Mike Frantz, M.A.

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Higher Education Experience

Dutcher LLC—September 2019-present—provide interim and consultative       enrollment services to colleges and universities

Interim Vice President of Enrollment

November 2022-May 2023

Lawrence University, Appleton, WI

Long Term Enrollment Consultant and Interim Vice President

September 2020-2022

University of Findlay, Findlay, OH

Interim Vice President of Enrollment

April-September 2022

Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA

Enrollment Consultant and Interim Chief Enrollment Officer—April 2019-December 2019—consultation and mentorship for new chief enrollment officer; December 2019-September 2020—interim chief enrollment officer

Bay Path University, Longmeadow, MA

Interim Vice President of Enrollment

October 2018-March 2019

University of Mount Union, Alliance, Ohio

Mentorship Consulting

McDaniel College (MD)

Saint Mary’s University (MN)

Wilkes University (PA)

Sales and Financial Aid Training and Consulting

Quinnipiac University (CT)

American International College (MA)

Mount Marty University (SD)

Mount Saint Mary’s University (MD)

Edgewood College (WI)

Northern Vermont University (VT)

Cedar Crest College (PA)

Vice President of Enrollment—2012-2018

Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, Iowa

Highlights of tenure:

• Broke institution’s application record by 12% in 2016-17, then surpassed that mark by another 35% in 2017-18.
• Set record for acceptances in 2017-18.
• Students of color represented 28% of incoming class in 2018.
• Successfully managed per student net revenue.
• Regarding enrollment in the adult, degree-completion programs, I led the efforts to reverse a downward trend by posting back-to-back, year-over-year gains in new starts for the first time since 2010-11 in 2015-16.
• Had the largest freshman class in almost a decade.

Role

Initially hired to supervise the directors of the undergraduate, residential campus admissions office and the financial aid office. Over my appointment, new duties were assigned that had me, at various times, also supervising the director of athletics, the University Marketing and Communications department, and the director of recruitment for the 16 sites operated across Iowa, and undergraduate, online programs. Also served as the university lead in a partnership with a company charged with recruitment and student success measures for fully online graduate and undergraduate degree programs. The position reported to the President and served on the President’s Council.

Responsibilities

• Strategy Planning and Implementation—Directed strategies that relied heavily on data collection and research analysis, and driven by a communication-intensive, relationship-building process
• Leadership/Management—Managed strategic planning and development for the office including: long- and short-term goal setting, annual recruitment plans, internal and external communications, staff training and development, and data collection and analysis.  
• Financial Aid Planning—BVU participated in a financial aid leveraging analysis program.  Served as lead individual responsible for the financial aid budget planning and allocation. Led two pricing studies to determine optimal gross and net price points.
• Reporting Systems and Information Management—Led weekly staff meetings, reviewed internal and external office reports, created committee and full Board of Trustees reports, and monitored all forms of internal and external admissions data.

Additional Responsibilities as part of role of Vice President:

• Member of President’s Cabinet—primary university leadership group charged with setting strategic direction, evaluating and implementing policy, developing institutional budget. Together, we led a university-wide “Prioritization” process that examined all campus programs ultimately creating $3M in funds for re-allocation, a major portion of which went to strengthen academic programs and employee compensation.
• Campus involvement—served on Admissions & Retention Committee of the Faculty, often present at Dean’s Council, Orientation Committee, Conditional Admissions Committee, staffed the Marketing Committee of the Board of Trustees and multiple ad hoc committees.

Vice President of Enrollment—2009-2012

Robert Morris University, Moon Township, Pennsylvania

Became the first vice president of enrollment. Unified the admissions and financial aid offices under one reporting structure. The admissions and financial aid offices served all traditional full-time and part-time undergraduates, non-traditional undergraduates, Master’s, doctoral students and online students.

The first three freshmen classes under my leadership set institutional records of 720, 895, and 783 students respectively. There was a modest increase in quality and net revenue while diversity held steady. Acceptance rate has declined 15 percentage points in three years.

Master’s enrollment reversed a multi-year decline in 2010, before falling back in 2011, primarily driven by significant losses in graduate education caused by public school budget woes. Doctoral programs all boast wait lists. Online enrollments are growing.

