Educational Sessions

Location: Tower Court B Track: Tour Technicalities University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR | Institution Size: 10,001 – 20,000 | Public | 100+ Ambassadors | Unpaid

Join the University of Central Arkansas ambassador program leaders who helped pioneer early education experiences on our own campus as we explore the opportunities to connect younger audiences with your program. Attendees will then learn how to implement early education experiences within their program in three key steps: community outreach, activity/route development and tour guide training.

Location: Tower Court A Track: Strengthening Your Team James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA | Institution Size: 20,001 – 30,000 I Public | 100+ Ambassadors | Unpaid

This presentation will cover the new member experience of James Madison University's Student Ambassadors, sharing the ways in which they select, welcome, and integrate new members every year. Through sharing the process by which new members are welcomed into their organization, they will highlight intra-community engagement. Lastly, they will apply the experiences of their new member process so that other organizations can foster leadership and professional development as early as onboarding.

Location: Tower Court C Track: Advisor Only James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA | Institution Size20,001-30,000 | Public | 100+ Ambassadors | Unpaid

Have you ever had a student come to you in crisis? Did you know the best way to respond? Did you find yourself thinking, I’m not trained for this? Guess what, we’ve all been there. In this session for advisors, we will talk about how to best prepare ourselves and our students to respond to others in crisis. This session will explore basic crisis counseling techniques through roleplay and small group situations to teach us how to respond in crisis mode. Your campus and your community also have resources available to these students so that you don’t have to be an expert to know how to best assist them. By utilizing them in this way, we can also better showcase their impact with our prospective students. Let’s be prepared so that we know what to do and say in the moment and can best serve our students and our peers.

Location: Tower Court D Track: Beyond the Tour University of Oregon | Eugene, OR | Institution Size: 20,001 – 30,000 | Public | 50-70 Ambassadors | Paid At the University of Oregon, we go beyond the general campus tour so every student can have a unique experience and learn more about their interests. From our spooky haunted tours to sweat-breaking running tours, our guests can learn more about the City of Eugene’s history and culture. Our academic tours allow visitors to gain more insight into various schools, departments, and majors. Finally, our selfguided tours are voiced by ambassadors and allow students who can’t make it to our general campus tours to still learn firsthand accounts of our campus. Crafting a unique experience for every visitor helps make the University of Oregon stand out in the college decision process and creates a lasting impact on our prospective students.

Location: Denver Track: Diversity & Social Justice West Virginia University | Morgantown, WV | Institution Size: 20,001 – 30,000 | Public | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid

No matter what we do and how we do it, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion need to be at the forefront as we navigate students through the college decision process. To achieve the five levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we must create a cohesive space in which students feel respected and supported. As LGBTQ+ Tour Guides from Appalachia, sharing our personal experiences about the impact of campus resources not only provides insight into our campus community, but it opens the conversation and creates opportunity to speak to a broader sense of Diversity. With the assistance of real-life examples, descriptions of WVU events, encouraging personal reflection and audience participation, we will reinforce the necessity for these conversations and how to lead with confidence and compassion. Participants will leave with a better understanding of Diversity topics and how to use our past and future experiences to craft a better, more impactful visit.

Location: Silver Track: Ambassador & Tour Guide Training Colorado State University | Fort Collins, CO | Institution Size: 30,000+ | Public | 50-70 Ambassadors | Paid

Join Colorado State University to learn how training strategies, resources, and community building initiatives create a successful onboarding process and a strong team.

Location: Tower Court A Track: Ambassador & Tour Guide Training Duquesne University | Pittsburgh, PA | Institution Size: 5,001 – 10,000 | Private | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid

In today's fast paced world, there is little time to do all that we need to do. The same goes when you are trying to onboard new tour guides and prepare them to be in front of prospective students and guests. This session will focus on how Duquesne University utilizes a condensed training model that provides the immediate information tour guides need and then consistently builds on it throughout the semester. The session is ideal for institutions with smaller budgets and as a result, need to build their training around servicing guests as well. There will also be an emphasis on how there is not a one-size fits all model for training--institutions can take what they learn here and mold it to fit their programs and institutions.

