New President at Wesley College Makes Immediate Impact

John W. Dysart
President
The Dysart Group, Inc.

Dr. William Johnston came to Wesley College in Dover, Deleware, after a successful term as President at Iowa Wesleyan College, where he posted the largest number of freshmen enrollments in at least thirty years, despite demographic and economic impediments.

I had consulted with Dr. Johnston at Iowa Wesleyan College and he contacted me to assist in growing the enrollment at Wesley while taking steps to improve academic quality.

Dr. Johnston began his tenure during a time of exceptional economic barriers. The recession, credit crunch, drop in the stock market, corporate bankruptcies and business closings, layoffs, increased unemployment and general uncertainty made the new President’s plans for improved quality particularly difficult.

I was fortunate to work again with a seasoned colleague well versed in enrollment management and financial aid. Bill Firman had a long track record of recruitment success at Philadelphia area schools. We set about making plans to improve on the historic success of the College (I had worked with the previous President at Wesley College during a period of growth that nearly tripled undergraduate enrollment).

• We evaluated every aspect of the recruitment plan. Adjustments were made where warranted.
• The admission counselors were trained in light of the requirements of the new model. Some changes were made, but we were prepared with a dedicated, well-trained, hard-working, knowledgeable staff.
• Obviously, we made some adjustments to the financial aid model to aggressively address the needs of the students and families due to the harsh economic times.

Well, while most private colleges and universities struggled this year, Wesley College excelled!

• Admission application increased 63% over the previous year.
• The College accepted the largest number of students in history.
• New student enrollments shattered every historical record while more students will reside on campus this year than ever before. New student enrollments increased 26% compared to the same time last year and capacity limits forced a shutdown of recruitment earlier than ever before.
• The College realized the most significant improvement in academic quality in decades while maintaining a diverse student population. Application growth enabled greater selectivity as the College tripped the number of applicants denied admission.
• Total undergraduate enrollment is at the highest in College history.

Dr. Johnston completes his first cycle as President at Wesley College by breaking records and positioning the College for even more success in the future.