Registrar/Dean of Admissions & Enrollment Management

Job Description          

Thomas Nelson Community College (Thomas Nelson) is located on the Virginia Peninsula in the heart of Hampton Roads, a region renowned for being the birthplace of America and home to communities rich in culture and industry. Bordering the Chesapeake Bay, the region boasts beaches, major attractions, world-class museums, and a vibrant visual and performing arts scene. The area is known for its economic vitality, which includes being home to several military bases, ship-building facilities, the NASA Langley Research Center and Jefferson Lab, prominent colleges and universities, and varied commercial industries and enterprises.

Thomas Nelson is a comprehensive community college, offering a variety of programs of study leading to an associate degree, certificate, or career studies certificate. In addition to the many popular transfer degree programs, the college is known for its strong technical and pre-professional programs and its outreach to the community as a partner and leader in workforce development. The college also provides underprepared students with developmental studies to help them to be successful in college-level coursework. Founded in 1967, Thomas Nelson serves over 13,000 students each year in credit instruction and over 5,000 in non-credit instruction and workforce services. The College is served by over 110 fulltime faculty, 350 adjunct faculty, and 360 staff members. Faculty and staff are strategic and responsive, committed to understanding and meeting the needs of the region.

The college has two campuses, one in Hampton and the Historic Triangle Campus located in Williamsburg. The college also has a satellite site at the Southeast Higher Education Center in Newport News. The communities primarily served by the college are the Cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg, and the Counties of James City and York.

The Position:

The Registrar, Dean of Admissions & Enrollment Management directs, manages, and supervises all functions within the Virginia Peninsula Community College Offices of Recruitment, Admissions, Records & Registration, while serving as the official Registrar for the institution. The incumbent will implement the strategic plan for enrollment growth and improve services to students through consistent, ‘best practices’ management that includes continuous process improvement. In addition, responsibilities include oversight of the following: recruitment, admissions, and registration policies and processes; coordination of onboarding activities between functional areas; official certification of student records and submission of student reports; student data and student information system management and troubleshooting; implementation of college, state, and federal regulations; and management of personnel. This position will be responsible for admitting students and maintain the highest standard of integrity for all student

records including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and will supervise registration each semester. The successful candidate will demonstrate knowledge of student information systems, graduation certification and transcript evaluation. This position should have current knowledge of Customer Relations Systems (CRM), office management, admissions and records offices’ practices and procedures, filing systems, and laws related to the position’s duties. This position will interface with the National Student Clearinghouse for enrollment and degree verification. This position will bring innovative approaches to registration, data management, graduation processing, and commencement activities. The Registrar, Dean of Admissions & Enrollment Management reports to the Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success as a senior administrative team member and serves as the college Registrar and chief student and enrollment services officer.

Primary institutional manager of student-record information, with responsibility for providing data and analysis concerning educational policy, curricula, and academic performance. Establish and maintain processes for equitable and consistent administration of policies and procedures as they relate to registration and academic record keeping. Provide leadership and oversight for maintenance, integrity, accuracy, and security of student academic records, transfer course evaluation, degree/graduation audits, conferral of academic degrees, and compliance with FERPA and other federal and state regulations related to these records.

The Dean should be very familiar with various technology for higher education as this position presents a unique opportunity for the successful candidate to facilitate and undertake the development of a CRM program, as well as evaluate and implement appropriate systems to effectively manage instructional spaces, the catalog, student course registration, begin/end-of-term processing, and transcript production. Along with the development of metrics and assessment methods to evaluate student and enrollment services operations at the college. Initiatives such as the implementation of a CRM program, restructuring admissions, registration, and enrollment services will advance the college in providing exceptional education that transforms lives and strengthens the communities we serve. This position will require a unique combination of high-level analytic ability, systems thinking, and interpersonal skills. The ideal candidate will be both detail-and process-oriented and will possess the skills necessary to manage and analyze a range of quantitative and qualitative information.

Oversee aspects of the day-to-day admissions operations, including supervision and evaluation of all office personnel. Manages prospective student outreach, recruitment, evaluation, admission, and yield applications. Assist the Vice President Enrollment Management and Student Success in the formulation of short- and long-term strategic plans, data-driven policies, and processes, direct the planning, implementation, evaluation, and staffing. Provide strong leadership and personnel supervision to recruitment, admissions, records, and registration. Develop and manage the departmental budget. Remain current with legal issues affecting students in higher education.

The Dean must be able to work collaboratively with faculty, academic department chairs, and staff from all divisions of the college. Work with external constituents to promote a seamless recruitment, admission, and enrollment experience for new students. This individual should demonstrate a focus on student success and actively support our welcoming and inclusive community that values all members including those from historically under-represented groups. The incumbent will possess a high degree of creative problem-solving and strong interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to speak and write with clarity and precision. The Dean provides strategic and operational oversight for the student academic experience and serves on divisional and cross-divisional leadership groups responsible for curriculum and student data. This individual must be able to research, analyze, develop, and recommend appropriate processes and policies that conform with college policies and commonly accepted best practices. The Registrar, Dean of Admissions & Enrollment Management should foster a culture of effective and responsive student-facing services as well as data-driven decision-making.