Location: Tower Court B Track: Tour Technicalities Agnes Scott College | Decatur, GA | Institution Size: Under 5,000 | Private | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid

What do you associate with the word “sidekick?” Join this session to learn how treating prospective students like the hero in the story will improve their overall experience. Agnes Scott College will share the “hero's journey” theory as well as strategies that guide students to envision themselves at your institution.

Location: Silver Track: Strengthening Your Team Appalachian State University | Boone, NC | Institution Size: 20,001 – 30,000 | Public | 30-50 Ambassadors | Unpaid

Appalachian State University’s Motto is “Esse Quam Videri,” which translates to “to be rather than to seem.” Attendees will learn about being mindful of their public image when applied to professionalism, explained through the lens of the new social media platform: BeReal. Join this session to receive tools to assist in setting boundaries to promote a work/life balance through examples that have been effective in the Appalachian Student Ambassador organization (AMB). Attendees will also learn tangible examples of how to be authentic to themselves and as leaders; and will take these learned practices back to their respective institutions.

Location: Tower Court D Track: Beyond the Tour University of Houston | Houston, TX | Institution Size: 30,000+ | Public | 30-50 Ambassadors | Paid

It is widely understood that weekly team meetings are necessary to ensure effective communication. They not only act as significant checkpoints where everyone can communicate updates and monitor progress, but they also offer chances for team building. However, we are all aware of how painful and soul-sucking they can be to sit in. Attend this session to put an end to the meeting madness! Come hear about the different ambassador meetings the University of Houston holds, including town hall gatherings, student experience panels, and presentations from campus departments. We will also discuss our implementation strategy which includes outreach, planning, emailing campus departments, changing the ambassador tour manual, and how DEI is an important component of this strategy.

Location: Tower Court C Track: Diversity & Social Justice University of Wisconsin Madison | Madison, WI | Institution Size: 30,000+ | Public | 100+ Ambassadors | Paid

Join this session to learn the seven basic principles of universal design and how changes big and small within your program can have a big impact on your visitor experience.

Location: Denver Track: Advisor Only

Join Eric Johnson, Director of the Visitors Center at the University of Georgia, to delve deeper into ideas shared in the keynote address.

Location: Tower Court D Track: Ambassador & Tour Guide Training American University | Washington, D.C. | Institution Size: 5,001 – 10,000 | Private | 30-50 Ambassadors | Paid

Ever feel like your tour has turned into an awkward first date? How often do you ask your tour group if they have any questions only to be greeted by blank stares, early morning yawns, and deer-in-theheadlights looks? To make the visit experience the best one it can be, American University Ambassadors are trained to personalize each tour experience without having a set script. We pride ourselves in creating a memorable campus visit experience where students and their families walk away saying, “this was the best tour we’ve ever been on!” In this workshop, you’ll discover some fun and innovative ways to drive interest levels, maintain engagement, and motivate your guests to be comfortable with asking questions. For advisors, we hope to inspire you to give your tour guides opportunities to customize their tours. Even though there are plenty of fish in the sea, we want your campus visit to be the best catch.

Location: Tower Court B Track: Tour Technicalities Western Kentucky University | Bowling Green, KY | Institution Size: 10,001 – 20,000 | Public | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid & Unpaid

During tours, guides are tasked with the responsibility of not only highlighting university features for students, but also for parents. While students may be more interested in academic buildings, recreation centers, and campus student life, parents tend to have other priorities. In a recent poll conducted by Noodle Education, surveying 100 parents with prospective college students, 74.5% of parents ranked safety as highly important when touring a university with their children. As guides, we must find simple yet inventive ways to integrate safety into our tour presentations. Throughout this presentation, we will display some of the ways that our own university incorporates student safety into our tours and how other guides can implement these methods at their respective institutions. These methods include practical demonstrations of safety measures (i.e. residence hall check in procedures), implementing the teach back method during safety stops, and utilizing different models of delivery regarding safety procedures.

