Equity and Inclusion: Multicultural Recruitment, Events, and Campus Diversity - CIVSA

Equity and Inclusion: Multicultural Recruitment, Events,
and Campus Diversity

   Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at a PWI and HSI. Is there a difference?
   In this session, we explore diversity, equity, and inclusion for tour guides from both the perspectives of a predominantly White institution and a
   Hispanic serving institution. We will provide different tactics, programming, and opportunities for tour guides, to gain awareness of their own
   identity, therefore allowing students to better serve any campus visitor no matter their background, beliefs and experiences. We tackle issues
   that tour guides face at a PWI and HSI. We recognize that cultural competency is different across higher education, come learn how Cal State
   San Bernardino and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo face familiar but unique challenges. Come explore how CSUSB and Cal Poly tackle these
   hurdles. We look forward to a dynamic session where we can all participate and learn from the collective whole as the work of inclusion is best
   shared by diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and beliefs.

   Microaggressions: Big things, Not little things
   Fostering an environment that is welcoming and safe is a key part of our work as visit professionals, and it is even more critical for our
   prospective students, student leaders, and professionals. This session will prepare you with the resources and skills needed to understand and
   help minimize microaggressions on our campuses and in CIVSA.

   Re-strategize your Underrepresented Student Programs!
   Discover how Cal State San Bernardino re-strategized their underrepresented student programs to align with the admissions cycle and meet the
   demands of students at critical points of their admissions process. Our office thought about the collective of programs, which have already been
   offered at CSUSB and served specifically Black students, Latinx students and Native American students; how we could retool the programs and
   present these programs differently that made more sense for students. Not an easy sell for campus constituents but the results were great and
   students appreciated meeting them were they were at. Learn how we used campus partners, community partners, and high school leaders to
   create momentum for our redefined programs and helped build a more sensible collection of underrepresented programming.

   Safe Zone Training
   Fostering an environment that is welcoming and safe is a key part of our work as visit professionals, but it is even more critical for our LGBTQ+
   students, student leaders, and professionals. This session will prepare you with the resources and skills needed to serve as an effective ally to
   your campus and in CIVSA.

   The Norm - Not the Exception: Multicultural Recruitment + the Visitor Experience
   Alverno College is a small Catholic women's college where half of our student body is comprised of women of color. Personalizing the visitor
   experience is key to our success in attracting students. We will discuss what we do and why we do it. We also will discuss how
   parents/families/influencers are key to success. We hope all colleges and universities will find value in our presentation but especially other small
   private colleges.

First Look: Event Planning and The Campus Visit Experience

   Deconstructing Your Yield Programs!
   Deconstructing anything can be very difficult, and as much I wish we were learning about deconstructing a chicken pot pie or a turkey dinner;
   in this session you’ll learn how Cal State San Bernardino deconstructed their yield programs. Not as yummy as food but, still very rewarding.
   We learned very fast in the fall of 2020 that virtual programs could not be the same as in-person programs. With Zoom fatigue becoming a
   trending topic among colleagues and students, quickly, we discovered that 5 hours needed to become 1 hour. So, we set to deconstruct our
   programs to fit students’ needs and times, come learn how we did this and how successful we were!

   Not the same boring tour...
   Does your university have so many things they want to show off, but can’t fit them all in one tour? Are there sculptures or buildings around
   campus that visitors ask about, but you don’t have the information on? Does your institution have an art gallery or museum, but you have
   never figured out a good way to talk about it on a visit? Come hear how our institution worked with a variety of campus partners and historical
   documents to provide a variety of tours (both virtual and in-person) to address these questions.

   Off the Beaten Path: Implementing a Feeling First, Facts Second Campus Tour
   We know our prospective students make decisions based on feelings, rather than facts, so why are our ambassadors still reciting stale
   numbers like square footage or enrollment data instead of sharing stories? Before COVID-19 Bucknell University's Office of Admissions
   teamed up with the Office of Communications for a total tour route overhaul. After assessing the existing route, aligning messaging with the
   university’s branding goals, and letting feelings pave the way, they were left with a reimagined tour experience driven by storytelling that
   became a springboard for innovative and collaborative new projects.

   Open House Outdoor Style
   In a COVID world, having a typical Open House is a nearly impossible task. While many institutions moved Open House online using videos
   and Zoom, others evolved their event so that guests were still able to visit campus. Learn how Western Carolina University moved a campus
   wide event from indoors to an entirely outdoor event for guests. The experience may be different, but the purpose is still the same. Providing
   prospective students the best experience while getting a glimpse of what life is like on your campus.

