The University of West Georgia recently appointed Dr. Shanna Smith as its new associate vice president of strategic enrollment management. The move follows Smith’s three-year career in UWG’s Department of Counseling, Higher Education and Speech-Language Pathology in the College of Education, where she most recently served as program coordinator of college student affairs.

Smith graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, the University of Memphis with a master’s degree in psychology, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with a doctorate in Higher Education Administration and a certificate in Evaluation, Statistics, and Measurement.

“I came to the University of West Georgia because of the opportunity to teach and practice within student-centered programs supportive of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts,” she explained. “I am thankful for an opportunity to bring my scholarly research and expertise in enrollment management and combine it with my practical knowledge and experiences within the areas of strategic planning, program evaluation and assessment within this role.”

Smith will support Kimberly Scranage, UWG’s vice president for strategic enrollment management, by developing, implementing and analyzing structural and procedural strategies that curate a first-choice institution, promoting relevance, competitiveness, and placemaking in accordance with UWG’s Strategic Plan.

“In this role, Dr. Smith will be a key decision-maker with the expertise to analyze and align operational processes in order to effectively advance strategic enrollment initiatives,” explained Scranage. “This experience will lend itself seamlessly in ensuring planning and oversight of communication content strategy, financial aid modeling, data analytics and strategic planning.”

Prior to joining UWG, Smith served as faculty at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tennessee, and co-director for UTK’s Project GRAD Summer Institute, an access program focused on historically underrepresented student populations. Before higher education, Smith worked at a nonprofit in the mental health field, serving hundreds of Tennessee families.

“I am excited to continue to serve UWG and have the ability to positively influence the success of all students through access, engagement and retention,” Smith said. “I am also excited to work collaboratively with the various constituents and stakeholders on campus and in the community to best fulfill UWG’s commitment to curate a first-choice university.”