Jessica Wagoner
Senior Associate Vice President Of Enrollment Management & Services
Phelan,CA
Summary
Vision-driven senior leader with wealth of experience overseeing enrollment and admissions operations across universities. Proven talent for building and developing programs key to attainment objectives for continuous growth and improvement. Deeply committed to elevating student experience at all turns, from initial contact to degree completion. Adept in partnering within and across departments to foster collaborative achievement of short- and long-term goals. Highly engaged and esteemed leader of teams, projects, and initiatives.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Associate Vice President, Enrollment Management and Services (EMS)
Cal Poly Pomona
Pomona, CA
11.2018 - Current
- Led Cal Poly Pomona to exceed enrollment targets in 2024–25 with 27,462 students, including 23,259 resident FTES—achieving 112.4% of CSU-funded targets and securing permanent base funding through strategic FTES gains.
- Oversaw the launch of the new Bronco Applicant Portal in partnership with IT, creating a personalized and engaging digital experience for applicants, including an interactive admit experience that encouraged early engagement.
- Spearheaded reform of General Academic Petitions (GAPs) processing in collaboration with the Registrar, cutting backlog processing times from 8 months to 4 weeks, improving student service and operational accountability.
- Implemented automation of Transfer Graduation Advisor caseload assignments in PeopleSoft, increasing consistency and equity in advising for specialized student populations including veterans and athletes.
- Directed implementation of the Expanded Course Outline (ECO) system, streamlining academic data access for departments, faculty, and student support services.
- Launched automated verification for Golden Four coursework for transfer students, reducing staff workload by 80% and improving admission processing efficiency and accuracy.
- Increased student scholarship awards to $8.4M in 2023–24 (65% year-over-year increase) through improved coordination of non-traditional funding sources and compliance packaging.
- Expanded use of the 'FAS Classes Saved' hold, preserving student enrollment during financial aid processing delays and mitigating registration disruptions.
- Fully expanded the Federal Work-Study allocation before April 2025, marking the most successful year on record through improved departmental collaboration and process efficiency.
- Helped implement a new tiered payment deadline structure to reduce disenrollment rates and align fiscal timelines with student registration behavior.
- Appointed to the CSU Strategic Workgroup on Financial Aid; contributed to major State University Grant (SUG) policy changes, securing $51.5M in 2025–26 funding for CPP—a $9M increase.
- Enhanced the Degree Progress Report (DPR) for ADT students and credential programs, including automation of course expiration flags and alignment with 4+1 Blended Program requirements.
- Oversaw launch of upgraded BroncoDirect Class Search and real-time access to grading tools, enhancing student decision-making and academic oversight.
- Directed development of over 15,000 new or revised transfer credit rules over two years, reducing orientation/advising errors by 35%.
- Led rollout of new FTES goal tracking integrated with Tableau dashboards for real-time progress monitoring across Academic Affairs.
- Supported development of an enhanced Class Schedule Metrics Dashboard that consolidated annual data and improved accessibility for institutional leadership.
- Directed over $2.6M in Summer Boost and Completion Grant aid to more than 1,000 students, accelerating degree completion and time-to-graduation.
- Hosted 2025 Southern California TRIO Student Leadership Conference, affirming CPP’s regional leadership in access and pre-college support.
- Presented CPP’s strategic enrollment planning approach and the CPP Choice Program at the 2024 AACRAO SEM Conference, showcasing innovation in access-minded growth and sustainable major capacity management.
- Deliver forward-looking leadership to Office of Admissions & Enrollment Planning, Office of Outreach, Recruitment, & Academic Partnerships, Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships, and Registrar’s Office with accountability for overseeing operations, administrative, and human resources across departments. Liaise with key campus leaders to establish comprehensive enrollment plans aligned with academic master plan, and promote attainment of enrollment goals through design of policies, standards, and procedures. Direct development and management of budgets, manage fund allocation, and ensure sound fiscal accountability. Perform routine business process reviews and leverage student- and staff-driven feedback to identify impediments to student success; leverage insights to guide continuous improvement initiatives. Maintain lines of communication with executive campus leaders and report on program outcomes.
- Trained and supported new team members, maintaining culture of collaboration.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to drive successful completion of complex projects within deadlines.
- Consistently maintained strong relationships with clients, ensuring clear communication and timely updates on project progress.
- Effectively managed multiple competing priorities while maintaining focus on delivering exceptional results for clients and the organization.
- Implemented process improvements that led to significant time savings and increased accuracy in deliverables.
