To further the effort to increase student recruitment and retention, the university plans to create two assistant vice president positions for enrollment management and integrated marketing and communication.

The estimated cost of the combined salaries and staff support of these positions is about $250,000.

President Bill Perry said additional tuition revenue from bringing in more students would offset the cost of the new positions.

“When you think about it, if we get 30 students that we wouldn’t have gotten otherwise, that would be $270,000 in tuition so this is an investment in growth of our student body,” Perry said.

During the Council on University Planning and Budget meeting Friday, Perry said they chose to create these positions after gathering feedback from several sources.

He said this plan of action would go along with goals stated under certain sections in the Strategic Plan such as Marketing and Communication.

The decision for the new positions also resulted from Eastern’s work with the Noel-Levitz Higher Education Consultants, which the university has a one and a half year contract with that extends to June 30, 2013 and costs about $167,000.

They have also consulted with the Board of Trustees and the Faculty Senate executive committee, Perry said.

The assistant vice president for enrollment management will report to Blair Lord, the provost and vice president for academic affairs, and the assistant vice president for integrated marketing and communication will report to Robert Martin, the vice president for university advancement.

National searches will be made to fill both positions. The formal change will occur at the end of the fiscal year, and FY 2013 begins on July 1.

The assistant vice president for enrollment management would focus on recruiting prospective students, and both Brenda Major, the director of the Admissions Office, and Jerry Donna, the director of the Office of Financial Aid, would report to that position.

Lord said the university also created Enrollment Worx committee, which creates long- and short-term strategies to increase recruitment and retention.

Mary Herrington-Perry, the assistant vice president for academic affairs, heads the committee.

The committee also analyzes the enrollment practices of competing universities and community colleges.

Rachel Rodgers can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].