Fountain Valley, California
1575 I Street, NW
Charlotte, North Carolina
Brookings, South Dakota
Berkeley, California
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Posted: 05-Mar-25
Location: South Hadley, Massachusetts
Type: Full Time
About Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke, the leading gender-diverse women’s college, is a highly selective, independent, research liberal arts college. The College is a noted leader in designing and delivering an inclusive and exploratory liberal arts education, with a mission grounded in the conviction that its graduates can -- and should -- make a difference in the world. In 2024, the College's Trustees adopted an audacious new strategic plan, MHC Forward. Reflecting the core values of academic excellence, inclusive learning, active engagement, and purposeful leadership, the strategic plan features four priority areas that intersect and work together: advancing innovation and inclusive academic excellence, enhancing the student experience on and beyond campus, strengthening infrastructure for long-term success, and growing resources responsibly for a thriving future.
Job Description:
The College is partnering with national search firm WittKieffer on the recruitment of the Dean of Admission. For the full position profile, or to submit an application visit WittKieffer.
Please direct all inquiries, and nominations to Christy Pratt, Rob Springall, and Anissa Conner via email, at: MtHolyokeAdmissions@wittkieffer.com.
Job Description Summary
The Dean of Admission is responsible for the execution of recruitment and enrollment strategy, providing leadership for the recruitment and selection of prospective students. As a senior member of the enrollment division, a member of the College's Leadership Council and reporting directly to the Vice President for Enrollment Management, the Dean will build upon Mount Holyoke’s strong position to grow the College’s reputation and reach in domestic and international markets and to deepen the engagement with the admission and college counseling communities.
The Dean will be responsible for delivering on the institutional enrollment goals of the strategic plan, MHC Forward, with respect to improving the college reach and reputation as a college destination of choice. The Dean will be a highly visible member of the college and industry communities and as such will be a spokesperson both on-campus and externally. In partnership with colleagues in the division of marketing and communications, the division of enrollment management will continue to refine brand messaging and develop content that engages prospective students through the use of multi-modal media channels (web, social media, print). Under the Dean’s leadership, the Office of Admission will prioritize initiatives that result in application growth, improved selectivity and revenue performance in line with our strategic goals.
Key Job Responsibilities:
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Lead the development and implementation of Mount Holyoke’s comprehensive admission strategy, aligning recruitment efforts with the college's enrollment goals and regularly assessing performance to maximize ROI.
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Oversee the Office of Admission, and directly supervise the Admission Leadership Team, fostering a data-driven, results-oriented culture while providing professional development and performance management to ensure alignment with institutional objectives.
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Work closely with internal departments, including student financial services and athletics, to ensure cohesive and effective recruitment strategies, aligning practices across multiple areas of the college.
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Oversee the creation of key performance metrics, track admissions trends, and evaluate recruitment strategies to ensure continuous improvement, providing regular briefings to senior leadership.
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Develop and implement innovative outreach and communications strategies to attract a diverse pool of applicants, working with the enrollment marketing team to design engaging campaigns.
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Represent Mount Holyoke at professional conferences, meetings, and associations, expanding the College’s reputation and network within the higher education community.
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Design and deploy robust operational plans for recruitment travel, institutional admission events and volunteer programs to strengthen engagement with prospective students.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Mount Holyoke encourages members of historically underrepresented groups or nontraditional backgrounds to apply for open positions at our institution. We firmly believe that diversity enriches our community and enhances our ability to prepare students for purposeful leadership in an increasingly globalized world.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 7 years of experience in college admission management and team leadership.
- Superior oral, analytical, and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage diverse audiences including students, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to track multiple projects, set priorities, meet deadlines under pressure, and adapt to evolving institutional needs.
- Advanced experience with enrollment management and marketing technologies, platforms, and tools, as well as Google Suite and Microsoft Office.
- Ability to analyze data and use insights to inform strategic decisions and drive recruitment outcomes.
- Understanding of and ability to communicate the value of a liberal arts education in a gender-diverse women’s college context, coupled with a flexible and collaborative approach to team leadership.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s degree with 10 years of experience in enrollment management and progressively increasing levels of responsibility.
- Experience in a selective college/university admission environment.
- Understanding of the history of women’s colleges and gender-affirming communities.