- Streamlined operational efficiency by identifying areas for improvement and proposing actionable solutions.
- Identified potential risks to develop mitigation plans and minimize impact on project timelines.
- Trained and supervised employees on office policies and procedures.
- Increased profitability and productivity by minimizing downtime and streamlining quality control procedures.
- Streamlined office operations by effectively monitoring and addressing client correspondence and data communications.
- Managed data and correspondence to secure information across complex landscapes of organizational departments.
- Collaborated with senior management to develop strategic initiatives and long term goals.
- Established a culture of continuous improvement, fostering innovation and driving sustainable growth across the organization.
- Cultivated strong relationships with key stakeholders, including customers, vendors, regulators, and community leaders to promote collaboration and long-term success.
- Oversaw business-wide changes to modernize procedures and organization.
- Directed technological improvements, reducing waste and business bottlenecks.
Director of Admissions and Operations
Cal State Fullerton
Fullerton, CA
03.2008 - 11.2018
- Directed all aspects of operations within Office of Admissions, overseeing undergraduate, graduate, and international admissions programs. Partnered with executive leaders and committees to define objectives, strategies, policies, and guidelines while ensuring alignment with larger university, system, and state standards. Engaged cross-functional team of 35+ in implementing application, evaluation, residency, and other critical enrollment and support programs. Steered implementation of policy revisions as well as new software and system solutions. Closely tracked program performance against targets, collecting and reviewing statistical data in collaboration with Office of Institutional Research. Routinely coordinated with other university business units, including those centered in outreach, recruitment, and orientation as well as athletics, disabled student services, and others.
- Effectively partnered with other departments to align objectives for student recruitment and admission and better position programs to meet overlapping targets.
- Championed integration of new custom auto admission program, driving reduction of 60+ days in total admission processing times.
- Headed automation of transfer process for associate degrees, improving capacity for coding, tracking, management, and communication relevant to thousands of incoming students.
- Introduced new controls to better position students for success in navigating degree path from admission to graduation.
- Contributed to successful design and development of new student orientation systems offering more streamlined registration and check-in.
- Launched early start program for the university after delivering invaluable guidance as member of multiple technical and planning committees.
- Customized PeopleSoft module to enable systemic identification and accurate coding of incoming first-time students with exempt status for math and English courses, significantly reducing labor hours for review and verification of data across enrollment stages.
- Additional experience as Director of Client Services with XAP Corporation, Culver City, CA.
Associate Director of Admissions
Cal State Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
12.2007 - 03.2008
- Provided strategic leadership to admissions programs for undergraduate and graduate students. Defined policies, created strategies, and managed procedures to meet specific program needs and requirements. Directed systems administration and upheld quality standards in data entry, management, and reporting. Planned and facilitated routine staff training activities. Led communications programs for existing and prospective students. Developed, directed, and supported staff and facilitated performance management.
- Headed project to update processes for acceptance and decline of admission as well as improved enrollment deposit collection.
- Played key role in planning and support of major upgrade to campus PeopleSoft system.
- Any additional highlights of your contributions or successes that we could highlight here
- Implemented data-driven recruitment strategies that resulted in higher enrollment numbers from targeted demographics.
- Streamlined communications with applicants throughout the admissions cycle, ensuring timely notifications and maintaining positive relationships with prospective enrollees.
- Managed application review processes during peak seasons, ensuring all deadlines were met while maintaining high standards of evaluation quality.
- Served as a liaison between academic departments and the admissions office, facilitating communication on program-specific requirements for applicants.
- Delivered engaging presentations at college fairs and conferences, highlighting institutional strengths and attracting potential applicants.
Director of Client Services
XAP Corporation
06.1994 - 11.2007
- Managed the Client Services team supporting CSU and CCC clients.
- Served as Program Manager for CSU Mentor, e-Transcript CA, CCCApply, and CaliforniaColleges.edu.
- Acted as Project Manager for CSU Mentor, working directly with the CSU Chancellor’s Office and 23 campuses.
- Conducted client presentations and trainings on online applications and transcript services.
- Wrote software specifications and performed QA testing for new tools.
- Responded to RFIs and RFPs to support new business development.
- Built client relationships by responding to inquiries, identifying and assessing clients' needs, resolving problems, and following up with potential and existing clients.
- Kept stakeholders up-to-date on details pertaining to client projects.
- Encouraged creative thinking, problem solving and empowerment as part of facility management group to improve morale and teamwork.
