Robert Seltzer Named New Admissions Director

Robert Seltzer, a 20-year veteran of undergraduate admissions with the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, has been selected to lead the admissions office at UW–Madison.

Seltzer is currently associate director of UM’s Undergraduate Admissions Office, where he helps steer enrollment management, technology and systems for an institution with 36,000 students and 22,000 undergraduates. For the last two and a half years, Seltzer also served as interim associate director of recruitment for the university.

“Robert has prepared himself well for this level of leadership in admissions,” said Paul Barrows, UW–Madison’s associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. “He has involved himself in all major facets of admissions for a major public university, and his background will be a great asset here.”

Seltzer’s strengths are an excellent fit for UW–Madison, especially as the admissions office plans for major changes in the coming year. At Michigan, Seltzer played a crucial role in assisting with the development of the new PeopleSoft student information system. UW–Madison is currently implementing the same system.

PeopleSoft will dramatically improve delivery of student information, and admissions will be first in line to use the technology, Barrows said. “His background with this technology will be a tremendous boost to this project,” he added.

Seltzer has demonstrated an ability to involve colleges and departments in developing enrollment targets and promoting diversity. During his tenure, Michigan regularly enrolled a freshman class within 1 percent of its target size.

In addition, Michigan has become a Big 10 leader in increasing the number of ethnic minorities in its freshman class. The freshman class went from 11 percent people of color in 1983 to 27 percent this past year. Barrows said his fresh perspectives on this top priority will be valuable.

Seltzer, who will begin the job in late February or early March, replaces Millard “Pete” Storey, who was director of admissions for six years before taking an associate director of admissions job at the University of Michigan last January.

In addition to PeopleSoft, Seltzer will lead admissions into its new facility at the Red Gym, a move planned later this summer. “I think it’s an exciting challenge,” Seltzer said. “Going through these changes all at once will provide a great opportunity to look into operational changes, streamlining how we do things, and finding new efficiencies.”

UW–Madison and UM-Ann Arbor are similar in size and in their home communities, he said, and their admissions offices face many of the same challenges. Seltzer said the goals of admissions should extend well beyond his office.

“I will work to make many areas of the university an integral part of what we do,” he said. “I see everyone who works on campus as a potential recruiter.”

Implementing the PeopleSoft system will benefit both students and staff, he said. The integrated system will pull together admissions, financial aid, student records and academic information in one searchable system. It also expands student access through the use of World Wide Web technology.

UW–Madison’s total fall enrollment was 40,196 students, an increase of about 1 percent over fall 1996. Of the total, 27,533 students are undergraduates.

Seltzer earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1968 from Boston University, his masters degree in psychology from Michigan in 1971, and his Ph.D. in psychology and education from Michigan in 1992.