Re-Thinking Your Campus Tour Program - CIVSAcivsa.org/members_only/doc/conf12/re-think.pdf ·...
Transcript of Re-Thinking Your Campus Tour Program - CIVSAcivsa.org/members_only/doc/conf12/re-think.pdf ·...
RE-THINKING YOUR CAMPUSTOUR PROGRAM
IF IT AIN’T BROKE – IT S TILL NEEDS FIXIN’
Meg MalmborgUniversity of Connecticut May 2012
Why Change? UConn’s 13 year old tour program Annual increases in number of tours offered
and tour participants Sophisticated online tour reservation and
employee scheduling system Experienced professional staff Capable and enthusiastic student tour guides Beautiful and well equipped visitors center
Small Change = Small Results
Most change is incremental budget based reactionary
It’s Not What We Do - But How We Do It
Think BIGGER
What should drive change – Entrepreneurial spirit Innovation Measurable outcomes Challenge the status quo
Work Backward
Engagement with key audiences Educate audiences about your college’s
opportunities Inspire families to want to be a part of your
college’s experience Increase quantity and quality of applicants
Getting Started
Breakdown the components of your tour program Initial contact with prospective students Facility accommodations Tour presentation Tour route
Length, destinations, stairs, highlights Evaluation Visit follow up Campus partnerships Student staff selection, training, evaluation and motivation/reward
Everyone’s a Critic
Design assessment tools to critically evaluate your current program components
Require high level administrators to also evaluate program components
Ask trusted members of the campus community to observe and reflect
Conduct reconnaissance at peer institutions
No Other Choice
What if your job was outsourced to another department?
What if you had to prove that your program made students apply?
Define and Refine Goals
Gather many ideas instead of looking for a few perfect ones
Propose idea – Test it – Revise – Test Again Review ‘wish list’ and turn into a To Do List Seek constant feedback
Ask students and co-workers for input Partner with departments for mutually beneficial
projects to get ‘buy in’ and maximize funding
To Forgive Divine
You will mess up You will fail You will try again and fail You’ll learn Forgive yourself and keep going
Unarticulated Needs
What else could your visitors want? How else could you reach out in advance of their visit? What else could you do to follow up with guests and assist
them?
The Future is Now
How will your tour program look in five or ten years? Technological innovations Show and tell Online learning
It’s Not You – It’s Me
It’s not about looking spiffy It’s not the tour guides (a different topic)
It’s not about parking or Admissions
It is all about YOU and how you create the environment that welcomes change and your willingness to fight for the BEST for your program.
Your Work is Worth It
Change is difficult, messy and disruptive – so what!
What is holding you back from achieving greatness?
Expect more = GET MORE
Five Takeaways
1. Think Bigger – Comprehensive review of your entire tour experience.
2. Secure the support and direct involvement of higher level administrators.
3. Approach your research like a Start Up company which is hungry to be the next big thing!
4. Define and Refine – keep moving forward. 5. Don’t settle – your work is worth the effort.
UConn’s Tour Re-Invention To Do List• Ae s th e tic Upd ate s to Re s id e nc e Ha ll• To ur ‘Rig h t’ S izing• Co m pa nio n Ha nd o ut• To ur Info rm atio n Se s s io n• Ca m pus To ur Ro ute• To ur Re g is tra tio n S c h e d uling• Enh a nc e d Pre s e ntatio n Eq uipm e nt• To ur Co m m unic atio ns S tre a m• LVC Blo g Ho s ting• To ur Pre -Sh o w• Stud e nt Aw a rd s