President's Corner

By Willie D. Larkin, Ph.D.,
President

Student recruitment is crucial to the survival of today’s public and private colleges and universities, and Grambling State University is no exception. To secure Grambling’s continued success as an iconic Historically Black College and University (HBCU) for our future sons and daughters, we need to reach a recruitment goal of 5,500 students on campus for the 2016-2017 academic year.

This cannot be done via our Admissions Office alone. Everyone at Grambling needs to be a part of this effort, so we are asking for your help.

George C. Dehne wrote an article in 1995 entitled “Reinventing Student Recruitment.” Though technology has come a long way since then and a few admissions practices have changed, Dehne’s basic recruiting principles still hold true. Please note that Dehne does not include a financial aid discussion in his article, as he believes it is such an important factor in student recruitment that it deserves a whole separate article.

A Key Distinction—Dehne says that we should not confuse admissions and recruitment, stating “Admissions is the process of choosing a class from among your applicants. Recruitment is the planning and work it takes to get serious candidates to apply. Not all aspects of an effective student-recruitment effort fall on the shoulders of the Admissions Office. All departments, offices, and committees should know that their decisions and behavior can affect student recruitment. Such factors as how a telephone is answered or the decision to drop or add a course offering may influence a student’s decision to attend.”

A Mobilized Campus—It is the responsibility of everyone at Grambling to recruit students. Faculty, if the Admissions Office has a student interested in your program, always be available to talk with the prospective student. Staff, we are here because of the students, so please show them you care, even if it is something as simple as a smile and an offer of help. Grambling students, please volunteer to be an ambassador for your school to show prospective students around and answer their questions from a real perspective.

The Only Contacts That Count—are those prospective student-initiated contacts. (I.e. returning inquiry—online or paper, asking for more information, submitting an application, any family or friend expressing interest in attending Grambling, etc.). Creating ways to continue the dialogue with these prospective Grambling students should be a top priority.

Knowledge is Power—The more you know about a student’s academic and extracurricular interests and abilities, the more likely you are to convert the student to an applicant and enrollee. This data also provides opportunities for continued dialogue, particularly if he or she requests more information on a specific program offered at Grambling.

Personalization Plus—Know your college. Know what Grambling has to offer. Get involved in knowing areas about Grambling other than your own niche. Be proud of our school, its rich heritage, and what it can offer to prospective students. Send them specific information, a hand-written note, an email; take the time and effort to really give some extra personal attention to reap the rewards.

I have only just touched on a few basic principles that clearly demonstrate how everyone at Grambling can be, should be and is involved in the recruitment process. I implore you to do your part and help us reach our 2016 recruitment goal of 5,500 students on campus, so Grambling will continue to educate and impact the lives of many well into the future.

Let’s all work hard to be a part of its success. I also encourage you to read Dehne’s article at http://www.gdais.com/archive-articles/news_research/research_reinventing.html.