Recruitment season: Admissions staff remains flexible to meet needs of prospective students

Top photo: At left, Sarah Tibbe and Maegan Frierson stand in the Laker Experience Suite.

As Admissions staff members approach a busy fall recruitment season, they will continue to face uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic when planning traditional high school visits.

Jodi Chycinski, associate vice president and director of Admissions, said staff members will remain nimble as the season of high school visits, college fairs and other events approaches.

"There are a lot of unknowns in terms of what we will be allowed to do for regular recruiting events," Chycinski said. "We are approaching this recruitment season with multiple plans so that we can adjust quickly to the needs of prospective students."

Admissions staff members were among the few employees who regularly worked on campus during the summer of 2020. In-person campus tours restarted in July of that year, starting with small groups then progressing to larger groups as safety precautions and guidelines changed.

The 112-seat Laker Experience Suite, within the Lubbers Student Services Center, allowed guests to be socially distant during Admissions presentations.

Admissions counselor Sarah Tibbe said prospective students and their families really appreciated the personal attention they received during individual and small group tours. "It turned into a deeper dive into a student's major and a lot of really good conversations," Tibbe said.

Maegan Frierson, assistant director of Admissions, said many other colleges and universities remained closed for tours throughout the summer of 2020. "Parents were very grateful for the chance to come for an in-person tour," Frierson said.

Admissions staff continue to offer virtual visits and appointments.

B. Donta Truss, vice president for Enrollment Development and Educational Outreach, commended Admissions staff members for their dedication and creativity in the midst of a pandemic.

"The work they did last year was tremendous and the positive feedback from parents and students was well-deserved," Truss said. “We have a committed group of team members who do an awesome job sharing with prospective students all that GVSU has to offer. 

"These are our unsung heroes and I am thankful for their great work; I look forward to seeing the fruit of their labor with the Fall 2022 class.”