SIU Chancellor Carlo Montemagno announced a new associate chancellor for enrollment management on Monday afternoon.

Jennifer DeHaemers, who most recently spent six years as associate vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, will take the helm of SIU’s enrollment efforts with a “multi-year recruitment plan”  on May 14, according to a press release.

She will oversee the admissions, financial aid, bursar’s and registrar’s offices.

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“Jennifer is a data-driven, student-centered enrollment management leader who understands the challenges we face at SIU,” Montemagno said in a statement. “She brings a collaborative approach and experience developing and implementing a strategic enrollment plan. I’m confident that she will help us move in the right direction.”

SIU reached its peak enrollment in 1991 with 24,869 students. The numbers have been decreasing ever since, bringing enrollment to an all-time low in fall 2017 with 14,554 students.

DeHaemers is the first person to fill the position since 2014 and the first fulltime hire into the position since 2011.

Earlier this month Montemagno published a report highlighting his first eight months at SIU. In the report he said the vacant enrollment management position was being converted into an associate chancellor position that reports directly to the chancellor.

The new job description was created and advertised by the chancellor’s office. But, the chancellor said the first pool of candidates was not strong, adding the search was unsuccessful “given the competitiveness of the market for enrollment management positions and perceptions of the university,” according to the chancellor’s report.

A second pool of candidates was then selected in the hopes of finding more qualified individuals, the report read. In all, 34 applications were submitted. 

Five finalists were selected from the second pool of applicants; DeHaemers was the only candidate to interview on campus, SIU spokeswoman Rae Goldsmith said. Three other finalists were invited to Carbondale for interviews, but one took a different position and the two others declined the invitation, Goldsmith said.

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Last week DeHaemers visited campus to meet with a number of groups including Montemagno, Goldsmith, members of the search committee, interim provost and vice chancellor for student affairs Meera Komarraju, interim Director of Financial Aid and interim Director of Admissions Terri Harfst and Bursar Director Jill Kirkpatrick.

A group of about nine students with representation from Hispanic Student Council, Saluki Ambassadors and Undergraduate Student Government were among those introduced to DeHaemers.

“She was very open and receptive to ideas,” said USG President Emily Buice. She said DeHaemers mentioned a desire to focus on celebrating diversity.

Buice was among those present for a lunch meeting during which DeHaemers asked about the current campus climate and what the university could do better for students.

“I think she is coming in with an understanding to listen and see where she can meet students versus just coming in and saying ‘here’s all the solutions’ when that might not be what we need,” Buice said.

DeHaemers, who has a master’s degree in higher education administration from UMKC, was employed at UMKC until November 2017. Her LinkedIn does not show an employment since.

In addition to the associate vice chancellor position, DeHaemers served at UMKC as vice chancellor of enrollment management from 2007 to 2011, director of international student affairs from 2005 to 2007 and director of admissions from 2002 to 2009, according to her LinkedIn profile.

“Jennifer DeHaemers made valuable and appreciated contributions to the well-being and success of our students as associate vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management at UMKC,” said Mel Tyler, vice chancellor for student affairs at UMKC. “She left UMKC during a wide-ranging administrative reorganization.”

Under her leadership, according to the a press release, UMKC enrollment grew from 15,492 in fall 2011 to 16,383 in fall 2017.

“SIU Carbondale provides a great opportunity to have an impact at an institution that recruits and serves a diverse student body,” DeHaemers said in a statement. “I was attracted to its mission, the chancellor’s vision for the future, and the openness and commitment of everyone I met. I know there’s much work to do, and I’m eager to get started.”

Staff writer Anna Spoerre can be reached at aspoerre@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter @annaspoerre.

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Correction: There were 34 applicants total. The original story indicated an incorrect number of applicants in the second pool.

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