Because competition between schools for students is growing, many admissions directors are losing their jobs because the pressure to increase enrollment is too great.

“Fewer high school students are graduating and going onto college. The baby boom is over and there are fewer people out there,” said Bob Burk, admissions associate director.

Burk said the decline is not only felt in the Midwest, but across the entire country, especially in private schools. “Private schools have had to do extraordinary measures to survive. They survive on their tuitions,” he said.

He said many schools, including Big-10 schools, have had to go out of state to recruit and now face competition from Midwest schools as opposed to state schools.

“Here at NIU we’re lucky because of our location. We’re still a popular school, but we can’t take that for granted,” Burk said.

Burk said he believes many of the schools are firing admissions officers simply because of the way of the world.

“If you’re not producing, you’ll lose your job. Whether it’s your fault or not, the institution is going to make every move to survive. The situation’s not unlike a baseball team because when they’re not winning someone’s going to be fired. It’s a pretty cutthroat business,” he said.

Most college presidents who have fired directors defend their actions by saying the employees were doing a bad job.

Some colleges have turned their admissions operations over to hired consulting firms or are paying employee search firms to lure away respected admissions directors from other schools, according to an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Many school counselors are concerned the administration is looking for a quick fix to the demographic decline. Colleges should plan for the changes by trying to attract non-traditional students such as older individuals or returning students, the article stated.

Burk said the situation doesn’t look to improve. “Fewer students are out there and those students will go to popular places,” he said.