Location: Tower Court C Track: Strengthening Your Team Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA | Institution Size: Under 5,000 | Private | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid

When you envision what a mentor looks like for a college student, you typically picture an individual with either decades of experience, or an individual just a few years older who is still figuring things out as they go. Not often do you envision a mentor working in the same office as their mentee, who is directly involved in their success and professional development. Pepperdine University’s intern panel is in a unique position to be mentored by the professional staff we share an office with, and to mentor new student workers as they begin their journey in visitor services. We’ll share the value in learning by doing, but also in being taught by the pros, and the unique opportunity of being both mentors and mentees.

Location: Silver Track: Beyond the Tour University of Kentucky | Lexington, KY | Institution Size: 20,001 – 30,000 | Public | 30-50 Ambassadors | Paid Auburn University College of Sciences & Mathematics | Auburn, AL | Institution Size: 20,001 – 30,000 | Public | 10-30 Ambassadors | Unpaid University of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | Institution Size: 30,000+ | Public | 100+ Ambassadors | Paid

Looking to boost tour guide morale within your program? Then you’ve come to the right place! The University of Kentucky, University of Pittsburgh, and Auburn University College of Sciences and Mathematics share how they keep morale high within their respective programs, as well as unique strategies to take home and apply to your team.

Location: Tower Court A Track: Diversity & Social Justice Colorado State University | Fort Collins, CO | Institution Size: 30,000+ | Public | 50-70 Ambassadors | Paid

Learn about the logistics, application and execution of group visits that cater to students with marginalized identities. Complete the big 8 identity wheel to better understand which groups are marginalized and might not get exposure to higher education or have the ability to visit multiple (or even just one) college. Attendees will learn how to make higher education more accessible and inclusive and how to incorporate current student perspectives and experiences to give prospective students exposure to a higher education setting.

Location: Denver Track: Tour Guide Transferables Duquesne University | Pittsburgh, PA | Institution Size: 5,001 – 10,000 | Private | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid

Ask any professional working in higher education how they got started and you'll probably get a different answer each time. No path is the same for those that work in higher ed. This session will focus on how students can continue the meaningful work they do now as ambassadors, as professional staff members. We will discuss the academic journey many higher ed. professionals take through the graduate and postgraduate level. As well as the vast variety of careers that are available in higher education. Every institution has its own ecosystem and there are roles for nearly every professional interest. There is much to explore in higher education and this session will introduce attendees to these opportunities and the great benefits (professional, financial, and personal) that come with working in higher ed.

Location: Tower Court A Track: Ambassador & Tour Guide Training Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro, TN | Institution Size: 20,001 – 30,000 | Public | 30-50 Ambassadors | Paid

What makes a tour guide great? Training week. No one wakes up being the best. It takes preparation. In this session, we will look at the qualities a tour guide should have, review the importance of department information sessions, explain how to read a tour group, and discuss ways to answer difficult questions.

Location: Tower Court D Track: Tour Technicalities Tarleton State University | Stephenville, TX | Institution Size: 10,001 – 20,000 | Public | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid

While hosting schools and other visiting organizations for group tours certainly brings its headaches group tours account for more than 65% of the yearly visitors to Tarleton State University's Welcome Center. Despite challenges, eliminating group tour options was not an option at all if we were to serve the mission of growing enrollment and helping students find their home on our campus. After this presentation, participants can expect to walk away with an understanding of how we evaluated existing group tour processes, created an interactive and immersive experience for visitors of all ages, got a little creative, and Tarleton State University Tour BINGO was born! Join us to learn how the tour BINGO model could be implemented for groups visiting campuses of any shape or size!

