| Recruitment materials and presentations accurately represent the institution’s practices and policies. |
Judgment of Compliance
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Narrative
Sam Houston State University’s (SHSU) recruitment materials and presentations accurately represent the university’s practices and policies for all potential students and degree programs, regardless of the method of delivery (e.g., face-to-face, online). All recruitment pieces are updated regularly (biennially for catalogs, annually for other printed materials, and frequently throughout the year for online information), ensuring that materials and presentations accurately represent the institution’s practices and policies.
Undergraduate Admissions
The primary recruitment pieces disseminated to prospective students through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions include the following:
- Recruiting Viewbook containing information about SHSU [1]
- High School Sophomore and Freshman Brochure [2]
- Transfer Student Brochure [3]
- High School Junior Brochure [4]
- High School Senior Brochure [5]
- Satellite Campus Brochure (Off-site Locations) [6]
- Postcards:
- Pocket Folder [12]
- Poster [13]
- Sticker [14]
- Mass Media Print Advertising
In addition, applications and information detailed in these publications are available to prospective students on SHSU's website.
Admissions counselors from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions travel throughout Texas continually from September through February of each academic year to recruit new students to SHSU. The university employs several regional counselors that recruit in the Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, and San Antonio regions; in-house counselors that work primarily on the main campus but recruit in the other parts of Texas; and transfer counselors that specialize in the specific needs of transfer populations. All counselors are cross-trained to handle the questions of any student, but their main focus is recruiting students from their region or specialty. Counselors participate in college fairs to discuss university practices and policies with prospective students and parents. They also make individual visits to public and private schools and community colleges to meet with counselors and students who have expressed an interest in SHSU, as well as host annual conferences for high school and community college counselors on SHSU’s main campus. Recruiting is also performed via our prospective student database, online chats [18], and various social media methods [19], [20].
Admissions counselors also help identify students that might be a good fit for specialized scholarship programs within the university through calling campaigns and online outreach. Each semester, representatives from Admissions meet with deans, directors, and other academic and non-academic program representatives to discuss changes in curriculum and support and service programs within the various colleges and divisions at SHSU. When counselors are not out recruiting students, they focus their efforts on encouraging students to finish the application process and enroll at SHSU. This is accomplished via personal correspondence and calling campaigns. The goal of admissions counselors is to increase both the quantity and quality of SHSU applicants.
Hobson’s Connect is the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool used by SHSU’s Office of Enrollment Management. Prospective undergraduate student and applicant communication plans are hosted within this database. As a part of the admissions recruitment process, various email communication plans are used to reach these student populations. These plans, which can be updated as often as necessary, consist of a series of emails outlining programs and services. Communication plans focus on all applicant prospects, starting at the age of 13. Printed pieces are mailed to high school prospects, starting with their freshman year. Emails and printed materials are sent to prospective transfer students as well. The email communication plans follow the pipeline from “Who is Sam Houston State University?” to “Why attend Sam Houston State University?” all the way to “Become a Bearkat! You have been accepted to Sam Houston State University” [21], [22], [23]. As a new recruitment effort, accepted students for Fall 2015 will receive a personalized video entitled “Welcome to Sam Houston State University” [24]. This 1-minute video gives a snapshot of what SHSU has to offer and welcomes the new student to the Bearkat Family.
John R. Ragsdale Visitor and Alumni Center
In 2007, the university officially opened the John R. Ragsdale Visitor and Alumni Center, which is the “front door” to the university [25]. For many prospective students and their parents, their first contact with the university is the Visitor Center. In addition to receiving a warm greeting in the center’s modern reception area, prospective students learn basic information about SHSU via digital displays , computer stations, and university personnel. An informative, upbeat film about academic programs and student life is shown on multiple plasma screens in the center’s state-of-the-art auditorium .
Guests who come to the university through the Visitor Center receive a Campus Visitor’s Guide [26], maps of SHSU and the City of Huntsville, information about local attractions and restaurants, and brochures from a variety of university departments with information to assist prospective students. Updated information is also offered on the Visitor Center website [25].
Twice a year, once during the fall semester and once during the spring semester, the Visitor Center hosts Saturdays@Sam for prospective students and their parents [27]. These campus preview days provide prospective students with tours, visits with university officials and academic administrators, and opportunities for questions about the academic and cultural life at SHSU.
For students unable to travel to Huntsville, the university employs a mobile Go Center [28]. The Go Center is a 42-foot trailer that travels across the state promoting higher education in Texas and at SHSU. The trailer was obtained through a grant awarded from the Texas Pioneer Foundation. Working closely with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the College for All Texans program, the Go Center provides current college-related information and assistance to students and their families. The trailer has 21 laptop computers and a satellite internet connection. This mobile unit visits county fairs, high school athletic events, community festivals, major livestock shows, University Interscholastic League (UIL) music and track meets, and other family-oriented events. Targeted audiences are those that are not likely to attend traditional college programs. There are many economically disadvantaged students who do not have college-going traditions in their families. The Go Center provides a setting in which parents and students can feel comfortable asking questions and receiving assistance regarding the college preparation process. The Go Center provides access to important resources in college admissions, as well as financial aid applications. A “career cruising” program is also available to students as a tool for exploring careers and determining the education required for each career [29]. The online questionnaire helps students match careers to their interests. Further exploration provides the common educational requirements (and identifies colleges that offer certain degrees) and the expected wages for the chosen occupations.
