I write today to share news of an upcoming cabinet-level change that is effective January 31, 2026. Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing Joseph Miller has submitted his resignation after more than four years at Winthrop.
Joe has been a valued member of my team, respected across campus for his enrollment/higher ed knowledge, commitment to his team and the university, as well as his professionalism and caring personality. He has truly been a leader who has made a big impact on Winthrop in his time here. While I am saddened by Joe's decision to resign, I understand and respect his desire to take a position closer to his family in Georgia.
Joe joined Winthrop on September 1, 2021, following a national search. I was fortunate that he was at the enrollment helm when I became president. Some new presidents come in with their own people, those who they believe in and trust from former institutions. I knew early on that I could rely on Joe in this crucial position of leadership, and I certainly learned from him over the years. During his tenure, Winthrop has advanced strategic initiatives that yielded meaningful results, including a 43% increase in new freshman enrollment, a 52% increase in new transfer enrollment, a 13% rise in degree-seeking undergraduate students, and a 12% increase in total enrollment. These gains were achieved while also delivering some of the strongest year-over-year retention and semester-to-semester persistence rates in the past decade. This momentum positions the university for continued, sustainable success in the years ahead.
In his resignation letter, Joe thanked his peers and professionals across the campus for their contributions to Winthrop’s enrollment successes, reiterating a point Joe always made that Winthrop’s talented, creative, and hardworking administrators, faculty and staff share in any achievements under his watch. Joe and I believe that the Winthrop team, especially those in the Enrollment Management and Marketing division, are well equipped to carry our important work forward and to elevate Winthrop to even greater heights.
I hope each of you will have the chance to wish Joe well as he transitions to his new professional role -- Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, a public institution of 16,000 students. Please join me in thanking him for his excellent work at Winthrop and in congratulating him on this new opportunity closer to home.
Edward
Edward A. Serna
President
