Running head: CHRIS VOSS: FRESHMAN RECRUITEMENT COORDINATOR

Chris Voss: Freshman Recruitment Coordinator

Tony Ringuette
Western Michigan University

CHRIS VOSS: FRESHMAN RECRUITEMENT COORDINATOR

Chris Voss Freshmen Recruitment Coordinator

The person that I chose to do this project on is Chris Voss, the Freshmen Recruitment
Coordinator in the Office of Admissions at Western Michigan University. Chris was just recently
promoted to this position after previously serving as an Assistant Director of Admissions where
he was the representative for both Oakland and Livingston Counties. In his current position he
coordinates the recruitment of WMUs freshmen or beginner students. These are the students
who are not transferring from another institution or are not considered non-traditional students.
He does, however, still interact with those groups from time to time. With this job he oversees
the current Assistant Directors of Admissions while also coordinating high school visits and
monitoring the college fair calendar to make sure there is a university representative at each
event. He also runs reports for the team so they can track admissions numbers throughout the
recruitment cycle. Additionally, he serves as a liaison between the Office of Admissions and
others on campus, such as the Office of Student Financial Aid, Military and Veterans Affairs,
and the Center for Academic Success Programs.
What drew me to choosing Chris was that he is currently in a position that I someday
envision myself holding. When I was training to become an intern he was extremely helpful in
showing me the decision making process on a prospective students application to the University
and other tips on being an admissions counselor. Not only was he helpful he was patient and
willing to explain in detail any questions that I had. I also noticed these traits when I observed
him in action.
I was able to observe him in three different situations with three completely different sets
of people. The first observation took place when he was giving a tour presentation to a group of

CHRIS VOSS: FRESHMAN RECRUITEMENT COORDINATOR

prospective students. There were approximately five different students in the group with their
families. The second observation took place in a one-on-one meeting with Scott Hennessy, one
of the Associate Directors of Admissions. The meeting was regarding training of the new interns
in the Office of Admissions. The third and final observation was during a training presentation
with the new interns. It was interesting to see how each set of interactions were similar and how
they were different.
How He Got to Where He Is
Chris became interested in higher education when he began studying sociology as an
undergraduate at WMU. He loved studying social trends and data; in doing so, found himself
more and more interested in the academic world. The interactions that he had with faculty
members, the environment and energy on the college campus led him to eventually pursue a
career in higher education (C. Voss, personal communication, July 25, 2013).
He didnt just graduate and become the Freshmen Recruitment Coordinator; he had to
work his way up through the ranks. His first job in higher education came as an Academic
Advisor for the University of Phoenix. After two years he took a position in the Office of Student
Financial Aid at WMU. He was in that position for approximately one year before finally settling
in at the Office of Admissions. He was hired as an Assistant Director of Admissions; a position
that he held for three and a half years prior to being promoted to his current position.
The journey that he took to becoming the Freshman Recruitment Coordinator reminded
me of the story about Pat Carrigan from General Motors in Discovering Your Self, by Kouzes
and Posner. While it isnt quite the big step that Carrigan made from being a school teacher to
becoming the plant manager, Chris still had to earn credibility and build up his skills the same

CHRIS VOSS: FRESHMAN RECRUITEMENT COORDINATOR

way that Carrigan did. I view Chriss path as something similar to what Carrigan said and that
was that her promotion wasnt an isolated event. It was the end point of a series of assignments,
each of which she performed well (Kouzes & Posner, 2011, p. 72). In Chriss situation it wasnt
that he was automatically promoted to his current position, but the fact that he had to work his
way up to where he is now.
While working with Chris in the past I realized the value that those past experiences have
had on him in his current role. This was most clearly seen when he was speaking with
prospective students and their families. His knowledge on financial aid has been especially
valuable. While the Assistant Directors can speak on the topic of financial aid none of them quite
have the knowledge that he brings to the table. He has given me advice in the past for applying
for admissions related jobs. What he said was, consider applying for other jobs in higher
education so that way when you come upon a job in admissions you can utilize that information
that you have learned to help you grow as a professional. That is something that has stuck with
me.
Leaders to a Leader
One of the things that I always look for in a leader is who has had a major influence on
them whether that be in a personal setting, a work setting, or another environment. While
interviewing him I discovered that we have a similar role model and that person is Scott
Hennessy. Scott is one of the Associate Directors of Admissions at WMU. Chris said that Scott
has taught him how to use his strengths and how to work with others who have different styles
than his own. Of all of the mentors that he has had in the work setting, Scott is the most similar
to how he conducts his business (C. Voss, personal communication, July 25, 2013).

