The Office of Admission at the College of Saint Benedict (CSB) and Saint John’s University (SJU) invites applications for an experienced, successful, and relationship- driven Dean of Admission.
As two uniquely integrated liberal arts schools, the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University blend the advantages of single-gender residential colleges with a coeducational environment. Located about three and a half miles apart, a regular inter-campus bus service known as "The Link" connects the campuses physically. Both colleges work passionately to create individual learning experiences that meet the goals of each student with great results. Built on the Catholic Benedictine values, the Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s community reflects the Benedictine spirit of hospitality, embracing all backgrounds and identities. The Dean will join the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University at an exciting time with recent investments in enrollment management and the full support of institutional leadership.
The Opportunity
Reporting to the Chief Admission & Strategic Enrollment Officer, the Dean of Admission will execute strategic plans and initiatives to support institutional enrollment goals. In this important role, the Dean will demonstrate a sincere commitment to the liberal arts, knowledge of best practices, and an understanding of the national landscape and marketplace. Working in concert with marketing, athletics, financial aid, and other departments, the Dean will support pipeline development, community engagement in admission, and the strategic recruitment of individual student populations.
The Dean will oversee the daily operations of the office including operations, technology, events, enrollment communications, admission, and recruitment of first year, transfer, international, and diverse student populations. As a skilled manager, the Dean will lead a team of six seasoned admission professionals, offering guidance to an overall office of twenty-two dedicated professional staff. The dean will possess keen communication and relationship-building skills and be capable of leading a staff and program that is highly integrated, profoundly productive, and stems from and reflects the values of the institutions.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Essential responsibilities of the Dean of Admission include the following:
- Collaborate actively with the Chief Strategic Enrollment Officer and the Enrollment Guidance Group in long-term strategic planning and ensure timely execution of annual departmental goals and objectives.
- Provide strategic leadership, mentorship, and guidance to senior admission management and territory managers. Ensure that team members achieve their enrollment targets while fostering their professional growth and development.
- Oversee office operations, procedures, and policies to guarantee timely and effective responses to prospective students, parents, and other key influencers in the enrollment process. Ensure efficient and responsible budget management.
- Manage the oversight and review of applications for admission, including decisions on acceptance, conditional acceptance, or denial, in alignment with institutional standards, applicant qualifications, and other relevant circumstances. Oversee communication strategies to ensure decisions are relayed to applicants promptly.
- Collaborate with external admission vendors and firms to design and implement strategies aimed at increasing volume across all stages of the enrollment funnel. Provide leadership with ROI data to support investments and future decision-making and to recommend new investment initiatives and strategy.
- Serve on campus-wide committees, contributing admission and demographic insights while engaging in strategic discussions related to institutional initiatives.
- Aid in the development and implementation of department recruitment efforts, including honors, nursing, fine arts, athletics, etc.
- Bring a forward-thinking, data-informed approach to enrollment growth.
- Foster a positive partnership with institutional marketing; fully leverage resources to develop and execute exceptional and influential enrollment marketing strategies, evaluate efficacy of initiatives, define measurable outcomes, and increase student engagement.
- Oversee external recruitment and outreach efforts, including engagement with local and Twin Cities organizations, as well as alumni association referral and recruitment engagement programs.
- Foster a strategic relationship with athletics, offering timely support to coaches and addressing barriers to recruitment and enrollment of student athletes.
- Foster a culture that values the contributions of alumni in enhancing the reputation of the college, and recognizes and supports alumni contributions in the successful recruitment of students.
- Address and resolve individual concerns from prospective students and their families, collaborating with academic departments, administrative units, faculty, and staff as needed to ensure a seamless enrollment experience.
- Represent the Office of Admission and institutional enrollment objectives at on- and off-campus events, including high school visits, organizational meetings, and other relevant engagements with students, families, faculty, staff, and external partners, as necessary or requested to successfully promote the educational services and extracurricular activities offered by CSB and SJU.
- Serve as a representative for the Chief Strategic Enrollment Officer at meetings, including admission leadership team sessions, as needed.
- Ideally has enrollment marketing experience, in order to collaborate and brainstorm, but mostly respect and trust the marketing departments expertise.
