The Colgate Office of Admission experienced large staff turnover this summer. According to Associate Dean of Admissions Keaton Hein, five of his colleagues left near the end of the spring 2019 semester. As a result of the turnover, the office underwent large reorganization of roles and took on new staff members. 

Hein said the wave of turnover is not uncommon during this time of year in institutions of higher education.

“There’s a fun little phrase in higher [education], its called, ‘three years or 30,’” Hein said. “That’s not really a knock on Colgate, that’s just the business as a whole.”

According to Hein, some of his colleagues are off to positions at other institutions, while some are exploring other avenues of travel and career. 

“I think it’s just starting over is the toughest thing,” Hein said. “Members like myself who have been in the office, sitting down and having conversations about this place, what we do—that seems to be the most effective method in catching them up speed.”

A 2019 Colgate graduate, Chelsea Santiago, recently joined the staff as an admissions counselor for the southwest region, covering Arizona, New Mexico and parts of California. Santiago said she was drawn to the position as a way to serve students, especially being a first-generation college student during her time at Colgate. 

“It’s definitely stepping into the real world,” Santiago said. 

Keaton said Colgate’s sense of community plays a large part in the success of the work at the Office of Admission.

“We use the word community a lot when we talk about students and this campus. That community is also something we rely on. No one is too big for a job or a question or helping someone stay on task. We really rely on each other a lot to make sure we’re on track,” Hein said.

Santiago said the office remains committed to recruiting top-notch future classes, with a large goal of receiving 10,000 applications for the class of 2024.

“We’re definitely working on expanding our diversity and our classes,” Santiago said. “Being able to reach the brightest students in terms of also bringing third century goals into our admissions work.”