The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is pleased to announce the selection of Michael C. Gunn as the associate provost of enrollment management. He will begin his role on June 29, 2009.
Gunn holds a B.A. in anthropology from Wake Forest University, an M.A. in anthropology from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Gunn also holds an M.S. in nation securities from National Defense University and he participated in the Program for Executives in Logistics and Technology from the University of North Carolina.
Gunn has authored more than a dozen publications and holds a green belt in Lean/Six Sigma. He currently serves as the commander for the 11th ROTC Brigade. Gunn holds the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army where his distinguished career included a tour in Operations Iraqi Freedom as commander, Military Operations, Port of Umm Qasr.
The associate provost position was created by the School of Mines as a result of the university's renewed emphasis on enrollment management. Reporting to the provost and working closely with the senior leadership team, Gunn will have responsibility for the Offices of Admissions, Financial Aid, Retention and Testing, Student Information Services, Academic and Enrollment Services, and the Tech Learning Center.
"Sustaining our tradition of greatness requires careful attention to the quality of our student body as well as to its size. As we grow our enrollment and shape a strong and diverse student body, strategic enrollment management is the top priority for the School of Mines," President Robert A. Wharton, Ph.D., said. "Michael Gunn's wealth of experience, leadership skills, and ability to develop innovative solutions will be vital in developing an ever-increasing culture of focused enrollment management."
New admission standards -- implemented in fall 2005 for the fall 2006 class -- have aligned admission requirements with the expectations students will encounter when they arrive on campus. The new standards have resulted in well-prepared, academically strong, and ethnically, as well as geographically, diverse groups of incoming students. Enrollment data confirms the expected impact of the new requirements, namely that quality and diversity are increasing. This trend is expected to continue in the coming years, with predictors for fall 2009 enrollment looking strong with acceptances up nearly 10 percent and preregistrations significantly higher. Inquiries for fall 2010 are up 75 percent.
"I look forward to working with the team of dedicated professionals already in place at School of Mines," Gunn said. "Together we can achieve and exceed the university's goal of increased numbers of quality students receiving a world-class education from some of the finest staff and faculty found anywhere."
Gunn is married to the former Susan Gueck of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. They currently reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
