Vice President For Enrollment Management Named

As the recently-named vice president for Enrollment Management, Heather Thielemann sees the position and division as an opportunity to increase enrollment and retention for Sam Houston State University, as well as to “create a model of registration for the students from beginning to end for enrollment.”

“I definitely think it benefits the school, but more than that, it benefits the student because the student is coming to the university to receive an education,” Thielemann said. “The learning experience that they have with us is more life experience on how to go through a process and get things done, but what we will try to create is a seamless transition from the time they inquire about Sam Houston all the way through enrollment.”

A member of the Bearkat family, having received her doctorate of education in educational leadership from SHSU this past August, Thielemann will begin her work in the newly-established division on Sept. 7. Areas now under Enrollment Management include admissions, the Registrar’s Office, financial aid, on-campus housing, Career Services, new student orientation and retention.

“I’m very excited,” she said. “I see it as challenging, but I see it as rewarding because it is bringing together these five departments into one division.”

Thielemann received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in marketing and sports management, respectively, from Baylor University, which she attended on a four-year track scholarship.

She has served as the dean of enrollment management, director of enrollment management and director of enrollment services at Blinn College, in all three capacities, since 2001, positions that make her a good fit for vice president for Enrollment Management, she said.

“The areas that are currently under the VP position are the areas that I currently work with at Blinn. I feel like having experienced some of each of those areas and worked with them on a daily basis, that that gives me some insight into what can be done, what needs to be done,” Thielemann said. “Although it’s at a university, obviously not the community college level, students are students, and we definitely need to look at how to make things easier for the students.”

The Brenham native and sixth generation Washington Countian said her major goals for the position include converging the different areas now included under Enrollment Management into a unified division and, for retention, listening to student and university input on issues that would help students in the classroom.

“One of the goals that we would have is to make sure we have communication with the other divisions,” she said. “Since enrollment management really ties in not only with what you’re going to see for registration and enrollment, but includes academic advising, classroom things, academic support, and then on the cashiering side, we’ll have financial aid, installment plans and payment things, (we want) to make sure that we’re doing things consistently across the board for the students.”

Thielemann also sees potential for change.

While visiting with department directors, she found a couple of “areas of concern that each department had about themselves, as well as the areas of concern that the other departments saw about the other departments,” oftentimes stated more than once.

“It seems that being able to pull all the departments together is going to create some communication that probably was there but just not as consistent and timely,” she said. "Those (areas of concern) would definitely be areas that I would focus on, one, on perception of those areas at Sam Houston.

“Perception is one thing and then actual process and procedure is another,” she said, “so I’d like to bring those two things together to make the perception good, as well as the process and procedure.”

At Blinn, Thielemann has also served as the assistant to the vice president of Student Services and the coordinator of recruitment and admissions.

A 2003-2004 “National Exemplary Practice Award” winner from the Community College Business Officers at Blinn College, she served on many committees there, as well as the community college advisory council for SHSU, and was recently named to the Baylor athletic women’s cabinet for fall 2004.

“I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Heather Thielemann has accepted our offer to become the Vice President for Enrollment Management,” said SHSU president James F. Gaertner. “In my judgment Dr. Thielemann will bring an unusual abundance of knowledge in the field of enrollment management to our campus.

“Additionally, she brings a considerable understanding and great respect for Sam Houston State,” Gaertner said. “I am confident that Dr. Thielemann is the right person for the position at this time.”

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SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt
Aug. 26, 2004
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