CHRIS VOSS: FRESHMAN RECRUITEMENT COORDINATOR

Another mentor that he has had was Dr. Nicholas Andreadis, the former Dean of the Lee
Honors College at WMU. Dr. Andreadis taught him a great deal about collaborating with offices
and departments across the university which is something that is valuable to anybody who works
in a higher education setting and specifically with the job that he currently has. When he
mentioned collaborating with other departments on campus it made me think of the university as
a system and how no one piece is bigger than the whole. For instance, if there is a snag in the
admissions process then it can also affect the Lee Honors College, academic departments, and
student organizations around campus. If there is an issue with financial aid then admissions can
see a drop in enrollment if students are not able to pay for school. The whole university is a
system with none of its colleges or departments being greater than any of the others.
Even with having great mentors in a professional setting he said his biggest role model is
his father. His father taught him about being patient and how to model his behavior on what he
wishes to see in others. How can one expect others to act a certain way if they dont act that
same way themselves? Kouzes and Posner mentioned in Credibility Makes a Difference, that
people tend to follow leaders who practice what they preach. They mean that if an individual
sees the leader working hard then odds are that they will work just as hard (Kouzes & Posner,
2011, p. 47). I personally do not want a leader who will not go out and do the same task that they
are requiring of me. The quality that he admires most about his father is his ability to get along
with virtually everyone he meets. He went on to say this about being a leader, strong leadership
involves making connection with others; I've tried to pattern that after my father. (C. Voss,
personal communication, July 25, 2013). I have noticed that Chris has this attribute as well
which is a good characteristic to have as a leader and especially in the field that he is in
currently.

CHRIS VOSS: FRESHMAN RECRUITEMENT COORDINATOR

Observations
As I mentioned previously, I was able to observe Chris in a few different scenarios with
different groups of people each time. It was tough to see some of the same characteristics with
each group because he would interact differently with each one. One instance was with
somebody who was a leader to him while the other situations were with people who he was
teaching. Each scenario was quite a bit different as well which also caused how he interacted to
be different.
The first scenario was a tour presentation with a group of prospective students. There
were approximately five families in the group. One of the constants that I did notice with him
throughout all three observations was that he is a fantastic public speaker. In my opinion that is
something that can go a long ways to earning respect no matter the audience. Not only is he a
good public speaker he is also conversational and friendly. While he was presenting it didnt
sound like he was reading from a script it sounded like he was having a conversation with the
group. While speaking with the group he was passionate about WMU and you could tell that he
genuinely cares about the University and also about the people in the room. You could tell that
he knew what he was talking about.
The second observation took place during a meeting with Scott Hennessy. This meeting
was in regards to new training procedures for the new admissions interns. It was about what they
should know and how they would go about training the students. One thing that stood out to me
was how Chris doesnt pawn tasks off on others just because he is in a leadership position. He
takes responsibility and gets the job done. In this meeting the question was about who would
train the new interns on specific topics and he immediately volunteered to do it himself.

CHRIS VOSS: FRESHMAN RECRUITEMENT COORDINATOR

One of the things that really stood out to me in this meeting was how he told Scott that he
didnt just want the interns to know what they were doing, but also to know why we do what we
do. (C. Voss, personal communication, July 23, 2013). I felt that this was a great point to make
because you can never grow and improve if you are just doing what you are told. Knowing why
you are doing a task or an assignment a certain way can really make you understand it better
which can allow you perform better and make changes when necessary.
The third and final observation took place during training for the new admissions interns.
The training was about accepting and denying students and the current Universitys admissions
requirements. This was an important training because if you do not know this material then you
cannot perform the job. I noticed some of the same characteristics with this observation that I did
with the first observation. He did not talk down to anybody even though he was clearly the leader
in the room. He seemed comfortable speaking in front of the group and was conversational. He
also explained the information well and encouraged that questions were being asked if somebody
didnt understand something.
During the training there were two specific things that he said that really stood out to me.
The first was, Set the right expectations for the students. (C. Voss, personal communication,
July 25, 2013).What he meant by this was that honesty is the most important thing when
speaking with a student. If they are not going to be admissible, then dont give them the false
hope that they may be. If there is one word that I can take about Chris from this statement is
honesty. Being honest is an important trait that I see in leaders. It is much easier to get behind
somebody if you know they are going to be honest with you up front.

CHRIS VOSS: FRESHMAN RECRUITEMENT COORDINATOR

The next thing that Chris said that goes along with the first statement was, Think about
what is best for the individual and not for the school. (C. Voss, personal communication, July
25, 2013).What he meant by this was that even though a situation may not be the best for the
school it would be best for that individual involved. An example of this would be a student who
may not necessarily be ready to attend a university based on their grades. It would be better for
this student to spend less money and attend a community college first to better prepare for
eventually attending the university, rather than attending the university right away and struggling
with their studies. While the student attending means more money for the university it could also
be costly for that student if they struggle and are not able to complete a degree.
Adaptability and Change
I asked Chris how he deals with change and he said that one of his biggest strengths is
adaptability (C. Voss, personal communication, July 25, 2013). This seemed to be a common
theme with him because some of his colleagues said the same thing. They said that he is
adaptable and is able to go with a change while still staying calm. For any leader being calm or at
least displaying calmness is important especially in a tense situation. If the people that you are
leading believe that you are calm chances are they may be a little less stressed because they see
the calmness in you.
He also said that he looks for change and actually feels uncomfortable without some sort
of change going on. When change occurs he looks for information that he can share with others
and always tries to focus on the positive impact that it can have (C. Voss, personal
communication, July 25, 2013).
Setting the Right Expectation

