How to Connect with Students in the New Age of Virtual Communication

How to Connect with Students in the New Age of Virtual Communication

Author Jeannette Walls wrote: “Sometimes you need a little crisis to get your adrenaline flowing and help you realize your potential.” As enrollment managers everywhere scramble to digitalize their entire operations, there is a great opportunity to experiment with new recruiting techniques. If you surprise your audience by virtually connecting with them in creative ways, you will stand out to them.

1: SEND POTENTIAL STUDENTS A VIDEO MESSAGE

Embedding a video within an email creates higher levels of engagement than text alone. Many CRMs allow users to insert short videos into emails. If your system doesn’t have this functionality, there are software programs such as BombBomb that make it easy for users to quickly record a video with their webcam and embed it into a Gmail or Outlook email. Individualized videos sent by admissions counselors add interest and impact. Most email solutions also allow you to determine who clicked your video to watch, providing data to identify your most engaged prospects.

2: ALLOW PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS TO AUDIT VIRTUAL CLASSES

Sitting in on a class is a tried-and-true component of the accepted student experience. Don’t let the physical closure of your campus deprive accepted students of learning about this critical aspect of their academic experience–the instruction they can expect to receive in the classroom. While many colleges were forced to pull together virtual spring and summer classes on the fly, and are reluctant to open them to prospective students, you can distinguish yourself by pulling back the curtain and showcasing your most engaging faculty members. By doing this, you offer convincing evidence of how instructors connect with their students, irrespective of the instructional modality. Ohio Wesleyan University’s We’re In This Together course provides a good example of making a free class available to the public, including prospective students.

3: NARRATE A REAL-TIME CAMPUS TOUR USING EXISTING MULTIMEDIA

Even the slickest virtual video tour is no match for a tour led by a real live member of your school. Why? Campus tours led by humans allow for interaction, Q&A, and the fostering of a real connection to your community. Since prospective students are now unable to visit campus, and your staff and student ambassadors are working from home, this is the time to dig in and make use of the multimedia repository you’ve compiled over the years but never fully utilized. Ask your visit coordinator or an admission counselor to compile your best photos and videos into a slideshow that mirrors your campus tour. Advertise that campus tours are hosted live by your superstar student ambassadors or the admissions staff. This format opens the door for the types of dialogue that occurs in an on-campus college tour. You can do this using a PowerPoint deck, or use tools such as Animoto or Vimeo, which allow you to create professional-looking videos without a videographer’s skills.

4: CONNECT EMOTIONALLY BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE ANXIETY STUDENTS ARE FEELING

Author and storyteller Jonah Sachs reminds us that “Good marketers see consumers as complete human beings with all the dimensions real people have.” As you craft messages to prospective students during times of crisis, acknowledge the anxiety that both the institution and the audience are feeling together. There is real potential for a human connection here. If you do the opposite – which is to pretend everything is normal – you’ll lose all authenticity. Seek a bond based on shared emotion.

To recap, the element of surprise is your best friend. Connect with your audience by 1) sending prospective families video messages, 2) allowing students to audit virtual classes, 3) narrating virtual tours with existing multimedia, and 4) understanding and recognizing the anxiety everyone is feeling—keep it real. If you want to quantify and measure the success of your tactics, compare the engagement with control groups. Ask yourself questions like “Are accepted students clicking through emails with an embedded video at a higher rate than emails without a video?” and “Are accepted students sitting in on virtual classes at higher rates than they sat in on in-person classes?”. At the end of the cycle, compare the conversions of each of these sub-groups to past cohorts.

The best part is that, in addition to differentiating yourself now, you are likely to find creative recruiting techniques with benefits that go well beyond our current challenging times.

Tuition Resets: A Real-World Perspective

Tuition Resets: A Real-World Perspective

During my career, I have served as the lead strategist for several tuition resets, either as a part of an institution’s strategic leadership team or as a consultant. Before implementing this strategy, the leadership must prepare a financial model, best overseen and reviewed by an experienced outside consultant. The consultant should support that the desired outcomes are probable and should be able to justify that market conditions are favorable if the institution decides to lower tuition.

Resets can have mixed outcomes if:

• Research is not well thought-out
• The marketplace analysis of competition is flawed
• Goals are not data-informed and vetted internally first.

In successful resets, the key is to develop messaging that keeps parents and students focused on net out-of-pocket costs and the institution’s value, so they are not turned off by a sticker price.

