vice provost for strategic enrollment management vcu vpsem_spec 02 16.pdf · the vice provost for...

VCU

Richmond, Virginia

Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management

LEADERSHIP PROFILE

Winter 2012

WITT / KIEFFER

http://www.wittkieffer.com/

Virginia Commonwealth University Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management

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THE OPPORTUNITY

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) invites applications and nominations for the

position of Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management.

The Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management – a newly created position – will report

to the Provost and lead the development, articulation and implementation of the university’s

new strategic vision through redefined enrollment strategies. As the university’s chief

enrollment officer, the Vice Provost will work collaboratively across the university and provide

the leadership for a comprehensive enrollment strategy that is aggressive and forward looking

and is consistent with the goals, mission, and resources of VCU, and is aligned with the

university’s recently completed strategic plan, Quest for Distinction. The enrollment strategy

will expand the university’s ability to attract, select, enroll, and retain a highly diverse and

increasingly talented group of students. She/he will be expected to lead all areas involved in

student recruitment and student enrollment services, including undergraduate, graduate and

international admissions, financial aid, records and registration, student accounting and the

student services center functions with management responsibility for over 110 professional

faculty and staff.

The successful candidate will be an experienced and visionary enrollment professional with a

commitment to the value provided by an urban public research university. The Vice Provost

will bring exceptional planning, analytical and organizational skills, a thorough understanding

of enrollment management concepts, and a demonstrated ability to develop and implement

successful enrollment strategies or initiatives. She/he will also possess superior interpersonal

communication skills, an ability to manage and motivate a diverse professional staff, a

demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student

environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU, and a record of exemplary

personal and professional integrity. A Master’s degree is required; an earned doctorate degree

is preferred.

Virginia Commonwealth University is one of the state’s largest universities and ranks among

the top universities in the country in sponsored research. It enrolls over 30,000 students in 216

certificate and degree programs. Sixty-nine of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of

them crossing the disciplines of VCU’s thirteen schools and one college. VCU is located on two

downtown Richmond campuses – the Monroe Park Campus and the Medical College of

Virginia Campus. As an urban institution of higher learning, VCU and its partners have

contributed immeasurably to the development of the fabric of the City of Richmond,

transforming it into a center of artistic and cultural growth, business development, and social

services.

Information about how to nominate a candidate or to apply for this opportunity may be found

later in this document in the section entitled “Procedure for Candidacy.”


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ENROLLMENT SERVICES AT VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY

Enrollment Services provides essential financial and records services from a student's first

contact with admissions counselors until the final details of graduation. The division consists of

the offices of undergraduate, graduate and international admissions, financial aid, records and

registration, student accounting and the student services center.

Virginia Commonwealth University enrolls 31,899 students, representing 47 states plus

Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and 107 countries. VCU is the most

diverse of Virginia's public universities with 40 percent of students from minority populations;

more than five percent of students are international.

For the Class of 2015, applications were received from 14,336 freshmen candidates. From those

applicants, 9,412 were selected and 3,803 first-year students enrolled (a yield of 40 percent).

The middle 50 percent of admitted students on the Critical Reading portion of the SAT scored

500 to 620; the middle 50 percent on the Mathematics portion scored 500 to 620; and the middle

50 percent scored 21 to 27 on the ACT. VCU's top overlap institutions for freshmen are James


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Madison University, George Mason University, Old Dominion University, Virginia Tech and

University of Virginia.

The university received 6,283 applications for graduate admission for fall 2011, with 2,538

students accepted. VCU’s top competing graduate/professional institutions vary by program

area. Overall they are Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, George Mason University,

University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University. For the School of the Arts, the

competing institutions are Yale, Rhode Island School of Design and University of Chicago. For

the School of Education the institutions are Virginia Tech, University of Virginia and College of

William & Mary.

