Smith will step down as SU vice president for enrollment management Aug. 1, assume new leadership role; Saleh named to oversee enrollment management divisionJune 22, 2007Kevin Morrowkdmorrow@syr.edu
In preparation for his anticipated retirement from Syracuse University in fall 2008 and to ensure a seamless transition to his successor, Vice President for Enrollment Management David Smith will leave his current position and assume a new role as vice president for administrative planning for academic affairs as of Aug. 1, 2007. On that same date, Donald Saleh, currently associate vice president for enrollment management, will succeed Smith as vice president for enrollment management. SU Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric F. Spina made the dual announcements today.
“This is a decision my wife and I have been contemplating for quite a while now, and she and I both thought the timing and situation were very right. SU has had a long run of very positive years in student enrollment at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; we’ve made some significant strides with SU Abroad, and we’ve made some quite creative and forward-looking moves in the registrar area,” Smith says. “I’m extremely proud of the people who have been involved in these accomplishments. I feel very privileged to have presided over this area for so long. It’s really been a great run.”
“David is a nationally recognized expert and leader in the field of enrollment management and college planning, but most importantly he has been a pillar of our University for nearly 35 years,” says Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. “David has had a profound, lasting impact on countless numbers of students and been a remarkable source of wisdom and knowledge for so many across our campus. I am pleased that he will be staying on with us a bit longer and look forward to continuing to benefit from his advice and guidance.”
As vice president for enrollment management, Smith directs more than 250 full-time professional and support staff in the Division of Enrollment Management; is responsible for annual budget assets in excess of $230 million; and oversees University administrative units responsible for undergraduate admissions, graduate enrollment management, undergraduate and graduate financial aid and enrollment management research, as well as the Registrar’s Office, SU Abroad and Army and Air Force ROTC. In his new role, Saleh will assume all of these responsibilities.
In his new role, Smith will chair the Newhouse dean’s search; will be a consultant to Saleh on enrollment matters; will serve as special advisor to Spina on international issues, with a special focus on SU Abroad; and will work with the Chancellor, Spina and Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement Thomas Walsh on special fundraising initiatives.
“David has a tremendous wealth of experience and is recognized among his peers nationally as a leader in higher education admissions and financial aid policy. In his many years at SU, he has done a phenomenal job of guiding the University’s enrollment efforts,” Spina says. “We are very grateful that David has agreed to stay with us a while longer to assure a smooth transition and to lend his knowledge and leadership to some key projects.”
Smith’s career at SU spans 34 years. Along with his current position, he has held several important administrative roles in SU’s admissions and financial aid structure, including assistant dean, associate dean and dean of admissions and financial aid, and director of financial aid. He has also served as the Chancellor’s emissary to the Haudenosaunee Nations and has helped facilitate the University’s expanding collaborations in matters related to Native people, including the highly successful Haudenosaunee Promise Scholarship Program.
Like Smith, Saleh has extensive experience — some 30 years — in enrollment management. Saleh came to SU in 2001 from Cornell University, where he had been dean of admissions and financial aid since 1994. He previously held several positions of increasing responsibility in Cornell’s financial aid structure beginning in 1982, as well as financial aid positions at Bowling Green State University.
In his current capacity as associate vice president, Saleh has been responsible for strategic planning, establishing enrollment goals, developing recruitment plans and determining financial aid practices for graduate programs. He also oversees the undergraduate and graduate admissions process, including the application, decision and communications processes, as well as the growing research agenda of Enrollment Management.
“Don has an impressive background in admissions and financial aid. He knows Syracuse University and has been working closely with David for the past several years,” Spina says. “I have great confidence in his ability to lead our enrollment management efforts.”
“Don is the perfect choice to continue and build on SU’s commitment to quality, access and opportunity,” says Chancellor Cantor. “Don has a strong and impressive background in financial aid and admissions, and I am confident he will be a key leader and collaborator across the University.”
“I am excited and honored to be given this opportunity. Syracuse University is one of America’s great universities,” Saleh says. “Increasingly, high school students and their parents are seeing that greatness and appreciating it. We have a long history of providing access to students from all socio-economic backgrounds and a growing commitment from our alumni to support this access mission. Our study abroad programs are recognized as among the very best in the world. And we have built a strong and dedicated staff to support our students and faculty in all areas of enrollment management. The work that David and his staff have done has been remarkable. I look forward to continuing that legacy of success and to developing initiatives that will enhance our institutional mission and goals.”
Saleh has been active nationally as chair of the College Scholarship Service Council, a member of the board of trustees of The College Board, a leader within The Consortium on Financing Higher Education and a member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and the New York State Financial Aid Administrators Association, among other organizations. Last year,
Saleh was recognized by The College Board as one of the 50 most influential people in the 50-year history of student financial aid.
Smith’s contributions have also been widely acknowledged. Among his honors is the Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Service, awarded by SU in 1998. He is a member of the College Board, the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, the New York State Financial Aid Administrators Association and several other professional organizations, and was a selection committee member for the National Merit Scholarship from 2000?04.
Smith has authored numerous papers and articles on subjects related to enrollment management and college planning. In addition, he has frequently been quoted by local and national media outlets, offering perspectives on matters concerning college admissions and student financial aid. He has also consulted for several institutions on admissions and financial aid programs.
Earlier in his career, Smith was an admissions professional at Clarkson University and Utica College.
