Kansas State University

K-State Salina promotes Smith to executive director of enrollment management and new student engagement

Submitted by K-State Salina Communications and Marketing

Christopher Smith has been promoted to the executive director of enrollment management and new student engagement at Kansas State University Salina.

This new position will focus on the engagement of new students through the entire recruitment process and has oversight responsibilities for campus dining and bookstore auxiliary services. Smith will work closely with these service units in providing convenient, customer-driven, cost-effective goods and services to the campus.

Smith joined K-State Salina in 2017 as the executive director of enrollment management, marketing and financial aid. During that time, he was tasked with transforming the recruitment process. His focus was to ensure students stay at the center of every decision he made, understanding students' true needs and motivations, building trust and providing real value.

"His successful implementation of the consultative approach has resulted in four years of growth in new freshmen and three years of campus housing being at capacity on campus," said Alysia Starkey, K-State Salina CEO and dean. "We are excited for him to use his proven talent on additional areas of new student engagement."

"I look forward to this new opportunity and using my skills in enhancing auxiliary services," Smith said. "By transforming these services, you create actual communities which help to foster a more student-friendly environment."

A native of Savannah, Georgia, Smith has a Doctor of Philosophy in education with a concentration in higher education leadership from Capella University. He earned a master's degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor's degree in political science with a criminal justice minor from Valdosta State University. Before transitioning his career into higher education, he was the owner and operator of multiple quick-service restaurants and upscale wine bar restaurants.