Admissions and Enrollments

First-time Freshmen

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Applications 8,540 9,435 9,836 11,764 13,155 15,160 17,489 16,915 14,086 14,336

Acceptances 6,206 6,993 7,315 8,020 8,671 9,331 10,193 10,055 9,246 9,412

Enrollments 3,048 3,326 3,364 3,540 3,540 3,882 3,724 3,665 3,615 3,803

Acceptance

Rate 73% 74% 74% 68% 66% 32% 58% 59% 66% 66%

Yield Rate 49% 48% 46% 44% 41% 42% 37% 36% 39% 40%

VCU Graduate School

Applicants Who Enrolled

Resident Non-Resident International Total

Doctoral 95 86 61 242

Masters 842 281 161 1284

Fall 2011 Post-Masters

Cert 43 3

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Post-Bac Cert 123 27 2 152

Total 1103 397 224 1724


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THE ROLE OF THE VICE PROVOST FOR STRATEGIC ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

The Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management has primary responsibility for

developing, articulating, and implementing a dynamic enrollment management plan that aligns

with the university’s recently completed strategic plan, Quest for Distinction. As the university’s

first-ever chief enrollment management officer, the Vice Provost will need to spend

considerable time defining and structuring the division and engaging in the kinds of cross-

institutional conversations that convey the power of effective strategic enrollment planning and

management. Reporting to the Provost and working collaboratively with the deans of the

university’s schools and colleges and other university offices, the Vice Provost assumes broad

leadership within the university, providing the vision and strategy to optimize Virginia

Commonwealth’s current and future enrollment and to retain students.

The leadership of the university seeks to be dynamic, innovative, and nimble in every phase of

the enrollment process, building academic excellence while further strengthening a diverse

student population. As a university that prides itself on innovative thinking, exceptional

research, and excellence in teaching, Virginia Commonwealth seeks an enrollment leader and

thinker who will grasp the essential nature of this distinctive institution and employ both

traditional and non-traditional means to expand the university’s visibility so as to attract, select,

enroll, and retain a highly diverse and increasingly talented group of students.

As Virginia Commonwealth seeks greater impact on a broad scale, so too it seeks for its

enrollment leader to use his or her position both as an opportunity to consider how best to

enroll the most appropriate entering classes, and to occupy a leadership position in determining

how the nation’s leading public urban universities might best conduct enrollment practice. The

university’s Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management will be an innovative, forward-

thinking, collaborative, and highly experienced enrollment professional who has the vision and

confidence to combine best practice with theory so as to lead the way for Virginia

Commonwealth. In overseeing enrollment functions for undergraduate, graduate, and

international students as well as the offices of financial aid, records and registration, student

accounting and the student services center, the Vice Provost will have management

responsibility for over 110 staff and an operating budget of over $8.4 million.

It is essential that the Vice Provost lead the way in setting the message for those who assist with

the enrollment effort, reaching out to and engaging all those in the Virginia Commonwealth

community. The Vice Provost must ensure excellent relationships with secondary schools while

overseeing a rapidly changing student profile; lead an enrollment team that proactively and

strategically anticipates and responds to enrollment challenges and is optimistic, opportunistic,

forward-looking, innovative, and results-oriented; employ both traditional and cutting-edge

methods to engage prospective and current students; keep student welfare always at the

forefront including an anticipation of and responsiveness to matters that influence retention;


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and broaden dramatically the reach of the university in every part of the state, the region, and

nationally as well as globally.

It is worth emphasizing that this is not a status quo position: Virginia Commonwealth

University, in its quest to serve as a distinctive, student-centered national urban research

university and as a force for societal good, seeks an enrollment professional who is a bold and

pioneering thought leader, willing to take calculated risks and engage students and families in

new ways. The Vice Provost is expected to capitalize on the considerable existing level of

forward momentum and institutional support for his or her area with vigor, enthusiasm, an

inclusive leadership style, outstanding communication skills, and an eye to the possible,

reflecting the entrepreneurial outlook that characterizes the university.

OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPECTATIONS FOR LEADERSHIP

The Vice Provost will have the opportunity to make a significant impact in shaping the vision

and direction of enrollment at VCU. For a talented and resourceful professional, this is a

transformational position in which he or she will be able to lead VCU to a new phase of success

in recruiting, admitting, and graduating a talented and diverse student body.

