RPInsider

The is the profile picture for 2/3 of Nondorf's facebook accounts

Jim Nondorf, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions, has accepted a position at the University of Chicago effective July 1st. Nondorf has been at RPI for 3 years, and most recently has been at the center of the RA compensation debacle. Hopefully his departure will pave the way to fixing this conflict.

Dr. Jackson announces his departure in an email to the RPI community below.

To:      The Rensselaer Community
From:    Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D.
President and Professor of Physics
Date:    March 17, 2009
Subject: Jim Nondorf Accepts Position at University of Chicago

I write to inform you that James Nondorf, Vice President for Enrollment
and Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions, has accepted the
position of Vice President and Dean of College Admissions and Financial
Aid at the University of Chicago.

While I will miss Mr. Nondorf's unwavering enthusiasm and commitment to
Rensselaer students both present and future, I wish him the best as he
anticipates this exciting new career opportunity. His new appointment is
effective July 1. I will announce soon the process for a search for his
successor and the arrangements for interim leadership in the Division of
Enrollment.

In his new position Mr. Nondorf will be an officer of the university,
and will be responsible for all aspects of student recruitment and
admissions processes, as well as financial aid policies and practices.

Mr. Nondorf was appointed Vice President for Enrollment at Rensselaer in
June 2006. During his tenure, he has led our continued efforts to
develop and refine recruiting and admissions processes to identify and
attract the best students, while at the same time providing them with an
informative, engaging, and seamless process in joining the Rensselaer
community. He and his team have overseen a continued increase in the
academic quality of the applicant pool, and an expansion of the
intellectual, geographical, gender, and ethnic diversity of the student
body.

Prospective students are showing an unprecedented level of interest in a
Rensselaer education, thanks in large part to the energy he has brought
to his outreach efforts. In 2008, more than 12,300 high school students
filed applications to attend Rensselaer-a record total that represents a
growth of more than 117 percent since 2005. Applications for early
decision exceeded 1,300-an all-time high-up more than 800 percent from
just three years ago. The Admissions Office also received more than
95,000 inquiries from prospective seniors, compared to 80,000 the
previous year.

To ensure that Rensselaer continues to remain accessible to academically
talented students from the full range of family financial circumstances,
Mr. Nondorf and his team in the Financial Aid Office have worked to
increase the overall aid budget and make additional resources available
to meet the increased need of students who have experienced financial
hardship in the economic downturn. During his tenure, the amount of
scholarship aid provided by the Institute has been increased by more
than $20 million to approximately $85 million.

Prior to coming to Rensselaer, Mr. Nondorf served as the Director of
Student Outreach and Associate Director of Admissions at Yale
University, where he oversaw the development and implementation of
recruitment and yield activities. He is credited with streamlining the
admissions process, developing specialized recruitment programs, and
achieving significant increases in both applicant pool and yield rates,
while drawing from an increasingly diverse demographic group. He also
served as a fellow at Yale's Berkeley College, where he was responsible
for advising undergraduate students, as well as assisting in planning
residential events and functions.

He began his career with the Cambridge Technology Group, where he held
progressively responsible positions leading to his role as
President. Prior to his tenure at Yale, he was involved in the start-up
of the Terrace Community School, a charter school in Tampa, Fla., where
he served as founding teacher, musical director, and coach. He received
his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Yale University and his
Master of Liberal Arts Degree in Ethics from Valparaiso University.

We will announce a time for an event later in the spring term to
celebrate Mr. Nondorf's achievements at Rensselaer, but meanwhile
please join me in extending our sincere congratulations and best wishes.

Share