   Pre. During. Post. Summers at PSU.
   Penn State University, a large, public research institution comprised of 20 undergraduate campus locations hosts a variety of summer open
   house experiences. Join us as we discuss our signature Spend a Summer Day events and their logistics, the university-wide marketing and
   invite strategy for them, the various types of campuses and their particular types of summer open house programs, and our tour guide
   organization. We will discuss how Spend A Summer Day evolved pre-COVID, during COVID, and post-COVID.

   Sparking Conversation: Examining Trigger Words in Recruitment
   As campus visit professionals, we engage with students and parents daily. WHAT we say and HOW we say it affects every conversation we
   have and, in turn, reflects on our universities. This presentation explores the importance of body language and the words we use in tackling
   everyday conversations and tough questions.

   Sustainability in Admissions: Cost-Effective Measures for Decreasing your
   Institution's Environmental Impact
   Every year, we work to build a class of students who are increasingly aware of their role in promoting environmental sustainability and climate
   justice. It's time our offices caught up! Here at Pitzer, our Core Value of Environmental Sustainability has shaped how we run our visit program.
   From laminated college fair materials, to dual-flush toilets to reef-safe sunscreen, see how our staff has pushed our office to better reflect our
   mission, and reduce our environmental impact. We will offer a list of easy-to-implement, inexpensive ways to prioritize sustainably, and secure
   buy-in from (potentially skeptical!) leadership!

The One Where You Fly Solo During A Pandemic: Executing a Year of Events On Your
Own
The 2020-2021 school year proved to be difficult for us all. Whether we were adjusting to a fully virtual programming or handling hybrid
programming or juggling in-person programming with COVID-19 procedures in place. How about executing a full year of virtual events by
yourself? I will talk about my experience completing a full academic year of large-scale (re: not daily visits) virtual events for both prospective
and admitted students while down two events team members. This session will be helpful for those who plan large events for their colleges
and universities and want to hear the tips that I learned over the last year that I will continue to use moving forward. I am also hopeful this can
be a sharing experience hearing from colleagues about what tips and tricks have worked for you in your offices.

Visitor Experience from a Global Perspective
This session will provide an oversight into how events for prospective students are run at Lancaster University in England and the similarities
that are key to successful events regardless of the country they are based in. It will also discuss the revamp of the ambassador programme
and associated development opportunities, considering how it has positively impacted the visitor experience.

Where We've Been and Where We're Going: A Panel Discussion on COVID Transitions
Transition. Pivot. Unprecedented. These are just a few of the many words we’re sick of hearing, but truly describe the last year. Through toilet
paper shortages and nasal swabs, admissions and visit teams have persevered to find new ways of engaging students. But with vaccines
being distributed and a “new normal” on the horizon, where do we go from here? Join staff from four institutions (both public/private and
small/large institutions) as they share what the last year has looked like for them and how they are making decisions to plan for the next cycle.
Nationwide and institution-specific data will be shared related to student perspectives and visit behavior.Is virtual really here to stay? Will open
houses also be livestreamed? What does “post COVID” even mean? We promise to unmute before talking, and not ask if everyone can see my
screen.

Primary Partnerships: Campus Involvement, Community
Outreach, and Classroom Engagement

  Overcoming the Community College Stereotype
  Community Colleges still face resistance from potential students and secondary staff due to lingering stereotypes. Learn how San Jacinto
  College is challenging the "College" image through our outreach efforts to K-12 students, school stakeholders, and community partners.

  Planting Seeds: Creating a College Going Culture with K-9 Students
  Creating a college going culture in your city takes intentionality and strategy starting with students as young as Elementary school age. The
  University of Texas at San Antonio’s Community Outreach team partners alongside Admissions in their recruitment efforts by planting the seed
  with students at young age. Through various programs for K-9 students as well as parents and families, come learn what’s possible through
  outreach initiatives.

  You Want to Bring HOW MANY Elementary School Students to Campus?
  So many group tour requests, and so little time! Colleges and universities often receive far more group tour requests than their paid staff is able
  to accommodate. Join us to learn about how the University of Southern California created a VolunTour Leader program named Tommy’s
  Tours to meet the demand of their youngest campus visitors without taking away availability for others. We will discuss how the volunteers of
  Tommy’s Tours work in conjunction with the paid student Student Ambassador team and have adapted to a virtual environment during the
  pandemic, allowing us to welcome more groups to campus (both in person and virtually) than ever before.

