It is with regret that I am writing to announce that Vikash Lakhani, Assoc. Vice President for Enrollment Management, will be leaving HSU on Dec. 18, 2015.  He will be returning to CSU Bakersfield, where he will serve as Assoc. Vice President for Student Success, Retention and Graduation Initiatives.

When Vikash joined HSU in 2013, he not only brought a wealth of experience in enrollment management, but also a collaborative spirit.  Under his leadership we have expanded our early outreach efforts in local K-12 communities, and strengthened collaborations between Enrollment Management and other units across the university.  He worked closely with the Institutional Research Office to develop data dashboards that provide the campus with up-to-date enrollment information, and has worked with others to streamline our communication with prospective students, applicants, and first-time enrollees.  Vikash led the team that successfully brought a $3M Innovation Grant to HSU, as well as securing a $3M GEAR UP grant to provide much needed college access and completion support in the local community.  I am grateful to Vikash for strengthening relationships between Enrollment Management and academic departments, and for working to improve our business practices and processes.  

We will undertake a national search to fill this critical leadership position during the spring semester.  Meanwhile, I will be appointing an interim in this role while we conduct the search.  It is my hope to have a new Assoc. Vice President in place by July 1, 2016.

We will hold a Farewell Reception for Vikash on Thursday, December 17th, 3:30-4:30 in the Welcome Center (SBS Building, 1st floor), to thank him for his many contributions to HSU.

My best -

Peg

Peg L. Blake, Ph.D.

Vice President
Enrollment Management and Student Affairs
Humboldt State University