Knox Named VP of Enrollment Management for WT

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Following a national search, a familiar face will fill a new position at West Texas A&M University.

Mike Knox, currently vice president for student enrollment, engagement and success, was named Aug. 1 as the new vice president of enrollment management for the University, President Walter V. Wendler announced.

The newly created position will elevate enrollment to its own vice presidency, reflecting the importance WT places on the task of recruiting new students.

“Coming out of the pandemic, we felt the challenges of student enrollment and student engagement each needed individual dedication, and we began two national searches to fill these positions,” said WT President Walter V. Wendler. “Mike quickly rose to the top for this position because he knows WT so well and has already had oversight over our enrollment efforts.”

The President’s Executive Committee will continue to be comprised of seven vice presidents who oversee all operations at the University.

“I am looking forward to this role and its intentional focus on enrollment,” Knox said. “There are a lot of headwinds across the country with student enrollment, but Texas remains a strong state and WT has so much to offer that I am confident we are well situated to grow in the years ahead.

“WT has been the best place I have ever worked, and my family has grown roots here in Canyon,” Knox continued. “It was an easy decision to stay, and I am eager to contribute even more to our record of success.”

Twenty-two candidates were considered for the position, and seven advanced to the formal interview stage.

Knox will coordinate and direct all activities related to recruiting, admitting and enrolling new undergraduate and transfer students, as well as collaborate with other University officials to create strategic enrollment initiatives. Recruitment, admissions, international students and student financial services/scholarships will fall under his purview, as well.

A national search continues for Knox’s current position, which will be renamed vice president for student affairs. The University plans to have the position filled by early September.

Knox was born in Coleman and has studied or worked at various universities around the country for most of his professional career, including Texas A&M University in College Station, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Kentucky, Bellarmine University and the University of Texas at Arlington.

He came WT in 2014 as the vice president for student affairs, and since 2017 has served as vice president for student enrollment, engagement and success.

Knox and wife Erica have eight children, with their oldest entering her senior year of Canyon High School this fall.

Recruiting and retaining the best students is a key mission of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised about $110 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

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