Kay Eilers, MS

Since 2021, Kay Eilers has been Associate Vice Chancellor and leader of the Division of Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success (SEMSS), which encompasses 11 departments, 160 full-time employees, and 350 student employees. It has an annual operating budget of $16.5 million and administers a financial aid program consisting of federal, state, institutional, philanthropic, and private funds that total $200 million annually.

Serving as the university’s chief enrollment officer, Eilers spearheads the institution’s strategic enrollment management (SEM) planning process. During her tenure, UWM has increased incoming domestic student enrollment, fortified the institutional student aid strategy (including the introduction of the Milwaukee Tuition Promise program), reorganized career and experiential education services for students, and strengthened the university’s student success infrastructure.

Kay first joined the UWM team in 2012, serving in multiple roles within enrollment, including Director of the Student Success Center, before being named Associate Vice Chancellor. Before joining UWM, Kay served as the System Director of Career Development at Herzing University. She earned a Master of Science in administrative leadership in higher education from UW-Milwaukee and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.