Cornell College hires Wendy Beckemeyer as VP for enrollment management

Cornell College has hired Wendy Beckemeyer as the college’s new vice president for enrollment management.

Beckemeyer comes to the Hilltop with over 30 years of experience in enrollment management. Most recently, she served as vice president of enrollment management at Robert Morris University (RMU) in Pittsburgh, Penn. 

Under her leadership, RMU brought in three of the four largest first-year classes in its history, while the average GPA of the class climbed steadily. She also served as a volunteer assistant coach with RMU’s softball team. Along with overseeing the enrollment division and the financial aid office, Cornell’s vice president for enrollment management will also oversee the athletics department.

“Cornell College has a distinguished history and offers a distinct academic experience for college students,” Beckemeyer said. “I am thrilled to join President Brand and the senior leadership team in persuasively sharing this outstanding college opportunity with prospective students and families as well as the higher education community as the next vice president for enrollment management.”

While at RMU, she also launched numerous innovative enrollment initiatives, including the College Affordability Academy, which features eight educational modules about financing a college degree and employability after graduation. Those lessons were the framework of a book Beckemeyer published, along with several co-authors, “The College Affordability Academy: A Blueprint for Counseling Families.” For nearly 20 years, Beckemeyer has also worked as a consultant for Ruffalo Noel Levitz, a higher education consulting company in Cedar Rapids. 

She is ready to get started at Cornell on Aug. 31.

President Jonathan Brand says she’ll be an important asset to lead Cornell’s enrollment division in meeting and exceeding enrollment goals.

“We feel very fortunate to have attracted such a well-seasoned and widely respected admission expert,” Brand said. “Wendy does it all.  She understands the art and science of student recruitment, especially in this more dynamic period.”

She, along with her husband Wayne, is looking forward to moving to the area in the coming weeks. They have a son, Blake, and daughter-in-law, Shannon. 

“We are excited to meet everyone and become a part of the Cornell College community,” Beckemeyer said.

A native of California, Beckemeyer earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications and a master of business administration degree in marketing from California Lutheran University.