Director of Admissions assumes new role

Mark Meydam, UW-River Falls’ current director of Admissions, has found a new role on campus as the very first director of enrollment management operations and technology within the Enrollment and Student Success division.

Meydam described his new role as a business analyst position. One of his first duties as director of enrollment management operations and technology will be to help the campus become more electronic and less paper-dependent.

Another of Meydam’s main focuses in his new role is student retention; working harder to keep students on campus once they arrive.

“Our goal is to pull together the recruitment effort, with an emphasis on retention,” Meydam said.

Meydam, a 1985 UWRF graduate with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture education, has worked on campus since he was a sophomore student in 1982. Meydam began simply as a student worker, spent one year in the College of Agriculture department and later settled into Admissions in 1986. He has been there ever since.

“It’s rewarding talking about experiences I had to potential students,” Meydam said. “Connecting with future students and sharing how River Falls changed my life, that’s the most rewarding and fun part of the job.”

Meydam has not just made an impression on past students, but on staff members as well.

“I’ve known Mark for 20 years,” said Kristina Anderson, associate vice chancellor for Enrollment and Student Success. “He has been a lifer. He bleeds red and white in that office.”

Anderson, who helped recruit Meydam to Enrollment and Student Success, believes his expertise made him a no-brainer for the open position. She described Meydam as a student-oriented, multi-talented gem.

“Mark and I are both very excited about the potential of this position to positively impact the student experience as well as staff’s use of technology,” Anderson said.

Meydam will work closely with all areas of the Enrollment and Student Success division, but also with the Division of Technology Services (DoTS), Institutional Research, Financial Aid, the Registrar’s office and academic departments.

Meydam, who was a member of the original eSIS implementation team, found a niche in technology, which eventually led to him becoming the face of Admissions. He has been director since June of 2007.

His relocation to Enrollment and Student Success was a big-picture move for Anderson. In his new job, Meydam will also work with high-level data systems, operational technology and enrollment projections.

Finalists for the open director of admissions position began interviewing on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Anderson is looking for someone who can take over and build on what Meydam has spent years developing. Faculty and students were encouraged to attend the open meetings, which ran from Feb. 25 to Feb. 28. Among the finalists are Kristen Hatfield, LeAnn Brown, Joel Helms and Matt Huber.

“I’m looking for someone to take us to the next level,” Anderson said. “Help us become the college of choice.”

Meydam, who stresses teamwork and customer service, shared advice for whomever takes over as director of Admissions. “Communicate with people across the university,” Meydam said. “Help us work together as a team.”

Meydam will continue to act as Admissions director until the position is filled, which should not be vacant for much longer. Once a new director is named, Meydam, whose office is in South Hall, will cross Cascade Avenue and settle into North Hall.

Having been working on campus since 1982, Meydam has seen his fair share of change and he is optimistic about the future.

“I’ve been through a number of reorganizations,” Meydam said. “It’s about working together towards a common goal.”