As many students left campus at the end of last semester, it was announced that Dean of Admissions, Chip Timmons ’96, would be leaving Wabash after almost 30 years with the College to become Purdue’s new Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions. With this change in personnel happening going into summer, admission’s busiest time of year, this could have presented a major challenge.
This change seems to have done nothing to slow the steady pace of the admissions office.
“When Dean Timmons left in June, one of his achievements that we celebrated was the development of a strong Admissions team with a deep bench,” said President Scott Feller. “We have seen that play out in that we really haven’t missed a beat.”
It seems as though it is business as usual for the admissions office. The College is in the process of looking for a new Dean of Admissions. In the meantime, Tyler Wade ’12 has stepped in as the Interim Director of Admissions.
“I think having the confidence and trust in the team that we have here and their strengths and ability to get stuff done has helped make for a pretty seamless process in general,” said Wade. “[President Feller] was very clear in his charge to me in taking this job as interim, is to set things up for whatever comes after interim.”
The College is looking into replacements as we speak and are working to find the best candidate whether that’s in or outside the Wabash College family.
“We’ve engaged a search firm to assist us in identifying candidates to become our next Dean,” said Feller. “They are leading a national search, encouraging both internal and external candidates. They spent a couple days on campus early in the summer, met with our faculty, staff and coaches and are working hard to source candidates and conduct preliminary interviews. Our on-campus search committee will mobilize in mid-September, and it’s our hope to have on-campus interviews in early October and to name someone shortly thereafter.”
It appears that the number one objective coming out of the Admissions Office is to keep the train running and make sure the change has no effect on recruiting the next class.
“We have a number of new initiatives underway, including a partnership with Two Ocean to help us source prospective students and their families,” said Feller. “Alongside that, we’re working with another firm to build a new microsite with content expressly designed for prospective Wabash men and their families. That work is moving forward at pace. Our early application numbers are up over last year.”
One message that is being reiterated is the idea that the Admissions Office isn’t the only one recruiting. They are looking for engagement from everyone.
“Enrollement is everybody’s business at the institution,” said Wade. “None of it happens without everybody on campus being involved. Whether that’s faculty welcoming students or students hosting prospective students. So managing enrollment isn’t just bringing in new students, it’s keeping and retaining the ones that are already here.”
With recruiting for the class of 2031 already underway and the class of 2030 being one of the biggest the college has had, it appears that while Wabash College will miss Timmons, it takes more than losing one person to derail any progress they’re looking to make.