Assistant Dean of Law School Admissions

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Assistant Dean of Law School Admissions serves as an essential member of the College of Law and University team and reports to the College of Law Dean’s Office and to the Vice President for Enrollment. The Assistant Dean of Law School Admissions is the primary Admissions Office Contact (ADM) for the law school and is the senior-most leader in the office. 

This person will provide direction and leadership to the Admissions Office for managing and executing departmental strategies to accomplish institutional goals, while upholding the University’s mission.  At some institutions, this role is titled Assistant Dean for Admissions. This is a high-impact position with significant visibility across the university, with opportunities for growth based on performance and leadership contributions. 

The Assistant Dean of Law School Admissions is responsible for the overall administration and coordination of admissions activities for the Office of Admissions. Additionally, the Assistant Dean of Law School Admissions will manage the dissemination of scholarships for incoming students.

The Assistant Dean of Law School Admissions will facilitate and maintain professional and ongoing relationships with internal and external contacts such as administrators, faculty, staff, students at the College of Law and the University at large, prospective students, alumni, community contacts and the general public, and representatives from the American Bar Association (“ABA”), the Association of American Law Schools (“AALS”), The Law School Admissions Council (“LSAC”).

The Assistant Dean of Law School Admissions will serve on Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Affairs, Academic Discipline, and Faculty Committees.

Characteristics, Duties, and Responsibilities:

• Ensure total compliance with all University, ADA, LSAC, ABA, and AALS policies and requirements.
• Oversee and manage recruitment, application evaluation, selectivity, yield and retention.
• Create, oversee, and direct operational and strategic plans for the department and campus programs and events.
  Collaborate with the Dean’s Office and the Vice President for Enrollment to develop policies and procedures for Admissions and the awarding of scholarships and other financial aid packages for incoming students.
• Collaborate with the Director of Law Student Financial Services in packaging financial aid for students. 
• Ensure that department objectives are met, and University policies and procedures are followed. Ensure effective and efficient workflow and adherence to quality standards for programs/events, staff, and self.
• Serve as a resource for program/event planning while following University policies and procedures regarding contract negotiations and management for University departments and groups.
• Report admission trends, enrollment numbers, scholarship reports, discount rate(s), and various other statistics, as requested.
• Develop and implement procedures and practices to improve the efficiency of planning and implementing campus programs/events and contract management.
• Represent St. Thomas University College Law at recruitment and various university events.
• Work closely with other departments, including Financial Aid and the Registrar’s Office, to coordinate a seamless admission process.
• Responsible for filing all memoranda for advanced standing and transfer students with the Registrar’s Office, including supervising Admissions Advisors in their preparation of said memoranda.
• Assist in the professional development of admissions personnel.

Recruitment Responsibilities:

• Recruit and enroll an in-coming class for the Fall and Spring semesters.  Coordinate the following programs: Introduction to Legal Studies, the Summer Conditional (ILS-SC) program, and Orientation.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with undergraduate faculty and pre-law advisors.
• Work with the University’s Vice President for Enrollment Management to analyze admissions trends/yields.

Enrollment Responsibilities:

• Work with the Dean’s Office, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Admissions Team, and Faculty Admissions Committee to establish and adhere to admissions policies.
• Compile and maintain statistical records, produce weekly status reports and provide data to the President of the University, the Dean of the Law School, Vice President for Enrollment Management, and national organizations and publications.
• Maintain reporting standards; oversee submission of required information to LSAC for electronic application and related matters; submit application and electronic mapping to LSAC and maintain active communication with LSAC staff.
• Review and evaluate applicant academic records, admission credentials and render decisions on presumptive admits per Committee consent.
• Select and distribute candidate files to committee members.
• Work with the Law School Admissions Office team to design, develop, and revise the law school applications.
• Prepare and update all applicant correspondence.
• Oversee the operation and maintain the integrity of the admissions database and all other internal database management systems.
• Adhere to the “Statement of Good Admission and Financial Aid Practices”
• Counsel and advise students effectively and efficiently, pursuant to any and all requirements and/or recommendations set by the ABA, AALS, The Florida Bar, and The College of Law’s Graduation requirements.
• Perform the transfer of data between ACES2 and Colleague Datatel.

Administrative Responsibilities:

• Train and supervise admissions personnel.
• Interpret and apply law school policies, procedures, rules and regulations, and monitor compliance with accreditation standards.
• Ensure effective and efficient workflow and adherence to quality standards for programs/events, staff, and self.
• Assist with the training, development, evaluation, and provide daily supervision of student employees.
• Comply with departmental and University safety rules and regulations.
• Perform other administrative duties as assigned by immediate supervisor.
• Serve on University and law school committees as requested. 

Position Qualifications/Specifications:

• Position requires significant travel and work in the evenings and weekends.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Must be self-starter able to work under pressure and meet established deadlines. Ability to think “outside the box” and to lead and manage change, as well as the recruiting and admissions processes of the Law School.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills with the ability to communicate effectively with a diverse population. 
• Professional in appearance and demeanor.
• Attention to detail and confidentiality.
• Work regularly with information requiring discretion and integrity. 
• Proficiency in the use of CRMs, PCs, including Excel, and complex database systems
• Ability to concentrate on work projects despite interruptions by heavy volume of telephone calls and visitors.
• Adept at record-keeping and general office procedures
• The position requires average agility and good physical condition and the ability to occasionally lift and carry moderately heavy materials weighing up to approximately 25 to 30 pounds.
• Ability to work occasional nights and weekends.

Education and Experience:

JD or advanced degree preferred.  Five to Seven years’ work experience in an administrative capacity, preferably in a university environment. Familiarity with law school admissions activities and processes is highly preferred. Working knowledge of marketing as applied to student recruitment preferred. PC literacy (MS Word/Excel) required. Working knowledge and support of ACES and LSAC protocol and Datatel Colleague also preferred. Good oral and written communication.