The Lawrence University administration plans to hire its first ever Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Enrollment by the end of October, as the culmination of a hiring search that began August 27, 2021. The hiring committee is chaired by Secretary to the Board of Trustees Christyn Abaray and includes various staff, faculty and students.
The position was created to ensure better communication between staff who oversee student life, according to Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life Linda Morgan-Clement, a member of the hiring committee. She identified communication between staff members who oversee student life and retention as a weakness and hopes the new AVP will be able to help bridge those gaps in order to ensure that students get the help they need.
“The big issue is communication,” Morgan-Clement said. “Do we all have access to the same data, so we can all see the same things and input what we know?”
Morgan-Clement also said that the new AVP will provide leadership, guidance, oversight and planning to all areas involved in student success at the school, including Counseling Services, the Dean of Students and the Career Center. They will also ensure that every department has access to the same information about the programs and strategies needed to ensure student success.
The AVP probably will not work directly with students, but will help to coordinate information about retention and graduation rates with the departments involved in student life.
There is currently a list of candidates in the running, but the information is confidential until the announcement is made at the end of the month. According to Morgan-Clement, the committee is looking for someone with experience leading student retention and degree completion programs, as well as someone who’s good at working with others. A Ph.D. is preferred, but not required. Dean of Enrollment Ken Anselment added that the committee is looking for someone with experience eliminating equity gaps in education.