Dr. Bryan Terry to Lead Enrollment Management Initiatives
Dr. Bryan Terry
JONESBORO – Dr. Bryan Terry will become the inaugural vice chancellor for enrollment management at Arkansas State University, Chancellor Kelly Damphousse announced today.
Terry is currently the vice chancellor for enrollment management at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and pending ASU Board of Trustees approval will begin at Arkansas State on Jan. 2, 2019.
“I am very excited about bringing Dr. Terry to Jonesboro,” Damphousse said. “He has a wide range of leadership experience in the areas that we as a campus have decided are vital to our future. Importantly, Bryan shares with our campus community a passion for student success, and he is perfectly poised to lead us forward in the areas of recruitment, retention and graduation.”
Terry brings 27 years of experience in higher education to A-State, specializing in enrollment management for both private and public universities. His focus on a data-driven workplace has guided his student-first approach to success.
This fall, UNCG achieved a historic milestone for enrollment with a record 20,106 students, breaking the 20K mark for the first time in the university’s 126-year history. Terry and his division were instrumental in a record freshman class of almost 3,000 students for fall 2018, helping make UNC Greensboro the largest public university in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina which is home to more than 20 higher education institutions.
“I want to thank Chancellor Kelly Damphousse and the selection committee for the opportunity to build a new division and become a part of Dr. D’s quest to move Arkansas State forward,” Terry said. “When my family and I were there earlier this month, we had the opportunity to see the incredible enthusiasm on campus for Arkansas State and in the city. We can’t wait to become a part of the Jonesboro community.”
The establishment of the Division of Enrollment Management at Arkansas State under Terry’s leadership brings together the current offices of recruitment, financial aid and admissions. He will also play a leadership role on the Chancellor’s Completion Commission, working closely with members of the A-State faculty and staff who achieved a record first-year retention rate this year.
“I had the opportunity to see the work done for the Pack Preview Day, and I was impressed by the dedication of the current staff and their desire to use their skills and tools and to learn new ways to attract and serve our students,” Terry said. “One of the areas we will begin to expand is our use of predictive analytics, an area I believe will contribute greatly to future growth, meeting institutional goals and enhancing student outcomes.”
“Bryan’s proven track record with enrollment growth was an important factor in our search committee’s decision. His commitment to the entire student process – from recruitment to graduation was particularly compelling,” Damphousse said. “I was personally excited to learn about the tremendous impact Bryan had at UNCG on building relationships with community colleges in the region. This is something that has become a particular emphasis on our campus, as we have created over 370 new transfer agreements with our community college partners this past year.”
“Dr. Terry is an incredible hire for the entire ASU System,” System President Dr. Charles L. Welch said. “His significant experience increasing transfer student enrollments is a perfect fit for our effort to increase transfer from our System community colleges. I am excited about Dr. Terry getting on campus and helping us grow an even stronger student body.”
In his role as the VCEM at Greensboro, Terry managed over 100 employees in the Enrollment Management Division which consisted of the offices of admissions, financial aid, registrar, new student transitions & first-year experience, student academic success, retention and student support services (TRiO).
This fall, UNC Greensboro welcomed 2,979 first-year students to campus, up 6.7 percent over the previous fall. A significant portion of that growth came from rural counties across North Carolina, 6.5 percent, and a rise in the number of transfer students to UNCG. This year, UNCG was up two percent from community colleges, but an impressive 10 percent in transfers from other UNC System institutions.
During his four years at UNCG, Terry was promoted from associate provost to vice chancellor, in large part due to his predictive analytics work resulting in immediate impact upon enrollment. The first-to-second-year retention rate at UNC Greensboro increased 4.5 percent his first year. Before Terry’s appointment in January 2014, UNCG had three consecutive years of declining overall enrollment. His four years at the Greensboro, N.C., public university resulted in four consecutive growth years, culminating in the record-setting fall 2018 student body.
He also guided UNCG to an increase of 5.6 percent in graduation rate, leading to the largest graduating class in UNCG history with more than 2,700 students earning degrees at the May 2018 commencement.
Prior to UNCG, Terry was associate vice president for enrollment management and student academic success at Montclair State University for four years overseeing undergraduate admissions, financial aid, student enrollment and the academic success center.
Terry began his higher education career in financial aid, serving as an assistant director at Lewis and Clark Community College, shortly thereafter becoming the director of financial aid at Fontbonne University, both in the St. Louis area. He continued as assistant director of financial aid at Illinois State University before becoming the director of financial aid first at Montclair State then Wayne State University. He transitioned into enrollment management an associate vice president at Seton Hall University.
A graduate of the University of Illinois with his bachelor’s degree in history, Terry has an MBA from Fontbonne and a master’s degree in human resource management from Thomas Edison State College. He earned his doctorate in higher education administration from Illinois State University.
Terry is active in the university enrollment management community and has served as a consultant in enrollment management, admissions and student financial aid for other institutions. He has also served as a senior consultant for enrollment management with Scannel and Kurz of Rochester, N.Y.
He and his wife, Dr. Kris Cohen, have two sons, Avery, 18, who is currently majoring in biochemical engineering at UNC Chapel Hill, and Xavier, 10.
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