Convincing Faculty to Participate in Pre-Enrollment Events

Madison, Wis.—December 3, 2008 — Surveys such as the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) show that interaction with faculty can make all of the difference in how fully students engage with a school and whether or not they remain enrolled, says Matt Stillman, director of enrollment analysis at Southern Oregon University.

In fact, Stillman says, faculty should be a part of students’ academic experiences even before those students have officially matriculated. Faculty can be key participants in an institution’s recruitment, registration, and orientation events. But how can we convince faculty members to participate? Stillman recommends the following:

1) Show faculty data demonstrating how important faculty-student interaction is to students.

Southern Oregon University’s NSSE results, as well as national data, show that students “crave that interaction,” Stillman says. Also make sure that faculty understand how the interaction affects retention, program quality, and resources.

2) Be selective about when and how you ask faculty to participate.

Distill what you need from faculty to a few important things, Stillman says. Avoid “overasking” and be protective of a faculty member’s time once he or she is participating in the event.

3) Offer rewards for participating.

The rewards can be monetary--SOU, for example, pays faculty a fee for conducting individual advising. Another reward might be inviting a faculty member to join a recruiting event at a desirable destination. Other “rewards” include simply making sure that while faculty members are participating in the events, they are comfortable and well-treated, Stillman says.

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