OLLU Names Shobi Sivadasan Vice President for Enrollment and Strategy

Our Lady of the Lake University has named Shobi Sivadasan as its vice president for enrollment and strategy, bringing more than 18 years of higher education enrollment experience to the university as it works to grow its student body and expand access to its innovative academic programs.

Sivadasan, who joined OLLU in May as an enrollment consultant, was appointed to the vice president role in July. She brings a track record of enrollment growth across multiple institutions, with experience in undergraduate, graduate and international enrollment, financial aid, enrollment operations and strategy.

"Students and families are asking different questions about higher education today - about cost, time to degree, career outcomes, and return on investment," said OLLU President Dr. Abel A. Chávez. "We are responding with new leadership, three-year degree programs and sophisticated data-informed recruitment."

Experience in Enrollment Growth

Before joining OLLU, Sivadasan served as vice president for enrollment management at Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga, California, where first-year enrollment grew 13% in fall 2023 to reach the college's largest incoming class in four years. She previously served as vice provost for enrollment management at Missouri University of Science and Technology, where the university reported a 24% increase in first-year applications and a 7.6% rise in first-year student enrollment in fall 2021. She was also credited with a 10% increase in graduate enrollment at the University of New Haven.

"Enrollment challenges are rarely the result of a single factor, and what we experienced this year reflects both internal circumstances and a rapidly changing higher education environment," Sivadasan said. "Our focus is not on looking backward. It is on what we do next."

A Strategy for Growth

Sivadasan has highlighted Lake Express, OLLU's new three-year bachelor's degree program, as an innovative offering that expands access to higher education by reducing the time and cost of earning a degree. She will work closely with Provost Alan Silva to identify and develop programs for students and ways faculty can help with retention, and with Tom Norris, executive director of operations and athletics, on attracting student-athletes.

"She often says that recruitment and retention is everyone's job in the university," said Teresa Niño, vice president for marketing and communications.

OLLU has set a target of reaching 1,800 students, with renewed focus on achieving that goal in 2027. The university has launched multiple initiatives to support enrollment growth, including the Lake Express three-year degree program and a no-cost master's degree plan designed to help students continue their education without additional financial burden.