Role

The Vice President supervised the Dean of Enrollment and the Director of Financial Aid. The Vice President reported to the Provost, was a member of the President’s Cabinet, served on multiple campus committees and regularly reported to the Board of Trustees.

Responsibilities

The Vice President of Enrollment at Robert Morris University was responsible for (but not limited to) the following management areas:

• Strategy Planning and Implementation—Directed strategies that rely heavily on data collection and research analysis, and are driven by a communication-intensive, relationship-building process
• Leadership/Management—Managed strategic planning and development for the office including: long- and short-term goal setting, annual recruitment plans, internal and external communications, staff training and development, and data collection and analysis.  
• Financial Aid Planning—RMU participated in a financial aid leveraging analysis program.  Served as lead individual responsible for the financial aid budget planning and allocation. Served as lead member behind a long term pricing study and analysis.
• Reporting Systems and Information Management—Led weekly staff meetings, reviewed internal and external office reports, created committee and full Board of Trustees reports, and monitored all forms of internal and external admissions data.

Additional Responsibilities as part of role of Vice President:

• Member of President’s Cabinet—primary university leadership group charged with setting strategic direction, evaluating and implementing policy, developing institutional budget.
• Campus committee involvement—served on Middle States Committee, Dean’s Council, Budget Committee, Black History Month Committee, multiple ad hoc committees.

Vice President of Enrollment Services—2008-2009

Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing—2004-2008

Vice President of Enrollment Services—2002-2004

Dean of Enrollment Services—1998-2002

Interim Vice President of Advancement—Nov. 2007-May 2008

Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Original position supervised and provided strategic and tactical direction for full-time undergraduate admissions and financial aid. First promotion added responsibilities for part-time, undergraduate enrollment and continuing education. Second promotion added responsibilities for institutional marketing and branding along with implementation and oversight of Student Service Center (a “one stop” center comprising the services of financial aid, registrar, enrollment processing, cashier and information desk). Interim position provided guidance and support for fund raising during leadership transition. Final position was the result of promotion of marketing director to direct report to president.

From 1998-2007, freshmen enrollment grew from a class of 379 to an all-time high of 630 with simultaneous drop in acceptance rate of 16 percentage points, decline in discount rate of 4 percentage points, and increase in ethnic diversity from 5 to 11%. Freshman enrollment record has not been surpassed.

Highlights of institution-wide branding and marketing effort include prominent exposure within a variety of publications including: The Chronicle of Higher Education, USA Today, New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, National Public Radio and Associated Press, in addition to numerous smaller market newspapers.  

Role

The Vice President supervised the Director of Admissions and Director of the Student Service Center.  The Vice President reported to the President, served on the President’s Cabinet, and was a member of several campus committees.

Responsibilities

The Vice President of Enrollment Services at Wilkes University was responsible for (but not limited to) the following management areas:

• Strategy Planning and Implementation—Directed strategies that rely heavily on data collection and research analysis, and are driven by a communication-intensive, relationship-building process
• Leadership/Management—Managed strategic planning and development for the office including: all staffing, territory development, long- and short-term goal setting, internal and external communications, staff training and development, and data collection and analysis.  Utilized predictive modeling, the creation of statistical models designed to predict the likelihood of prospects, inquiries, and applicants to enroll, as well as several trend analyses.
• Financial Aid Planning—Wilkes University participated in a financial aid leveraging analysis program.  Served as lead individual responsible for the financial aid budget planning and allocation
• Reporting Systems and Information Management—Led weekly individual and staff meetings, composed weekly staff reports, internal and external office reports, committee reports, Board of Trustees reports, and managed all forms of internal and external admissions data.

Additional Responsibilities as part of role of Vice President:

• Member of President’s Cabinet—primary group charged with setting strategic direction, evaluating and implementing policy, developing institutional budget.
• Campus committee involvement—served on Mentoring Task Force, Admissions and Financial Aid Committee, Budget Committee.

Additional Demonstrated Skills

• Budget—Oversaw budgets for all areas of operation, including $1M+ marketing budget and $22M financial aid budget.
• International student recruitment—Wilkes University’s international student population grew from 10-150 in ten years. Had direct responsibility for increase. Have traveled extensively throughout SE Asia on business and Europe for pleasure.