Key challenges and opportunities for the Vice Provost’s first few years in office include, but are

not limited to, the following:

Develop a comprehensive and forward-looking enrollment strategy

Upon coming to VCU, the Vice Provost will thoroughly examine current enrollment practices to

assure an informed and analytical approach to crafting a shared vision for enrollment that all

can embrace. The university has already identified several areas of opportunity including

continuing to improve the academic profile of incoming students and increasing out-of-state

enrollment, but the Vice Provost will truly have the opportunity to shape and implement a new

vision for enrollment strategy at VCU. In building this plan, the Vice Provost will work with

the President, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and other university

officials to develop an integrated, comprehensive and redefined six-year strategic student


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enrollment plan. This plan will guide the enrollment staff in supporting the university’s

academic and strategic plans, shaping the university’s goals to be optimally positioned for

success while making the best use of available resources.

As part of this effort, the new Vice Provost will work with individual units to assess their

enrollment projections and make recommendations for developing an informed enrollment

target. He or she will lead the deans in discussing the profile of students that make up their

incoming classes and the implications for overall university enrollment in maintaining varying

admissions criteria among different units.

Engage the entire campus community in discussing enrollment management strategy,

fostering a culture of openness and inclusion

The Vice Provost will build a culture of collective discussion and maintain strong, collaborative,

and facilitative relationships with leadership across the university. Frequent and ongoing

dialogue with senior administrators and faculty will engender cooperation, trust, and

confidence and will be essential to the success of the enrollment functions. She/he will work

collaboratively with schools and colleges to actively develop and manage student enrollment

goals, and hold the schools and colleges accountable for those goals, with the overall objective

of everyone working toward the same target. The Vice Provost will convey the vision for

enrollment and promote a tone in the VCU community of open conversation and common

goals, so as to engage and galvanize students, staff, faculty, parents, and alumni in helping

achieve the enrollment vision.

Work collaboratively across the university to enroll a highly talented and diverse student

body

Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to the City of Richmond and the students it

serves. With recent success in growing university enrollment, VCU is refocusing its efforts to

continue to increase academic quality in the incoming class. This is critical to achieving

academic excellence and reflects VCU's aspirations as a premier research institution. In

achieving this effort, VCU will be well served by an ambitious and forward-thinking enrollment

leader who is committed to quality, access, and VCU's position as an urban public research

university. VCU has already made progress toward this effort by bringing in a more selective

freshmen class each year, and the Vice Provost will continue to move the academic bar by

enrolling an increasingly talented freshmen class of students who are prepared for the rigors of

a research university. Additionally, the Vice Provost will work toward increasing diversity in

all its forms, including the geographic, socio-economic, and racial diversity of both the

undergraduate and graduate student populations.

He or she will be charged with raising the level of discourse across the university in regard to

targeted enrollment and the apropriate mix of students, and the Vice Provost will strategically


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employ both new and proven outreach methods so as to increase these populations within the

student body, working in partnership with all areas of the university.

Develop a solid financial aid strategy that is aligned with the Quest for Distinction

The Vice Provost will continuously evaluate and be an advocate for financial aid policy and

packaging so that it is used strategically and creatively and ensures maximum benefit to the

university and its students. In doing so, the Vice Provost will align financial aid strategy with

the Quest for Distinction strategic plan. There is need for ongoing analysis of data to shape

strategic directions, ensuring a program that is proactive and responsive to market forces and

student needs.

In addition, the Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management will:

Promote the mission of Virginia Commonwealth University and the welfare of its students;

Lead Virginia Commonwealth’s enrollment function with vision, integrity, inclusiveness,

sound judgment, wisdom and energy, engendering a team approach across its integrated

functions;

Further develop and support a strong enrollment staff that is optimistic, excited about

change, responsive, innovative, analytical, results oriented, and student centered;

Continue the development and implementation of the university’s comprehensive

enrollment program, including market segmentation, brand marketing, promotional

strategies, and recruitment tactics to meet the university’s enrollment goals; among these

goals are: continuing to increase academic quality in the incoming classes, growing

enrollments in specific programs and departments, growing geographic diversity, growing

socio-economic and racial diversity, growing the size of the applicant pool, and enhancing

retention;

Present enrollment and recruitment reports to the Vice Presidents, President and

University’s Board of Visitors; develop enrollment projections to meet the goals of the

University’s six-year plan;

Make data-informed proposals and decisions while seeking both standard and creative

ways to achieve enrollment goals;

