Assistant Vice President for Admissions & Financial Aid

Lindsborg, Kansas, Position Overview: Bethany College seeks an energetic, resourceful, and results-oriented enrollment professional to serve as Assistant Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid. This is an opportunity for a forward-thinking leader to make their mark by strengthening enrollment strategy, inspiring and developing a talented team, and playing a pivotal role in shaping the future and continued success of a distinctive private liberal arts college.

Located in the thriving town of Lindsborg, Kansas, approximately one hour north of Wichita and less than half an hour from Salina and McPherson, Bethany College is a small, residential, Lutheran-affiliated institution with a longstanding commitment to educating students for lives of faith, learning, and service. Our students come from Kansas, neighboring states, and across the country. Many are student-athletes, first-generation college students, or students seeking a highly personalized college experience where they can discover their talents, develop a sense of purpose, and become part of a close-knit community.

Reporting directly to the President and serving on the President's Cabinet, the Assistant Vice President will provide strategic and operational leadership for undergraduate admissions and financial aid, with responsibility for meeting recruitment goals, strengthening enrollment systems, developing staff, and implementing financial aid strategies that balance affordability, access, and institutional sustainability.

The successful candidate will inherit an enrollment team with considerable potential and the opportunity to strengthen nearly every aspect of the recruitment operation, from prospect development and communications to application processing, financial aid packaging, student accounts, and enrollment conversion. The Assistant Vice President will have the active support and partnership of the President and Cabinet, who recognize enrollment growth and student success as shared institutional priorities.

The successful candidate for this role will exercise meaningful leadership within a collaborative environment where new ideas are welcomed, cross-campus partnerships are essential, and responsibility for institutional success extends well beyond the Admissions Office. The Assistant Vice President will work directly with the President, participate in strategic decisions at the Cabinet level, and have the opportunity to build a stronger enrollment operation with visible results.

We are looking for a leader who enjoys developing people, improving systems, solving problems, and working directly with prospective students and families. The ideal candidate will bring demonstrated recruitment success, strong analytical and organizational skills, familiarity with contemporary enrollment technologies, and the confidence and humility to lead a collaborative team through meaningful change. This position offers significant responsibility, genuine institutional influence, and the opportunity to demonstrate measurable success in a relatively short period, supported by a President and a leadership team committed to building the systems, relationships, and practices necessary for sustainable enrollment growth.

Essential Functions:

Enrollment Strategy and Recruitment

Develop and execute a comprehensive undergraduate recruitment and enrollment plan, in collaboration with the President and other institutional leaders, designed to meet annual new-student enrollment goals while establishing the foundation for sustainable growth. Establish clear recruitment targets, timelines, conversion benchmarks, and accountability measures across the admissions funnel, from initial inquiry through enrollment. Use enrollment data to identify opportunities, evaluate recruitment activities, forecast enrollment outcomes, and make timely adjustments to strategy. Develop and refine recruitment strategies for Bethany's best-fit students, including students from rural communities, student-athletes, first-generation college students, music and studio arts students, transfer students, and those seeking a personalized residential liberal arts experience that prepares them for the full range of career options when they graduate. Strengthen recruitment pipelines through high school partnerships, community college relationships, campus visits, recruitment events, digital engagement, and targeted outreach. Build productive partnerships with faculty, coaches, student affairs professionals, alumni, and other campus colleagues to create an institution-wide culture of recruitment. Evaluate recruitment territories, markets, and activities to maximize results within a limited budget and a small-team environment. Maintain an active, visible role in student recruitment, including participation in campus visits, events, outreach, and direct engagement with prospective students and families.

Admissions Operations, Technology, and Communications

Lead the continuous improvement of admissions operations, including inquiry management, application processing, admission decisions, enrollment communications, student accounts, and student onboarding. Maximize the effectiveness of the College's Slate CRM through accurate data management, strategic communication campaigns, automation, reporting, and consistent use by recruitment staff. Develop and maintain a coordinated, student-centered communications strategy using email, texting, telephone, direct mail, digital platforms, and personal outreach. Collaborate with Marketing and Communications to strengthen Bethany's visibility, distinguish its educational experience, and communicate its value to prospective students and families. Establish clear standards for timely, personalized, and consistent engagement with prospective students throughout the enrollment process. Identify and implement practical uses of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve efficiency, support staff effectiveness, and strengthen student engagement while maintaining appropriate ethical and data privacy standards. Evaluate recruitment activities and marketing investments based on measurable results, including inquiry generation, application conversion, enrollment yield, and cost-effectiveness. Ensure effective communication and transfer of information between Admissions, Financial Aid, the Registrar, Student Affairs, and the Student Success Center as students transition into the College.

