Job description
Posting Category: E
About UIS: Located in the state capital, the University of Illinois Springfield is one of three members of the University of Illinois system. The University serves more than 4,000 students in 44 graduate and 56 undergraduate programs. You are encouraged to visit the university web page at http://www.uis.edu.
Application deadline: 2/20/2026
Minimum Starting Salary: $140,000 annually
Summary:
Reporting
to the Chancellor, this Vice Chancellor position will lead Enrollment
& Retention Management at UIS. This position will be responsible for
leading and advancing enrollment and recruitment operations across all
campus locations and instructional modalities to achieve enrollment,
recruitment, and financial performance targets.
The VC ERM is
responsible for all enrollment and recruitment planning and execution;
will lead the University’s ongoing Strategic Enrollment & Retention
Management (SERM) Plan and SERM-related policy development. This
includes supervision and oversight of the offices of Admissions:
Recruitment, Admissions: Processing, Records & Registration,
Financial Aid, and Retention Management. The Vice Chancellor will be
responsible for the development, implementation, coordination, and
evaluation of the University’s strategic enrollment, branding and
marketing, and student retention initiatives and outcomes, while
providing visionary and collaborative leadership to the University in
these areas.
The Vice Chancellor will oversee the areas of:
Undergraduate, Online, and Graduate Admissions, International
Admissions, Enrollment Processing and Operations, Financial Aid, and the
overall student retention work of the institution. The VC ERM works
collaboratively with members of the Provost Leadership Team, Deans,
Directors, Marketing, Student Affairs, faculty, and staff across the
university to monitor and achieve enrollment and retention targets and
ensure alignment with the University’s strategic brand identity.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Inspires others throughout campus to work and serve collaboratively in achieving
enrollment goals while improving retention and graduation rates.
Demonstrates the ability to lead through influence, foster alignment
across units, and maintain a high-performance culture centered on
student success.
Provides oversight for short-range and long-range
Strategic Enrollment & Retention Management planning. Creates an
institutional portfolio of enrollment in the areas of traditional,
international, online, transfer, undergraduate, and graduate students.
Promotes current academic and student-centered programs. Develops and
encourages recommendations for new recruitment ideas, brand-focused
marketing strategies, financial aid leveraging, retention strategies,
tuition net revenue strategies, and academic programs that match the
University’s missions, resources, and market demand.
Provides
leadership in recruitment, marketing, and retention initiatives for
undergraduate, online, graduate programs, and international admissions,
enrollment processing and operations, financial aid, and the overall
student enrollment work of the institution. Works in collaboration with
Provost’s Leadership Team, Deans, Directors, faculty, and staff,
including close coordination with the UIS Strategic Marketing unit and
external marketing partners to align messaging and drive brand
awareness.
Serves as an institutional advocate for enrollment and
recruitment activities and in interactions with internal constituencies,
University of Illinois system administration, and external stakeholders
at local, regional, national, and international levels. Maintains
expertise on current and emerging trends related to enrollment and
retention in higher education. Provides guidance and serves as ex
officio member of the UIS Campus Senate Committee on Recruitment and
Retention (CARR). Serves on the Illinois Council of Enrollment Managers.
Utilizes
state, regional, and national data to create predictive models of
enrollment trends and results. Establishes transparent data dashboards
and shares key performance indicators (KPIs) regularly with university
leadership and campus stakeholders to support informed decision-making
and institutional alignment.
Ensures the university complies with
federal, state, and/or local regulations impacting enrollment and
financial aid for academic programs including HLC, NC-SARA, and U.S.
Department of Education regulations. Collaborate with UI System office
on compliance issues.
Works in coordination with the UIS Office of
Research & Sponsored Programs, Office of Research & Innovation,
and the Office of Advancement to pursue opportunities for external
funding support of activities related to student recruitment and
retention.
Minimum Qualifications:
* Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, Business Administration, or a related field; Doctorate preferred.
