SMU Names Wes K. Waggoner New Dean of Undergraduate Admission
Wes K. Waggoner, whose university admissions experience spans 20 years, is SMU’s new dean of undergraduate admission.
 Wes K. Waggoner |
“Wes stood out for his experience with financial aid, marketing, search strategies and leadership ability,” said SMU Provost Paul Ludden. “He is passionate about taking SMU to the next level, and he has the intellectual and professional skills to help us reach our goals.”
Waggoner currently serves as the associate dean and director of freshman admission at TCU. Previously, he held admissions roles at the University of Tulsa, Tulane University, Fort Worth Country Day School and The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Tulane University and an MBA with a concentration in not-for-profit management from the University of Dallas.
At SMU, he will report to Stephanie Dupaul, associate vice president for enrollment management. Dupaul said Waggoner’s background and personality made him a good fit for SMU.
“I hoped we would find someone who would bring expertise, intelligence and creativity to SMU. Wes brings these strength, and more,” Dupaul said. “He has demonstrated his skills in developing comprehensive recruiting plans, redesigning processes, and mentoring a professional team of admissions professionals. He is passionate about SMU and excited about the path the university is on as we implement a new curriculum, develop our residential commons, and continue to expand our academic research. Wes will use his many strengths to tell the SMU story – a story 100 years in the making but also a story that is just beginning.”
Waggoner is a nationally known leader in the admission profession, having served as chair of the Professional Development Committee for the National Association of College Admission Counselors, chair of the Admissions Practices Committee for the Texas Association of College Admission Counselors (TACAC), instructor for the TACAC Summer Institute, chair of the Higher Education Curriculum committee for the Admission and College Counseling Institute, and as a member of The College Board’s SAT Advisory Committee and the SAT Score Choice Task Force.
As dean of undergraduate admission at SMU, Waggoner will oversee all activities of the SMU Office of Admission, including admission for first-year, transfer and international applicants. He will work closely with SMU Public Affairs to develop the University’s marketing messages, and with recruitment groups from Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, the Lyle School of Engineering, the Meadows School of the Arts, the Cox School of Business and the Simmons School of Education and Human Development to support efforts to recruit outstanding undergraduates to SMU.
“The Centennial is such an exciting time to become a part of the SMU community - especially for someone like me who gets to go out and talk with prospective students and their families,” Waggoner said. “This is a place that can celebrate an amazing history while recognizing that there is so much more we can be. I think I am most pleased that at the forefront of such momentum is a student's academic experience. That's what makes SMU a great university.”
SMU is a nationally ranked private university in Dallas founded 100 years ago. Today, SMU enrolls nearly 11,000 students who benefit from the academic opportunities and international reach of seven degree-granting schools.
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