Alumnus to lead WMU recruitment, enrollment management efforts

KALAMAZOO—Christopher W. Tremblay, assistant vice chancellor for enrollment management at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, has been named Western Michigan University's associate provost for enrollment management.

Tremblay, an alumnus who began his career working in WMU's Office of Admissions, is returning to his alma mater following more than a decade of enrollment work at public and private universities. His appointment is effective May 6.

"Chris Tremblay's passion for WMU and his clear knowledge of our state and nation's enrollment environment were clear to us all during his visit to campus earlier this winter," says Dr. Timothy Greene, WMU's provost and vice president for academic affairs. "We expect him to hit the ground running and to move quickly ahead with the ideas and commitment he shared during his visit here."

Tremblay will oversee the Office of Admissions, Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, the Registrar's Office and First-Year Experience Programs, which include orientation and Fall Welcome. His responsibilities will encompass student recruitment and enrollment.

"My enrollment management journey began when WMU entrusted me to conduct high school visits and recruit new students in the semester before I completed my bachelor's degree. It was a privilege, and I have been hooked ever since," says Tremblay. "Returning to WMU is the ultimate homecoming. To give back to my alma mater for all that it gave me as an undergraduate and a graduate student is going to be rewarding personally and professionally."

Christopher W. Tremblay

Tremblay has been at UM-Dearborn since 2006, serving first as director of admissions and orientation, then as executive director of enrollment management and interim director of financial aid before being promoted to his current position in 2011. He oversees all undergraduate admissions, financial aid and orientation operations. Under his watch, undergraduate enrollment has increased by 14 percent, and the school saw its four largest freshman classes in history, even as the incoming freshman profile saw a spike in both average GPA and ACT scores.

Before joining the UM-Dearborn administration, Tremblay was director of admissions at Gannon University for three years. Prior to accepting the position at that private, 4,000-student school, he worked in admissions at WMU for nine years, serving as counselor, assistant director of admissions and orientation coordinator.

Tremblay is co-chair of the WMU School of Communication External Advisory Board and he is active in a number of professional associations focused on admissions, financial aid and college access. He also is the author or co-author of more than a dozen journal articles and is a frequent conference presenter.

He serves as a consultant for Stamats, Inc., a higher education marketing agency. His background also includes a number of marketing awards for the development of admissions print materials, websites and television and radio ads.

He has been active in the various communities in which he's lived and has been extensively involved for many years in community theatre productions—both as an actor and playwright.

Tremblay earned both bachelor's and master's degrees through WMU's School of Communication in 1994 and 1999, respectively. He earned a post-master’s certificate in enrollment management from Capella University. He is completing a doctorate in educational leadership at UM-Dearborn and expects to be awarded that degree in 2014. His doctoral research is focused on graduate coursework in college admission counseling.

He will fill a vacancy created when Dr. Keith Hearit stepped down last summer, after five years as WMU's enrollment management chief, to return to the faculty.