The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith has hired Andrew “Andy” Johnson as the university’s
Director of Admissions, beginning Monday, August 17.
Johnson joins UAFS with 16 years of experience in enrollment management, most recently serving as Vice President for Admissions at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, where he helped the university recruit the largest incoming freshman class in 31 years in 2019, and an even larger freshman class for 2020, the largest in 32 years.
With a focus on telling compelling stories, building relationships, and utilizing contemporary technology to innovate new methods of recruiting, Johnson sees every interaction with students and their parents as incredibly important, with the admissions department serving as the front line communicators.
“I’m passionate about higher education opportunities for first generation students, and I deeply appreciate the focus that the university has on not only admitting first in their family students, but supporting them through the entire university experience,” said Johnson. “UAFS does an amazing job of helping students not only gain knowledge through coursework and research, but of building alongside of that a resume and skill set that transfers to employment opportunities.”
“I’m so excited to join the team at UAFS. It’s combination of a history focused on college accessibility and affordability combined with a future that keeps expanding intellectual and career opportunities for students is so compelling.”
Johnson will oversee recruitment of more than 6,000 undergraduate students annually, and a team of five admissions officers who recruit across the region. The admissions department is a vital arm of UAFS enrollment management, working closely with including the offices of financial aid and the ROAR first-year advising office to ensure students who choose UAFS navigate the process through their first day of class with support and confidence.
“We had a genuinely deep and talented pool, with a number of well-qualified and highly experienced candidates,” explained Dr. Lee Krehbiel, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. “At the end of the day, Andy’s success at multiple institutions, his engaging approach to using technology as a tool to drive personal relationships, and the obvious work he put in to learn about UAFS up front made us excited about what he will bring to the table.”
Prior to serving as Vice President of Admissions at Bethel College, Johnson worked as Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Fresno Pacific University and Director of Admissions at Fresno Pacific University Biblical Seminary, both in Fresno, California. He has also worked in higher education as a communication faculty member at Fresno Pacific, and served as a lead pastor at The Dwelling Place in Ontario, Canada. Johnson earned his Master of Divinity from Fresno Pacific University Biblical Seminary in 2005, and his Bachelor of Arts in English from Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas in 1997.