Troy Johnson named vice chancellor of enrollment management at App State

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Troy Johnson has been named vice chancellor of enrollment management at Appalachian State University, effective April 1. Johnson previously served as vice president of enrollment management at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), a Carnegie R1, Hispanic-Serving Institution of more than 40,000 students.

At UTA, Johnson led more than 200 staff working in a comprehensive undergraduate, graduate and international set of enrollment offices, managed community partnerships and oversaw federal TRIO programs.

“Troy has a demonstrated history of success in enrollment management and a record of ensuring that students and their families are able to access higher education,” said App State Chancellor Sheri Everts. “His additional experience as a teaching faculty member informs his collaborative approach to meeting universitywide enrollment goals.

“As we look to the future, we must be extremely diligent with our enrollment strategy and laser focused on meeting the higher education needs of our state,” Everts continued. “Elevating this role to the vice chancellor level will ensure we have the resources and talent in place to leverage App State’s solid history of enrollment growth.”

App State’s vice chancellor of enrollment management reports directly to the chancellor and leads the Division of Enrollment Management. The vice chancellor provides strategic enrollment management for the institution, regularly collaborating across campus and coordinating campuswide student access and success initiatives. Overseeing the institution’s enrollment management plan, the vice chancellor works closely with the chancellor and the senior leadership team to establish enrollment goals and estimate annual resource generation, and supports the development of university marketing strategies that are managed and implemented by University Communications. The vice chancellor oversees the Office of Admissions, Office of the Registrar, Office of Transfer Admissions and Engagement, and Office of Student Financial Aid and University Scholarships.

Johnson will play an important leadership role for App State’s new Hickory campus, developing partnerships and pathways for success in this region of the state.

“I’m so honored to join App State, Chancellor Everts and her team, and the great state of North Carolina,” Johnson said. “The outstanding faculty, staff and students at App State will play key roles in the future prosperity of our communities, the health of our social fabric and the strength of our workforce, and I look forward to supporting them in the promising years ahead.”

Johnson is a nationally known figure in the fields of student access and academic success. He is Texas’ only three-time recipient of the Star Award, which is given for collegiate programs that show documented improvement of student access and success. He has served in many state and national leadership roles and is an elected member of the College Board’s Guidance and Admission Assembly Council. His collaborative and engaging style leads to Johnson being frequently sought out for speaker and panelist roles, including regionwide higher education summits and doctoral leadership classes.

Johnson began his career at Texas Tech University, where over 12 years he ascended into roles of increasing responsibility, including assistant academic dean. At Texas Tech, he received the highest award for employee service and the Chancellor’s Award for most impactful campus division. He has built a distinguished career working in Texas, California and Illinois, consistently leading enrollment operations that have established records for recruitment, retention and graduation rates. At Illinois State University, he led record enrollments, despite declining demographic circumstances in the state.

His career includes important contributions to increasing enrollment of international and underrepresented students. At UTA, he has achieved record student enrollment for six years in a row, growing the diversity and size of the first-year class far beyond what demographic projections predicted. His division has been selected to present in Los Angeles at the national Prepárate conference that highlights national models that are successfully preparing Latino students for college success.

During his career in higher education, Johnson has been the recipient of numerous awards and has earned more than $8 million in external funding for student research and support from federal, state and private sources. He has spearheaded impactful external partnership development with counties and corporations, resulting in increased high school graduation rates, increased college going rates and strengthened workforce development. In 2022 he served on the Dallas Fort Worth Region Council of Governments’ Strategic Planning Committee for Education. In community service, he has served as a chapter board chair and interim executive director for the American Red Cross.

His academic experience includes teaching in the graduate program at Texas Tech, teaching economics at Texas Tech and while serving as dean of enrollment at West Texas A&M University and teaching as an honors adjunct faculty member at Illinois State University.

Johnson holds a Doctor of Education in higher education administration, a master’s degree in economics and a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from Texas Tech University. He also completed graduate research and studies in finance and economics, as well as in education systems and policy, at Loughborough University in England.

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About the Division of Enrollment Management

The Division of Enrollment Management at Appalachian State University is responsible for planning, implementing, assessing and providing services and programs that promote student success — from pre-enrollment through graduation. The division comprises the Office of Admissions, Office of the Registrar, Office of Transfer Admissions and Engagement, and Office of Student Financial Aid and University Scholarships. Learn more at https://em.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.