By Eddie Francis, efrancis@dillard.edu
June 14, 2022
Dillard has definitely been home to David Page. While Page did not attend Dillard, he is a Bleu Devil at heart, leaving 16 combined years of service to move on to the next stage of his career. His first stint on Gentilly Boulevard was from 1998 to 2005 as the associate director of financial aid. Page returned in 2013 to take the seat of vice president of enrollment management, a role that he feels has allowed him to make substantive change to the University’s recruitment, admission and enrollment services.
During Page’s tenure, the academic profile of admitted students increased. The average GPA for high school students coming to Dillard increased from 2.79 to 3.37 and is trending towards 3.43. The average ACT score for admitted students increased from 18.25 to 20.9 and is trending towards 23.3 for fall 2022. Page also increased merit-based aid to help more students invest in earning their Dillard degrees, a move that made Dillard competitive with its peers in scholarship awards. As a result, applications increased by 51% and the number of admitted students by 29%. Page also revitalized the Evening and Weekend Studies Program to provide non-traditional students access to a Dillard education. As a result, since 2016, 139 adults have enrolled or returned to Dillard to earn their degrees.
“I have enjoyed my time at Dillard. On both occasions I have grown professionally and personally,” Page said. “The relationships built, especially those within enrollment management, will always remind me of how special Dillard is. Moreover, I met my wife here and we were married in Lawless Chapel, so there will always be a connection to Dillard for me.”
Page made significant infrastructure and operational improvements. Prior to his arrival, all enrollment-related communication was driven manually, taking up a considerable amount of manpower. As a solution, Dillard installed and launched its first customer relationship management system allowing the University to communicate with students more efficiently and competitively. He spearheaded partnerships with Anthology and EAB to elevate Dillard’s practices to industry standards. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships implemented operational improvements that reduced the University’s Title IV audit findings from 12 to zero. Page also led the efforts to partner with Trellis Company to provide additional complimentary services for our students related to financial literacy, default prevention, and automated communication services related to persistence.
In addition and in an effort to provide additional avenues for students to achieve their degree as well as meet the demands of our ever changing population, Page established the partnership with Acadeum. Since its inception, and by the end of the summer months 1,025 courses will be completed by Dillard students.
Page’s next chapter is with Blue Icon Advisors, NASFAA Consulting, as a senior consultant.