Location: Tower Court C Track: Strengthening Your Team Appalachian State University | Boone, NC | Institution Size: 20,001 – 30,000 | Public | 30-50 Ambassadors | Unpaid

This session will focus on aspects of how our organization, the Appalachian Student Ambassadors (AMB), improves our team morale and what brings us all closer together. We do not see ourselves as 29 different leaders or coworkers, instead, we identify as one giant “fAMBly.” Join this interactive session to learn unique practices of our organization which have made our members feel connected, so that session attendees can bring these strategies to their home institutions.

Location: Denver Track: Beyond the Tour University of Houston | Houston, TX | Institution Size: 30,000+ | Public | 30-50 Ambassadors | Paid

Join the CIVSA Research & Assessment Committee and the University of Houston to learn more about developing surveys, analyzing results, and utilizing data to grow and develop your tour program.

Location: Tower Court B Track: Diversity & Social Justice University of North Carolina Charlotte | Charlotte, NC | Institution Size: 30,000+ | Public | 30-50 Ambassadors | Paid & Unpaid

Over the last decade, the Hispanic and Latino population in the United States has grown faster than the general population. This means that universities nationwide are serving more families that communicate primarily in Spanish. UNC Charlotte is no exception. While we, like so many other institutions, have made strides in recruitment of these students and their families, we offered no printed materials or informational programs in Spanish. Join this session to learn how a student-lead initiative sparked the development of a fully bilingual campus visit experience in a matter of months.

Location: Silver Track: Tour Guide Transferables Lindenwood University | St. Charles, MO | Institution Size: 5,001 – 10,000 | Private | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid

It’s no secret that people communicate with different styles – we’ve all had THAT parent on tour, THAT colleague who asks tons of questions, or THAT friend who we just butt heads with. But, how much do you really know about YOUR communication style? Why do you communicate the way you do, and why do certain things stress you out more than others? We’ll take an introspective look at your personal communication style – your strengths, stressors, perceptions and more. Together we’ll discuss how a deeper understanding of what you need and like can improve your communication with others, and sometimes even help their communication with you.

Location: Tower Court A Track: Ambassador & Tour Guide Training George Washington University | Washington, D.C. | Institution Size: 10,001 – 20,000 | Private | 50-70 Ambassadors | Paid

Learn about the need for a diverse and inclusive pool of student ambassadors. Once selected, learn how we take a uniquely visitor-oriented approach to training our student ambassadors, which impacts the quality of the information we relay to the families.

Location: Tower Court B Track: Tour Technicalities Albion College | Albion, MI | Institution Size: Under 5,000 | Private | 70-100 Ambassadors | Paid

Tour guides exist in a setting where they are responsible for marketing their college to a large audience, sometimes using a rigid, fact-based script. However, research shows most big decisions are made with emotions over logic. Through one-on-one tours, the Albion College Tour Guide program has developed a consistent way to drop the performance pressure and make tours feel authentic and personalized. Regardless of the structure of your tours, in this presentation you will learn how to connect with your visitors, accommodate their needs, and give them a memorable experience.

Location: Tower Court C Track: Strengthening Your Team Hofstra University | Hempstead, NY | Institution Size: 10,001 – 20,000 | Private | 70-100 Ambassadors | Paid Western Kentucky University | Bowling Green, KY | Institution Size: 10,001 – 20,000 | Public | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid

You can’t recruit the best students without having the best tour guides. But how do you recruit the best tour guides? Hofstra University and Western Kentucky University join forces to discuss best strategies for recruiting tour guides.

Location: Tower Court D Track: Beyond the Tour Texas A&M University | College Station, TX | Institution Size: 30,000+ | Public | 100+ Ambassadors | Paid

This presentation will discuss the importance of representation, diversity, inclusion and honesty in social media marketing, especially when it comes to the college’s future and what the new faces on campus will look like. It is crucial to accurately display what the current students do, look like, what a day-in-the-life looks like, etc. Learn how to post with purpose, inclusion, and diversity at the forefront. We are stronger together and should portray unity, appreciation and respect for our fellow students and citizens in everything we do, while also being inclusive to all students online, not just what we think people might want to see.