I also strongly believe that my experiences with price resets have been successful because I have worked with leadership teams who appreciate the science of planning, the art of timing, and most important of all – that a tuition reset strategy is one factor in a bigger, coordinated strategy that complements the success of the reset beyond the initial year.

The planning involved in an undergraduate-focused tuition reduction of full-time tuition can take as long as eighteen months. Usually, trustee support is needed to even consider this strategy, and to go forward on writing a White Paper Proposal for this option.

The White Paper Proposal is a comprehensive plan. While some institutions develop this with internal resources, others work with a consultant. Consultants bring the benefit of experience. If possible, consultants should be retained throughout the entire reset process, helping the institution to avoid pitfalls.

The proposal should include a timeline and a communication plan, which would include details on both internal and external communications. Beyond discussing reset, the proposal should also include other strategies such as:

• New programs
• Infrastructure improvements, such as new buildings
• Learning modalities
• Branding to extend the reset beyond the initial year
• Fundraising campaigns and development initiatives

Resetting tuition is a high risk, high reward strategy and it is not applicable for all institutions. However, for the institutions who tackle it correctly and succeed, it offers many benefits.

Using Collateral to Sell Your Institution

Using Collateral to Sell Your Institution

Budget changes, COVID-19 seismic shifts, decreasing numbers of high school graduates, and reduced expectations about in-person visits are forcing many enrollment leaders to rethink print collateral strategies. To take materials to the next level and maximize their effectiveness in the upcoming recruiting cycle, we have put together a list of tips and questions to ask yourself as you consider our increasingly virtual world.

• If your materials feel copy-heavy and stuffed with transactional details duplicated on your website, consider doing a major edit. Chop copy down to focus on benefits and strong story elements that help students imagine how they can live their best life by attending your institution.
• Do you have a blog written by students with up-to-date information? Add a QR code to your brochure and link your collateral to the online information. If you include a student’s picture or a photo of an event (like your big annual career fair), and you have more story details online, add a link to that information, too. These simple strategies enrich the print experience, and new information can also increase engagement.
• We live in a world where videos are everywhere. If you aren’t pushing students to your video content, or you don’t have enough video content to present, changes are in order. Often, the most popular and authentic videos are created by students. If you have limited budget dollars, consider your on-campus resources. For more information on creating videos, read, “Video Production for Enrollment Management.”
• Brochures should push students to take the next step, whether that’s applying for admission, visiting campus, or filing their FAFSA. Don’t forget to include the basic calls to action and be sure they are visible, distinct, and easily understandable. (Remember to balance stories with transactional calls-to-action.)
• Push your virtual tour. Now, more than ever, students and parents are “shopping” for a college from their den sofa or the home office. Make sure this link is visible and easy to find.
• When budgets are cut, enrollment leaders often eliminate supplemental publications. Consider combining multiple handouts into one effective brochure targeting parents and families. Hand out the printed copy during visits, orientation, and scholarship days. Include the digital copy in email communications, so parents receive the information they need to support their student’s decision to attend your school. For more information on parental communication strategies, check out this Octane article: “Three Tactical Opportunities for Parental Communications.”  

I once heard a marketer say, “Printed pieces are ideas you can hold.” That simple explanation of why print is useful has always stuck with me. And while most marketing emails are read once and quickly discarded, the U.S. Small Business Administration reports that the average lifespan for a piece of direct mail is 17 days, providing a major visibility benefit for your institution during critical timeframes.

When it comes to fitting printed collateral into a budget, it is often easier to cut it than keep it. Before abandoning all print as a needless expense, look at how it contributes to achieving your goals and determine when the value outweighs the cost.

3 Tips for Building a Student Worker Team

3 Tips for Building a Student Worker Team

Many students wonder if they will have an opportunity to work during their fall semester at the start of the academic year, and more students are concerned they will not have the funds to continue their education without a student job. Enrollment management departments will need to adapt to the new normal to accommodate student workers this fall.

Here are three tips to consider as an Enrollment Management professional for your virtual student worker program’s success.

