Enrollment management has changed significantly in the last decade. Fewer students are graduating from high school, and college costs continue to be on the rise. Joseph Heltzel is director of enrollment management in the office of recruitment and admissions at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC).
Heltzel shares:
Prior to 2010, you could deploy industry-standard enrollment practices and hit your enrollment targets. Now those targets are more elusive. Although there has been a decline in student graduations and student demographic shift has recently occurred, IUPUC anticipates future growth through strategies of enrollment planning.
Additionally, IUPUC has had an increased staff presence in our recruitment regions, and an increase in the utilization of technology. However, the most important part of the recruitment process are the relationships built by meeting with prospective students and their families.
Enrollment teams often go unnoticed; it is my hope that the Office of Recruitment and Admissions staff, along with our enrollment partners in University College, Office of the Registrar, and Academic Advising, will be visible as enrollment advocates on the IUPUC campus.
The Office of Recruitment and Admissions is fortunate to have an exceptional team of enrollment professionals. Our team is comprised of Lora Miller, Assistant Director of Admissions; two new counselors, Libby Carlile, and Diana Montes (bilingual); Jeanette Barker, Admissions Specialist; Ryan Wooley, Marketing and CRM Specialist; Amy Hunter, Enrollment Support Specialist; and Joe Heltzel, Director of Enrollment Management.
New Admissions Counselor Libby Carlisle
Libby Carlisle looks forward to bringing her experience as an active and engaged student to her new role in the Office of Recruitment and Admissions as an admissions counselor.
In her new position on campus, she will be responsible for the recruitment of prospective first-year students and assisting in the enrollment process. This includes the development and implementation of a strategic recruitment plan.
This is not new territory for Libby. During her four years as a business management student, Libby became heavily involved with student programs and activities, particularly those related to recruiting and working with new students.
As a Student Ambassador, she enjoyed her role orienting new students to the campus. This position exposed her to the inner-workings of higher education and helped develop her passion for college campuses, specifically IUPUC. She also gained essential life skills such as leadership, presentation, time management, organization, and communication.
Libby was an involved student on campus. Her activities included peer mentor, orientation leader, and bridge mentor. She enjoyed making new students feel welcome and creating stronger relationships with students, faculty, and staff.
“I believe that as a frequent and familiar face on campus, my presence went far in making students feel comfortable and welcome,” says Libby. Through this experience, she can speak to prospective students about her own IUPUC experience. Her advice to new students would be to get involved. She recognized that her involvement on campus had a positive impact in the classroom with better grades and outside of the classroom as a more outgoing person.
Libby graduated from IUPUC in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in management. She brings with her a year of experience as a Workforce Solutions Specialist at Elwood Staffing’s corporate headquarters.
“IUPUC, specifically the Office of Recruitment and Admissions, has always held a special place in my heart. This was my home away from home for four years, and the connection I felt to the campus as well as the familiarity of the people was something I missed since graduating. I feel I am a big advocate for IUPUC and am excited to begin my new career assisting students through their college selection and application process,” shared Libby.
Bilingual Admissions Counselor Diana Montes
Montes grew up in two very contrasting places. She was born and spent her early childhood in Los Angeles, California. At age ten she moved with her family to the southwest side of Indianapolis, Indiana.
After graduating from high school, Montes received an associate of science in education from Ivy Tech in 2012. Later, she received a bachelor of arts in Spanish, minored in global and international studies, and received a certificate in Latino Studies from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis in 2017.
Primarily, I chose my major to aid the Latino Community. I knew that if I wanted to help the community, I needed to better my native tongue of Spanish, and I wanted a deeper understanding of my background and ancestry.
My experience after graduation was typical of my friends and classmates; I took a break from everything and just relaxed. I traveled and spent some much-needed time with my family. However, it wasn’t long before I became serious about my career and spent my days applying for jobs and going to interviews, which resulted in my current position at IUPUC.
My long-term goal, as a member of the IUPUC recruitment and admissions team, is to intensify our efforts in the recruitment and retention of students of diverse backgrounds.