Dr. Brandon Vinson

Presbyterian College announced today that Dr. Brandon Vinson will serve as the college’s new vice president of enrollment management.

Vinson, who has more than 15 years of experience in higher education, prevailed in a nationwide search assisted by Hyatt-Fennell Executive Search.

“Dr. Vinson brings with him broad experience in enrollment management, and I am excited to have him join Presbyterian College’s leadership team,” said PC president Dr. Anita Gustafson. “He is a strategic thinker who understands the value of the liberal arts and will help move PC’s enrollment goals forward.”

 Vinson last served as associate vice chancellor of enrollment management services at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina, where he and his colleagues increased new student enrollment by 3.6 percent, transfer student enrollment by 9.2 percent, and undergraduate retention by 3 percent.

Before his time at Winston-Salem State, Vinson served as associate vice president for enrollment management and student affairs and head coach for esports at Bowie State University in Bowie, Md. There, he was responsible for overseeing the undergraduate and graduate admissions office and the financial aid and registrar’s offices.

 With the merger of enrollment management and student affairs at Bowie State, Vinson also managed the school’s private scholarships and grants offices, enrollment services, and housing and residential life.

During Vinson’s tenure at Bowie State, the school experienced three consecutive years of record-breaking enrollment for new, transfer, and graduate students. He increased graduate enrollment by three percent for the 2021-22 academic year and created the division’s strategic enrollment management plan. He also implemented policies that increased the university’s applications by 38 percent and admissions by 115 percent for 2022-23.

Vinson’s experience also includes tenures as assistant vice president of financial aid at West Chester University in Pennsylvania, executive director of financial aid at the University of Baltimore in Maryland, director of financial aid at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Ill., senior director of financial services at LIM College in New York City; and director of financial aid at Harold Washington College in Chicago.

Vinson earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., and a master’s degree in psychology and organizational leadership from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. He earned his doctorate in educational leadership and management from Capella University in Minneapolis, Minn.

“I am deeply honored to be joining the Presbyterian College community as the vice president of enrollment management,” said Vinson. “It is a privilege to contribute to an institution that is dedicated to empowering students, fostering academic excellence, and nurturing a vibrant community of scholars.”

Gustafson thanked PC’s screening committee for its work on the vice-presidential search. Leni Patterson ’83, executive director of strategic initiatives, chaired the group, which included:

• Dr. Selena Blair, Rogers-Ingram Vice President for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Dr. Drew Brandel ‘13, Assistant Professor of Psychology
• Dan Hall, interim Vice President for Finance and Administration
• Dee Nichols, Director of Athletics
• Dr. Austin Shull ’11, Associate Professor of Biology
• Dr. Jaclyn Sumner, Associate Professor of History

“I am very grateful for the committee’s care and diligence during this important and strategic search,” said Gustafson. “I am especially thankful for Leni Patterson’s leadership of the committee and her service as interim vice president of enrollment management. She and the entire enrollment management team have done excellent work helping Presbyterian College deliver our newest class of students, and I commend them for their positive and professional commitment.”