- Expanded the client base by targeting new markets and industries, resulting in a significant increase in new business opportunities.
- Enhanced client satisfaction by implementing streamlined communication strategies and personalized service plans.
- Managed existing and developed new client relationships, identifying risk, and growth opportunities.
- Cultivated culture of continuous improvement and innovation to improve efficiency and drive results.
- Developed comprehensive sales strategies that resulted in increased revenue generation from both existing and new clients.
- Drove customer loyalty through proactive problem-solving tactics while addressing any potential issues that may arise during the project lifecycle.
- Identified business challenges and presented solutions to challenges.
- Maintained and executed yearly formal business plans.
- Streamlined and monitored quality programs to alleviate overdue compliance activities.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Business Administration – Marketing Concentration
California State University
Fullerton, CA01.1993
Skills
PeopleSoft, Slate
- Analytics: Tableau, Excel (Advanced)
Project management
Decision-making
Task prioritization
Adaptability and flexibility
Attention to detail
Complex Problem-solving
Process improvement
Customer service orientation
Multiple priorities management
Strategy development
Collaborative teamwork
Multitasking and organization
Issue troubleshooting
Accomplishments
- Developed a custom auto admission program that reduced undergraduate admission processing time by over two months.
- Automated and streamlined the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) process, including development of a system ADT crosswalk table mapping community college ADTs to Fullerton majors.
- Developed a PeopleSoft modification to update and code conditionally exempt first-time freshmen in math and English, automating updates from application to enrollment.
- Served as CMS/PeopleSoft Module Lead for Admissions and Campus Community.
- Served on CSU Chancellor’s Office committees for Early Start Program Implementation & Technical Committees.
- Participated in the Cal State Apply RFP and Implementation Committee.
- Served as CSU Student Administration User Group (SAUG) Representative for Fullerton.
- Managed the Admissions website and outgoing communications for applicants.
- Oversaw the admissions appeal process and coordinated applicant support with multiple campus departments.
- Personally authored and implemented admission-related system modifications.
Awards
Public Relations Society of America – Los Angeles: Award of Excellence (Scholarship Campaign)
Affiliations
Member, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
Publications
Panelist, “Reimagining Admissions Post-Pandemic,” CSU Leadership Conference, 2023
Leadership
- Current Committees
- Provost Leadership Team
- Enrollment Planning Group
- CCGI Board Member
- Former Appointments
- Early Start Program Implementation & Technical Committees
- RFP and Implementation Committee, Cal State Apply Online Application Project
- Enrollment Management Chancellor’s Strategic Workgroup
- Strategic Workgroup on Financial Aid
- Transfer Success Pathway (TSP) Workgroup
- Transfer Planner RFP Committee
- CSU Chatbot RFP Committee
- Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Committee, CSU Fullerton
- GI 2025 SEM/Administrative Barriers Subgroup Committee
- SAUG Representative, CSU Fullerton
- Vice Chair, e-Transcript CA Committee
- Project Lead/Point of Contact, Cal State Apply Admission Application
Additional CV Sections (Placeholders)
- Training & Certifications
- Include any leadership programs, compliance training, DEI training, HR training, etc.
- Professional Associations
- Include any memberships such as NACAC, AACRAO, NASPA, etc.
- Example:
- - Member, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
- Presentations & Speaking Engagements
- Include conference presentations, panels, workshops, or keynotes.
- - Panelist, “Reimagining Admissions Post-Pandemic,” CSU Leadership Conference, 2023
- Publications or Media Mentions
- List journal articles, blog posts, interviews, or education publication mentions.
- Grants & Funded Initiatives
- Include any awarded grants (e.g., equity outreach, enrollment recovery).
- Awards & Honors
- - Public Relations Society of America – Los Angeles: Award of Excellence (Scholarship Campaign)
- Technical Skills
- - CRM: Slate, PeopleSoft, Salesforce
- - Analytics: Tableau, Excel (Advanced)
- - Communication: Constant Contact, Mailchimp
- Community & Volunteer Service
- Include service on boards, community programs, or outreach work.
Timeline
Senior Associate Vice President, Enrollment Management and Services (EMS)
Cal Poly Pomona
11.2018 - Current
Director of Admissions and Operations
Cal State Fullerton
03.2008 - 11.2018
Associate Director of Admissions
Cal State Long Beach
12.2007 - 03.2008
Director of Client Services
XAP Corporation
06.1994 - 11.2007
Bachelor of Arts - Business Administration – Marketing Concentration
California State University
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