Location: Denver Track: Diversity & Social Justice Sam Houston State University | Huntsville, TX | Institution Size: 20,001 – 30,000 | Public | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid

While the Sam Houston State University campus was built in the early 1800s on a series of hills, we are continuing to work towards having ADA friendly tour routes and accommodations for guests. While we cannot control the landscape or re-construction of our campus, we can provide training for our tour guides to better understand disability and ensure we provide a positive experience for all. This session will cover tips and tricks on how to better communicate and include guests with disabilities, both seen and unseen, with kindness and confidence.

Location: Silver Track: Tour Guide Transferables Coastal Carolina University | Conway, SC | Institution Size: 10,001 – 20,000 | Public | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid Duquesne University | Pittsburgh, PA | Institution Size: 5,001 – 10,000 | Private | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid

As ambassadors, you are constantly developing and refining skills that are crucial for success in any workplace. This session will focus on how you can highlight your time as an ambassador on your resume, LinkedIn, during an interview and more! Join Coastal Carolina University and Duquesne University to learn more about leveraging your time as an ambassador to reach your professional goals.

Location: Tower Court A Track: Ambassador & Tour Guide Training Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA | Institution Size: 10,001 – 20,000 | Public | 100+ Ambassadors | Paid

The presentation covers how Georgia Institute of Technology switched from auditing our potential new guides to certifying them. You’ll learn how the process has evolved and how the impact changed the program. Overall, this process makes it more about how well the guide has adapted to the program and reflects their interest and not how much information they can memorize. All of this is to create a more well-rounded group of tour guides and a memorable tour experience.

Location: Denver Track: Tour Technicalities Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA | Institution Size: 5,001 – 10,000 | Private | 70-100 Ambassadors | Paid

This session will discuss the evolution of virtual tour events with Carnegie Mellon University’s ambassador program, the Tartan Ambassadors. Since COVID-19, we have been developing our virtual campus tour to be more engaging, creative, and immersive. Ranging from a fully virtual event using an interactive map and photo slideshow, to a hybrid-live format where ambassadors physically show campus through Zoom, the different iterations of our virtual campus tour have had unique advantages and challenges. Each format has its own method of how the campus is presented, how ambassadors give the tour, and how the audience can engage.

Location: Silver Track: Strengthening Your Team Utah Valley University | Orem, UT | Institution Size: 30,000+ | Public | 50-70 Ambassadors | Paid

Have you ever been part of a team where you felt unseen, unheard, or unwanted? Experiencing these feelings can lead to team members feeling dissatisfied and losing motivation in their commitment. As student leaders, we hope that the teams we create do not experience this. Join the Utah Valley University Ambassadors as we talk about how you can create a legendary culture within your program. This session will be inviting and intriguing for those who want to learn and apply these same experiences with their own teams. Implementing these key takeaways will enable you and your ambassadors to feel seen, heard and wanted as you focus on establishing a strong culture of accountability, recognition, tradition, and ownership.

Location: Tower Court C Track: Beyond the Tour University of California Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | Institution Size: 30,000+ | Public | 100+ Ambassadors | Paid & Unpaid

Learn how having multiple student groups can help with a larger mission by specializing their focus on what they do. A panel with student leaders from each of UCLA’s four Undergraduate Admission student groups will showcase how each organization is vastly different from the other, but all have a common mission to promote higher education and to showcase UCLA.

Location: Tower Court B Track: Diversity & Social Justice University of Alabama Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | Institution Size: 20,001 – 30,000 | Public | 50-70 Ambassadors | Paid Albion College | Albion, MI | Institution Size: Under 5,000 | Private | 70-100 Ambassadors | Paid

Is your tour program looking to develop community partnerships and showcase your institution’s city? Then this session is a must! Join us as we share what makes these communities unique and demonstrate how building community partnerships creates belonging and fortifies campus culture.

