Each quarter, Liaison publishes The Admissionist, a magazine devoted to the art, science and industry of higher ed admissions. The Summer 2020 issue is available now. Highlights include — but are not limited to — the following articles.
5 Key Lessons From the 2020 Pandemic About Overcoming Future Global Crises
According to several admissions leaders interviewed by Liaison, the lessons the higher education community has learned from the Covid-19 pandemic about overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles will remain relevant for years to come.
- The first lesson? You need to get creative. Christopher A. Smith, Ph.D., Executive Director of Enrollment Management, Marketing and Financial Aid at Kansas State University Polytechnic, said that involves using custom print communications. “We went through a period of time when millennials didn’t necessarily respond to print material,” said Dr. Smith. “But that’s changing, especially with younger millennials. So, I wanted to find one strategic partner I could work with throughout the entire 15-month lifecycle of my admissions process. Liaison was the right fit. Using their variable print services really separated us from the rest of the pack.”
- Lesson two is that moving online increases efficiencies. Rick del Rosario, a former director of admissions and recruitment, believes the COVID-19 outbreak could result in an “effective new approach that could entail not only a greater emphasis on online courses but also a move toward cloud-based processes in admissions. Admissions and enrollment efforts that prioritize efficiency, as well as more sophisticated interaction with applicants, can help institutions weather a crisis.”
- Lesson three is the fact that strategic partnerships can ensure business continuity. By processing applications for more hours per day as well as on weekends and holidays, Liaison helps schools overcome staff and time limitations imposed by unforeseen events. With Liaison, your institution will protect itself from disruptive events and maintain “business as usual” admissions operations even if your physical campuses must shut down operations.
- Lesson four dictates that you’re stronger as a member of a community. Joining a Liaison Centralized Application ServiceTM (CASTM) means you’ll be participating in a community of like-minded admissions professionals who are working toward goals that are similar to yours and facing challenges similar to those you face. CAS members regularly convene to share their best practices at in-person and digital networking events, such as Liaison’s popular live and on-demand webinars. Being part of a CAS community also increases your program’s visibility to potential applicants.
- Lesson five? Constant change requires meaningful communication. Liaison’s CAS and Enrollment Marketing Platform (EMP) allow you to do that easily, regardless of the challenges your institution is facing. “There is nobody else doing what Liaison is doing right now in terms of their partnerships and marketing pieces,” said Dr. Smith. “Working with Liaison is like having a combined enrollment and marketing department.”
Admissions Services Ensure Business Continuity for Your Admissions Office
Why do more than 31,000 programs at over 1,000 campuses use Liaison’s admissions technology? The support services offered by a CAS are unparalleled in the admissions space. In the realm of application processing services, Liaison physically receives and scans transcripts, helping schools go paperless. This speeds packaging completion and decision times, allowing your institution to reclaim headcount and focus enrollment efforts on reaching the next level. Liaison will even handle tasks you may not be able to address due to unforeseen crises, such as providing applicant support and responding to questions about progress on applications, whether your campus is open for business or shut down due to unexpected events.
How to Find Your Best-Fit Students: Tips on Leveraging the Fourth Quadrant
The Fourth Quadrant is the final stage of the CAS application process. It allows institutions to create questions and generate responses about program-specific requirements that vary from student to student. As a result, applicants and admissions professionals only need to concern themselves with information that is directly related to their specific program interests and qualifications. (The first three steps in the CAS application process involve the collection of personal, academic and supporting information.) To make sure you can take advantage of every opportunity a CAS provides, Liaison’s on-demand webinar, “The Fourth Quadrant: Best Practices for Configuring CAS,” highlights several important Configuration Portal features. Each is designed to help you build a better class while making the application experience more intuitive and relevant for everyone involved.