Routinely analyze data to shape strategic directions and make appropriate adjustments to

an integrated marketing plan that clearly identifies and defines historical university

enrollment patterns and forecasts trends in new student markets; regularly reassess

effectiveness of recruitment activities and financial aid programs and make appropriate


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adjustments so as to lead an effort that is continuously proactive and responsive to market

forces and university needs;

Develop and continuously evaluate and refine a strategic plan that builds on Virginia

Commonwealth’s recent successes in attracting increasingly strong undergraduate and

graduate students;

Possess a keen, proactive, and forceful understanding of marketing opportunities and

potential, as well as the ability to execute new initiatives with great finesse and work

collaboratively and actively with the university’s marketing professionals to ensure

marketing campaigns support the redefined enrollment strategies;

Develop and direct the implementation of plans to expand recruitment and enrollment of

students from outside Virginia;

Optimize financial aid and the leveraging of institutional resources to recruit and retain

students;

Communicate regularly with the university community to inform and broaden enrollment

initiatives, progress and results, including frequent dialogue with deans, faculty, and senior

administration, conveying the vision for, tradeoffs and complexities involved in meeting

enrollment goals and promoting open conversation so as to engage and galvanize the entire

VCU community in helping achieve the enrollment vision;

Provide the vision for a state-of-the-art records management and registration operation, and

empower the Registrar to continually assess and refine the strategy and tactics needed to

provide excellent service to prospective and current students in a rapidly-changing

technological environment;

Promote frequent personal interactions with prospective students and their families by

developing programs and creative initiatives to appropriately engage Virginia

Commonwealth faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, and parents in the enrollment

effort;

Promote the importance of customer service in enrollment services offices as part of

enhancing the student experience;

Exhibit great skill, grace, and expertise in balancing the many complex and sometimes

competing interests in selecting and building the incoming class;


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Lead a transparent and forward-looking budgeting process for the enrollment area that

aims high, projects clear outcomes for expenditures, and evaluates achievements in the

context of cost effectiveness;

Build on VCU’s ability to attract and enroll a strong and diverse student body, including

those from socioeconomic, ethnic, or racial backgrounds underrepresented in higher

education, through bold and creative uses of marketing and technological tools;

Ensure compliance with federal and state laws, regulations and guidelines and external

reporting requirements in the areas for which responsible;

Exploit cutting-edge communications technology to reach students in the ways they can best

hear and respond to; and

Fulfill other duties as assigned by the Provost.

QUALITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate must demonstrate progressive experience at a senior level in successfully

developing, implementing, and evaluating an enrollment management strategy emphasizing

vision and synergy across all enrollment functions. Experience and success at leading a large,

complex organization is critical. Experience with appropriate information technology and the

use of sophisticated data analysis to inform strategic decisions is critical, as is familiarity with

marketing and financial aid leveraging for recruitment and retention.

The ideal candidate will have the following professional qualifications and personal

characteristics:

Proven effectiveness and expertise in enrollment and change management: significant

professional experience managing the complex interplay of marketing and recruiting

strategies, enrollment goals, yield, and financial aid; knowledge of the strategic use of


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financial aid; genuine enjoyment in leading, managing, and implementing large-scale

innovation;

Vision and leadership: ability to lead the creation of VCU’s future student body with vision

and creativity; an entrepreneurial outlook and eye to new possibilities and emerging

challenges; capacity to independently make strategic decisions, generate innovative ideas

and solutions, and multitask; ability to develop and manage relationships with a diverse

array of partners that play different and divergent roles in the university community; ability

to manage and motivate a diverse professional staff, and to inspire joy in one’s work;

A thorough understanding of enrollment management concepts: a demonstrated ability to

develop and implement successful enrollment strategies or initiatives;

Demonstrated ability in creatively marketing a selective institution so as to achieve superior

levels of enrollment performance: proven success in innovative thinking and risk-taking

combined with excellent execution of both complex and routine marketing strategies; a

record of taking programs to new levels of success; ability to carry out marketing functions

with close attention to the needs of the university and the match between it and its potential

students; ability to think creatively and to leverage technology with a sensitivity to and

understanding of the human/cultural impact;

