Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with additional information from the university and a quote from Martha Sales.
WKU President Timothy Caboni announced a restructuring of the university’s Division of Enrollment and Student Experience in an email to faculty and staff on Monday. The changes come after a study by the ESE Restructuring Committee, led by Jeff Budziak, associate dean of the Potter College of Arts and Letters.
The study was announced in February following the resignation of Ethan Logan as vice president of enrollment and student experience. The Division of Enrollment and Student Experience was created in 2018.
As part of the changes made, the Student Engagement and Student Life functions of the division will remain under the leadership of Martha Sales, who will now serve as vice president of student experience and dean of students.
“I am very excited about the opportunity [to take on this new position],” Sales told the Herald in an interview. “Anytime that I am able to assist the students more, advocate our campus constituents and community and individuals about how wonderful our students are, that makes me excited.”
The university’s Enrollment Management and Student Success functions will move into the Division of Academic Affairs and the Office of the Provost, Caboni said. This move will include the university’s offices of Undergraduate Admissions, Student Financial Assistance, Advising and Career Development Center, Adult Learner Services, Student Athlete Success Center and the Transfer Center.
According to Jace Lux, university spokesperson, Assistant Vice President for Student Success Chris Jensen will continue to oversee the Advising and Career Development Center.
“Assessments of organizational structures at benchmark institutions revealed several possible homes for enrollment and student success functions, but Academic Affairs is the most pragmatic of these choices for WKU,” Caboni wrote.
John-Mark Francis, Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management, will continue to oversee WKU’s enrollment management areas in an interim capacity.
The Student Accessibility Resource Center will now report to the Office of Institutional Equity.
“Organizationally relocating SARC within the Office of Institutional Equity enables us to best support our students while also making sure our practices adhere to local, state and federal regulations,” according to Caboni.
Editor-in-Chief Price Wilborn can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X at @pricewilborn
