Three members of the Tusculum University admissions team recently made presentations at a state association event that outlined their initiatives for driving success at the institution.
Laura Battel, campus visit coordinator and admissions representative for three local counties; Allison Morton, senior admissions counselor and athletic liaison; and Hailie Smith, transfer coordinator, shared their stories at the Tennessee Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers conference in Knoxville.
Battel’s presentation, “Campus Visits: What to Ask,” featured ways she interacts with prospective students when they come to campus. She emphasized the importance of developing connections with these visitors and giving them one-on-one attention so they feel as if Tusculum is their home. She shared her strategies to make her time with a potential student as authentic as possible and relayed how she trains Tusculum students to provide campus tours and to recognize how they are the face of the university for the visitor.
Morton’s presentation, “Leading with a Servant Heart,” explored the way she approaches leadership. She has been guided by her master’s degree studies at Tusculum and by John Maxwell’s motivational speaking on leadership. She informed the audience that her method is to be a servant to everyone she leads and described her experiences with that philosophy. Morton highlighted the team atmosphere within the admissions department and how she makes herself available to her co-workers to answer questions and provide needed assistance.
Smith’s presentation, “Just Ask: Building a Transfer Community,” discussed how Tusculum works to increase the number of students transferring to the university and the many ways she makes that happen. She detailed her one-on-one interactions with potential students and special events and fairs she attends at local community colleges to enhance awareness of Tusculum. She also described her usage of social media to accomplish her goals and her mid-semester evaluation to determine what changes she needed to make in recruiting students.
“I could not be prouder of our Tusculum presenters and what they have accomplished and now presented to help other educational institutions in our region,” said Dr. James Hurley, the university’s president. “They represent the work of so many outstanding individuals at Tusculum who have created the tremendous growth, innovation and change we have experienced in such a short time.”
Dr. Paul Pinckley, Tusculum’s vice president of enrollment management and financial aid, also commended these admission team members.