Qualifications, Skills, and Characteristics
A bachelor's degree is required and an advanced degree preferred. A minimum of ten years of admission experience within higher education with increasing responsibility and experience in managerial and leadership roles is required in this important position. In addition, the Dean should demonstrate many of the following skills, qualifications, and abilities:
- Thorough knowledge of and experience with admission processes, institutional financial aid regulations and compliance, vendor relationships, and Slate CRM.
- Experience in the recruitment of a diverse undergraduate student population including transfer and international students.
- An understanding of strategic enrollment strategy with the ability to implement initiatives and tactics to support institutional goals.
- An understanding of NCAA regulations for Division III athletics and demonstrated experience building partnerships and processes with coaches and athletic administrators to actively and competitively facilitate the strategic recruitment of student athletes.
- A motivational leader with the ability to inspire and manage a seasoned admission leadership team, fully leveraging their abilities and experience; experience in mentoring and supporting new admission professionals with a commitment to staff development and retention.
- Competitive spirit with the ability to convey a sense of urgency and positive energy in the pursuit of institutional goals.
- Experience in leading immediate and thoughtful change in a manner that builds staff engagement and support.
- Strong knowledge of students, including their personal, social, and intellectual developmental needs.
- Experience in the development and execution of strategic enrollment marketing plans and targeted enrollment communications.
- Ability to align market research and brand with messaging and strategy; ability to communicate the benefits of a CSB+SJU education to families in an authentic and compelling way.
- Communicative and transparent with the ability to foster trusted partnerships between teams.
- Experience in the evaluation and refinement of the campus visit experience with an understanding of students and families expectations, needs, and norms in an evolving marketplace.
- Flexible mindset with the ability to lead a nimble response to change.
- Approachable, positive, and authentic leader with a history empowering staff and building bridges between teams to optimize impact, efficacy and culture.
- Ability to develop a thorough understanding of CSB and SJU, an appreciation for the broader CSB and SJU community, and a passion for the liberal arts and a mission driven institution.
- Past experience with alumni recruitment programs, graduate nursing, and graduate admissions, recruitment and marketing is preferred, but not required.
College of Saint Benedict + Saint John’s University
The College of Saint Benedict (for women) and Saint John's University (for men) are nationally recognized liberal arts colleges distinguished by a singular, undergraduate experience. This partnership offers an undergraduate student body of approximately 2900 students the opportunities of a large university while retaining the close personal attention of a premier liberal arts college. CSB and SJU share one common curriculum across 37 majors and 70+ areas of study, and students take classes on both campuses. Classes are co-ed and have a similar ratio of women to men as other colleges. CSB+SJU students come from 40 different states and 21 countries.
The colleges are committed to global learning and connection — a commitment that extends to experiences inside and outside of the classroom. CSB and SJU consistently rank among the top undergraduate colleges nationally for the number of students who participate in semester-long study abroad. Before graduating, close to 50 percent of all CSB and SJU students will participate in a study abroad program. CSB and SJU offer 12 semester-long programs, of which seven are faculty-led. CSB and SJU also conduct a variety of short-term embedded study abroad programs. All students complete at least one experiential learning activity such as undergraduate research, internships, study abroad, or community service.
The Catholic character of CSB+SJU is shaped by the Benedictine communities that founded the colleges over a century ago and continue to foster Benedictine Catholic values in the academic, spiritual, and social life of the colleges. Today, Benedictine women and men remain actively involved in teaching and administration, and their prayerful presence in community life provides the stable sense of home for which CSB+SJU are well known. The Benedictine values shine through a strong sense of community, fostering an awareness of place in the larger world, and practicing a just and sustainable use of resources. Respect for each individual is at the core of the community. Students live in community teaching them to embrace difference and support one another, and the opportunity to feel a deep sense of belonging on campus and in the global community.
College of Saint Benedict students are Bennies, and Saint John’s University students are Johnnies. These monikers are a source of lifelong pride that students and alums carry. CSB and SJU have their own campuses, residence halls, athletic programs, and traditions. Each is committed to serving the unique needs of the gender it represents and, together, offering a one-of-a-kind coed experience.
