"I've seen the incredible role public institutions play, particularly in serving people within the state."

Although he gained valuable experience in Admissions at Fairleigh Dickinson and Pace universities, Dennis Craig discovered the secret to admissions in the kitchen.

Before taking over as Montclair State's director of Admissions in early September, Craig served in the same role at the Culinary Institute of America. There he targeted recruitment for very specific populations interested in either a culinary arts program or a baking and pastry program. "Culinary students have a passion for doing one specific thing," said Craig. "That passion is a source of inspiration, and the career options that lie ahead are easier to understand because there's a single philosophy with specific paths."

He intends to follow that same philosophy for admissions at Montclair State. "Being an integral piece at a college or university, and playing such a critical role at the front end, is what draws me to admissions," said Craig, who recently talked about his position here and his goals for the University.

INSIGHT Online: How do you plan to achieve the University's goal of growing to 18,000 students by 2008?
Craig: The increase in college-age and minority populations is, and will continue to be, significant over the next several years. There's also an international population that's ripe for growth and there are key areas immediately outside our border, Staten Island in particular, that present good opportunities.

The University is poised to grow, but it must be a managed growth, so I'm putting together a strategic plan. We need to have scholarships and academic programs in place to attract students who are coveted by other institutions that seek to have them enroll. We need to set up a targeted enrollment, and we have to involve students, faculty and alumni in the process to ensure that those populations will be satisfied with their experience at Montclair State. The success of our graduates is a powerful recruiting tool, and current students are incredible ambassadors for the University.

INSIGHT Online: What is Admissions' role in student retention?
Craig: For every individual there is a college or university that is a good fit. And for many people there are a number of good fits. This institution has a specific philosophy and direction, and it is the role of Admissions to help prospective students determine if they are heading in the same direction. We need to ask if Montclair State offers the services and support that would allow a particular individual to be successful, to graduate and establish a lifelong relationship with this university. That needs to be established on the front end. And that's really the primary role of Admissions.

INSIGHT Online: How can you accomplish that?
Craig: We rely on guidance counselors to a certain extent, but educators in the classroom, if they're good educators, know their students and their talents. So we need to concentrate our focus and our resources on high school students in the classroom by integrating connections between the University and the teachers. Those connections are easy to make because as a state institution we have a natural tie-in to the high schools in New Jersey.

INSIGHT Online: What about transfer students?
Craig: Admissions needs to better service transfer students, giving them quicker answers in terms of which credits will transfer. History shows that students with experience from other institutions graduate. If someone has gone through freshman year at another school, that "rite of passage" provides a maturity level that helps that individual become academically successful.

INSIGHT Online: How is Montclair State a perfect fit for you?
Craig: My bachelor's degree is from a state institution, so I've seen the incredible role public institutions play, particularly in serving people within the state. Montclair State, which is closely tied to New Jersey's middle class, seeks to provide affordable education. I firmly believe that education must be accessible, and within the state system it certainly is. The process in choosing among private colleges and universities for the middle class depends on financial aid, and individuals often determine that their first choice wasn't realistic for financial reasons. So it's nice to remove that dependency from the equation, and to be able to help prospective students attend Montclair State, not only on the basis of cost. They should be able to say, "This is the right institution to help me with my goals in becoming someone who has a lot to offer society."

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