F inancial Aid Strategy, Student Accounts, and Enrollment Economics

Provide leadership and oversight for Student Accounts and Financial Aid, working closely with the Director of Financial Aid and the Student Accounts Manager to ensure timely, accurate, student-centered, and compliant financial aid, payment plans, billing, and accounts receivable administration. Collaborate with the Director of Financial Aid and other institutional leaders to develop scholarship, institutional aid, and tuition discounting strategies that support enrollment growth, student affordability, and sustainable net tuition revenue. Monitor financial aid packaging practices, award timing, payment plans, billing, and student response patterns to improve recruitment yield and student persistence. Analyze the relationships among institutional aid, student enrollment decisions, student need, billing practices, tuition discount rates, and net tuition revenue to meet the College’s budget goals. Ensure close coordination among Admissions, Financial Aid, and Student Accounts to support clear financial communication, timely resolution of student concerns, and effective enrollment processes. Partner with the Director of Financial Aid to maintain appropriate compliance with federal, state, and institutional financial aid requirements. Work with College leadership to evaluate the effectiveness of existing scholarship programs and identify opportunities to strengthen recruitment and retention.

Athletic and Academic Recruitment Partnerships

Partner closely with the Dean of Athletics and coaching staff to establish recruitment goals, strengthen prospect pipelines, and improve the conversion of recruited student-athletes into enrolled students. Develop consistent communication, training, and accountability practices that help coaches work effectively with Admissions and Financial Aid. Collaborate with faculty and academic leadership to strengthen recruitment in music, studio art, education, health sciences, business, technology, and other academic programs that distinguish Bethany's educational experience. Help faculty and coaches understand enrollment trends, recruitment expectations, and the financial aid practices that affect enrollment decisions. Develop effective strategies to communicate the value of Bethany's academic programs, scholarships, extracurricular opportunities, and individualized educational experience. Promote collaboration among academic programs, fine arts, athletics, admissions, and student services to ensure that recruitment promises are reflected in the student experience.

Team Leadership and Professional Development

Supervise and develop staff within Admissions, Financial Aid, and assigned Student Accounts functions, establishing a culture of professionalism, collaboration, accountability, and service. Provide hands-on coaching and mentoring to a developing recruitment team, helping staff build confidence and competence in relationship-based recruitment, territory management, CRM utilization, and enrollment conversion. Establish clear expectations, measurable individual and team goals, and consistent practices for monitoring progress. Create effective onboarding, training, and professional development opportunities that help employees grow in their roles and contribute to institutional success. Encourage initiative, problem-solving, experimentation, and continuous improvement while maintaining appropriate standards and accountability. Foster a positive and supportive working environment in which employees understand how their work contributes to student success and the College's future. Demonstrate a willingness to work alongside staff during periods of high activity, modeling responsiveness, adaptability, and a commitment to shared success.

Institutional Leadership, Collaboration, and Student Success

Serve as an active member of the President's Cabinet, contributing to institution-wide planning, decision-making, and implementation of the College's strategic priorities. Work in close partnership with the President and Cabinet to advance institutional enrollment goals, identify opportunities for innovation, and coordinate the resources and cross-campus efforts necessary for success. Provide regular, accurate, and accessible enrollment reports, projections, and analyses to the President, Cabinet, the Governing Board, and other institutional stakeholders. Work collaboratively with Academic Affairs, Athletics, Student Affairs, the Student Success Center, the Registrar, and the business office to connect recruitment decisions with student persistence, retention, and graduation. Use available data to identify characteristics of students who are most likely to succeed at Bethany and incorporate those insights into recruitment and financial aid strategies. Participate in retention and student success initiatives, recognizing that sustainable enrollment growth depends on both recruiting new students and supporting those already enrolled. Develop and manage operational budgets for Admissions and Financial Aid, using institutional resources strategically and responsibly. Represent Bethany College professionally and enthusiastically in relationships with schools, families, community organizations, alumni, and professional associations. Perform other related responsibilities consistent with the position and the evolving needs of the College. Qualifications:

Required:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. At least five years of progressively responsible professional experience in college admissions, student recruitment, enrollment management, financial aid, or a closely related higher education function. Demonstrated success in student recruitment, enrollment conversion, financial aid strategy, or other measurable enrollment outcomes. Evidence of leadership potential through staff supervision, project leadership, training, mentoring, process improvement, or successful management of significant responsibilities. Working knowledge of admissions and enrollment processes, including student recruitment, application management, financial aid, and enrollment decision-making. Experience using a customer relationship management (CRM) system, student information system, or comparable technology to manage processes, analyze data, and improve results. Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills. Ability to set priorities, manage multiple projects, meet deadlines, and make effective decisions in a fast-paced environment. Demonstrated capacity to build productive relationships with colleagues across institutional divisions. Commitment to the mission and values of a small, private liberal arts college and its diverse student population. Excellent grammar, spelling, and writing abilities. Microsoft Office, computer knowledge, and knowledge of office equipment. Ability to communicate effectively to a variety of audiences, including students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, administration, and the community at large. Ability to handle multiple projects/assignments concurrently and be very results-oriented. Highly motivated and works well both independently and in a team environment.