An ability to keep both the big picture and operational details at the forefront: evidence of

ability to focus and lead an organization to achieve the elements of a strategic plan, and to

continuously refine the organizational plan, structure, and operations as the plan evolves;

comfort with delegating day-to-day management and decision making to senior managers;

and sophisticated understanding of the laws and regulations that significantly impact

enrollment operations;

Mature communication skills: strong speaking and writing skills with the ability to

articulate a vision effectively to all constituencies, including prospective students and their

families, the enrollment staff, faculty and staff, alumni, trustees, and the public;

Strong analytical capacity: the ability to produce forward-looking, transparent strategic

plans and budgets that link expenditures to outcomes; to assess the effectiveness of how

recruitment and financial aid funds are employed to achieve enrollment goals; to produce

regular and systematic comparative reports that detail month-to-month as well as annual

progress toward enrollment goals; to employ information on national and international

trends in higher education and on developments in competitor institutions effectively in

planning;


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Personal qualities: a sense of urgency and engagement; articulateness; honesty, integrity,

candor, and a strong internal moral compass; hard work; a joy in one’s work; optimism,

confidence, and excitement about change; a genuine interest in forming a team with the

President, Provost, and deans; loyalty; a personal presence that is active and inclusive;

proven skill dealing with complex and diverse cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives;

ability to observe, listen, learn, and clarify needs while engendering trust quickly among

various constituencies; wisdom, sound judgment; good sense of humor; and

Credentials: A Master’s degree or higher with qualifying experience is required; an earned

doctorate or other appropriate terminal degree is preferred.

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: AN OVERVIEW

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is rooted in the

histories of two campuses: the MCV Campus, which was founded

in 1838 as the Medical College of Virginia, and the Monroe Park

Campus, which began as the Richmond School of Social Work and

Public Health in 1917. The two campuses merged in 1968 to

become Virginia Commonwealth University, the most

comprehensive urban university in the state and one of the top

research universities in the nation.

As an urban institution of higher learning, VCU and its partners

have contributed immeasurably to the development of the fabric

of the City of Richmond, transforming it into a center of artistic

and cultural growth, business development and social services. In

consequence, the city and its leadership in business, industry and

cultural affairs have given extraordinary support to the university’s growth, complementing the

support of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Richmond, the capital of Virginia, is a diverse

cultural city, surrounded by historic neighborhoods, parks and the scenic James River.

Today, VCU is one of the state’s largest universities and ranks among the top universities in the

country in sponsored research. Located on two downtown campuses in Richmond, VCU

enrolls more than 31,000 students in 211 certificate and degree programs in the arts, sciences

and humanities. Sixty-nine of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the

disciplines of VCU’s thirteen schools and one college. MCV Hospitals and the health sciences

schools of Virginia Commonwealth University compose the VCU Medical Center, one of the

nation’s leading academic medical centers. VCU’s third campus is located in Doha, Qatar and is

a cornerstone of Education City, which is now host to five other branch campuses of prestigious

American universities – Texas A&M University at Qatar, Weill Cornell Medical College in


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Qatar, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Northwestern University in Qatar and Georgetown

University School of Foreign Service Qatar.

Mission and Vision

Mission: As the premier urban, public research university in Virginia, VCU’s mission is to

advance knowledge and student success through its commitments to:

an engaged, learner-centered environment that fosters inquiry, discovery and innovation in

a global setting;

research that expands the boundaries of knowledge and creative expression and promotes

translational applications to improve human health;

interdisciplinary collaborations that bring new perspectives to complex problems and

mobilize creative energies that advance innovation and solve global challenges;

health care that strives to preserve and restore health for all people, seek the cause and cure

of diseases through groundbreaking research, and educate those who serve humanity;

diversity that provides a climate of inclusion, a dedication to addressing disparities

wherever they exist, and an opportunity to explore and create in an environment of trust;

sustainable, university-community partnerships that enhance the educational, economic and

cultural vitality of the communities VCU serves in Virginia and around the world.

Vision: VCU will be a premier urban, public research university distinguished by its

commitment to:

the intellectual and academic success of a diverse student body

research and discovery that advances knowledge, inspires creativity and improves human

health;

the global engagement of students, faculty and staff that transforms lives and communities.

