NEWBERRY — Newberry College welcomed a new dean of Enrollment Management, Christopher Harris, in August.
Harris completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Communications at West Liberty University as well was an active leader on the football team at West Liberty University. Harris also holds a Master’s degree from Heidelberg University and is currently finishing his doctoral degree at Concordia University.
Harris has been in college enrollment for more than 20 years. Most recently, from 2014 through this year he served as director of admission at Findlay University in northern Ohio. Harris and his family were looking for an opportunity to move south when they learned Newberry was looking for someone to take over enrollment.
In his new job, Harris oversees admissions and financial aid. He has also joined the College’s senior leadership team, which advises President Dr. Maurice Scherrens on recruitment strategies that help the college continue to flourish.
Harris loves that he is able to work with families and help people find a college that works for them in his job.“Everybody is different,” he said. “Everybody has different goals.” He wants every single person that walks onto the Newberry College campus to feel important. Harris said he’s a firm believer in higher education for people that want a college education. “There is a college for everyone if they want to go,” he said.
Harris is also in charge of making sure that Newberry College grows at a steady rate.
“Our goal is to meet the retention and enrollment goals for the college,” he said.
Harris said admissions has a supportive board and trustees that support each other through this process. The acceptance rate for fall 2017 was 58 percent. With the past incoming class setting a Newberry admissions record, Harris said the enrollment office’s goal is to find a way to “grow the institution that is responsible to our infrastructure and faculty.”
Harris said it is very important to know more than just the facts about a student, but the small details, for example, that a football player enjoys English more than any other subject, or this student was on student government for all four years of high school.
“I want someone that shows drive and grit,” Harris said. “I want someone that wants to graduate from Newberry College.”
Harris said he wants each potential student that walks on campus to be wowed in a way that makes them need to come to Newberry.
Harris said he has goals for more non-traditional undergraduate online degree programs, because school is changing for many and traditional classes are not working for all students. Harris said he looks forward to being a part of the Newberry family and looks forward to helping the college succeed.