Enrollment professional to join A&M-Victoria leadership
Michael Sanders was recently chosen as the new vice president for enrollment management for Texas A&M University-Victoria.
Sanders is coming to Victoria’s university from the University of North Texas in Denton, where he was serving as associate vice president of enrollment. He brings with him 20 years of experience in higher education and enrollment management. Sanders plans to begin his new role at A&M-Victoria in early July.
“We are pleased to welcome Michael Sanders to A&M-Victoria and the region,” A&M-Victoria President Christian Hardigree said. “Enrollment management is an essential area of importance for the university and an area that needs extra care and focus as we move forward. I look forward to working with Mr. Sanders as we reach for bigger and better things for the university and our region.”
Sanders holds three degrees and is working on his doctorate. He earned a Bachelor of Science in global business management and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He also earned a Master of Education in higher and post-secondary education from Arizona State University. He currently is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in higher and post-secondary education from Colorado State University.
Throughout his career in higher education, Sanders has worked in different areas connected to enrollment. He began as an enrollment counselor team lead at the University of Phoenix in 2006. Through the next 20 years, he has served at universities in Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Missouri and Texas in roles ranging from academic advising manager to director of recruitment and dean of admissions. In each of those roles, he played an instrumental part in boosting enrollment for his institutions.
In his current role at the University of North Texas, Sanders has played a key role in advancing enrollment growth across a wide range of student populations. His work has supported sustained gains at the undergraduate and graduate levels and reflects a coordinated, multi‑year strategy focused on strengthening institutional reach, demand, and student access. That success is something that Sanders plans to continue when he comes to Victoria.
“I am honored and excited to join Texas A&M University-Victoria as vice president for enrollment management at such a pivotal moment,” Sanders said. “I am particularly energized by the university’s academic investments and leadership momentum, which together create an exceptional platform to expand access, elevate student success and strengthen regional impact. I look forward to working alongside a dedicated campus and system team and to becoming fully engaged in the Victoria community as we advance data informed, student centered success that supports sustainable growth aligned with workforce and community needs.”
In addition to his work, Sanders is involved in many professional organizations. He has previously served as both the chair and vice chair for the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. He has been actively involved in a wide range of national, university, and state-level professional organizations, contributing to initiatives focused on enrollment management, advising, and student access. His service reflects an ongoing commitment to advancing best practices and collaboration across the higher education landscape.
Texas A&M University-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the colleges of Business, Education & Health Professions, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, and Natural & Applied Science. A&M-Victoria provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as online classes that students can take from anywhere. The university supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.