Departure may mark shift in admission goals at Seattle U
Michael McKeon, Seattle University's dean of admissions, was recruiting and networking in Hawaii last month, according to sources familiar with the situation, when he took a call from the university provost: Drop everything and return to Seattle. McKeon, a 14-year veteran at Seattle U. who'd built a national reputation for opening the doors to poor and minority students, was then abruptly forced out by the university, according to sources. Associate director Melore Nielsen took over his duties Sept. 21 pending a national search for a replacement.
Seattle U. has not offered an explanation for McKeon's departure, either to its own staff or to the public. Both McKeon and Provost Isiaah Crawford declined to be interviewed for this story.
While McKeon's departure came as surprise to educators across the country, behind the scenes Seattle U. has been grappling with a freshman enrollment shortfall and fundamental questions about the type of students it wants to attract. This year, Seattle U. managed to enroll just 747 freshmen — about 10 percent below its target and 17 percent less than last year's class. Gonzaga, meanwhile, enrolled 1,239 freshmen, 15 percent above its target. So many freshmen showed up in Spokane that Gonzaga is renting half a wing of the Red Lion River Inn to house 80 students.
One Seattle U. source said staff have been told there will be a "different direction" when it comes to admissions, but they don't yet know how that will play out. While there will likely be more emphasis on students' test scores and income, the changes won't necessarily result in a wholesale departure from the university's mission, according to the source. [The Seattle Times]