Core values:

Accountability – committing to the efficient and transparent stewardship of our resources to

achieve institutional excellence;


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Achievement – ensuring distinction in learning, research and scholarly pursuits, service and

patient care;

Collaboration – fostering collegiality and cooperation to advance learning, entrepreneurship

and inquiry;

Freedom – striving for intellectual truth with responsibility and civility, respecting the

dignity of all individuals;

Innovation – cultivating discovery, creativity, originality, inventiveness and talent;

Service – engaging in the application of learning and discovery to improve the human

condition and support the public good at home and abroad;

Diversity – ensuring a climate of trust, honesty and integrity where all people are valued

and differences are recognized as an asset;

Integrity – adhering to the highest standards of honesty, respect and professional and

scholarly ethics.

Schools and Colleges

Virginia Commonwealth University offers academic programs in the following schools and

colleges:

College of Humanities and Sciences

o School of Government and

Public Affairs

o School of Mass Communications

o School of World Studies

School of Allied Health Professions

School of the Arts

School of Business

School of Dentistry

School of Education

School of Engineering

School of Medicine

School of Nursing

School of Pharmacy

School of Social Work

University College

VCU Graduate School

VCU Honors College

VCU Life Sciences

More information on Virginia Commonwealth University may be found at its Web site:

www.VCU.edu.

http://www.has.vcu.edu/

http://www.wilder.vcu.edu/

http://www.wilder.vcu.edu/

http://masscomm.vcu.edu/

http://www.has.vcu.edu/wld/

http://www.sahp.vcu.edu/

http://www.sahp.vcu.edu/

http://www.business.vcu.edu/

http://www.dentistry.vcu.edu/

http://www.soe.vcu.edu/

http://www.egr.vcu.edu/

http://www.medschool.vcu.edu/

http://www.nursing.vcu.edu/

http://www.pharmacy.vcu.edu/

http://www.socialwork.vcu.edu/

http://www.vcu.edu/uc/

http://www.graduate.vcu.edu/

http://www.honors.vcu.edu/

http://www.vcu.edu/lifesci/

http://www.vcu.edu/


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PROCEDURE FOR CANDIDACY

Recruitment will continue until the position is filled. Nominations, expressions of interest, and

applications (including a cover letter and resume) should be submitted via email to

[email protected].

Confidential inquiries and questions about this position may be directed to the university’s

consultants on this search, Robin Mamlet, Amy Crutchfield or Mary Elizabeth Taylor through

the office of Kelly Torres at (630) 575-6118.

Virginia Commonwealth University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Women,

minorities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The material presented in this position specification should be relied on for informational

purposes only. This material has been copied, compiled, or quoted in part from Virginia

Commonwealth University documents and personal interviews and is believed to be reliable.

Naturally, while every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, the

original source documents and factual situations govern.

mailto:[email protected]


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APPENDIX I – ORGANIZATION CHART


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APPENDIX II – ENROLLMENTS, FALL 2011

Fall headcount – 31,899

Annual FTE (estimated) – 28,775

Student level: Student type:

Undergraduate 23,754 Day 27,744

Graduate 6,454 Evening 2,504

First professional 1,691 Off-campus 1,651

Gender: Residency:

Male 42% In-state 85%

Female 57% Out-of-state 15%

Not reported 1%

Race/ethnicity: Status:

Am Indian/Alaskan <1% Full-time 78%

Asian 11% Part-time 22%

Black/Af-American 16%

Hawaiian/Pac Island <1%

Hispanic/Latino 5%

International 5%

Multi-racial 3%

Unknown 5%

White 55%

International students – 1,500

Incoming freshmen enrolled – 3,803

Transfers enrolled – 2,114

Honors students enrolled – 917

Number of living alumni:

Total 159,683

Virginia 102,633

Richmond metro 60,534


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APPENDIX III

Offices within Strategic Enrollment Management

Office of Admissions

Undergraduate

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions oversees the implementation of recruitment and

marketing strategies to attract new freshmen and transfers, as well as overseeing the processing

and review of applications for admission to undergraduate programs at VCU.

Processes nearly 21,500 undergraduate applications per year.

