VanHorn-Week 7- University of Utah Recruitment

So, I’m finishing up my last few days here in Utah. I have really enjoyed being off campus and seeing and experiencing the differences in the institution and the overall culture.

This past week I have worked a good bit with the assistant directors. They are trying to begin a program that is similar to Miss. State’s Roadrunner Program. Last year was the first year they did the program and it went pretty well. They are trying to enhance and grow it from currently 8 students to 20 students. Their plan is to have half of the students stay on campus at the U and do strictly on campus visits and torus. The other ten will go off campus to area high schools and do off campus recruitment. It is an unpaid position and that is obviously one of the biggest struggles so we have spent a lot of time talking about how you make an organization, such as our Roadrunners, something that students want to put time into without pay. They are also working on a new name for the program, which is currently called Recruitment Intern Program. (Real catchy….RIP). They are wanting something that is special to the U and not something like “Ambassadors”. So, if you have any ideas of a marketable name let me know.

Thursday, I was able to join two of the counselors in going to a high school counselor meeting. High school counselors meet with Univ. of Utah admissions and recruitment for an afternoon before school starts to talk about any changes in the process and what their students are going to be required to have to attend the U. It is the same basic presentation that is given to the students but of course with much more in depth questions. One thing we talked about on the way back to campus is that there are very few audiences of twenty that you will every present to that everyone is truly interested and high school counselors is one of those groups. It is also somewhat disheartening thought he number of high school counselors encourage students not to take college prep courses in high school because they believe certain students “just can’t make it”.

I have really enjoyed this last week because I have been able to be involved in some of the behind the scenes of the office and see things that I never knew or understood went into the recruitment process.