For many Saint Louis University students and faculty, it is not
that there is a new enrollment director, but why there is a new
enrollment director, that makes them scratch their heads.
John Baworowsky was named the new vice president for Enrollment
and Academic Services on Aug. 30. He will oversee the offices of
Undergraduate Admission, Financial Aid, the University Registrar,
Student Academic Services, University advising, summer sessions,
SLU’s International Center and the ROTC program. He is currently
splitting time between SLU and his current job as vice president of
Enrollment and Student Affairs at Illinois Institute of Technology
in Chicago, although he plans to be at SLU permanently in three
weeks. Previously, he was vice president of Admission and Financial
Aid at North Park University, also in Chicago.
Provost Joe Weixlmann, P.h.D., said in a press release, “John
Baworowsky is recognized as one of the leaders of higher education
enrollment management in the country. He has a proven track record
and brings an energy and enthusiasm that will help us achieve even
greater success in recruiting and retaining new students.”
While at North Park, Baworowsky increased first-year enrollment
by 41 percent during his five-year tenure. While at IIT, he
increased first-year enrollment by 57 percent in his two and a half
years there.
When asked about SLU’s enrollment and retention plan, Baworowsky
said, “the program is not broke it doesn’t need fixing; it just
needs a tune-up.” He added, “There are things we could be doing
that we don’t which causes us to lose students.”
To streamline the enrollment, application and financial aid
process, Baworowsky hopes to implement a software program that he
invented. The program provides a statistical model of which
applicants are the most likely to come to SLU. It uses criteria
like how the applicant first got in contact with SLU, their
intended major, their high school and how far they live from SLU.
The results would “tell us who to follow up on and how much
recruiting we should do,” Baworowsky said.
Baworowsky added that he also plans to hire a financial-aid
director and standardize the financial aid rewarding system.
Baworowsky’s hiring, however, came at the expense of a popular
member of the University faculty. While serving as vice president
of Enrollment and Academic Services at SLU for eight years, Edwin
“Ned” Harris, P.h.D., increased enrollment every year of his
tenure, including this year’s record setting class of 1,463
(Baworowsky said he hopes to have 1,550 enrolled for the 2005-06
year). This year’s freshmen class also boasts the highest average
grade point average in SLU’s history, at 3.51. The departure of
Harris has baffled faculty members.
Both Weixlmann and University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J.,
declined to comment, citing university policy that prohibits them
from commenting on personnel issues. Harris also refused to
comment, saying that he and the University had both moved on.
Richard Breslin, P.h.D., president of the Faculty Senate,
described Harris’ departure as “a mystery.”
“Dr. Harris attracted more students and better students each
year,” Breslin said. “He was a class guy, he knew the business; he
was honest, direct and a gentleman,” he added.
Breslin speculated that SLU wanted to get to 1,500 freshmen
quicker as a reason for Harris leaving. He said, “Marquette is not
a model for SLU, and larger does not necessarily mean better,”
referring to Marquette University, a Jesuit University with 11,000
students enrolled.
Breslin feels that the drive to add more students has a lot to
do with money, and that comes at the price of respected
faculty.
“As a tuition-driven university where close to 75 percent of the
budget goes to paying salaries, you need more students to balance
the budget, and that comes at a particular cost,” he said.
For some faculty members, Harris’ departure makes them worry
about job security. An unnamed faculty member said, “It makes
people concerned and wonder.” The source added that some faculty
might be too afraid to speak up about issues they do not agree
with, for fear of their job.
Breslin said, however, that the faculty needs to give Baworowsky
the respect he deserves, while saying that he will “have some large
shoes [Harris’] to fill.”
“It is important to keep recruiting and delivering,” he said.
“His [Baworowsky] success is our success.”
lose students.”
To streamline the enrollment, application and financial aid
process, Baworowsky hopes to implement a software program that he
invented. The program provides a statistical model of which
applicants are the most likely to come to SLU. It uses criteria
like how the applicant first got in contact with SLU, their
intended major, their high school and how far they live from SLU.
The results would “tell us who to follow up on and how much
recruiting we should do,” Baworowsky said.
Baworowsky added that he also plans to hire a financial-aid
director and standardize the financial aid rewarding system.
Baworowsky’s hiring, however, came at the expense of a popular
member of the University faculty. While serving as vice president
of Enrollment and Academic Services at SLU for eight years, Edwin
“Ned” Harris, P.h.D., increased enrollment every year of his
tenure, including this year’s record setting class of 1,463
(Baworowsky said he hopes to have 1,550 enrolled for the 2005-06
year). This year’s freshmen class also boasts the highest average
grade point average in SLU’s history, at 3.51. The departure of
Harris has baffled faculty members.
Both Weixlmann and University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J.,
declined to comment, citing university policy that prohibits them
from commenting on personnel issues. Harris also refused to
comment, saying that he and the University had both moved on.
Richard Breslin, P.h.D., president of the Faculty Senate,
described Harris’ departure as “a mystery.”
“Dr. Harris attracted more students and better students each
year,” Breslin said. “He was a class guy, he knew the business; he
was honest, direct and a gentleman,” he added.
Breslin speculated that SLU wanted to get to 1,500 freshmen
quicker as a reason for Harris leaving. He said, “Marquette is not
a model for SLU, and larger does not necessarily mean better,”
referring to Marquette University, a Jesuit University with 11,000
students enrolled.
Breslin feels that the drive to add more students has a lot to
do with money, and that comes at the price of respected
faculty.
“As a tuition-driven university where close to 75 percent of the
budget goes to paying salaries, you need more students to balance
the budget, and that comes at a particular cost,” he said.
For some faculty members, Harris’ departure makes them worry
about job security. An unnamed faculty member said, “It makes
people concerned and wonder.” The source added that some faculty
might be too afraid to speak up about issues they do not agree
with, for fear of their job.
Breslin said, however, that the faculty needs to give Baworowsky
the respect he deserves, while saying that he will “have some large
shoes [Harris’] to fill.”
“It is important to keep recruiting and delivering,” he said.
“His [Baworowsky] success is our success.”
