What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director or Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions position at Gardner Webb University?
General Job Description:
The Director of Undergraduate Admissions provides strategic, data-informed leadership for the recruitment, admission, and enrollment of traditional undergraduate students at Gardner-Webb University. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Enrollment, the Director is responsible for shaping the incoming class through effective recruitment strategies, territory management oversight, counselor development, and robust campus visit programming.
This position ensures a seamless, relationship-driven experience from initial inquiry to enrollment by supervising the undergraduate recruitment team, collaborating with internal campus partners, and cultivating strong external relationships with high schools, community organizations, churches, athletic programs, and college access groups.
The Director utilizes analytics, enrollment trends, and best practices in admissions to drive continual process improvement and meet annual undergraduate enrollment goals.
- Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate the Undergraduate Admissions team, fostering a culture grounded in mission, professionalism, and results.
- Foster a positive, collaborative team environment committed to enrollment success.
- Develop and execute a comprehensive undergraduate recruitment plan aligned with institutional enrollment goals.
- Analyze yearly inquiry, application, and enrollment trends to identify opportunities, challenges, and market shifts.
- Partner with the AVP and VP to establish and monitor annual enrollment targets for freshman and transfer student populations.
- Contribute to multi-year enrollment strategies, including diversification of the applicant pool, yield enhancement, and retention of prospects throughout the enrollment cycle.
- Maintain active knowledge of best practices, new technologies, and national admissions trends.
- Oversee the full admissions funnel from inquiry to enrolled student, ensuring timely and personalized outreach at every stage.
- Ensure staff-use of communication workflows, call campaigns, texting, travel outreach, Slate prompts, and yield strategies.
- Monitor progress by territory and by counselor, identifying areas where intervention or additional support is needed.
- Oversee the evaluation of undergraduate applications and ensure compliance with university policies and enrollment standards.
- Guide counselors in the development of detailed recruitment strategies tailored to their assigned geographic territories.
- Confirm that each counselor: 1) Establishes territory-specific application and enrollment goals. 2) Builds relationships with high school counselors, community partners, churches, and dual-enrollment coordinators. 3)Maintains consistent communication with prospects and parents. 4)Uses Slate effectively for notes, tasks, and data accuracy
- Monitor territory-specific progress and provide proactive adjustments or interventions.
- Oversee all campus visit operations, including daily visits, group visits, special events, scholarship days, and on-campus recruitment programs.
Other Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Required
- Master’s Preferred
- Minimum of 3 years experience in Higher Education recruitment preferred
- Enrollment or admissions experience in a higher education setting required.
- Experience in undergraduate recruitment, territory management, or enrollment growth strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze data and apply findings to strategy.
- Experience with CRM systems (preferably Slate) and modern recruitment technologies.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Demonstrated leadership, team-building, and conflict-resolution abilities.
- Excellent written, oral, and analytical skills.
- Strategic thinker with exceptional organizational abilities.
- Commitment to high-quality customer service and relationship-driven recruitment.
- Ability to work collaboratively across departments and with diverse populations.
- Strong initiative and ability to guide a team toward measurable goals.
Physical Requirements
Individual must have the ability and be licensed to operate a motor vehicle. Must be able to lift and transport up to 50 pounds.
Gardner-Webb University (gardner-webb.edu) is a coeducational, residential, private, historically Baptist, Christian institution, located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina with easy access to Charlotte, Asheville, and Greenville-Spartanburg. The University offers 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to approximately 3,000 students. GWU is a Carnegie-classified Doctoral/Professional University. In 2023, Gardner-Webb was home to students from 93 counties in North Carolina, 44 US states, and 43 foreign countries. GWU is a NCAA Division I institution with 22 athletic teams and 460 student-athletes.