Primary responsibilities:

• Provide leadership for registrar, recruitment, admissions, and student enrollment services.
• Work with academic and workforce deans to develop procedures and new initiatives for students.
• Assist the Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success in short- and long-term planning and set goals and objectives for areas of responsibility.
• Work with Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success, administration, and other campus deans to develop metrics and assessment methods to evaluate operations that drive continuous process improvement to optimize services to students and increase enrollment.
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with external community agencies, organizations, service area school districts to promote outreach and facilitate student enrollment.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate enrollment management strategies that support the college’s mission and market-driven program priorities.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate strategic enrollment management practices that meet the unique needs of disparate audiences including online learners, high school students, and employed, underemployed and military-connected adults.
• Serve as the primary institutional manager of student-record information, with responsibility for providing data and analysis to academic and administrative offices concerning educational policy, curricula, and academic performance.
• Direct the processes for registration of continuing and incoming students, transfer of credits, production of transcripts available to students and graduates, auditing degree programs to verify completion of graduation requirements, the posting of official degrees, coordination, preparation and distribution of diplomas, and the organization of student-related commencement details.
• Direct effective service to students and faculty as it pertains to registration and grade recording.
• Coordinate and ensure training for staff on the use of software related to records administration.
• Guide an efficient and effective transcript evaluation process, including the maintenance of SIS transfer course equivalency tables for the college.
• Adapt and advance the use of technology including but not limited to customer relationship management, data analysis, business intelligence, etc.
• Effectively and efficiently utilize and manage student information systems, (SIS) PeopleSoft and interpret data from admissions, financial aid, and registration and student finance modules to forecast, analyze, evaluate, and provide continuous quality improvement.
• Serve as a consultant and be informed on decisions about all levels of enrollment, admissions, and academic records.
• Provide guidance to staff and advisors regarding interpretation and implementation of transfer articulation policies and degree requirements.
• Stay current with operational and reporting trends, regulations, and technology solutions; coordinate updates and modifications to the student information system related to registration, advisement, and academic records.
• Generate required data and reports, in requested formats and in a timely manner, to internal stakeholders and to the National Student Clearinghouse.
• Plan and manage the annual budget of the Enrollment Management area.
• Continue implementing and growing knowledge of technology to implement time-saving processes, such as automated degree audits.
• Engage with employees concerned with enrollment management, student admissions, and student services to coordinate services, activities (i.e., Open Houses, Informational Sessions, Recruitment programs, etc.) and projects.
• Coordinate with academic departments to facilitate transfer credits and responsibilities.
• Coordinate with appropriate departments to publicize drop dates, beginning, and ending dates, etc.
• Represent the Enrollment Management and Office of the Registrar on system and college-wide committees, where appropriate.

Special Assignments 

May be required to perform other duties as assigned. May be required to assist the agency or state government generally in the event of an emergency declaration by the Governor.

KSA's/Required Qualifications          

• Master’s degree in Educational Leadership, Higher Education, Counseling, Enrollment Management, Business Administration, Technology, or a related area with at least 5 years of progressive college administration or management experience.
• Administrator experience includes autonomous decision making.
• Proven leadership in a complex organizational setting, preferably within a community college.
• Direct, full-time work experience in student records (Office of the Registrar), with three (3) years of recent supervisory experience of full-time personnel
• Minimum Two plus years of direct experience in the areas of recruitment and/or admissions.

Preferred Qualifications        

• Community college experience; Knowledge of PeopleSoft, Navigate and other educational technologies.
• Knowledge of and experience in academic advising.
• PeopleSoft Student Information System (SIS).

Background Check Statement Disclaimer    

The selected candidate’s offer is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background investigation, which may include: fingerprint checks, local agency checks, employment verification, verification of education, credit checks (relevant to employment). Additionally, selected candidates may be required to complete the Commonwealth’s Statement of Economic Interest. For more information, please follow this link:  http://ethics.dls.virginia.gov/

EEO Statement          

The Virginia Community College System, an EEO employer, welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and recognizes the benefits of a diverse workforce. Therefore, the VCCS is committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. Employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications. We prohibit discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, mental or physical disabilities, political affiliation, veteran status, gender identity, or other non-merit factors.

ADA Statement         

The VCCS is an EOE and Affirmative Action Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Acts (ADA and ADAAA), VCCS will provide, if requested, reasonable accommodation to applicants in need of access to the application, interviewing and selection processes.

E-Verify Statement    

VCCS uses E-Verify to check employee eligibility to work in the United States. You will be required to complete an I-9 form and provide documentation of your identity for employment purposes.

Quicklink for Posting: https://jobs.vccs.edu/postings/47638