Of the St. Louis American
Maryville University recently named Shani Lenore as the new director of admissions. Lenore has ten years of experience in the collegiate admissions field. As former head of undergraduate admissions at Saint Louis University – a post she held for three years – she is credited with helping to increase freshman applications by 22 percent in 2004 and record freshman enrollment from 2003-2005. Lenore said she hopes to bring that same success to Maryville.
“I’m excited to be here to help Maryville move forward to becoming the small liberal arts institution they want to be and leading the charge to reach enrollment goals,” said Lenore who once served as associate director of admissions and interim director of admissions at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.
Maryville is a small, private liberal arts institution with an enrollment of approximately 3,200 students, a figure that includes 1,700 undergraduates, 1,000 Weekend College students and 500 graduate students.
According to Lenore, Maryville’s racial breakdown based on the 2005 data has African Americans representing only about 4.4 percent of the total population and minority students, including African Americans, represent just 9.7 percent of the student body. Lenore said there are several reasons why local African Americans just don’t look to Maryville as a viable option – something she hopes to change during her tenure.
With tuition averaging around $25,000 per academic year, Lenore said cost is a major deterrent to African American and minority enrollment.
“We’re a private institution so financial aid becomes an issue,” she said. “The (racial) breakdown can be scary as well as African American students don’t see the support they feel they need to be successful.”
Location is another issue.
“Maryville is kind of tucked away in West County,” Lenore said. She added that in her first weeks on the job she has helped to integrate the Internet into the institution’s recruitment strategies to, “Make Maryville a more visible presence in the St. Louis community.”
She added that her goal as director of admissions is to make Maryville University, “A premier small, private university by increasing academic quality, geographical representation and diversity.”
To reach those goals, Maryville has made several changes in the admissions department with African Americans in key positions. Terrence Andrews, former coordinator of minority recruitment, has been promoted to associate director of admissions and coordinator of transfer recruitment. And the department’s latest hire, LaTanya Jenkins, will fill Andrews’ vacated role in addition to serving as assistant director of admissions.
Jenkins is a St. Louis native and former assistant director of multicultural student services at Missouri State University in Springfield. Before joining Maryville in 2000, Andrews worked in training and development for INROADS/St. Louis, Inc. Lenore said their backgrounds combined with community partnerships is key to improving diversity at the institution.
Lenore said she plans to, “Try to develop and maintain relationships with community organizations such as 100 Black Men and INROADS.” She also said it is important to, “Direct targeted communication to students of color.”
She said one of the ways she plans to attract more African American and minority students is by, “Providing a supportive environment and informing students that just because we’re private doesn’t mean you can’t afford to attend.”
Founded in 1872, Maryville University seeks to become one of the premier, small private universities in the nation. Ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of America’s Best Colleges in the Midwest, Maryville University prepares its students for successful careers. In fact, among its most recent graduating class, 94 percent are employed or attending graduate school.
It is her recognition of the value of a college education that drives Lenore in her current position to help the institution reach its enrollment goals. And as a child growing up on Chicago’s South Side, Lenore understood that education was paramount.
“In my family, it was never a question of if I was going to college, it was a question of where,” she said. “My mom was determined to give her children a better life than what she had, which for her translated into a better education.”
Lenore attended Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University) in Kirksville where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in justice systems with a minor in psychology. She briefly worked in higher education consulting. And with her considerable background in the field, she is sure to make an impact at Maryville.
“With its forward thinking leadership, strong academics and unique approach to the liberal arts, Maryville gives students an edge in succeeding in the classroom and in competing in a global society,” Lenore said. “We do that by attracting students who are academically driven and have a strong desire to make a difference in their campus community and in their larger communities. My goal is to continue to move Maryville in that direction.”