Shelli Soto Hired as WWU Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management
Shelli Soto has been hired as associate vice president for Enrollment Management (AVPEM) at Western Washington University.
Soto, hired following a national search, will begin at Western in mid-June. The AVPEM supports the mission of the WWU Division of Enrollment and Student Services by providing leadership, expertise, analysis, and coordination in developing and implementing a comprehensive enrollment management plan for the university.
Soto began her career in higher education administration at the University of Texas School of Law in 1994, after completing a bachelor’s degree in Economics at the University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. at the University of Texas School of Law. With her early work in admissions and recruitment, she became a leader among law school admissions professionals. She became known for innovative recruitment work and then naturally expanded her interests and work into retention, student services, and enrollment management issues more broadly.
Soto said she was excited about her new opportunity at Western.
“After years of dreaming about making the Pacific Northwest our home and thinking ‘someday...’, I am thrilled to be making a move to Bellingham to become a part of the talented community of students, staff, faculty, and alumni who continue daily to advance this exceptional university,” she said.
Over the course of more than 20 years, she has held a number of leadership positions and been granted ever-increasing responsibilities. She worked on enrollment management issues as assistant vice provost at Arizona State University (ASU) and served as executive associate dean of students and chief of staff at ASU Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, as well as interim dean.
While at ASU, she worked with stakeholders across the university to evaluate and advance graduate enrollment, recruitment, and admissions efforts and processes. In that role, she also worked with committees and leadership, setting policy and designing strategy for undergraduate enrollment, admissions, recruitment, and financial aid and scholarship. While doing important work for the university, she served as the internal/administrative dean in the law school, overseeing all administrative functions for enrollment services, admissions, financial aid and scholarships, retention, marketing, recruitment, student life, advising, transfer student enrollment, career services, alumni relations, events, new student orientation, and centers and programs.
She has been a leader at one of the most entrepreneurial and innovative institutions in the country and assisted in that university’s growth across all fronts (first-time freshmen, transfer, graduate, and international). Prior to that while at UT, a highly selective institution, she engaged in transformative work to ensure the enrollment of diverse classes during the anti-affirmative action movement of the 1990’s. She used that energy and innovation on diversity efforts to direct ground-breaking pipeline programs for one of the premier Hispanic Serving Institutions in the country.
Soto has been honored many times for her work. ASU’s Disability Resource Center awarded her the Intergroup Relations Service Award for work with students who are differently abled, and the State Bar of Arizona Committee on Minorities and Women in the Law named her as their 2009 honoree for outstanding achievement in advancing equal opportunity. ASU’s Indian Legal Program honored her in a blanket ceremony in 2015, and in 2001 the Texas Senate personally recognized her work in Resolution 231.
Soto believes in compassionate, collaborative leadership and is a favorite among past staffers as well as executives relying on her to lead through times of significant change. She brings a great deal of experience partnering with constituents inside and outside of the university to build new programs and to advance existing initiatives. Her reputation and expertise has led to service on national boards and work groups to develop best practices in enrollment management.
Soto said she knows challenges lie ahead, as they do in higher education institutions across the country.
“In these challenging times, when competition is increasing from all directions, we must think and act strategically about our student services work from recruitment to graduation and ensure that our enrollment efforts align with the goals of the institution and our highest aspirations for our community,” she said.
The AVPEM establishes enrollment goals and well-planned strategies and tactics that shape the enrollment of Western in service to the university’s vision and strategic plan. The position serves current and prospective students by integrating the work and services of 77 employees in the offices of Admissions, Registrar, New Student Services/ Family Outreach, and Financial Aid. The AVPEM works in close collaboration with colleagues across campus and engages with current students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni in the recruitment, enrollment, and support of each incoming class as they transition to Western and through to graduation.