Pelema Morrice is MU’s new vice provost for enrollment management, effective Sept. 15.

“We are excited to have Pelema join the university,” Provost Garnett Stokes said in a news release Aug. 25. “His experience will provide vision and leadership for Mizzou in attracting, enrolling, retaining and graduating students. I am thrilled to have him as a partner in strengthening Mizzou’s student success efforts.”

Morrice said he is ready to delve into the specifics of MU’s decline in enrollment that [resulted in roughly 2,200 fewer students this fall](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2016/8/22/incoming-freshman-class-size-consistent-with-proje/).

“My first job is to figure out where those specific decreases came from,” Morrice said. “Everyone knows there have been general decreases in college enrollment, but we need to dig deeper to develop a game plan.”

Being updated about the enrollment cycle is how he begins his day, he said, but there are also other aspects to the job.

“A typical day will have meetings and talking to students as well,” Morrice said. “And figuring out how to take this division in a forward direction.”

Morrice is the former chief enrollment officer at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, but he said he has not always been involved in higher education.

“I worked in the hotel industry up until 2002,” Morrice said. “Then I moved to financial aid at Stanford University. After that I moved on to Cal State University, and from there I worked at University of San Diego, then University of Nebraska-Omaha and lastly to Bryn Mawr.”

Morrice said he didn’t expect to end up at MU, but he is happy he did.

“It worked out great, in terms of thinking back,” he said. “I prefer being in a public environment, so I’m very happy to be here.”

Morrice said he plans to be very active in the MU community, as he is in his daily life. He spends his leisure time keeping active.

“I love cycling, hiking and kayaking,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll fill my free time here with rooting for the teams here. I’ll be at the football games and probably everything else. I’m a big college sports fan.”

Morrice said he plans on getting to know the school well.

“We have a large campus with lots to do and lots to support,” Morrice said. “Whether it be athletics or academics, there is so much to be a part of.”

At Bryn Mawr, Morrice worked in a smaller, more private environment.

“It was on a much smaller scale, so Mizzou will be a new experience for me, but I feel very well-prepared,” he said.

He said he plans to stay at MU for a long time.

“I have been at many different places, and I am looking forward to building a good community and help the university grow,” Morrice said.

_Edited by Claire Mitzel | cmitzel@themaneater.com_