Location: Tower Court D Track: Tour Guide Transferables University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, CO | Institution Size: 30,000+ | Public | 70-100 Ambassadors | Paid

Growing as a leader is important but can be frustrating when you are supervising and leading your peers, some of whom may be good friends. In this session, learn how Perry’s Theory of Intellectual Development can help you grow as a leader, and help you support and challenge your peers in growing and learning as well. Come ready to contribute and share, as the best learning happens when we can share real-life examples and talk through solutions!

Location: Tower Court D Track: Ambassador & Tour Guide Training University of Montana | Missoula, MT | Institution Size: 5,001 – 10,000 | Public | 50-70 Ambassadors | Paid & Unpaid

For more than 50 years, student ambassadors at the University of Montana have served in the same role providing daily campus tours on a volunteer basis, along with a variety of other duties, until now. With an institutional shift to paid student tour guides, we found ourselves in a unique position to re-think where student ambassador time will be spent. This session discusses how a human centered design framework was implemented, asking our ambassadors to design the most “Remarkable Retention Program” for incoming students and to better position themselves as longer-term peer mentors as part of a holistic First Year Experience program. Their prototypes were scaled up and implemented as a pilot this fall, so lessons learned and ideas for future iterations of the program will be shared.

Location: Tower Court B Track: Tour Technicalities Tarleton State University | Stephenville, TX | Institution Size: 10,001 – 20,000 | Public | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, CO | Institution Size: 30,000+ | Public | 70-100 Ambassadors | Paid

Interested in moving from a volunteer organization to a paid organization? Look no further! Learn from Tarleton State University and the University of Colorado Boulder about how each institution went from a 100% volunteer program to a 100% paid program. We’ll share expertise, along with tips and tricks to assist your programs facing similar transitions.

Location: Tower Court C Track: Strengthening Your Team Bowling Green State University | Bowling Green, OH | Institution Size: 10,001 – 20,000 | Public | 70-100 Ambassadors | Paid Does your institution struggle with tour guide coverage over summer break when families are eager to visit your campus? Join Bowling Green State University to learn about our experience developing and implementing a summer cohort, including the structure, compensation, and overall program so you can consider adapting this model to work for your campus.

Location: Silver Track: Beyond the Tour Rider University | Lawrenceville, NJ | Institution Size: Under 5,000 | Private | 50-70 Ambassadors | Paid

Even at a small university like Rider University, we pride ourselves on a leadership presence in the office. Last year our leadership team completely rebranded, and we created a Lead Tour Guide program. Our vision was for each lead to set an example, have different responsibilities, as well as establish a positive work environment. Throughout this presentation we will share our vision for our lead tour guide program, the recruitment and interview process where we used the characteristics of The Ideal Team Player (humble, hungry, smart) and determine new roles and responsibilities for each Lead to oversee. After attending this session, attendees will evaluate their own leadership programs and use the tools we share to reimagine their own program and recruit future leaders to their office.

Location: Tower Court A Track: Diversity & Social Justice Berry College | Mount Berry, GA | Institution Size: Under 5,000 | Private | 30-50 Ambassadors | Paid Wichita State University | Wichita, KS | Institution Size: 10,001 – 20,000 | Public | 70-100 Ambassadors | Paid & Unpaid Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti, MI | Institution Size: 10,001 – 20,000 | Public | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid University of Central Oklahoma | Edmond, OK | Institution Size: 10,001 – 20,000 | Public | 10-30 Ambassadors | Paid

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) are core values for our programs. DEIB within our programs gives our prospective students a more inclusive, inviting, and welcoming tour. Berry College, Wichita State University, Eastern Michigan University and the University of Central Oklahoma participate in a group panel discussing their respective DEIB efforts.

Location: Denver Track: Advisor Only

Are you looking to get more involved in CIVSA but don’t know how? Come to our session and find out all of the ways you can maximize your CIVSA membership to the fullest extent. We’ll discuss CIVSA’s history, memberships benefits, and the professional and volunteer opportunities CIVSA offers.