Felton

Locke

Two interim leaders of Cornell undergraduate enrollment have been promoted.

Effective June 1, Jason Locke became associate vice provost for enrollment, and Shawn Felton became director of undergraduate admissions. They had been serving in interim roles since last July.

Locke leads undergraduate enrollment management, undergraduate admissions and financial aid programs, and supports Cornell’s commitment to attracting and providing access to a highly qualified, diverse student population regardless of economic circumstances. He oversees the Offices of Undergraduate Admissions and of Financial Aid and Student Employment, and reports to Vice Provost and Graduate School Dean Barbara Knuth.

“Jason and Shawn are proven leaders whose vision and energy will continue to propel Cornell toward enrolling the brightest and most diverse undergraduate classes. I have been impressed with the visionary initiatives they have accomplished during their interim year and look forward to their continuing leadership,” said Knuth.

Locke has more than 17 years of experience in undergraduate admissions at Cornell, having served as a college admissions officer and then director in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and director of recruitment and marketing in Cornell’s undergraduate admissions office before being promoted to director.

Under his leadership as director of admissions since 2003 and interim AVPE, undergraduate applications to Cornell increased more than 100 percent, to over 43,000; international applications increased 245 percent; applications from underrepresented minority students increased 220 percent; and selectivity decreased from 31 percent to 14 percent. First-year entering students from underrepresented minority groups increased from 13 percent of the class to more than 22 percent.

“I am truly delighted to be stepping into the role of associate vice provost for enrollment. Over the past decade, our innovative admissions and financial aid strategies have transformed Cornell’s undergraduate student profile, particularly in respect to diversity, academic quality and selectivity. I look forward to working with the Cornell community to further enhance Cornell’s standing as a national leader for access and affordability in higher education,” said Locke.

Felton, who reports to Locke, has 11 years of Cornell undergraduate admissions service, starting as associate director of admissions in the College of Engineering then moving to the central undergraduate admissions office to oversee admissions communications strategy, visitor programs, multicultural admissions, international admissions and financial aid.

As director of undergraduate admissions, he works with each of the undergraduate college admissions offices to shape their enrollment goals and selection processes, leads admissions recruitment efforts, and provides vision for multicultural and international admissions and initiatives to further diversify and strengthen Cornell’s undergraduate population.

“During my tenure at Cornell, the admitted and enrolling undergraduate classes have set Cornell further apart in any number of ways, including becoming more and more selective (talented), and more and more diverse,” said Felton. “I look forward to helping shape our policies, practice and processes that support our efforts to recruit, select and enroll extraordinary undergraduate students each and every year.”