1. Build a Virtual Team: Student jobs help students build their professional network. That does not have to be lost because their work is being done virtually. Build a team of people other than their supervisor who are willing to give them an inside look into their day-to-day. These individuals can help your students be more successful if they are organically learning the DNA of your work culture. It is important for your student employees to have relationships with those in your department to build a network for their future and to be successful in the tasks assigned. This will help your students grow in ways that could not otherwise happen. Make this a connection as well for your entire student worker team. According to yello, 41% of the Gen Z students who were interviewed prefer to meet with the whole team on a weekly basis. Allow your students to get to know each other and dream together as they help you recruit the next incoming class.
2. Provide Mentorship: It is important to provide mentorship opportunities for your student workers. This helps your students succeed as they learn from those they are working alongside about what helped them get to where they are today. Mentorship allows your students to build a relationship that could go beyond their student worker program. This impacts your workplace by empowering your team to pour into the next generation within your industry. You can provide an opportunity for your employees to learn from your students through mentorship. Virtually this is possible through setting up a weekly video call or phone call. It is important to have a team in place prior to the launch of your fall student worker program to successfully implement this into the onboarding process.
3. Communication is Key: A student worker program will be successful virtually if there is open communication. I recommend setting up a weekly check-in with their direct supervisor and mentor to help navigate learning their supervisor’s expectations from afar. Training is vital not only in the onboarding process but throughout when holding a virtual student worker program. According to yello, 40% of the Gen Z students interviewed said they would like a daily one-on-one meeting with their manager for 5 to 10 minutes and once per week for an hour. Gen Z wants frequent communication from their employer. The daily check-in does not have to be lengthy, but you can tackle any questions or concerns they may have. Remote work is as successful as your communication plan is. This may mean you need to invest in a new platform to help with frequent communication with your entire team. Do not be afraid to try something new, and along the way, get input from your team on what is helping or lacking in your communication.

Use these helpful tips as you implement a virtual student worker team to help you recruit in this new normal. A virtual student worker program can be successful, given access to the technology of today. I would encourage your institution if you have not already, to begin discussing this option for your fall student worker program. Now is the time to adapt to the new normal to achieve your enrollment management goals.

6 Tips for Digital Marketing During Yield Season

6 Tips for Digital Marketing During Yield Season

An unfortunate reality for Admissions teams is that the traditional yield recruitment tactics—including large accepted student events, shadow programs, and off-campus receptions—may not be the best strategy anymore. When I was a Director of Admissions, this would have been of great concern to me. At one college where I worked, the conversion of students who attended our accepted student events was about 70%, as compared to 15% for the accepted student group as a whole. That is a huge disparity! It is imperative for enrollment managers to find strong alternative recruitment/marketing strategies to fill this void.

Digital advertising has long been a focal point of top-of-funnel recruitment strategy, and the pandemic has accelerated a sense in enrollment management offices that having a comprehensive digital strategy is equally important deeper in the funnel. As face-to-face recruitment opportunities remain in flux, engaging accepted students in their homes during yield will be very important. That being said, best-practice strategies for digital outreach at the top of the funnel are different from down-funnel, so in this blog entry, I will offer ideas to help you create a successful, engaging digital recruitment program that targets your accepted students.

The most important overarching concept for a digital yield campaign is that your content really matters. As opposed to a digital Student Search campaign, in which the goal is typically to maximize reach and to qualify your leads (check out my colleague Lisa Branson’s article on digital advertising in Volume 4, Issue 1 of Octane for an overview), a digital campaign during yield should seek to encourage influential behaviors, such as signing up for a virtual visit. Additionally, you should seek to positively impact the prospective student’s impression of your school. At this stage, the accepted will have already formed a strong impression, and you should seek to nurture the most compelling aspects of your brand. Uninspired creative is an absolute no-no during yield. Most importantly, you need to ensure that the web collateral and multimedia that you are showing your audience is inspiring and relevant to this point in the decision-making journey.

Here are six recommendations for your digital yield campaign:

1. With digital, it is possible to increase the volume of ads during certain time periods within the campaign. We recommend that you advertise most during the highest-leverage times during yield – for example, you should serve up a lot of ads in the weeks leading up to on-campus/virtual accepted student events and then again leading up to the deposit deadline.
2. Retargeting the visitors to your accepted student web pages with additional advertising is very valuable. Think of when you browse for a specific item on your favorite retailer’s website, and after you leave the website, you see an ad for that item. We recommend setting up retargeting for both your visit webpage and your enrollment deposit webpage and creating ads with each of these respective calls to action.
3. You can use landing pages to create additional engagement opportunities for your accepted students. Many colleges have accepted student portals. You could take this a step further and create a landing page where you ask your accepted students what is most important to them as they make their decision – and then follow up with them accordingly.
4. Last summer, enrollmentFUEL developed an anti-melt campaign for a college in the Midwest, in which we set up a points system that incoming students could earn by connecting with other students. You could do this during yield and assign points for activities such as registering for a campus visit, liking accepted student social media pages, and pinning their location on an interactive map that all accepted students could access. Students who surpass points thresholds could be rewarded with prizes such as college T-shirts. You could utilize banner or social media advertising to promote this type of gamification campaign.
5. Gen X, the parents of your accepted students, are all over Facebook. Since you know the parents’ names and email addresses from the admission application, you could target the parents with social media advertising with messaging that is distinct from the advertising for the accepted students themselves. This could be especially powerful if you have a parent portal, which you could promote with ads.
6. Any digital campaign should increase traffic of the targeted audience to your website. In some cases, this will be due to click-throughs on the ad itself. In other cases, they will return to your website later. Tracking the website activity, including which webpages your accepted students are visiting, is especially useful for ascertaining interest and for directing relevant outreach. Some CRMs allow you to do this. If you are not doing this with your CRM, you can track website activity with enrollmentFUEL’s matchBACK service.

