Job Details

TITLE: Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success

DEPARTMENT: Office of the President

REPORTS TO: University President

CLASSIFICATION: Staff-12 months

EFFECTIVE DATE: TBD

STANDARD WORK HOURS: 37.5 hours per week

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Full-Time

EMPLOYMENT CLASSIFICATION: Exempt

LOCATION: On-Site Main Campus | Frankfort, KY

JOB SUMMARY: The Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success serves as a senior strategic leader responsible for advancing the University’s enrollment growth, student access, and student success outcomes. This position provides executive oversight of enrollment operations and student support services, with a focus on developing and implementing data-informed strategies that support recruitment, retention, persistence, completion, student engagement, and student wellness initiatives.

This role leads the integration of Student Enrollment Services and student success functions to ensure a seamless student experience from recruitment through graduation. The Vice President aligns institutional priorities with enrollment goals, leverages analytics to guide decision-making, and drives continuous improvement across all areas that impact student enrollment, success, campus engagement, and holistic student well-being.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Provide executive leadership for the University’s Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) plan, including recruitment, admissions, financial aid optimization, onboarding, orientation, retention, and completion strategies.
• Lead Student Enrollment Services operations, including Admissions, Registrar, Records, Registration, Transfer Services, Student Onboarding, Advising, Retention Programs, TRIO Programs, Orientation, Student Success Coaching, student engagement programming, wellness initiatives, and related student support services.
• Oversee the full student lifecycle experience from prospect through graduation, ensuring efficient and student-centered service delivery.
• Develop enrollment projections, forecasting models, dashboards, and performance metrics to support institutional planning and executive decision-making.
• Utilize institutional research, predictive analytics, CRM systems, and market intelligence to drive enrollment growth and improve student outcomes.
• Direct recruitment, outreach, yield, and marketing strategies designed to attract, enroll, and retain a diverse student population.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to inquiry conversion, applications, admits, yield, retention, persistence, graduation, student engagement participation, and student wellness outcomes.
• Collaborate with academic leadership to align academic offerings with workforce trends, market demand, and enrollment priorities.
• Lead strategies for stop-out recovery, re-enrollment, and persistence improvement for returning students.
• Provide strategic oversight for campus-wide initiatives that promote student engagement, sense of belonging, mental wellness awareness, and holistic student support services.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable state, federal, accreditation, FERPA, financial aid, and student records regulations.
• Continuously evaluate and improve enrollment and student support processes to enhance efficiency, service excellence, and student satisfaction.
• Develop and manage budgets that support enrollment growth initiatives, student success programs, student engagement efforts, wellness services, and enrollment technology systems.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on enrollment trends, student success outcomes, institutional growth, and student experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Demonstrated executive leadership ability with strengths in relationship building, strategic planning, and program development within complex institutional environments.
• Strong decision-making, problem-solving, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining focus on deadlines and strategic goals.
• Strong analytical and technology skills, including experience using data systems to support recruitment, marketing, and enrollment strategies.
• Demonstrated success in leadership, implementation, policy development, staff supervision, and budget oversight.
• Knowledge of current trends and best practices in higher education enrollment management, financial aid, student recruitment, retention, student engagement, and student wellness.
• Comprehensive understanding of student services and enrollment management practices in higher education.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across Enrollment Services, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, faculty, and administrative leadership.
• Strong organizational, project management, supervisory, and team development skills.
• Awareness of factors that impact student persistence, engagement, success, and overall well-being.
• Flexibility to adjust work schedules, including evenings and weekends, as needed.
• Commitment to the mission of Kentucky State University and fostering a culture of accountability and student success.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: This position has supervisory responsibility.

OTHER DUTIES: Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in education, business, public administration/policy, or a related field from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of four years of higher education experience at the Director level or above.
• Demonstrated commitment to student success and educational excellence.
• Demonstrated understanding of best practices in developing, evaluating, and improving recruitment, enrollment, and marketing through a data-driven approach.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience leading Student Enrollment Services, including admissions operations, registrar functions, student records, and onboarding.
• Experience with higher education ERP and CRM platforms such as Banner, Slate, Ellucian, or similar systems.
• Demonstrated success leading retention, re-enrollment, and student persistence initiatives.
• Experience managing cross-functional student service teams in a university setting.

Licensing and Certifications: NA

WORKING CONDITIONS: Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment. No or very limited physical effort required. No or very limited exposure to physical risk.