The new vice president for strategic enrollment management at Pennsylvania Western University believes strong admissions recruitment and providing a solid student experience can turn the tide of declining enrollment there.
Darren Wagner was named to the post at PennWest — which includes campuses at Clarion, California and Edinboro — Dec. 1.
He held the same position at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J. During his leadership, Rowan experienced record enrollment and applications.
“We were able to grow significantly, undergraduate and graduate,” Wagner said. “All aspects of the portfolio were on the uptick.”
At PennWest, Wagner will be faced with a school that has declined in enrollment since it merged Clarion, California and Edinboro in 2022.
Total enrollment this fall stood at 10,549, down 2.64% from last year. That was the smallest enrollment reduction figure at PennWest, or at the three campuses before they merged in 2022, in the past 15 years.
Higher-education experts project a “demographic cliff” next year in undergraduate enrollment, tied to declining birth rates. The number of high school graduates in Pennsylvania is anticipated to drop 17% by 2041.
“Everyone gets the impact of that narrative,” Wagner said. “The No. 1 way that my position and my team can impact that is by delivering a high-quality student experience.”
PennWest’s goals for Wagner include improving recruitment outcomes; strengthening retention and student support; and ensuring alignment between admissions, financial aid and academics, said Wendy Mackall, university spokeswoman.
Wagner also will be developing an enrollment plan to set and achieve clear enrollment and revenue targets that support both access and long-term institutional sustainability.
Some strategies, Wagner said, include expanding PennWest’s recruitment footprint and engaging local high schools to boost dual enrollment. This fall, dual enrollment at PennWest increased 270%, with 340 high school students earning college credit at a discounted rate.
“We need to work on our clarity with messaging and executing,” he said. “People know we’re here, and who we are. We need to tell them what we can do for them to achieve their goals.”
Wagner also plans to stress pathways to jobs, affordability and student experience during recruitment efforts at PennWest. PennWest’s tuition, at $7,994 per year for an in-state undergraduate, is one of the cheapest in the state.
“From my role, I want to continue to develop and build a very strong admission and recruitment marketing team, and provide a great student experience all the way through,” Wagner said. “The rest will grow.”
