Harding University is pleased to announce the addition of Joe Askew as vice president of undergraduate admissions.
Askew has spent more than 20 years serving in undergraduate admissions, most recently as the senior leader of all first-year recruitment at Appalachian State University in North Carolina. He and his team recruit and enroll nearly 4,000 first-year students each year, while also helping lead the related marketing, communications and financial aid efforts.
Before Appalachian State, Askew served at Freed-Hardeman University, where he led the enrollment management team. He oversaw all aspects of enrollment strategy, as well as coordinating marketing efforts, day-to-day operation and financial aid offers.
“Joe’s experience, skills and career aspirations make him the perfect leader for our outstanding undergraduate admissions team,” said Paul Maynard, Harding University’s chief growth and strategy officer. “This addition positions us to achieve record enrollments in the future while continuing to recruit outstanding students.”
During Askew’s time at Freed-Hardeman, he led efforts to increase the total student population by nearly 18 percent and total undergraduate enrollment by nearly 30% despite facing periods of significant disruption like COVID-19 and FAFSA changes.
Before leading the charge as director for first year recruitment at Appalachian State, Askew served as senior assistant director of marketing and communications where he partnered with financial aid leadership on multi-channel campaigns that translated complex policies into clear, student-centered messaging and led strategic communications from FAFSA application through award notifications. He collaborated with campus partners to redesign the student award portal and overhaul the financial aid website, improving usability, accessibility, and regulatory compliance. As director of first-year recruitment, he provided strategic leadership for undergraduate enrollment initiatives, overseeing recruitment operations, counselor engagement, and outreach strategies designed to attract, engage, and enroll prospective students.
“Joe understands that admissions is about more than enrolling students. It’s about helping students and families discover whether Harding is the right place for them to grow academically, relationally and spiritually,” said Mike Williams, president of Harding University. “His leadership, experience and genuine commitment to our mission make him an excellent fit for this role, and we are excited about the vision and energy he will bring to our admissions team and to the future of the University.”
He holds a Master of Business Administration in leadership and a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing, both from Freed-Hardeman University.
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