While I have emphasized the importance of quality creative and compelling content for a digital yield campaign, do not be deterred by a concern that a digital yield campaign will be awfully expensive. In fact, because the list you will use for your digital media spend is much smaller at this point than it would be higher up the funnel, digital yield campaigns can actually be much more cost-effective than Student Search or Application Generation campaigns.

Glenn Bozinski, Vice President of Enrollment Management at Misericordia University, explains why his institution uses digital advertising during yield:

“Especially with more regional schools like Misericordia, I feel that digital advertising is important to keep us front-of-mind, with students but even more importantly with parents. Reinforcing their wise choice (that being, to consider attending Misericordia) at several points between the time a student is admitted in October until they make their decision in March or April can help even the playing field with larger schools with a more prominent brand name. Micro-targeting to a few thousand students can be a more worthwhile investment than trying to move tens of thousands earlier in the funnel.”

In terms of bang-for-the-buck impact, it does not get much better than digital yield campaigns.

Admissions & Faculty Collaboration: A Tool for Your Enrollment Success

Admissions & Faculty Collaboration: A Tool for Your Enrollment Success

No matter how large or small the university, it seems the connection between faculty and the enrollment team is paramount. In a time when so many are questioning the value of higher education, faculty are key to admissions and recruitment success.

While most of us understand that academic marketing and faculty interaction should be part of the recruitment plan for graduate and adult learners, you’re missing a big opportunity if collaboration is not also part of the traditional undergraduate recruitment program. Parents and students need to see the value of the education they’re considering investing in, and faculty can deliver this message better than anyone.

A focus group study from enrollmentFUEL showed that students want colleges and universities to focus less on selling the experience and more on selling the education. This is especially relevant for juniors and seniors.  

More often than not, students fail to self-select meeting with a faculty member during their on-campus visit and are much more likely to want to meet with a coach than with a professor. However, time with a faculty member can be a vital opportunity to tip the balance and make a difference in the decision to attend.

We all know the lifetime earning potential for a person with a bachelor’s degree is significantly more than for someone who has a high school diploma. Faculty can and should serve as a strong resource in making the case for their academic programs’ long-term ROI. 

Spending time with a faculty member also facilitates the development of a strong relationship between that faculty member and student before they have even enrolled. This type of early bond can be a powerful retention tool because it helps students feel like they already have a supporter rooting for their success on-campus and in the classroom. 

While admission counselors provide program overviews about academic majors, it is unlikely they’ll be subject-matter experts for every major and program. Faculty are the best providers of information when it comes to the academic advantages of individual programs. They can share stories of what alumni from their program are doing today and recommend what professional organizations will be most beneficial for students to participate in as they build their resumes.

Whether it be traditional undergraduate or graduate admission, faculty participation is different for each audience and at each stage of the recruitment cycle. Faculty are key to converting undergraduate students during their senior year of high school and after application submission. For graduate and adult learners, faculty are key starting from the very first inquiry. The audiences are very different, so plan accordingly to ensure your collaborative recruitment efforts with faculty go smoothly and are positioned for maximum impact.

If you recognize missed collaborative recruiting opportunities with your faculty, consider ways to address them for the next recruiting cycle, and don’t be surprised if the benefits far surpass simply meeting your institution’s recruitment goal.

Opportunities to collaborate open the door to improved information sharing, better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of colleagues outside of your usual operational sphere, and improved outlook as each area has an opportunity to witness the passion and dedication of the other. Finally, if you are blessed to already have faculty committed to being an integral part of the recruitment process, be sure to let them know how important a role they play and how valued and appreciated they are.

Counseling Staff Boost: Hiring Students to Offset Staffing Shortages

Counseling Staff Boost: Hiring Students to Offset Staffing Shortages

We’ve talked about it for months, but the need for these conversations hasn’t subsided: the Great Resignation is still going. According to sources within the Higher Education industry, professional staff turnover will continue to affect campuses, and by extension enrollment management teams, for yet another year.

It’s not just the staff resignations that are the problem, though: it’s also hiring qualified new staff. According to a survey conducted by The Chronicle of Higher Education and Huron Consulting Group in July 2022, college officials described their applicant pools for open positions as “shallow and weak,” with 78 percent reporting they have received fewer applications for open positions in the past year, and 82 percent pointing out there were “fewer applications from qualified candidates.” The prospects ahead are gloomy, but we might have a solution that you and your team can implement right away.  

It’s time to turn to alternative applicant pools. Thankfully, any campus has one of those readily available: the current students. 

We know this sounds a bit like putting a bandage on a leaking dam, but hear us out. With academia frequently in the news as faculty and staff seek greener pastures elsewhere, potential young professionals who might be considering entering the industry are left wondering if it is worth the effort.

In the past, becoming a higher education professional was a work of passion and purpose. Now, in a barely post-pandemic world changed for the long run, we need to go back to the basics. We could bring the conversations of passion and purpose back into hiring practices in a meaningful way by starting recruiting at home. 

EMPOWER CURRENT STUDENTS TO BECOME FUTURE COUNSELORS

Getting the chance to represent your alma mater is an honor, and one that students take to heart. Case in point: pretty much any enrollment management professional out there. The vast majority of us started our careers as admissions tour guides, ambassadors, or callers, and we never stopped. Higher education has a way of training its own workforce and it’s time to remember that. 

If you do not currently have a student ambassador program, read on. We are talking about more than simply hiring current students to give tours or take visiting families to lunch. A true ambassador or internship program can help alleviate pressure for your counseling and records staff right now while simultaneously investing in your staffing future. Empower your current students by training and treating them like professional employees, and upon graduation they will be far more likely to consider a career in Higher Ed because they will already have one. 

GETTING AN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM STARTED

Whether you have a program you would like to build on, or are starting from scratch, here are some useful tips:

• First, you will need to identify the right students: at least sophomores, and specifically those with well-rounded experience both inside and outside the classroom (in clubs, organizations, athletic teams, as RAs, etc.) 
• You don’t need to figure it out on your own: solicit recommendations from faculty and staff in other departments. Anyone on campus can name at least one of those students, the ones everyone seems to know because they are involved in everything. 
• Take the interview to the next step: use an active interview process. Instead of back and forth questions, have the students perform some of the responsibilities they could be hired in to take on. Have them meet with a family while you are meeting with them, or have them walk around with a tour guide and ask for feedback on the tour. See how they think. Treat them as professionals from the start of the process and you will indicate to them that this is a professional position with a future. 
• Get creative with payment: while earning additional money for college is why most students get jobs on campus, there are alternatives that would benefit the student while not straining your departmental budget. For instance, consider partnering with a department on campus to offer college credit for an internship. This inexpensive option can also create accountability and expectations, more firmly establishing the position as a career step. 
• Focus on skill-building: while students will have various responsibilities around the office, focus the job descriptions on the skills they will learn and develop. In other words, empower the students to share their own experiences, while at the same time learning valuable skills they can put on their resume: teamwork, presentation skills, general office skills, time management, interviewing, and file management. These skill sets are transferable to any industry or career field. 
• Think beyond the tours: a true internship program will have the ambassadors perform tasks that carry greater weight. Now that you have taught them the skills they need, use the student ambassadors to fill in for a counselor who is out or to help while you have an open position, instead of piling additional responsibilities onto the already-overworked other counselors. The student ambassador can just as easily jump in to help meet with and interview prospective students, put application files together, do data entry, conduct an information session, run the front desk, etc. 
• Show them the fun side: you will get the most out of your student interns when they are doing something they enjoy. Don’t limit them to just being “mini-counselors.” Instead, learn more about their interests and how they can help make your office an authentic representation of your campus. Do they have interest in social media? How about event planning? Engage them in a way that will show them they have a place on your team after graduation. 
• Inspire leadership: you probably have an aspiring leader on your admissions team already. Give that individual the chance to get involved with the student ambassadors program: make training and supervising the student interns one of their main responsibilities. They will relish the experience and use it as an opportunity to springboard into other leadership roles. 

START BUILDING THE FUTURE NOW

In times of transition, starting something new while simply trying to stay float is tricky. A student ambassador program, however, could prove to be both a short-term and a long-term solution to many problems. When built with a robust curriculum, your student internship or ambassador program can prove to be a self-sustaining pipeline for new admissions counselors. While the turnover in our industry has often resembled a revolving door, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic it feels like someone has taken the door off its hinges altogether. 

The professional staff shortage is deepening. As one participant in the Chronicle survey put it, “You can’t just put an advertisement out and hope that people will respond to it.” An internship program can provide an immediate increase to your team’s bandwidth, while at the same time help you start building for the future in a proactive instead of reactive way. In a year where everyone is looking for a win, this could be a win-win. 

Lessons in Higher Ed Leadership

Lessons in Higher Ed Leadership

I remember the day clearly. I was scheduled to meet with my boss in half an hour, and I sat in my colleague’s office giving myself a pep talk. “I’m just going to tell her that my workload is too big to take on this major project. I have a stack of applications to review, I’m way behind on phone calls, and I have four campus visits this week!” My colleague nodded in agreement. “Yes,” she said, “just tell her what you think and that you’re concerned. I’m sure she’ll understand.”

I took a deep breath and walked down the creaky wooden hall. The admission office of our small, rural campus was in a building that was more than 100 years old. It was beautiful, though a bit creepy at night, as it was supposedly haunted. Our team of four admission counselors experienced the rare circumstance of reporting directly to our division’s Vice President. It was intimidating… or rather, I myself was intimidated. While this woman was friendly, she was also tenacious, like a bulldog. She had an incredible work ethic and seemed to be successful at pretty much everything she tried. There was no “give up” in her. She was in her office before we came in each day, and was often there after we left.

Due to a recent turnover in staff, I had taken on campus visit scheduling and event planning in addition to my counselor role. Now, my boss had asked me to spearhead a conference on our campus for every 11^th grader in the county, complete with rotating sessions and presenters from both in and outside of the College. It took months to prepare, and it was a logistical mammoth—especially to me, a young professional who barely had two years of admission experience under her belt. After considering her request for me to take on this role, I decided to tell her, much to my chagrin, that I just couldn’t do it—I didn’t have time, and I didn’t want to try something this important and possibly let her, and everyone else in the county, down. It seemed like a reasonable enough request.

She patiently looked at me, and then very matter-of-factly said, “I understand. But if you want to move up, in any job or any aspect of your life, you have to be willing to take on more than what you currently have on your plate. Otherwise, you’ll always stay at the exact same place you are now. The employee time tracking app doesn’t really show anything worth of attention.” She kept talking, but I really don’t know what she said after that. When I later saw my colleague, she asked how it went. “I agreed to organize the conference,” I said in wonder, “and somehow she convinced me that it’s a really good idea…”

I now realize that a good leader has that effect. They push you, help you, encourage you, and sometimes hold your feet to the fire. As I look back on her example of leadership, I see how the lessons she taught me then have shaped the person I’ve become now.

That being said, here are five lessons in leadership that stood out, and tips on how you can use them to enhance your own leadership skills.

A good leader pushes you. Taking on a new responsibility was not something I wanted to do. But as a young professional, I didn’t realize it was something I needed to do in order to keep growing and advancing. She not only saw potential in me to take on this new role and excel, but she was also willing to speak truth to me in an encouraging way (more on that later). Ask yourself: Think of yourself as a leader—do you delegate well? Do you pay attention to see how your staff can grow, and if so, do you push them to pursue those opportunities?

A good leader leads by example. One day our team walked across campus for a meeting. As we walked under the huge, ancient elm trees (literally– these trees are close to 200 years old, and they’re amazing) we noticed a few stray sticks littering the sidewalk. She bent down as she walked by, picked up the sticks, and tossed them off the path. “Always be a good steward,” she said. “It’s everyone’s job to take care of campus.” That simple action has had a tremendous impact on me. Nowadays when I walk around my building, I stop to straighten up or tidy things that are amiss. That lesson continues to pour into my life, whether I’m walking in my neighborhood and see trash, or attending a church service and notice a mess. It’s something I say to my own children: Be a good steward. Taking care of our environment is everyone’s job. Ask yourself: Do you model the small behaviors you want to see in your staff and on your team? It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and leave the smaller things for someone else to do. Be the change you want to see, and those around you will follow suit.

A good leader helps you learn to solve your own problems. If her door was open, it meant she was available to us to stop by. It wasn’t unusual for one of the counselors to be in her office at least once a day, usually to review a particular application that stumped us. I learned early on that she was glad to help us—after we first tried to help ourselves. When we brought a problem to her, it was expected that we also brought 1-2 potential solutions. “Don’t just bring me a problem,” she’d say. “Bring me a solution!” She helped shape the way I think through every problem in my life, not just at work. Even if the solution I started with wasn’t the best one, it helped steer the conversation, and we kept talking until the right answer was discovered.  Ask yourself: When your team brings you a problem, do you jump in and solve it for them? Look for opportunities to help them learn how to figure it out themselves.

A good leader speaks truth to you. At the end of one of my performance evaluations, she said “You’re really good at the ‘stuff’ of admission. The files, the events, the college fairs… you excel in these areas. But be careful not to get so wrapped up in the ‘stuff’ that you forget about the people. It’s the people who matter. If you forget about people, one day you’ll look up and have all your ‘stuff,’ but people will be gone.” Was that a sobering thing to hear? Yes. Did it stick with me? Absolutely. A good leader doesn’t shy away from being honest, no matter how tough it may be. Ask yourself: Do you tiptoe around hard conversations, or take the long way around to explain a point, rather than being straightforward? Are you willing to speak the truth to your team—whether it’s popular or not?

As a good leader advances up the ladder, they turn around regularly to check on you and your progress. As she got involved in professional associations, she asked me if I would be interested in presenting a session. After learning from lesson #1 (a good leader pushes you) I said, “yes”—and my session was selected for a regional conference. Five years later, I’ve presented eight times at the state, regional, and national levels. I’ve served as a committee chair at both the regional and national levels.  I never would have set these goals for myself, but saying “yes” to opportunity has provided growth in many areas. Ask yourself: As you advance in your career, do you check on your entry and mid-level employees and encourage them to step out and try something completely new? There may be someone waiting for a chance to shine if only given the chance.

We now work at different places, but my boss ultimately became my mentor, and my friend. She continues to find ways to help me grow, and is always available as a resource and guide. Thanks to her, I have the confidence to be my own problem solver. And thanks to her, I’m open to taking on new challenges, because I now see them as opportunities for growth. It turns out the little, and big, things make a great difference both in leadership and in life.

by Becky Tankersley

Fall Back: Lessons in Higher Ed Management

Fall Back: Lessons in Higher Ed Management

Walking up one flight of stairs, I entered my office and sat down. I could literally hear my heart beating, but work needed to be done. I had no time to think about that. Whew! I was worn out. Yet, I had run three miles a few hours ago for an early morning workout. Shaking my head to calm my nerves, I reviewed my planner for the second time (because, well, planning is what I do), made a mental note to personally recognize a staff member for stepping up in a big way the previous day, and checked numbers for the day (while cross-referencing data points via two systems). If you’ve never been between systems, you’ve won in life. As usual, I had arrived early to preserve the tranquility of the office before the halls were filled with admission counselors, current students, and prospective families.

I opened my email to start the day, but I couldn’t stop noticing my breathing. Swallow. There’s work to do. My chest was slightly tight. There’s work to do. I felt extremely alert. There’s work to do. I swallowed, envisioned good thoughts, and began the tasks for the day. As quickly as the moment had come, it was gone in a few minutes. Organize, power through, and think positive thoughts. Today WILL be a great day!

But, there had been a trigger to that quick, yet alarming feeling. I had received news that would alternate my environment, and cause disruption in the cadence of the office. It wasn’t based on my work performance, as that would have been in my control. It was exactly what it was: change. I welcome change. I embrace it. It’s challenging. It ignites creativity. It motivates one to bring forth an “Aha” moment! But our office had been experiencing change in an unproductive manner. Change is good; however, recurrent change is exhausting. If I was feeling it, there was no doubt others were feeling it, too.

It was fall semester, which meant applications needed to be processed, early files needed to be reviewed, and Open House was occurring relatively soon. It was pretty much the land of the usual in admissions. But the chaaaange! It was one more thing our office would endure. We didn’t have the bandwidth to absorb it. Yet, it still needed to get done.

After years as an enrollment leader, I had experienced a mild anxiety attack that was triggered by work-related stress. And, if I was honest with myself, it was occurring more than it should have been. While on the road, work hours had increased trying to stay ahead and manage the office from afar. I was so busy that in fact, thoughts were often compromised. I don’t have time to address how I “feel.”

As leaders, we’re called to move forward while keeping institutional goals at the forefront, incorporate change, which falls from the top along the way, motivate buy-in among the team, and keep smiling! Office morale remains a concern as it affects productivity. Julius said it best in one of my favorite movies, Remember the Titans– “Attitude reflects leadership, Captain!” Yet, we fail to talk about an important topic: selfcare. Thinking about selfcare amid chaos “feels” like an irresponsible choice. Choosing to neglect oneself pours into neglecting those we serve. The goal is to serve well. We forget others are watching. Instead, sometimes we over-emphasize numbers, numbers, numbers.

As our brains shift into “go” mode, let’s not forget to live in the moments we can control. I couldn’t control the change. Instead, I could change my approach.

The image we project sets the tone as well as expectation within the environment. During this time of year, I challenge you to ask, “What tone am I setting?” Hopefully, it’s positive one! If so, it’s also important to dig further, and inquire if the pace is realistic. Go, go, go, smile, go, go, go, smile! My brain was flustered. My body was tired. I was in a zone during my early morning workout. I was in control. I was walking into chaos going up the stairs. The control factor was shifting. My brain and body went into flight mode. I began to think too much about the “what ifs.” Organize, power through, and think positive thoughts. While my intentions were well-meaning, my outcome was unrealistic. I was focused on controlling the change, rather than my approach to it.

Fall brings about Daylight Savings Time. As we adjust the clocks, don’t be afraid to do exactly what it says: fall back! Of course, this doesn’t mean be irresponsible. It simply means to lighten up. So fall back! (Let’s be reasonable here. I still want you to have a job!) The office needs you. There are ways we can overcome the fear of the unknown.

I challenge you to…

Focus on your inner well-being. Take time to breathe. Listen to your body’s signals. We can only “go” for so long before we need to regroup. Block meetings for yourself to play catch up mid-day instead of drifting from meeting to meeting. Ask a colleague to conduct a walk-and-talk during a scheduled meeting to get in more daily steps.

Ask for help. Delegation lightens the load and inspires staff, especially new associates seeking professional development.

Listen. No explanation needed.

Learn something new! Being at the administrative level often drives us away from the day-to-day grind. Be open to learning a process to fully understand how the office is functioning. You’ll be surprised how staff will appreciate this.

Build time for play. Because who doesn’t like a good belly laugh?!

Accept the change. Don’t accept your need to control it.

Communicate with other colleagues in your shoes. The best thing about this job is that we’re all in it for students. Cross-sharing information is common. While we’re competing institutionally, we work together collectively to get students through the admissions process. We’re all in the same boat, and sometimes, we just need to vent. This is okay! Make the call.

Keep living like a champion and not just a conqueror. The battles define a conqueror. You’re more than that. A champion functions as if winning is a lifestyle.

The next time your mind wants to over-react to change, and you begin to feel a little panicky, just FALL BACK. Let it run its course.

Daylight Savings Time in the fall is the perfect life metaphor. When we fall back, we gain momentum. Cheers to an exciting academic year!

by Jazmane Brown

Behavioral Scoring: Why Does It Matter?

Behavioral Scoring: Why Does It Matter?

Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) software programs have given the recruitment process an advantage in connecting with students in more intentional ways. With so many data points available, it can sometimes become overwhelming to decipher which method is most influential. While each school differs, they share a common goal: provide educational opportunities for students to live their best lives. So, how can institutions connect on relational terms using the information they have? With thousands of students, there must be a way to drive communication towards those who show more interest than others. There should also be ways to reach a student demographic who have historically been attracted to the institution.

For many individuals, behavioral scoring becomes an essential tool to aid this conversation by identifying how students interact with an institution, based upon the communications they have received. Most CRMs are configured to move a student through an engaging communication sequence. Responsive students stand out, allowing admissions offices to identify where to focus.

CRMs can track these actions using saved information, such as email open rates, email click-throughs, campus visits, phone calls (to and from the student), as well as special programs in which they’ve indicated an interest (i.e., honor programs, summer programs, sports, clubs/organizations, etc.) Other scoring factors include: location, type of high school, and any other available demographics.

Scoring is helpful in many situations – admissions, waitlists, special program offerings, and improving yield numbers. While all students who are tagged as engaged will receive communications, students with higher scores may receive specialized communications. These can be more targeted, and speak to an identified interest, which can prompt enrollment.

Behavioral scoring also allows counselors to manage time by focusing their efforts on the best leads in their territories. Giving the staff access to the data, and educating them on how to use it, also provides them with an excellent professional development tool. They can use the information to make informed decisions to be more creative in their outreach, follow up, and responses. As a result, using information becomes more of a team effort, instead of only a “Dean” effort.

Understanding the audience is key to creating specific communications, and behavioral scoring is an effective tool for this purpose. Take a fresh look at how you are using it and find ways to encourage your staff to use scoring information to connect with students.