Davis Appointed Interim VP of Enrollment Management

11/13/2018

Kathleen B. Davis, formerly head of enrollment management at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, has been appointed as interim vice president for enrollment management (EM). She will begin work at SLU on Thursday, Nov. 15.

University President Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D., announced Davis’s appointment to the University community on Monday, Nov. 12.

“Due to the current, challenging, student recruitment landscape and the fact that we are in the midst of recruiting our classes for the fall of 2019, it is imperative to appoint an enrollment professional who will provide a fresh perspective, has experience leading an enrollment division, and whose strengths suit the needs of our campus and the culture of our EM team,” Pestello wrote in an email to the SLU community.

Most recently Davis was a North American enrollment advisor for New Jersey-based Global Student Recruitment Advisors.

She had served for four years as vice president for enrollment management at Canisius, a fellow Jesuit school. During her time there, she oversaw undergraduate, graduate and online enrollment, as well as student records and financial services. At Canisius, one of Davis’s priorities was to utilize a campus community engagement approach to recruitment and she met regularly with deans, faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders.

Pestello noted Davis’s commitment to transparent information sharing and a collective approach to enrollment management initiatives.  

Prior to her tenure at Canisius, she was dean of admission at Saint Joseph’s College in Maine, and director of graduate admission at St. John’s University in New York.

“Kathleen brings strong strategic, operational, retention and communication experience to her new role,” Pestello said. “Her familiarity with working with Catholic, Jesuit colleges and universities will be an asset for us. Kathleen is a thoughtful, energetic and collaborative leader who will harness the talent, experience, and energy of our strong EM staff.”

Davis will be a member of the President’s Cabinet and report to Acting Provost Michael Lewis, Ph.D., and to Pestello. A national search is planned for a permanent vice president for enrollment management services.