Houston,
27
October
2022
|
09:29 AM
America/Chicago

VP Jeff Olsen to Capitalize on Marketing and Admissions Synergies for Greater Things

Jeff Olsen, VP for Marketing & EnrollmentUniversity of St. Thomas-Houston is on the move. Emboldened by four straight years of record-breaking freshman student enrollment and a call to amplify its mission, UST has begun enacting its eight-year strategic plan for even “Greater Things.” In keeping with that, Marketing has merged with Admissions to form a new division called Marketing, Admissions and Student Services (MASS), headed by Vice President of Marketing and Enrollment Jeff Olsen.

Capitalizing on Synergies to Ensure Brand Experience

Olsen said, “There are many synergies between marketing and admissions. We’re looking to capitalize on them and to ensure that the UST brand is the same for the prospective student across every experience they have with the University of St. Thomas. That means all our communications, design elements and branded events must be strong and consistent. It’s crucial to present one unified experience that is true to the UST mission.”

Creating New Pathways That Lead to UST

“We have many Greater Things targets to hit and goals to achieve by 2030 — 10,000 student learners, for one,” Olsen said. “To get there, we’re creating new pathways. And we’re developing those by leveraging the skills and talent we already have here at UST.”

UST President Richard Ludwick tapped longtime Admissions Officer Arthur Ortiz to take on the new role of national relationship development with the title Chief Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement Officer. In addition, East Asia Scholar Dr. Hans Stockton is charged with growing the University’s overseas partnerships as Associate Vice President of International Relations and Engagement.

More Students Plus New Housing

Olsen said, “It became clear during the strategic visioning process that the community has a strong desire to make UST’s mission known globally. National and international attention will mean more student interest from outside of Houston, and that means we are going to need a place for those students to live.” With UST’s campus housing currently at capacity, there are plans in development to build an additional residence hall to accommodate more students and encourage a more vibrant campus.

Balancing Growth and UST’s Attractive Ethos

According to Olsen, much of the summer months were spent preparing the way for the goals of UST’s Greater Things strategic vision.

“We’ve been facilitating organizational changes to empower faculty and staff to carry forward and succeed.”

While significant growth lies ahead for Houston’s Catholic university, Olsen assured that UST would continue to devote the personal attention St. Thomas is known for. “Students are drawn to our mission and the personal attention that our faculty and staff provide.”

In his former position, Olsen was VP of Marketing and University Relations. University Relations is now within the Office of University Advancement with alumni and corporate relationships.