Actively recruits prospective students using advertising and promotional materials,

electronic communications, publications and direct mail, travel/college fairs and high

school visits, and on-and off-campus events.

Coordinates four large open houses which together bring more than 3,000 prospective

students to the university; hosts about 14 receptions, both on-campus and off-campus,

for prospective students, parents and guidance counselors, including two events

targeting academically talented students.

Operates a Welcome Center which conducts information sessions and tours Mondays

through Saturdays, except holiday weekends. Also, hosts approximately 1500 students

and their families (a total of 2500 people) during high school spring break weeks each

spring.

Coordinates the awarding of merit based scholarships to incoming freshmen.

Operate offices to attract transfer students at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College

and Northern Virginia Community College.

International

The International Admissions Office is primarily responsible for the recruitment and admission

of non-immigrant students (temporary visa holders). The staff review and evaluate all non-U.S.

credentials for admissibility to undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. Credential

evaluations are also provided to academic departments to assist them in making a

determination for appropriate VCU transfer credit.


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Specific figures for first time international freshmen were 429 applications for fall 2011, with 358

admitted and 79 enrolled.

Financial Aid

The Financial Aid Office at Virginia Commonwealth University seeks to assist students and

their families so that any qualified student who desires to pursue an education at VCU may do

so without the hindrance of financial barriers. The office supports enrollment and retention by

identifying resources and educating parents and students so that they may make sound

financial decisions.

For the current year, nearly $90 million will be awarded through VCU to its students ($49.5

million in federal and state funded scholarships and $40 million in university funding). The

university funding is a combination of need-based aid, scholarships, fellowships, tuition

waivers and graduate student wages (see Appendix IV).

For fiscal year 2010-11:

32,285 FAFSA applications were processed

23,565 students received some form of financial aid

$323,103,660 was distributed in financial aid awards to 20,547 students (does not

include outside scholarships or tuition

Records and Registration

University Records and Registration is responsible for registering students for classes and

recording their academic achievements so that the credit they earn at VCU becomes part of a

permanent record available for certifying their degrees, applying for employment and gaining

admittance to higher education programs.


Processed over 45,000 transcript requests, assisting hundreds of students per day by e-

mail, and thousands by phone each week in various areas including academic records,

registration, graduation, veteran services, residency, athletic certification, course and

room scheduling.

Processed over 7,000 graduation applications.


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Certified over 900 students to receive veteran benefits.

Imaged thousands of documents for easy retrieval; processed thousands of course and

room changes; reviewed hundreds of residency appeals; and processed several hundred

enrollment verifications or forwarded them to the National Student Clearinghouse for

processing.

Verified the eligibility of 264 athletes to compete in their sport.

Student Accounting

The Student Accounting Department is responsible for the assessment, billing and collection of

tuition, housing and dining charges, and other university fees including the billing and

collection of third-party sponsors and the issuing of refunds to eligible students and parents.


Assessed tuition, fees, housing, dining and other miscellaneous fees totaling

$398,460,979.

Processed third party contract transactions on 5,432 accounts totaling $22,959,567

according to billing authorizations.

Processed paid scholarships on 4,342 accounts totaling $12,867,474.

Processed refunds on 29,871 accounts totaling $115,530,295.

Processed 47,894 1098 T tax forms.

Processed waivers on 3,433 accounts totaling $6,198,802.

Processed 130 refund waiver appeals.

Student Services Center

The Student Services Center is designed to be a "one-stop shopping" experience for students to

have questions answered related to enrollment services. The Student Services Center provides

a convenient single point of contact for students to conduct business with the university,

consolidating enrollment related functions and services. Services related to financial aid,

registration, student accounting and cashiering are handled in the center. Students can


6

register/add/drop/withdraw classes, have verifications and deferments completed, change

addresses, change majors, request transcripts, check their student bill, garner financial aid

information and have documents reviewed at the Harris Hall Services Center.


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APPENDIX IV

2011-12 University Budget Plan

Student Financial Assistance

Overview

Student Financial Assistance includes scholarships, grants and fellowships awarded to students

without requiring work or service, and work-related programs. Amounts for the Federal Work

Study Program and Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants are federal matching funds.

