The University's Office of Admissions will see major organizational changes immediately, including a redistribution of responsibilities, new hires and the promotion of Jennifer Walker, the office's current director, to executive director.

Walker will head the office while some of the office's responsibilities have been delegated to other departments, according to an email from Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel to the division of Students and Enrollment Monday evening.

"There are many, many other administrative tasks that this office handles. ... Those things take quite a lot of time and effort to be done well," said Walker in an interview with the Justice.

The Office of Student Activities will now help organize "major" on-campus events held by Admissions, such as the two preview days and Admitted Students Day in the spring, and the Hiatt Career Center will aid in "managing and recruiting alumni and parent volunteers." According to the email sent by Flagel, these changes will allow Admissions to focus on expanding recruitment efforts.

"We want folks to maximize time on the road," said Flagel in an interview with the Justice. According to the press release, Admissions has increased recruitment travel and is aiming to conduct almost twice as many high school visits and college fair appearances.

According to Walker, a staff member from Student Activities will be designated as a "point person" to manage the shared responsibilities between Admissions and Student Activities. Meanwhile, Admissions and the Hiatt Career Center are currently working together to hire a new parent and volunteer coordinator.

Walker is also leading the hiring processes for both a senior associate director, which will replace Walker's former position of director, and a multi-cultural and transfer recruitment director, an existing position that is currently unfilled.

Walker said that in her new position, she would be "leading the new vision" of the office.

"A lot of the day-to-day big projects that I run will largely stay the same," said Walker.

Until this past May, the office operated under former Dean of Admissions Mark Spencer, who left to become the director of college advising at Deerfield Academy, a four-year college preparatory school.

When asked how Walker's responsibilities as executive director will compare to Spencer's as dean, Flagel responded, "I think that for Brandeis at the size institution we are and the set of goals that we're managing, [Walker's] set of expertise in being executive director is a great match for what we're trying to accomplish."

According to Flagel's email, Walker joined the University in 2007 as the associate director of Admissions, later rising to senior associate and then director. Before coming to Brandeis, she worked in the information technology department at Sarah Lawrence College and later moved to Regis College to serve as a special assistant to the vice president for enrollment.

"I think [Walker] had a great deal of leadership within the office already and I'm very glad that she'll be able to take on this role," Flagel said.

"I'm really looking forward to my new role," said Walker. "I have a fantastic team here in Admissions that does really, really great work. I'm excited to continue in a leadership role here in the admissions office."

-Tate Herbert contributed reporting.