TOLEDO, Ohio — The University of Toledo announced an addition to its enrollment staff Monday as the number of enrolled students continues to drop year-over-year.
Tony Bourne, a strategic enrollment leader, will join UToledo as the vice president for strategic enrollment management on Oct. 28.
The university has seen a steady decline in enrollment numbers over the past several years, with a 3.8% drop in overall students enrolled in the fall 2024 semester compared to fall 2023, and the same drop of 3.8% between fall 2022 and fall 2023.
When comparing data from fall 2019, the total number of students enrolled at the University of Toledo has plummeted by 5,342.
“Strong student enrollment is our top priority and in Tony we have found the leader we need to recruit students to UToledo with a strong resolve to accomplish their goal of earning a college degree,” University of Toledo Interim President Matt Schroeder said in the announcement Monday. “He is a data-driven and collaborative leader who I am confident will have a positive impact on our University.”
Bourne is currently the vice president of enrollment management at the University of Memphis, but has served at several Ohio universities and a community college over his career.
He held a similar role at Heidelberg University in Tiffin before joining the University of Memphis. Bourne also worked at Rhodes State College in Lima and his alma mater Wright State University in Dayton in positions that involved student enrollment.
“While a lot of schools talk about student success, UToledo and this position specifically, are distinctly focused on serving students and making sure that this is the best institution for the students who come here to pursue their degree,” Bourne said in the announcement.
Bourne is certified in leadership enrollment management through the University of Southern California, where he currently teaches courses in best practices for enrollment management, according to UToledo.
“I am excited to join the team at UToledo that is focused on improving not only enrollment for the institution and moving the University forward to its next chapter, but also continuing this drive toward retaining and graduating students who make contributions to our region," Bourne said. "My family and I look forward to joining the Toledo community.”
The hiring of Bourne comes after the university let go of the assistant of undergraduate admissions, Christy Sevier, earlier this month.
At the time, a UToledo spokesperson described the change as being part of the process of evaluating "roles and responsibilities on the team to position UToledo for success."