Related University portions are reported in the various budgets where the expenditures are

incurred. Tuition waivers and the undergraduate scholars program are also excluded.

Highlights

A summary of sources and uses is presented in Table A. Preliminary estimates assume sources

and uses of approximately $49.5 million in 2011-12 through the Student Financial Assistance

program budget.

Changes from the 2010-11 budget include:

The majority of this increase over the 2010-11 budget year is due the implementation of Year

Round Pell legislation that was not included in the original 2010-11 budget figure. Students

were eligible to receive up to two scheduled Pell awards (fall, spring, summer) in one year

versus one scheduled Pell award (fall, spring) if they were enrolled full time for the fall and

spring semester and then enrolled for summer semester. The University had a 16 percent

increase in the amount of Pell disbursed for summer 2010 due to the change in legislation

for the Pell Grant Program. The Pell Grant Program maximum award of $5,550 will not

change for the 2011-12 academic year.

The Academic Competiveness Grants (ACG) and National Science and Mathematics Access

to Retain Talent Grants (SMART) will no longer be funded by the federal government for

the 2011-12 academic school year.

Additional state general fund support of $1.5 million for need-based undergraduate

scholarship through the Virginia Student Financial Assistance Program, as recommended in

the Governor’s 2010-12 biennial budget and approved by the 2011 Session of the General

Assembly.

The decrease in the College Scholarship Assistance Program and Supplemental Education

Opportunity Grant for the 2011-12 academic year is due to federal budget cuts.


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In addition to the federal and state funded scholarships summarized on Table A, the University

will fund an additional $40.0 million in need-based aid, scholarships, fellowships, tuition

waivers and graduate student wages within other University programs (see Table B).

Table A 2010-11

2011-12

Change

Budget

Budget

Over

DESCRIPTION Plan Plan 2010-11

A. Federal*

1. Grants and Scholarships

a. Pell Grants $ 21,630

$

25,866

19.6%

b.

Academic Competitiveness Grants and

National 1,571

-

-100.0%

Science and Mathematics Access Grants

c. Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants 574

507

-11.7%

d. Total Grants and Scholarships $ 23,775

$

26,373

10.9%

2. Federal Work Study 1,067

1,056

-1.0%

3. Total Federal $ 24,842

$

27,429

10.4%

B. State

1. Virginia Student Financial Assistance Program

a. Scholarships $ 17,515

$

19,064

8.8%

b. Fellowships 2,635

2,635

0.0%

c.

Total Virginia Student Financial Assistance

Program $ 20,150

$

21,699

7.7%

2. College Scholarship Assistance Program 414

362

-12.6%

3. Total State $ 20,564

$

22,061

7.3%


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C. Total Sources and Uses $ 45,406

$49,490

9.0%

Note: The 2011-12 budget is based on the 2011-12 University Budget Plan.

*Figures are subject to change based on pending interpretation by the United States Department of Education on recent

Congressional legislation involving the federal budget.


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Table B: Summary of Other Sources of Student Financial Aid

(in thousands)

Change

Over

2010-11

2011-12

2010-11

E&G Programs*

Tuition waivers; scholarships and wages for

graduate

$32,585

$29,919

-8.2%

teaching assistants; merit-based aid; and need-

based aid

Facilities and Administrative Cost Recoveries

Funding for 50 graduate fellowships

1,598

1,666

4.3%

Auxiliary Enterprise Programs

Athletic scholarships

3,625

3,860

6.5%

University Funds

Scholarships and fellowships

3,886

3,688

-5.1%

School/departmental awards

1,370

876

-36.1%

Total $43,064

$40,009

-7.1%

Note: $12.05 million of need-based aid is included in E&G programs in 2010-11 and $8.05 million in 2011-12.

*The decrease in E&G funding for scholarships and fellowships reflects the $4.0 million in one-time student financial aid

assistance committed in FY 2011. A portion of these one-time funds will be carried forward and allocated in FY 2012

and FY 2013 to help ensure retention and graduation of continuing students with high achievement and financial need;

however, the funding for all three years is budgeted in FY 2011. VCU was provided an additional $1.5 million of state

general fund support in the 2011 Appropriation Act to support need-based undergraduate scholarships.


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