Office of On-campus Recruitment
The Office of On-campus Recruitment has evolved as a part of the Office of Enrollment Management, and it was added to the Visitor Center in 2013. Through combining the resources of these offices, On-campus Recruitment is now able to serve the university more effectively by hosting on-campus events, summer camps, Scouts@SAM programs, and by operating the Jr. Bearkats youth recruitment program [30]. The office hosts the annual Scouts@Sam event, which brings local Boy and Girl Scout troops to campus to learn about the university while earning scout badges. This office also works with academic departments and programs to host recruitment events involving prospective students who visit campus. This is to maximize recruiting opportunities at these events. The Jr. Bearkats program, a recruiting program for youth aged 13 and younger, hosts events on campus and in surrounding cities to get youth involved with the university at a young age in order to develop loyalty and identification with SHSU. These events can include athletic, academic, service, or recreational activities. On-campus Recruitment also works with the Alumni Association in order to encourage alumni to get their children, grandchildren, and young family members involved with the university.
Graduate Admissions
SHSU’s Office of Graduate Admissions’ recruitment materials and presentations accurately represent the graduate programs offered within the seven academic colleges. All recruitment pieces are updated regularly. Catalogs are handled by the Office of Graduate Studies and updated biennially. All printed materials are placed on a schedule to be updated annually. Online materials are updated frequently throughout the year. The goal is to ensure that materials accurately represent the respective graduate program admission requirements as outlined by the respective academic programs within the Division of Academic Affairs. All printed recruitment materials are reviewed by the appropriate college, office, or division.
The primary recruitment pieces disseminated to prospective students through the Office of Graduate Admissions include the following:
- College of Education Brochure [31]
- College of Science Brochure [32]
- College of Humanities and Social Sciences Brochure [33]
- College of Criminal Justice Brochure [34]
- College of Business Administration Brochure [35]
Brochures for the newly created College of Health Sciences are currently being drafted. The College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication has a limited number of graduate programs; therefore, smaller program-based brochures are utilized for this college [36], [37], [38]. In addition, the application/program information available in printed publications is also available to prospective students on SHSU's website through a series of program-specific webpages. Example webpages have been provided for the Masters of Business Administration, Masters of Science in Biology, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education [39], [40], [41].
Graduate recruiters from the Office of Graduate Admissions travel throughout Texas from September through July of each academic year to recruit graduate students to SHSU. They participate in college fairs and conferences at which they discuss university practices and policies with prospective students. They also make individual visits to universities throughout Texas to meet with students who have expressed an interest in SHSU. During the summer, they attend conferences that might provide opportunities to recruit quality graduate students.
The Hobson’s Connect CRM tool is also used by SHSU’s Office of Enrollment Management. This database also hosts a graduate prospective student communication plan. This plan, which can be updated as often as necessary, consists of a series of emails outlining programs and services. Graduate Program Advisors send targeted emails [42], [43], [44] tailored to students’ program interests. These emails are developed by the respective graduate faculty, hosted within the CRM, and contain program-specific details that would be of interest to prospective graduate students.
Graduate recruiters also provide support to graduate programs by hosting an open house in the fall and spring semesters. These events encourage SHSU students to visit the Office of Graduate Admissions and speak with a recruiter to discuss any questions they might have regarding graduate school and the steps involved. Each spring, Graduate Admissions hosts a spring fair [45], which encourages all current SHSU students and alumni to visit various booths staffed by representatives from each graduate program. Graduate recruiters visit SHSU off-campus locations at The Woodlands Center and University Park weekly to conduct individual advising sessions. Additionally, recruiters participate in calling campaigns to contact applicants regarding their applications and to determine if prospective students have further questions regarding graduate programs.
For prospective students unable to travel to Huntsville, The Woodlands Center, or University Park, an online instant chat tool [46], available via the Graduate Admissions webpage, is hosted during normal business hours. Students can utilize this service to speak directly with a graduate recruiter.
Office of Marketing and Communications
The Office of Marketing and Communications (Marcom), housed within the Division of University Advancement, supports the institution’s goal of “enhanced marketing outreach and visibility to include academic and scholarly activities through consistent and integrated messaging while optimizing communication channels” [47]. Through an integrated branding strategy, the department produces persuasive and robust content illustrating the university’s mission and values. Content is delivered through traditional, online, and social media channels.
Marcom also maintains and monitors compliance with brand guidelines and the proper usage and licensing of university marks and logos, as well as creates and coordinates media communications. Brand guidelines for both the university [48] and the Texas State University System (TSUS) [49] are published online. These guidelines detail the policies and procedures for ensuring all collateral materials adhere to established standards and uphold and emphasize the SHSU brand. Although much of the individual academic program materials are approved by the appropriate college, office, or division, Marcom has instituted controls at the production phase that afford opportunities for final review of guideline and policy adherence [50]. All printed material must be coordinated through the on-campus press operations, where artwork is reviewed for adherence to graphic design standards. All merchandise is fabricated by licensed vendors, and artwork must be submitted for online approval. The university branding is integrated with the TSUS guidelines published online, and adherence is monitored per controls previously mentioned.
The Marcom operates as an in-house agency providing services and support for areas targeting key external audiences (e.g., alumni and prospective donors). The department is also a resource for any university department in need of marketing and communication expertise. Services include strategic planning, project management, creative conception, design, content development, public and media relations, photography, videography, and social media.
Supporting Documentation