Preferred:

Master's degree completed or in progress in higher education administration, higher education leadership, student affairs, business administration, or a related field; doctoral study or an earned doctorate is also welcome. Experience supervising, mentoring, or training admissions or financial aid staff. Demonstrated success improving recruitment results, conversion rates, enrollment yield, or net tuition revenue. Experience with Slate or a comparable higher education CRM, including communication workflows, reporting, and automation. Familiarity with financial aid packaging, institutional scholarships, tuition discounting, and enrollment-related financial analysis. Experience recruiting student-athletes or collaborating with athletic departments in an enrollment setting. Experience with small private colleges, residential liberal arts institutions, or institutions serving substantial populations of first-generation, rural, or Pell-eligible students. Experience developing or improving recruitment operations, processes, or teams. Familiarity with enrollment forecasting, data visualization, and emerging technologies that support admissions and financial aid operations. Awareness of Lutheran higher education and/or the ELCA or other Lutheran denominational body is a plus. Bilingual in Spanish is a plus.

Characteristics of a Successful Candidate

Bethany College is particularly interested in candidates who demonstrate the following professional qualities:

A Builder's Mindset: You see opportunities where others see limitations. You enjoy creating effective systems, strengthening processes, and developing people. You understand that meaningful progress often begins with practical improvements and consistent execution. Recruitment Instincts: You understand that successful recruitment is fundamentally about relationships. You know how to connect with students and families, communicate the value of an educational experience, and help prospective students move confidently toward an enrollment decision. Data-Informed Decision-Making: You are comfortable working with numbers, evaluating performance, identifying trends, and translating data into action. You believe that recruitment goals should be clear, progress should be visible, and results should guide decisions. Collaborative Leadership: You understand that enrollment success depends on many people across a college. You build trust with faculty, coaches, financial aid professionals, student services staff, and institutional leaders, and you help them see themselves as partners in recruitment and retention. A Commitment to Developing Others: You take satisfaction in helping colleagues become more capable and successful. You are a patient teacher, an engaged supervisor, and a leader who combines encouragement with clear expectations and accountability. Resourcefulness and Adaptability: You are comfortable working in an environment where resources must be used carefully, priorities may shift, and successful leaders must be willing to contribute directly to the work of their teams. Professional Ambition and Initiative: You are ready for a role with substantial responsibility and visibility. You are motivated by the opportunity to make a demonstrable difference, develop your leadership abilities, and build a record of success. Commitment to Student Success: You recognize that the goal is not simply to enroll students but to recruit students who can thrive at Bethany, persist in their education, and graduate prepared to lead lives of purpose and service.

The Opportunity at Bethany

This position offers an unusual combination of responsibility, professional growth, and institutional influence. The Assistant Vice President will work directly with the President, participate in strategic decisions at the Cabinet level, and have the opportunity to build a stronger, more effective enrollment operation with visible results.

At Bethany, enrollment growth is a shared institutional commitment, not simply the responsibility of the Admissions Office. The President and Cabinet recognize that successful recruitment and retention depend on strong academic programs, engaged coaches and faculty, effective student support, responsible financial aid practices, and a campus community committed to welcoming students and helping them succeed. The Assistant Vice President will be a key leader in this work, with the partnership of colleagues across the institution and the support of senior leadership in setting priorities, addressing challenges, and putting new ideas into practice.

Bethany College is seeking a professional who is excited by this opportunity and who wants to make a meaningful contribution to a college where individual relationships matter, new ideas are welcomed, and successful leadership can have a direct and lasting impact on students and the institution.

This position is well suited to an accomplished admissions or enrollment professional who is ready to assume broader leadership responsibilities, including candidates who have demonstrated success in their current roles but have not yet held an executive-level title. Bethany College seeks an AVP for Admissions & Financial Aid. Lead enrollment strategy, develop staff, and shape the future of a distinctive Lutheran liberal arts college in Lindsborg, KS. Cabinet-level role reporting to the President.