Michael Elgarico was recently appointed Vice President of Enrollment at California Institute of the Arts. He is a highly experienced leader with a 20-year record of team building and enrollment success across institutions of higher education. He will join CalArts on Jan. 31, 2022.

“Michael is well versed in what it takes to recruit students domestically and globally, and he is deeply committed to promoting inclusion, diversity, equity and access—an important tenet of our new 2020 Strategic Framework,” said CalArts President Ravi Rajan. “He brings a strong background of creativity and innovation in enrollment planning, and I am confident he will help us attract the next generation of experimental artists who will go on to change the world.”

As vice president for enrollment, Elgarico will report to Rajan and will be responsible for all admissions, enrollment operations/data, and financial aid for all students—undergraduate, graduate, transfer, and international. He will also be responsible for working with all schools and programs in planning, leading, and executing a strategic enrollment plan which will allow CalArts to model and shape its future enrollment size and ensure the Institute provides the resources to support student success.

“Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to be a part of institutions with missions grounded in serving individuals who shape the cultural landscape. Representing a globally renowned institution like CalArts is an exceptional opportunity to continue this work,” said Elgarico. “CalArts’ legacy of radical openness and as a transformative community provides a unique educational path for artists ready for the rigor of a distinctive and multidisciplinary arts education.”

Elgarico has held leadership roles in enrollment and student affairs at Stanford, Fordham, and Northeastern Universities and at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He currently serves as dean of undergraduate admissions and outreach at California Lutheran University. Elgarico brings critical experience in strategic enrollment planning, financial aid, international recruitment, and admissions marketing.

Having grown up in an immigrant family in Stamford, Conn., Elgarico earned a bachelor of arts in political science with a minor in Spanish from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., and a master’s degree in higher education organization and leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. He has held leadership roles in professional organizations including the National Association for College Admission Counseling and the Western Association for College Admissions Counseling, and is a member of the Association of Black Admissions and Financial Aid Officers of the Ivy League & Sister Schools.

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California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) has set the pace for educating professional artists since 1970. Offering rigorous undergraduate and graduate degree programs through six schools—Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music, and Theater—CalArts has championed creative excellence, critical reflection and the development of new forms and expressions. As successive generations of faculty and alumni have helped shape the landscape of contemporary arts, the Institute first envisioned by Walt Disney encompasses a vibrant, eclectic community with global reach, inviting experimentation, independent inquiry and active collaboration and exchange among artists, artistic disciplines and cultural traditions.