New focus on recruitment ignites change at Arkansas State University
JONESBORO — The Office of Recruitment and the Office of Admissions, Records and Registration will now serve as the gateway to Arkansas State University for prospective students, families and visitors.
“The competition for students among colleges and universities has changed drastically in the last three to four years,” said Dr. Rick Stripling, vice chancellor for Student Affairs. “Students and parents are keen consumers and we need to devote ourselves to understanding the market.”
The former Office of Admissions housed the application processing functions, as well as the recruitment unit. Over the last few years, the recruitment process at ASU has become very competitive and, with increased admission standards as well as a shift in the economy, more targeted recruitment strategies are needed to grow the undergraduate freshmen class.
“The successful institution retools quickly and puts their resources to work effectively communicating how their institution can uniquely meet the student’s needs. The Office of Recruitment is now in a position to focus all its efforts on making purposeful communication and building relationships with prospective students, parents and alumni,” continued Dr. Stripling.
In order to offer specialized recruitment advice and programming, the application processing functions have been moved from the Office of Admissions to the Office of the Registrar, forming the new Office of Admissions, Records and Registration in the Division of Academic Affairs and Research. The recruitment functions will now stand-alone as the Office of Recruitment in the Division of Student Affairs.
Tammy Fowler, formerly Director of Admissions, will be leading this new focus as Director of Recruitment. Tracy Finch is the Registrar and Director of Admissions for ASU.
“I am very excited at the new opportunities this focus will provide for us in recruitment,” said Fowler. “We have new programs and initiatives we will be developing this fall to target high school students and their parents. We will also be forming an Alumni Recruitment Network of engaged A-State alumni to contact prospective students and their parents. Moving the admission functions to the Office of the Registrar will also help to provide a one-stop process for admission, evaluation and registration.”
“This merger of services will greatly improve the process,” said Finch. “Now, we will all be located in one office and will be able to facilitate the procedure much quicker from recruiting the students through the admissions procedure.”
At the forefront, the staff will plan, coordinate, and implement recruitment strategies for prospective students that support the strategic enrollment goals and institutional mission. Pre-enrollment services, awareness sessions, class presentations, higher education workshops, community receptions, on-campus programs and other outreach events are provided for students, parents, counselors, and administrators, where topics such as the application process, admission requirements, entrance exams, financial aid, scholarships, registration, housing, and student services are covered.
Making phone calls, sending e-mails, hosting receptions, and making other positive contact with prospective students and their families make up the Alumni Recruitment Network of engaged A-State alumni who participate in the recruitment process. Once the student is recruited to ASU, Finch’s staff is available to help with registration and subsequent procedures.
Visitors to campus who are not prospective students can also expect to receive specialized attention as they are introduced to A-State via a campus tour with the WOLF student ambassadors.
“With our focus just on recruitment, we will be able to provide each visitor with a customized presentation from professional recruitment staff and offer targeted visit experiences tailored to groups of all sizes and ages who have an interest in A-State,” continued Fowler.
Finch added, “Having the recruitment and registration services housed together will provide a smoother transition for potential students and their families.”
The Office of Recruitment is located in the Carl R. Reng Student Union, Suite 2099. Contact the Office of Recruitment at 870-972-ASU2 (2782) or e-mail recruitment@astate.edu.
