What do you get when an admissions counselor, an academic advisor and a faculty member want to recruit a student? The question is no joke, and I can’t give you the answer just yet.
But here’s a hint: When we officially announce our new student enrollment after August 28, we’ll all have something to brag about.
We’ll have even more bragging rights when we dig deeper into the numbers. Here’s my second hint: watch for a change in the percentage of southern Illinois students choosing SIU Carbondale.
The recruitment of first-time and transfer students has been a university-wide effort, starting with our amazing admissions team. (Meet the admissions counselors featured in this fun video).
Across campus, we have embraced student recruitment as a shared responsibility. Everyone – not only admissions counselors, academic advisors and faculty members – has become more engaged in the recruitment process. You are making sure that students know we want them at SIU, and you have followed up that commitment by welcoming them warmly this fall, both virtually and in-person.
Making students feel welcome contributes to retention, which brings me to my third and final hint: look for positive news in our freshman-to-sophomore retention rates.
While I could drop even more hints, I’ll maintain the suspense until the numbers are official. Meanwhile, I thank you for your outstanding work recruiting, retaining and welcoming our students.
Updated at 2:40 p.m. August 20, 2020