CHRIS VOSS: FRESHMAN RECRUITEMENT COORDINATOR

This is something I mentioned this earlier, but it is a key theme in Chris as a leader and
that is setting the right expectation. Adam Arocho, one of the Assistant Directors of Admissions,
said, Chris is a straight shooter and doesnt sugar coat things. Sometimes you have leaders who
tell people what they want to hear, but that is not necessarily the best thing for them. He does not
do that. (A. Arocho, personal communication, August 6, 2013).
I personally believe that it is easy to tell people what they want to hear, but if you give
them incorrect information then it can ultimately have negative consequences on their life.
Morgan says, Small but critical changes at critical times can trigger major transforming
effects. (Morgan, 2006, p. 271). This is absolutely true when it comes to a student making the
decision on attending college. This is something that I would consider a critical time in an
individuals life.
When I thought about that statement from Morgan I immediately related it to a student
who should not be admitted being admitted by a university. If this student is not ready to attend a
university they could ultimately spend a lot of money on a single year of education in which they
could ultimately fail. This student would still have to pay their loans back and be in debt for a
long time afterwards. This could force them to work multiple jobs just to pay it off and make
their quality of living decrease. It could also affect their family members if they cosigned on
their loans. Now if you deny this student and suggest that they attend a community college first it
could prepare them better for attending the university in the future while also allowing them to
save money in the process.
Chris the Visionary

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When I was reading through Eight Roles of Symbolic Leaders, by Margaret Grogan I
began thinking about what type of leader that Chris was in his current role. After interviewing
him and some of his colleagues as well as observing him, the type of leader that I found him to
be was a visionary. He listens to what everybody has to say and never believes that his opinion is
more valuable than that of anyone else. I know personally there have been times where I felt that
the new interns should be trained on certain information and he always takes what I say into
consideration. I believe that this is important because even if you are not going to take what they
say into consideration it does help when they believe that their ideas are being listened to.
Erasmo Salinas, an Assistant Director of Admissions said, Chris has the ability to see
the whole picture. Hell often take a step back and look at scenarios that may occur and how we
can make sure that we react the correct way when they do. (E. Salinas, personal
communication, August 6, 2013). This to me is a good example of him using systems thinking
because he is always looking ahead to what could happen with each action (Grogan, 2013, p. 6).
Chris as a Leader
He is the type of leader that leads by example. This is similar to what he said that he has
learned from his father. He also mentioned how he likes to connect with people that he leads. He
doesnt want to sit behind a desk all day and bark orders; he wants to be out interacting with
people (C. Voss, personal communication, July 25, 2013). I have noticed working in the Office
of Admissions as an intern that he will walk around from time to time and interact with others
and ask how their day is going. It is amazing how something so simple can lead to a lot of
respect from the people he leads. I see him as a transformational leader because he really does
engage well with others and likes to make that connection with each individual and it really

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brings up the morality in the office if they know that their leader is treating them like an equal
(Northouse, 2013, p. 186).
He is the type of person that enjoys having fun at work and it is evident in the work that
he does. While he likes to have fun he does know where to draw the line between being fun and
getting down to business which is something that I think is important for any leader (C. Voss,
personal communication, July 25, 2013).
How Admissions is Part of the System known as Western Michigan University
What he mentioned and I agree with him, is that the Office of Admissions is on the front
lines of the University and generally represents the entire university as a whole (C. Voss,
personal communication, July 25, 2013). As I have said in the past, often times the first and only
encounter that a prospective student has with a university is through the admissions office and it
is important that the university is represented in a positive light. He said, We have to be very
service focused and always need to represent ourselves and the university well.
What Ive Learned
I thought I knew Chris fairly well before I interviewed and observed him, but I was
wrong. While I did see some of the same things out of him I also learned some important things
that I can use in the future. He is the type of person who likes to take a look at the whole
situation and somebody who will work harder than anybody else in the room. While he does
enjoy having fun in the workplace he knows where to draw the line and be serious. The biggest
thing that I learned was to set the right expectations and never give people false hope. I will
definitely take what I learned from Chris and apply it to myself as a leader.

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References

Grogan, M. (2013). Eight Roles of Symbolic Leadhers. In The Jossey-Bass Reader on

Educational Leadership (pp. 277-278). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Grogan, M. (2013). Give Me a Lever Long Enough. In The Jossey-Bass Reader on Educational
Leadership (pp. 6-7). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kouzes, J.M. & Posner, B.Z. (2011). Discovering Your Self. In Credibility: How Leaders Gain
and Lose It, Why People Demand It (pp. 70-72). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kouzes, J.M. & Posner, B.Z. (2011). Credibility Makes a Difference. In Credibility: How
Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It (pp. 47-48). San Francisco: JosseyBass.
Morgan, G. (2006). Unfolding Logics of Change. In Images of Organization (pp. 271). Thousand
Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Northouse, P. (2013). Transformational Leadership. In Leadership Theory and Practice (pp.186).
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.