 |
James Lynch |
New admissions dean appointed
The University of Rhode Island has appointed James Lynch as its new dean of admissions. Lynch, who most recently held the position of associate vice president of enrollment management and dean of admissions at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, assumed the post on July 1. He succeeds David Taggart who served as dean of admissions since January 1985.
“I am very excited and feel privileged to assume the reins of the undergraduate admissions office and actively build on the solid foundation that David Taggart has created,” said Lynch. “I expect to be a resource to the academic community and involve key divisions and units in the admissions process, focusing our initial discussions on institutional image, student satisfaction, financial aid, retention, assessment, and the value of a diverse and talented student body.
“We are convinced that James’ solid experience and record of accomplishments will serve us well in this important job,” said M. Beverly Swan, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Our goal is to intensify our efforts, build on our recruiting and marketing strategies, and identify new markets, including international markets.”
Lynch brings to the post 15 years of experience in undergraduate and graduate student enrollment services with expertise in traditional, multicultural, international, and non-traditional admissions, as well as student financial aid policies and procedures. He has an impressive publication and teaching record and is a member of several national organizations.
Previously, Lynch was dean of enrollment management at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, where he established a more user friendly, direct customer service environment for students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors. Prior to that, he was director of enrollment management at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Graduate School, where he developed a comprehensive recruitment plan that contributed to a 12 percent increase in new minority enrollments over two years. Lynch has an established record in attracting academically talented and diverse traditional students through effective prospect management, special events, and promotional planning, publication development, and market research.
Similar to URI’s current “Meet the University” program, Lynch sees the further development of a solid campus visitation program as a major priority for admissions. Research shows that the critical time to make the connection with the prospective student is during the on-campus visit.
“I look at the URI campus visit as a ‘moment of truth,’” adds Lynch. “The prospective student and his/her parent[s] are here to determine if the fit is good, and often that’s an emotional rather than objective judgment. We need to create a welcoming environment that will make a lasting, positive impression on our visitors.”
Born in Jacksonville, N.C., and raised in Athens, Greece, Lynch, who is fluent in Modern Greek, earned a bachelor of science degree in communication from Boston University in 1983, a master of fine arts in writing from Columbia University, New York, in 1986, a master of science in mass communication from Miami University in 1988, and a doctorate in higher education from the College of William and Mary in 1994.
