The university does not plan to fill the position of director of enrollment management in the near future, but John Nicklow, who last held the job, said that shouldn’t harm recruiting efforts.

Nicklow, provost and vice chancellor, said his office is focused on attracting and retaining students. The work he started when he led enrollment management will continue, he said.

“For the time being I am supporting that structure because I think enrollment is our No. 1 priority, and by having it report here I have a stronger connection with what’s happening academically and the key student support pieces,” Nicklow said.

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Nicklow said when he was assistant vice chancellor of enrollment, he dramatically reorganized financial aid and undergraduate admissions. He said he made major personnel changes and pushed for the university to become more collaborative and cross-train within enrollment management.

All university deans, the chancellor and provost meet to discuss what the university needs, said Rod Sievers, assistant to the chancellor for media relations.

He said in hard economic times it becomes more of a challenge to please everyone. Sievers said Chancellor Rita Cheng has noticed there is a deficit among faculty and staff, so she has asked staff to adjust accordingly.

“There are less people therefore they have to do more work,” he said.

Katharine Johnson Suski, interim director of admissions, said Nicklow changed the culture of the enrollment management office. She said directors in admissions feel they can function without the day-to-day oversight from Nicklow, but the position will eventually need to be filled.

“We can maintain for quite some time, and I don’t think it’s crucial for the position to be filled right now,” she said. “We’re at a pretty good point but down the road it may become more important.”

Suski said she served under Nicklow when he was in his previous position and new ideas were implemented because of the way he gives power to faculty in the office.

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“He greatly empowered the directors under him,” Suski said. “He allowed us to figure out the things that needed to be done, and he allowed us to do them while supporting us at the same time.”

Suski said the biggest difference in enrollment management now is the newly found access and relationships to faculty across the campus.

“Before we reported to Nicklow, and he would sit at the dean’s council meeting and represent everyone involved in enrollment,” she said. “Now he brings us to those meetings and we can make direct connections with deans of the colleges and work together to meet their needs.”

Nicklow said he believes when student needs are met, issues such as enrollment and budget can be solved.

“We are, in some way, trying to tie revenue distribution to instructional effort. If a college is teaching more and needs more instructors in the classroom, we want to be able to provide some sort of benefit,” Nicklow said.