With freshman enrollment growing each year, Glen Dillard, assistant vice president for enrollment management, was at the center of it all for the past 23 years. Dillard, a Harding graduate, was drawn to the job after his own experiences as a student. "I loved my Harding experience and wanted to be able to encourage prospective high school students and transfer students to have the same experience I had," Dillard said. "When I was a student I wanted a college atmosphere that would be as active on the weekends as during the week. I didn't find that at any other colleges I visited, but I found that at Harding." Dillard credited the success of student growth to his team of recruiters and their outstanding abilities to relate to potential students. Rather than giving students the same general college speech, the recruiters, all Harding graduates, were able to share their college stories as well. Recruiters also drew from Dillard's extensive experience. "Glenn is doing a great job leading the Admissions and Financial Aid offices," Associate Director of Admissions Morris Seawei said. "Since he's been in Admissions for over 20 years he has a lot of experience that we can use. Whenever one of us has a question we know Glenn is the go-to guy." Each year, Dillard and the recruiters met with families from all over the U.S. and the rest of the world, discussing the benefits of Harding and getting to know prospective students. "Getting to meet so many great families that visit the campus and forming those relationships make our jobs so much fun," Dillard said. Although Dillard's campus tours included giving prospective students glimpses of the building and programs, he firmly believed it was the staff, faculty and students that set Harding apart from other colleges. "We want our guests to experience one of the best parts of Harding: the people here," Dillard said. "That's why we host so many visit days and weekends during the school year. We try to make everyone's college decision easier after just one visit." There was no doubt students' lives were influenced by Dillard's efforts. Two young men were especially affected by Dillard's strong faith in Harding. "I have two sons attending H.U. now (a junior and a freshman) and it's neat to see them growing spiritually, socially and physically," Dillard said. "They are enjoying being part of the Harding family." James Dillard, a freshman, said that his father's enthusiasm was contagious. "My dad's position at Harding has allowed me to participate in events locally and around the country," James Dillard said. "It has also allowed me to visit other college campuses. This allowed me to compare Harding to other colleges and through these experiences I realized Harding was definitely the place for me." Ryan Orr/ Kelsey Sherrod
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