Sweet Briar College names Aaron Basko as vice president for enrollment management

Sweet Briar College has announced that Aaron Basko will be its next vice president for enrollment management. Basko is an experienced admissions professional who comes to Sweet Briar from Salisbury University in Maryland, where he served as assistant vice president of enrollment management and career services. He will begin his tenure at Sweet Briar on Jan. 15, 2020. In this role, Basko will have oversight of a range of activities and initiatives related to enrollment management at Sweet Briar, including the Offices of Admissions and Financial Aid.

“This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to join in the vision of Sweet Briar College as it re-invents higher education for young women,” says Basko. “Sweet Briar’s entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to a personalized educational experience for each of its students make it the perfect place for smart, bold women who are ready to make an impact. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead Sweet Briar’s enrollment team and to help students across the country discover this amazing place.”

Basko has already demonstrated the ability to implement strategic initiatives, build successful teams, cultivate strategic relationships and manage staff and financial resources effectively. While at Salisbury, Basko led a team of professionals in admissions, financial aid, career services and the volunteer center. He spearheaded the creation of two campus-wide enrollment master plans, one of which garnered a commendation in the university’s Middle States reaccreditation process. He and his team delivered the largest and most diverse incoming classes in university history, including a 14% increase in first-time students and a 20% increase in diversity in the fall 2019 incoming class. Beyond his work in admissions, Basko also launched a multi-divisional “Retention Think Tank” to create and implement initiatives that helped to significantly improve the university’s retention rate.

In addition, Basko has considerable experience in international enrollment. While at Salisbury, he designed an updated international student recruitment strategy and traveled in China, Japan, and India to network for new recruitment opportunities. His work tripled the university’s international enrollment in five years.

Prior to his work at Salisbury University, Basko also worked at Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania and Rivier College in New Hampshire. He is the author of three books, “The Homeschool College Planner,” “What’s Your Function?” and “Help Wanted: Devotions for Job Seekers.” He has also written a number of articles and white papers on recruitment and retention as well as career services issues.

Basko received his bachelor of arts degree in international studies from West Virginia Wesleyan University, where he was a Wesleyan Scholar, a finalist for the Truman Scholarship and graduated summa cum laude. He earned his master of arts in history, with a focus on Latin America from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While at the university, he was a Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellow (FLAS). In 2015, he received the U.S. Fulbright International Education Administrator Award.

In announcing his appointment, Sweet Briar President Meredith Woo noted, “In the highly competitive college admissions market, where enrollment professionals often move quickly from job to job, Aaron truly stood out—not only for his wide-ranging experience and his impressive record in recruiting and retaining great students—but for putting down roots at the institutions he served. I know he looks forward to being part of the Sweet Briar community for years to come and that he shares our commitment to educating women who will be responsible, ethical, leaders. I welcome him to our team and to the College.”