M. Leslie Davidson has been appointed Franklin & Marshall’s new vice president for enrollment management. She will begin her duties at F&M Oct. 16.

Currently vice president for enrollment at Wisconsin’s Beloit College, Davidson was selected after a highly competitive national search. Reporting to the president as a member of F&M’s senior staff, she will oversee more than 25 professionals in all areas of recruitment, enrollment and financial aid, while partnering with colleagues across campus to fully integrate the admission process with the College’s strategic plan objectives, including retention, student leadership and development, and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Davidson joins F&M’s leadership as the College welcomes more than 550 incoming students who came from a pool of nearly 9,500 applicants. The incoming students feature one of F&M’s highest academic profiles ever and the applicant pool, the second-highest total in F&M history, came from 48 states and 129 countries.

“This is undeniably a time of rapidly changing demographics for highly selective liberal arts colleges,” said President Barbara K. Altmann. “Franklin & Marshall continues to be in high demand as we confidently adapt to these changes and compete for talented students across the country and around the world. I am delighted that Leslie will be joining us. Leslie has a track record of working with colleagues across campus to develop programs consistent with the institutional mission and strategic plan, as well as providing a warm and informative welcome for prospective students and their families. She thoroughly understands the challenges and opportunities of the liberal arts college environment, and the impact of our education on our students and on the world. We are eager to welcome her seasoned leadership and collaborative, innovative approach to the team.”

Davidson has served as Beloit College’s vice president for enrollment since 2019. In that role, she aligned recruitment strategy with Beloit’s identity and led the development of new positioning, branding and enrollment marketing collateral, while building a data-informed, relationship-driven approach to recruitment that maximized analytics. She collaborated on the development and implementation of Beloit’s Advanced Mentoring Program and Career Channels, each designed to give students academic, social and career guidance from the time they enrolled until they graduated. She co-created the Beloit Action Plan, a network of academic, social and financial programs to support students during COVID-19, and served as a member of the College’s COVID-19 Task Force. She also contributed to the development and implementation of Becoming Better, Beloit’s anti-racism plan.

“In Franklin & Marshall, an institution I have long admired, I see all the elements that have made my career so satisfying,” Davidson said. “The College is invested in the impact of a liberal arts education on its students and the world; it is both philosophically and tangibly committed to access and diversity; and its faculty, students and professional staff consistently exhibit the creativity, collaboration and resilience needed in today’s world. I am excited to work with President Altmann and the entire F&M community, and I look forward to leading the impressive enrollment management team as we build upon the College’s success in enrolling and retaining a talented and diverse student body.” 

Prior to Beloit, Davidson served in a variety of roles over 26 years at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, in Massachusetts. She concluded her tenure as chief strategy and innovation officer; prior to that, she served nine years as dean of the college, after five years as dean of admission and student affairs. Davidson earned her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in English literature at Denison University and a master’s degree in administration, planning and social policy at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. She expects to earn her MBA next year from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts.