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Article Type

Professional Proficiency

Article Abstract

Related Issue:

With an increasing number of institutions chasing a shrinking pool of prospective applicants, most schools are actively on the lookout for new recruitment strategies for reaching and converting potential students. A key component of the prospective student experience and an important factor in students’ decision-making process, faculty are better poised than any other university representatives to convey institutional rigor, the classroom experience, and potential outcomes for graduates. When faculty members are committed to institutional mission and values, they are strong, authoritative ambassadors uniquely communicating the student-faculty experience. Because they can confirm student expectations for attending and graduating from the institution, professors personify academic programs. For those seeking to launch or broaden such efforts, this article covers the basics of faculty involvement in undergraduate recruitment, from defining recruitment goals and strategies for faculty participation to organizing, administering, and tracking faculty recruitment initiatives. Once a preliminary coalition of faculty volunteers has been identified, admissions staff should align their faculty resources with on-campus, off-campus, and digital recruitment opportunities. Providing a menu of opportunities for involvement will result in increased participation, collaboration, and success.

Author(s)

furbeck-l--mdLee Furbeck, Ph.D., joined the Central Michigan University team in January 2019. As Executive Director, she is responsible for admission and recruitment of all student types including undergraduate, graduate, international, and
online/global. Prior to Central Michigan University, she served as director of undergraduate admission and student transition at Cleveland State University. She has also worked in admissions at the University of Kansas and Iowa State University.
Furbeck earned a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Kentucky. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Dr. Furbeck is a regular contributor to AACRAO publications and at AACRAO meetings on admissions-related topics
such as recruitment, access, transfer credit, communications, admissions policy and processes, and transfer students.

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