After 16 years at Case Western Reserve, Vice President for Enrollment Management Rick Bischoff announced today that he will be leaving the university effective Jan. 9, 2026. He will be returning to California to serve as vice president of enrollment at Chapman University.
“The university’s ability to attract highly talented undergraduate students from around the country and the world is a testament to Rick’s tremendous expertise in all aspects of enrollment management,” President Eric W. Kaler said. “Rick has been an outstanding advocate for the university. His excellent work over the last 16 years has enhanced the caliber of our undergraduate student body and our reputation as one of the nation’s leading research institutions. I am grateful for his dedicated service to Case Western Reserve.”
Bischoff, who joined the Division of Enrollment Management in 2009, is a recognized leader in his field. He previously served as director of admissions at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and held senior admissions roles at the University of Chicago and Macalester College.
At CWRU, he’s overseen a comprehensive portfolio that includes undergraduate admission, financial aid, enrollment operations, strategic enrollment marketing, and new student orientation. His leadership resulted in remarkable growth in student enrollment, driving first-year applications up more than 300% since 2009, and undergraduate enrollment by over 50%.
At the same time, the academic profile of incoming students has continued to rise, reflecting both enhanced selectivity and broader reach. While the student body was largely regional upon his arrival in 2009, Bischoff takes pride in its evolution to become increasingly national and international in scale—a feat he credits to the full CWRU community.
“I’m so grateful for the teamwork of our faculty, staff and students over my time at CWRU,” said Bischoff. “The support we’ve had in our work from across campus and the City of Cleveland has been amazing.”
The university will begin the process of launching a nationwide search for Bischoff’s replacement in the coming weeks. In the interim, Bob McCullough (CWR ’96; MGT ’03), assistant vice president for enrollment and dean of undergraduate admission, will serve as interim VP effective Jan. 10. An alumnus, McCullough began his career at CWRU as an admission counselor in 1997 and served in various positions through 2006. He returned to the university as director of undergraduate admission in 2009 before transitioning to his current role in 2017.