Consulting Work

RuffaloNoelLevitz—2004-2017

Hired as an Associate Consultant and subsequently promoted to Senior Associate Consultant. Provided enrollment consulting services to:

• Paul Smith’s College (NY)—27 visits, 2004-2008
• University of St. Mary (KS)—9 visits, 2006-2007
• Oral Roberts University (OK)—2008-2010—11 visits
• University of Dallas (TX)—2010—3 visits
• Alderson-Broaddus College (WV)—2010-2011—7 visits
• American International College (MA)—2011-15—26 visits
• Southern Utah University (UT)—2015-2016—7 visits
• Wentworth Military Academy (MO)—2016-2018—4 visits

Stamats Communications—2002-2003

Hired to conduct one- and two-day visits to institutions of higher education regarding enrollment challenges. 

• Freed-Hardemann University (TN)—2002; comprehensive recruitment audit and written report

• Schreiner University (TX)—2002; comprehensive recruitment audit and written report
• Oglethorpe University (GA)—2003; recruitment audit and oral report
• University of Michigan-Flint (MI)—2003; recruitment audit and oral report
• Emerson College (MA)—2003; comprehensive campus visit program audit and written report

Accreditation Evaluator/Team Member

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Part of 5-9 member accreditation team; direct responsibility for

standards related to admissions, student affairs and institutional integrity

• McDaniel College (MD)–2013
• Hamilton College (NY)—2011
• Ming Chuan University (Taiwan)—2010
• Pace University (NY)—2009
• The Cooper Union (NY)—2008
• Hood College (MD)–2007

Director of Admissions—1994-1998

Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, Iowa

Between 1994 and 1998, Buena Vista University saw a 10.4% growth in enrollment.  Buena Vista University also achieved a ten-year high in transfer students, and the institution set a record for freshmen and new student enrollees in the Fall of 1997.  In addition, between 1994 and 1998, the University enrolled four of the five largest freshmen classes in its history. Enrollment records have not been surpassed.

Role

The Director of Admissions at Buena Vista University served as a leader and manager for all elements of the Office of Admissions including: all major decision-making; office organization; strategy development and implementation; staff hiring, firing, and evaluation; and internal and external communications.  The Director also managed the budget and expenditures including advertising, direct mail, supplies, phone, and computer hardware and software.  This highly visible position required hands-on involvement with campus events, external university relations, and university image development.  The Director reported to the Vice President for Enrollment Management and directly oversaw admissions counselors, school specialists, support staff and student workers, in addition to serving as a liaison to faculty, administration, students, and external constituencies.

In addition, as Director at Buena Vista University, I led marketing efforts for a new graduate program, and was successful in expanding the program from its first to second year.  Admissions met enrollment goals for each of the graduate program’s first two years, and numbers of enrolled students tripled from the first to second year.

Associate Director of Admissions—1992-1994

Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, Iowa

Assistant Director of Admissions—1991-1992

Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, Iowa

Admissions Counselor—1989-1991

Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, Iowa

Professional Presentations

Iowa Association of College Admissions Counselors

• Campus Visit Programs, 1994
• College Fair Programming, 1995
• Staff Training and Development, 1997

USA Group Noel-Levitz

• Predictive Modeling—Four teleconferences 1996-1997
• Summer Institute—1996-97

American Marketing Association

• Predictive Modeling—1996
• A Majority of One–2007

National Conference on Student Recruitment, Marketing, and Retention (formerly National Enrollment Management Institute)

• Predictive Modeling—1997
• Use of Prospects in Predictive Modeling—1999
• A Different Take on the Enrollment Funnel—2006
• A Majority of One—2007
• How to Climb the Enrollment Ladder—2010
• Brand Your Cattle Not Your College…unless—2011, 2012, 2013
• There is no Recruitment or Retention in the PhD—2014

Academic Impressions

• Understanding Enrollment Management Challenges: A Program for Finance Officers–2015

Pennsylvania Association of College Admissions Counselors

• Creating a Family Friendly Workplace—1999
• Using Predictive Modeling to Maximize Enrollment—2003
• The Use of Merit Scholarships in Recruitment—2004
• How to Climb the Enrollment Ladder–2010

Carnegie Communications

• Five Years, 50% More Apps and 60% Higher Enrollment—2004

The College Board

• Research, Review and Re-Brand—2005

References

Available upon request