Leadership transition in undergraduate admissions

Dear faculty and staff,

I am pleased to announce that Lukman Arsalan has been appointed interim dean of undergraduate admissions and financial assistance, effective June 30. In this role, he will be directing all aspects of undergraduate recruitment, prioritizing an increase in applications with broader national reach, digital marketing, competitive financial aid packaging, and stronger yield. He will be working especially closely with prospective students and their families, along with others who influence prospective student decision-making, to elevate Clark’s standing as a top-choice institution among outstanding undergraduate recruits.

Lukman brings to his role at Clark a strong combination of experience across different types of institutions, success with innovative recruitment strategies, and strong organizational and operational management skills. I am confident his dynamic leadership style and results-oriented approach will magnify Clark’s profile and appeal at this mission-critical time.

Lukman has been a leader in strategic enrollment and student recruitment for more than 15 years at top-ranked liberal arts colleges (Franklin & Marshall and Trinity College), a global elite boarding school abroad (King’s Academy in Jordan), and a small religiously affiliated college (Elms College). In all of his roles, he has used a data-driven and data-informed approach to align recruitment and financial aid to institutional goals and deliver outstanding results. He is a consummate collaborator who is adept at building partnerships across an institution to achieve a truly integrated, seamless, and successful student-centered enrollment strategy. He also is passionate about broadening access to higher education, especially for underrepresented students, and making all students feel supported and welcome.

At Elms College, where Lukman led the enrollment division, he championed several strategic initiatives to improve outcomes — including more than doubling spring transfer enrollment in a single year. Prior to Elms College, as dean of admissions and financial aid at King’s Academy, Lukman and the team he oversaw produced a record number of applications, lowered the acceptance rate by 46%, and increased yield by 36% and net tuition revenue by 36%. As dean of admissions at Franklin & Marshall, he evolved undergraduate recruitment into a more strategic and tailored engagement with prospective students to gain greater relevance and appeal.

Earlier in his enrollment-related career, Lukman was director of global enrollment and student success at Trinity College, associate director of admission at Albion College, and assistant director of international recruitment at the University of Delaware. He earned his master of public service degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Clinton School of Public Service and a B.S. in computer engineering from the University of Jordan.

To help us move quickly, intentionally, and strategically in bolstering our undergraduate admissions efforts, I have also engaged Rebecca Eckstein to join Lukman as a part-time advisor and partner. Rebecca is a seasoned, highly respected enrollment management strategist and leader who has served public and private institutions for the past three decades in many capacities, including as dean of admissions, director of financial aid, and vice president of enrollment and strategic communications. In addition to her deep experience and expertise in student recruitment, Rebecca is a leader in change management and strategic execution, skills that will be essential as we advance our efforts here at Clark.

We will have an opportunity next month, and again in the fall, to gather to meet Lukman and Rebecca in person. Until then, please join me in welcoming them to our Clark community. Please also join me in thanking a number of colleagues, listed below, who helped me in this process by interviewing two finalists for the interim dean role.

Sincerely,

David Fithian ’87
President

• Lamara Burgess, Chief of Staff to the President
• Cynthia Caron, Associate Professor, Department of Sustainability and Social Justice
• Julio D’Arcy, Assistant Professor, Chemistry 
• Karen Frey, Professor, Graduate School of Geography
• Jennifer Lawton, Director of Financial Aid
• John Magee, Provost
• Terry Malone, Senior Director, Undergraduate Admissions
• Joe Manok, Vice President of University Advancement
• Danielle Morgan-Acosta, Interim Dean of Students
• Juan Pablo Rivera, Associate Professor, Language, Literature, and Culture
• Laurie Ross, Dean of the College