New Leader Brings Nearly 30 Years of Experience from SUNY Campuses and Private Colleges

Thomas Nesbitt

The Sage Colleges has named Thomas W. Nesbitt as vice president for enrollment management following a national search. Nesbitt, who has nearly 30 years of higher education experience, will serve on the President’s Cabinet and oversee the efforts of the Office of Admission.

Nesbitt joins Sage from SUNY Potsdam, where he has served as director of admissions and enrollment planning for 19 years. During his leadership, applications to Potsdam from first-year students grew by 70 percent, and he regularly met or exceeded aggressive institutional targets for entering new students. He also collaborated with colleagues to develop strategies that increased diversity at Potsdam, from 4 percent in 2000 to more than 34 percent in 2018.

“We are excited about Tom Nesbitt joining the cabinet at The Sage Colleges,” said Sage President Christopher Ames. “Tom brings a wealth of experience recruiting students in our region and a history of enrollment innovations and developing new territories. He has a compelling vision for facilitating an enrollment culture that suffuses the institution. We look forward to him playing a crucial role as we transition in fall 2020 to Russell Sage College, a single, coeducational college with campuses in Albany and Troy.”

“When I visited Sage, I was struck by how dedicated the campus community is to the success of its students,” said Nesbitt. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing legacy of Russell Sage College for many years to come.”

Prior to Potsdam, Nesbitt was director of admissions at SUNY Delhi. He has also held enrollment management and student affairs positions at North Country Community College, Providence College, Davis & Elkins College and Paul Smith’s College. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts at Marist College and a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration at West Virginia University.

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