* Eight years of progressively responsible and demonstrated success in
higher education enrollment management and marketing, with at least five
years of experience supervising professional staff.
Preferred Qualifications:
* Proven track record of developing and implementing successful enrollment strategies across diverse student populations (traditional and non-traditional undergraduates, adult re-entry, transfer, graduate, online, international, and “Some College, No Credential” learners).
* Knowledge of national practices in all areas of enrollment management, including branding, external marketing partnerships, financial aid leveraging strategies, retention strategies, and tuition net revenue strategies.
* A proven record of leading cross-functional teams, fostering innovation, and aligning enrollment strategy with academic priorities is essential.
* Demonstrated ability to collaborate with Academic Affairs to align enrollment goals with academic priorities, develop program-specific enrollment strategies, and manage budgets that support institutional growth.
* Demonstrated ability to collaborate with Student Affairs to advance unified recruitment and admissions initiatives, integrate intercollegiate athletics into strategic enrollment planning, and strengthen co-curricular partnerships that enhance student recruitment and retention.
* Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with finance and administrative units to develop and manage budgets that support strategic enrollment goals.
* Utilization of advanced admissions technologies, data analytics platforms, predictive modeling, financial aid optimization tools, and digital marketing strategies to drive targeted recruitment and informed enrollment decisions. This includes but is not limited to Slate or other CRMs.
* Ability to identify the data needed to drive decision-making as well as analyze and present data.
* Excellent analytical, written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to deliver effective public presentations.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Demonstrated ability to manage a complex organization at an institution of higher education, working with a diverse employee and student body.
Ability to conduct strategic planning, budgeting and forecasting.
Ability to make sophisticated use of high-quality data-driven, evidence-based enrollment decisions, while utilizing best practices in enrollment and retention management.
Ability to represent the university and its interests in a professional and conscientious manner.
Demonstrated ability to maintain high quality and standards of work, leadership, ethics, commitment, and professional responsibility and judgment.
Demonstrated ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality.
Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines.
Knowledge of national practices in all areas of enrollment management, including financial aid leveraging strategies, retention strategies, and tuition net revenue strategies.
Physical Demands:
- Standing : Occasionally
- Walking : Occasionally
- Sitting : Constantly
- Lifting : Rarely
- Carrying : Rarely
- Pushing : Rarely
- Pulling : Rarely
- Climbing : Rarely
- Balancing : Rarely
- Stooping : Rarely
- Kneeling : Rarely
- Crouching : Rarely
- Crawling : Rarely
- Reaching : Rarely
- Handling : Rarely
- Grasping : Rarely
- Feeling : Rarely
- Talking : Occasionally
- Hearing : Occasionally
- Repetitive Motions : Rarely
- Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination : Rarely
- Taste/Smell : Rarely
- Performing Manual Tasks : Rarely
Working Conditions:
- Extreme cold : Rarely
- Extreme heat : Rarely
- Humid : Rarely
- Wet : Rarely
- Noise : Rarely
- Hazards : Rarely
- Temperature Change : Rarely
- Atmospheric Conditions : Rarely
- Vibration : Rarely
Travel Requirements:
5% Some travel may be required.
Employment Policies and other information:
UIS is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer with a strong institutional commitment to recruitment and retention of a diverse and inclusive campus community. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility.
The University of Illinois may conduct background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer of employment. Background checks will be performed in compliance with state and federal law.
The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current or former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment.
This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.
UIS employment in this role is not covered by Social Security, and instead, is covered by the State University Retirement System.
- You will not pay Social Security taxes and your earning will not be on your Social Security Record. (Your record will, however, show your Medicare wages.
- Your pension from the State Universities Retirement System may affect the amount of your:
Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted by contacting UIS HR at [email protected] or call 217-206-6652.
***Please Note: All postings close at 5:00pm CST on the posting close date.***
UIS is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer with a strong institutional commitment to recruitment and retention of a diverse and inclusive campus community.
Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
How to apply
To apply, please use the Academic Search applicant portal
