Photo by Maryam Tunio

Marquette has now switched to rolling admission, meaning after students submit their application and FAFSA, they can hear back with a decision within about three weeks. The decision that John Baworowsky, Vice Provost of Enrollment Management, said “gives a huge advantage to the student.”

Marquette has begun its search for a new dean of undergraduate admissions, with the goal of filling the position by the beginning of fall 2016.

A search committee formed after it was announced that Jean Burke, interim dean of undergraduate admissions, will leave the position at the end of the semester. Susan Teerink, director of financial aid and chair of the search committee, said most of the search process is confidential, but an official announcement about the position will be posted soon.

“We anticipate reviewing candidate credentials by mid-May and are looking for someone who has proven leadership, motivational and supervisory skills and exemplifies a relational management style,” Teerink said.

Teerink later clarified that the university aims to have the new dean in place by August 1.

Members of the search committee were announced in a university news brief March 31. In addition to Teerink, the members are:

• Mike Broeker, deputy athletics director
• Julie Murphy, assistant dean for new student and family programs
• Tom Pionek, assistant vice president of marketing
• Scott Reid, chair and professor of chemistry
• Zuleyka Rios, admissions counselor – multicultural community outreach
• Kristina Ropella, Dean of the College of Engineering
• Michelle Schuh, assistant dean of the College of Health Sciences

The search committee is looking for a new dean that has leadership experience in higher education admissions and displays extraordinary communication skills both written and verbally. Having strong recruitment skills and being able to use data and analytics to reach diverse populations are two key skills the new dean must possess.

Teerink said she believes the new dean needs to embody the Catholic Jesuit mission and guiding values of Marquette. She said demonstrating strong leadership skills is essential since the dean will oversee undergraduate admissions staff, applications and recruitment strategies.

“The successful candidate will be a forward-thinking leader who is creative and innovative, bringing expertise in the best practices of admissions and providing the leadership necessary to build and support a strong, cohesive and experienced admissions team,” Teerink said.

Provost Daniel Myers said the dean is in charge of all operations relating to recruiting prospective students to Marquette.

“The search will be a national search, and we are hoping to have the hiring completed sometime this summer,” Myers said.

The new dean of undergraduate admissions will play an important role in assisting new students with adjusting to campus, while continuing to draw in prospective students from both in and out of state. According to Marquette’s student demographics information, 1,872 freshmen were enrolled for the 2015-’16 school year.