PROFESSIONALISM
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f “progress” is the key word characterizing student recruitment and student services at IUB in the 2011-2012 academic year, another word captures just how that progress occurred: “professionalism.” Throughout this year, the staff in the Office of Enrollment Management dedicated themselves to the vital task of recruiting, serving, and retaining an amazing group of students. Each staff member in every department of OEM played his or her part with consummate professionalism. They worked diligently — and they worked cooperatively, with each other and with faculty and staff all over campus — to make this a year of significant progress, for individual students and for the University as a whole. Each department can point to scores of individual projects and initiatives — discrete efforts that, when taken together, made the path to progress clear and navigable. A few examples will serve to illustrate the nature and scope of OEM’s work this year. In the Office of Admissions, staff members launched a comprehensive communication plan that took full advantage of all platforms, with a special emphasis on social media. The plan included a Facebook page for parents; a Freshman Year Blog site where new students blogged about their “IU Firsts;” and hundreds of electronic and print communications for
Adriana Rivera Hometown: East Chicago, Indiana Class: Freshman Major: Education Activities: Active in Sunday school and children’s ministry at her local church; longtime participant in Operation Christmas Child, packing and sending shoeboxes with school supplies, hygiene items, and toys to needy children all around the world; member of Wells Activism and Volunteer Effort (WAVE) on campus. The IU experience, in her words: “I chose to attend IU because of the Wells Scholars Program, the beautiful campus, and the sense of community and identity that comes with being a Hoosier. It’s a wonderful opportunity to be a Wells Scholar. Not only do I get to bear the name of one of the greatest educators and visionaries of all time, but my college experience (tuition, room and board, books and fees, and study abroad) are all paid in full for four years. IU is more than I could have ever dreamed of. Once I got here, I learned so much more about the university and what it has to offer as a center of culture, diversity, arts and family.”
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Alex Sohl Hometown: Alpharetta, Georgia Class: Junior Major: Finance and Economic Consulting Activities: Member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity; traveled to India on the Business in a Flat World trip; member of the Scholarship Advisory Committee, the Indiana University Student Association, Wright Quad Student Government, and the Indiana University Dance Marathon nonprofit (IUDM), which raises funds for Riley Hospital for Children. The IU experience, in his words: “I chose to attend IU mostly because of the combination of a great business school and beautiful campus. It also was cheaper in comparison to some of the other schools I considered. As an out-of-state student, affordability has been a huge issue for me. Thankfully, IU awarded me one scholarship as an incoming freshman, and then another one for doing well in school my first year. IU has exceeded all of my expectations. The classes and professors have impressed me since the first day of class. I’m having the time of my life and have made lifelong friends. I literally do not think that I could have picked a better school.”
senior, junior, and sophomore prospects, applicants, admits, and parents of admits. Admissions staff also staged a variety of on- and off-campus events to increase outreach to influencers, including high school counselors and representatives from Indianapolis community-based organizations. Also, through more than 700 on-campus visit programs and events, the Office of Admissions and its campus partners played host to nearly 31,000 students and family members this year. The Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) provided the personal touch as well, most notably through its reorganization to help launch the new Student Services Center. This year, OSFA staff assisted 86,307 individual clients through phone, e-mail, and walk-ins — with 49 percent of these contacts occurring during the peak period of June-August. The service provided by OSFA staff produced impressive numbers. During the 2011-2012 academic year, 29,446 students received nearly a half-billion dollars in financial aid processed by OSFA. The Office of Scholarships also played a key role in ensuring the affordability of an IU education — as well as in recruiting the best, brightest, and most deserving students and making
Office of Enrollment Management 2012 Annual Report