CONWAY, Ark. (January 9, 2017) – After more than 14 years of service at Hendrix, Karen R. Foust, Executive Vice President for Enrollment, will retire at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year.
“When I think about the most stressful jobs on campus, a lot of positions come to mind, but there is something uniquely stressful about the position of Executive Vice President for Enrollment,” said Hendrix President Bill Tsutsui, who shared the news at the December faculty meeting. “Karen Foust
has, of course, done an absolutely exemplary job here at Hendrix. Her reputation preceded her when I came to Hendrix, since she is a veritable legend in her profession. Most importantly, she has left her mark on a generation of students here at Hendrix, recruiting the very favorite students of everyone
in this room and putting an indelible, and exceptional, mark on this college and its reputation”
Under her leadership, the Hendrix student body grew by more than 35 percent, as Foust played a key role in marketing the Hendrix Odyssey Program to new students, which earned national recognition for the College for innovation and increased the percentage of out-of-state students. She was also
instrumental in increasing the level of institutional financial aid to keep Hendrix affordable for students and families. She led the design of a nationally recognized campus visit program that celebrates the friendly and supportive community at Hendrix, and she led the effort to build a new Welcome
Center for prospective students and families.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as Hendrix’s chief enrollment officer and to assist in increasing the visibility of this excellent institution,” said Foust. “While the primary responsibility for recruiting and enrolling new students each year is led by the enrollment staff,
the entire Hendrix community – students, faculty, staff, and alumni – has played a big part in our enrollment growth and the College’s many notable achievements over the years.”
“I am fortunate to have been surrounded and supported by an incredible enrollment staff,” she added. “I’m so grateful to this talented group, past and present, and to so many others who have made my professional life at Hendrix so fulfilling and so rewarding.”
An alumna of Purdue University, Foust spent more than two decades in the admission and financial program at Valparaiso University in Indiana before joining the senior leadership team of Hendrix in 2003. In addition to numerous campus committees at Hendrix and national and regional
admission councils, she has served as a scholarship reader for the National Merit Scholarship Corporation Selection Committee and the Educational Testing Service and as an enrollment consultant for institutions from Alaska to Alabama.
The College has begun a national search with consultants Storbeck Pimental to identify a new enrollment leader in spring 2017.
About
Hendrix College
Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1876 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884, Hendrix is featured in Colleges
That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges and is nationally recognized in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings for academic quality, community, innovation, and value. For more information, visit
www.hendrix.edu.