Bob Bontrager is Senior Director of AACRAO Consulting and SEM Initiatives. He has 25 years of experience in enrollment management at all types of institutions, with particular expertise in strategic planning, recruitment, marketing, financial aid, institutional budget strategies, and transfer programs. Most recently at Oregon State University, Bob’s leadership resulted in a 40% increase in enrollment, including increases in the academic and diversity profile of the student body. His tenure at Oregon State included the roles of Assistant Provost for Enrollment Management and Director of Admissions.
Dr. Bontrager is known for his creative, broad-based approaches to common enrollment challenges, resulting in the development of number of innovative programs. These include the Degree Partnership Program, which promotes student access and baccalaureate degree completion through joint admission and concurrent enrollment at universities and community colleges. Bontrager also pioneered the use of noncognitive variables in admission and scholarship decisions to improve student access, equity, and retention.
Dr. Bontrager has contributed to the ongoing evolution of the strategic enrollment management profession in the U.S. and abroad as a frequent conference speaker, workshop presenter, consultant, and contributor to the SEM literature. He recently edited two books, SEM and Institutional Success: Integrating Enrollment, Finance and Student Access and Applying SEM at the Community College. His work has extended to a number of international locations, including Australia, Canada, Mongolia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates.
Prior to his work at Oregon State, Bontrager served as Vice President for Enrollment Management at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia and was Assistant Registrar at Arizona State University. He earned his Master of Counseling degree and Ed.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies at Arizona State University. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana.