The following three profiles are new hires at Shepherd University who have been hired to combat the recent drop in student enrollment.
Kristen Lorenz: Director of Admissions
In an effort to boost enrollment, Shepherd has named a new director of admissions. Kristen Lorenz was promoted from senior admissions counselor to director of admissions this year. She is a Shepherd alumnus and has worked in admissions for the university since 2012.
The admissions department has been under reconstruction since the unexpected departure of vice president of enrollment, Kim Scranage, last October. Lorenz replaced previous director of admissions, Matthew Huber, who was with the university for only three months before leaving.
Enrollment numbers fell short of projected targets last spring. The university has since been making efforts to increase enrollment, including hiring a new director of admissions and vice president of enrollment. Shari Payne, vice president of enrollment management, said “[Lorenz] has demonstrated a true commitment to helping the university to reach its enrollment goals.”
Shari Payne: Vice President for Enrollment Management
Dr. Shari Payne has joined Shepherd University’s effort to boost enrollment. Payne will oversee recruitment and strategic planning to meet Shepherd’s goals for undergraduate, graduate, and non-traditional enrollments, as well as the offices of admissions, financial aid, and registrar.
Payne, who has 19 years of experience in higher education, came into her position over the summer when college students were getting their fall 2014 invoices in the mail. In-state students with room and board found that for this fall semester they are paying $628 more than last year, making the total $16,468 as compared to $15,786. Out-of-state students are paying $1,156 more with room and board, making the total $26,526 compared to $25,370.
The higher education market is very competitive, and we are grateful to attract a leader of Dr. Payne’s caliber to position Shepherd strongly in that market. Payne’s background in both financial aid and retaining students will be helpful as we determine the most effective way to attract, educate, and graduate students from Shepherd University,” said Suzanne Shipley, president of Shepherd University.
Charles Nieman: Director of International Studies
The new director of international studies at Shepherd University is first surveying international students on campus before he makes a plan to recruit abroad.
Dr. Charles Nieman took a new position offered by Shepherd University as director of international studies three weeks ago. One of the first things he is working on in his new position is to see how many international students are on campus. Currently there are only a handful of international students attending Shepherd. It’s his job to find a way to expand their numbers, and in turn build international relationships.
The hope is that the students coming here will bring their own international perspectives about college life to the campus and classrooms. Their participation in the school would enhance education. Shepherd would be more diverse and exhibit a broader representation of foreign countries, Neiman said.
“We will be looking [at] how we can maybe connect internationally as an institution,” Dr. Nieman said in an interview. He noted that they are considering where Shepherd University should recruit overseas, what kinds of programs should be supported, and whether it would involve faculty or students.
So far, Nieman has made an effort to meet as many people he can and hear what they have to say. In particular, he spoke to the international students already on campus about where they come from and how they came to Shepherd University. By listening to their stories and the similarities they share, he said it gives him an idea of where he should move to look for more students. Ideally, the school would bring in students from each continent to represent a broad national diversity, he said.
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