The campuses are located in St. Joseph and Collegeville, Minnesota, each with unique personalities. The College of Saint Benedict is located in an idyllic community with a food co-op, boutique shops, and nationally recognized restaurants at the ready. Saint John’s University is just a stone’s throw away, placed in nature on 3,300 acres of woods, prairies, and even a private beach. When students need to escape to city life, St. Cloud and the Twin Cities aren’t too far away. The location offers a perfect mix of geography: 3,300 acres of woods, lakes and prairie — providing students with unique opportunities for education and recreation. In addition, the central core of each campus are listed as historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places. Through a four-year residential program, nearly all students live on campus reflecting the Benedictine value of community living. Both institutions require all full-time students live in college housing.
Both campuses are active residential campuses, where nearly all students stay on campus through the weekends taking advantage of more than 100 student clubs and organizations which range from music and theater, to volunteer groups and student government. CSB and SJU are proud NCAA Division III schools in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. In addition to 24 varsity athletic programs, CSB and SJU offer club sports and intramurals for students looking to get involved, try something new or continue a sport they love. Students can also enjoy an impressive variety of outdoor and campus recreation opportunities to stay active and adventurous.
Leadership, Mission & Vision
The College of Saint Benedict (CSB) and Saint John’s University (SJU) are guided by trustees who serve on the board of both institutions. In a unique arrangement called strong integration, the college and university are two separate entities with individual boards (made up of the same people), a single president and an integrated administrative team. Brian J. Bruess, Ph.D., became the first person to serve as president of both the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University on July 1, 2022. As unique institutions, each is guided by a mission and vision for the future. To learn more about the mission and vision of each visit: SJU Mission, Vision, Strategic Directions and Values and CSB Mission and Vision.
Both institutions share a vision for Institutional Inclusion: “The College of Saint Benedict (CSB) and Saint John’s University (SJU) believe that an excellent liberal arts education requires an understanding and appreciation of cultural difference and that everyone deserves to feel safe and morally valued. To that end, we will challenge our own practices and systems. Our commitment to an inclusive environment will be incorporated into all decision-making processes. We dedicate ourselves to cultivating an equitable, inclusive community founded on respect for all persons.”
Compensation and the CSB+SJU Work Environment
CSB+SJU offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits program. The range identified for this important role is $100,000 - $140,000. The posted wage represents CSB and SJU's good faith estimate of likely compensation at the time of posting. Actual pay will be dependent upon several factors, including the candidate's experience, qualifications, and skills, and may fall outside of the range indicated. Regular travel between the campuses of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University is required.
St. Joseph, Minnesota
Located approximately 70 miles north and west of the twin cities, St. Joseph or “Joetown” prides itself on being Minnesota's BEST small town. Balancing the warmth of community with the cool of the big city, St. Joseph is host to restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and boutiques. Located along the Wobegon Bike trail and surrounded by lakes and woods, students and families enjoy numerous outdoor activities and events from annual arts and music festivals to amateur baseball. In May of each year since 2008, hundreds of runners line up in Holdingford, Minnesota and run the 26.2 mile Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon route to the finish line in St. Joseph. St. Joseph's historic downtown district has been described as a prime example of a German hamlet.
To Apply
NES, a higher education search firm specializing in enrollment management searches, is assisting CSB+SJU in identifying their next Dean of Admission. For more information, or to nominate someone for this position, contact Elizabeth Daly (elizabeth.daly@nessearches.com) or Catherine Capolupo (catherine.capolupo@nessearches.com). All conversations will remain confidential unless otherwise stated and agreed. Interested candidates should submit a résumé and a letter of interest describing their unique qualifications for the Dean of Admission position at CSB+SJU. Candidates should also provide the names and contact information of at least five professional references. For confidentiality, references will not be contacted without permission. For best consideration, all application materials should be submitted electronically to csbsju@nessearches.com by April 23, 2025. The position is campus-based and the preferred start date is Summer 2025.
It is the policy of CSB and SJU to conduct a pre-employment background check. An offer of employment is contingent upon a successful background check. The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University also utilizes E-Verify as part of its onboarding process to confirm work authorization.
The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University are Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employers. If you require an accommodation to participate in the CSB and SJU hiring process, please contact Human Resources at (320) 363-5501 or employment@csbsju.edu.