presentations and participate in events related to admissions.
• Approve all reporting on admissions to external organizations and/or national surveys prior to submission.
• Compile and distribute year-end reports on trends and patterns in recruitment as well as outcomes.
• Lead annual assessment and strategic planning efforts for the office.
• Develop strategies to track key performance indicators through the admissions cycle.
• Anticipate problems where data/trends provide indications of issues and develop mitigation plans.
• Routinely report on progress to goals and on admissions activities to the Vice Provost and others.
• Prepare reports for leadership, Board of Trustees, high schools, community partners, and others.
• Analyze data for long-range and short-range planning.
• Understand and utilize systems effectively to optimize the work of the team.
• Analyze data to determine the effectiveness of outreach and marketing efforts and make informed adjustments.
• Formulate and apply research in developing admissions policies and procedures that promote recruitment, retention, and student success.
• Monitor statutory, regulatory, and policy changes.