Information & Responsibilities
SUMMARY
Reporting to the Executive Director of Admissions, the Assistant Director of
Admissions acts as the primary liaison between CalArts and prospective
students and families. In collaboration with the Director, Program Directors,
Faculty, Deans, and Communications, the Assistant Director recruits and guides
admitted students through to matriculation, providing support and ongoing
communication to prospective students and families throughout the application,
review, and admission processes. Externally, the Assistant Director represents
the Institute generally as well as the Office of Admissions and their
designated School via information sessions, office hours, college fairs, high
school events, visual and performing arts classes, audition and portfolio
events, CalArts-hosted events, and other recruitment activities. Internally,
the Assistant Director communicates and collaborates with other offices across
campus regarding student needs, and provides cross-training on programs and
practices of their assigned school to their Admissions colleagues. It is
critical that the Assistant Director maintain comprehensive knowledge of
contemporary art and culture and terminology, both generally and as it relates
specifically to the assigned school, and that they cultivate a holistic
comprehension of the various schools' mission statements, programs, curricula
and artistic vision and how these mesh with CalArts as an Institute.
Requirements
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Student Counseling:
Advise a diverse domestic and international pool of prospective students
on CalArts' academic programs and campus experience, application, and
portfolio and/or audition processes through regular communication with
applicants, families, and counselors, including personalized check-ins
with candidates throughout the application process
Provide feedback and recommended resources to prospective students,
rejected applicants, and other applicants on their application materials,
and assess their fit with CalArts programs
Provide general counseling and information to prospective students
regarding financial aid resources, connecting students with Financial Aid
staff for additional support
Respond to individual student concerns regarding a breadth of unique needs
and circumstances requiring a high level of discretion, and connect
students to appropriate resources
Recruitment:
Prepare yearly recruitment strategy plan in collaboration with the
Director, Deans, Program Directors, and upper administration to address
enrollment needs, based on data and industry trends; seek out new and
relevant methods of connecting with prospective students
Maintain and strengthen existing relationships for student pipelines, and
identify new recruitment pathways with the potential to yield high caliber
applicants from around the world
Travel extensively for up to several weeks at a time, representing all
programs for recruitment, including management of personal travel
arrangements and expenses reports; as needed, plan travel for faculty or
alumnx representatives
Marketing and Communications:
In collaboration with Director, develop targeted advertising strategy for
all programs within the assigned school and help to manage the advertising
budget; cultivate and maintain relationships with relevant cultural and
media outlets to promote CalArts offerings and events
Create content to promote program-specific events of interest to
prospective students and the broader arts communities, championing new
initiatives and highlighting unique strengths
Work with School and Enrollment Management leadership to refine admissions
marketing materials, and manage creative work by CalArts' design office
and freelancers to ensure projects are delivered on time
Support school social media presence and generate engaging email campaigns
which share pertinent information about the institute, and upcoming
recruitment events
Event Planning and Participation:
Represent and discuss all aspects of CalArts at a wide range of local and
national recruitment events; conduct regular information sessions on and
off-campus, and online, including on-campus tours as needed
In collaboration with the Director of Admissions, plan and facilitate a
range of on and off campus events, including hiring and training student
and alumnx event staff, and collaborating with Communications to ensure
appropriate media coverage
Review Coordination:
Work with Review Coordinator and Enrollment Management Operations team to
ensure accurate and timely processing of submitted applications and
portfolios/auditions, to manage faculty portfolio reviews of prospective
student work, to complete pre-screenings as needed, and manage portfolio
review sessions; collaborate with School and Admissions team to plan and
staff auditions
Alongside the faculty, review and interview applicants and document
feedback on application for potential student counseling, and provide
personal insight and advice regarding applicants
Organize and track all internal reviews in order to monitor progress
toward enrollment goals and maintain active communication with the
applicant pool and program directors
Enrollment Management:
Provide clear, personal insight into admissions data, as well as into each
assigned program's unique advantages or disadvantages in the higher
education landscape
Generate and monitor internal tracking documents to monitor progress
toward enrollment goals
Monitor and work with applicant data in Slate: run and organize reports,
track applicant processing, yield, and enrollment management, clean up
applicant records and request missing applicant materials
Provide and document feedback on recruitment events and tactics to improve
future seasons
Qualifications
SKILLS/ABILITIES:
Well-developed understanding and demonstrative knowledge of current
recruitment practices and needs of admissions within an art institute or
similar higher education institution.
Strong interpersonal, leadership and empathetic listening skills
Ability to interact effectively with a diverse community of internal and
external constituencies demonstrating tact, diplomacy, discretion and good
judgment.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Exceptional organizational and time management skills with the ability to
manage multiple projects and see projects through to a timely completion.
Skilled in identifying and resolving problems in a timely manner,
gathering and analyzing relevant information.
Ability to work responsibly, independently and collaboratively in a fast-
paced environment
Ability to participate in recruitment events as needed
High energy level. Must be able to work long hours and nights and weekends
as required to meet the admissions goals of the institute during peak
periods
EDUCATION:
Bachelor's degree required, preferably in an arts related field.
EXPERIENCE:
A minimum of 3 years of relevant and progressive experience
Experience with Slate or other CRM preferred
Experience in MS Office and Google suites
Experience as a practicing artist preferred
How to Apply
This position is available immediately. If you are interested, please follow
the link to Interfolio below:
Assistant Director of Admissions, School of Theater - ID:115748
Salary
$63,277.50 - $71,545.50 a year
Equity & Diversity
California Institute of the Arts shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR
§§ 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a) and 60-741.5(a). These regulations prohibit
discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as
protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit
discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion,
sex, or national origin. Moreover, these regulations require that covered
prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and
advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion,
sex, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other
status protected under federal, state, or local law.
Further Information
CalArts has a multidisciplinary approach to its studies of the arts through
six schools: Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater.
CalArts encourages students to explore and recognize the complexity of the
many aspects of the arts. It is supported by a distinguished faculty of
practicing artists and provides its Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts students
with the hands-on training and exposure necessary for an artist's growth.
CalArts was founded in 1961 and opened in 1969 as the first institution of
higher learning in the United States specifically for students interested in
the pursuit of degrees in all areas of visual and performing arts.