Staying Innovative: Leveraging Visits & Events in a Virtual World
   Engaging Admits on ZeeMee
   Gen Z craves virtual engagement but are 100% zoomed out. ZeeMee offers to a great platform to keep your admitted students engaged
   tactfully and organically. An Admitted Student Day is great, but how do you keep them continuously interested in the months leading up to the
   fall semester? Learn what ZeeMee has to offer and how Augsburg has used it to help bring in its two largest classes in university history, even
   amidst a pandemic.

   Expanding the Guest Visit Beyond Campus into a Virtual Space
   Visitor experiences have changed over the past year as universities reimagine campus visits from in-person to virtual. This session focuses on
   how the UNC Visitors Center transitioned much of the in-person guest experience in its newly opened home to a virtual space. Participants will
   learn what content and elements of the in-person guest experience easily adapt to virtual and online presentation and how we adjusted that
   content. We’ll explore the creative ways Carolina revised its popular, daily Sense of Place tour into an in-demand Zoom tour with live and
   recorded elements to engage guests. We’ll also talk about lessons we learned along the way, hiccups we did not anticipate and other
   adjustments we made to our Zoom tour based on guest feedback and constant program improvement.

   From the Ground Up: A Team Equipped for Virtual Success
   As we all entered virtual settings in 2020, the future of prospective and admitted student visit programs became uncertain. The freshly created
   UWM Visit Team was handed not only the task to build a new, cohesive, and productive unit, but to do it in an “unprecedented” virtual setting.
   Our team took on the challenge through strategic thinking, collaboration across campus and by learning new technologies at a rapid pace. In
   our presentation, we discuss the various systems implemented to create well-received virtual events for students and implemented best
   practices on how to effectively work with a variety of stakeholders.

   If Chrissy Teigen can do it, so can you!: Training authentic content creators
   Video content is more important than ever due to Generation Z trends and, of course, the pandemic. Students workers are often apprehensive
   to record themselves in a video (it is public speaking after all). Using strategic hiring, hands on training, and fundamentals of public speaking,
   Albion College Tour Guides generated 50+ short videos for various targeted uses. These videos added genuine student engagement for
   marketing communications, social media, virtual connections, and a self-guided tour. This session will also include an activity to practice
   speaking while recording.

   Live from Campus, It’s a Virtual Tour: CU Boulder’s journey to creating a live virtual
   tour program
   We all know the importance of the campus tour in the college search process; but what about when students can’t visit campus? Enter: virtual
   tours! Without stepping foot on campus, virtual tours can provide prospective students with the on-campus experience they’re looking for from
   the comfort of their own home. During this session, learn how CU Boulder established a live virtual tour program from inception to
   implementation. Using our tour philosophy to guide our process, we will share how we work with campus partners, utilize and incentivize our
   mostly volunteer student ambassadors for training and staffing, manage quality control virtually, and apply data to maintain an in-demand
   virtual tour program. We will also review unforeseen challenges and impart lessons learned to support and inspire the creation of a live virtual
   tour program at any type of institution.

   On Task and On Time: Maximizing Technology in an Admission Center
   It’s 2021 and technology is everywhere. So many aspects of our life our automated, so it is only natural that our offices do the same. This
   session will discuss how to leverage technology to optimize your office potential. We will discuss platforms such as Sling, Slack and Asana,
   sharing how the University of Southern California Admission Center has implemented these tools to improve our efficiency, both before and
   after the pandemic. There are many ways to incorporate technology, and there is no ‘one size fits all’, but we hope to facilitate a discussion
   among all attendees on various tips and tricks our colleagues have found that work for their offices. This session will be helpful for staff who
   work with tour guides and/or student office workers, as well as staff who oversee any large projects-independently or in a group-such as
   Student Ambassador recruitment, group tours, or event planning.

Simmons University Enhances Virtual Engagement with Promotional Products
Like all colleges over the past year, Simmons University had to figure out how to be memorable, engage with, and excite prospective visiting
students with a standard playbook that was no longer relevant. While digital engagement filled a void, it lacked the personal touch and long
lasting impact that is so important to the Simmons experience. To make sure they could still connect physically, Simmons University
incorporated promotional product marketing into their virtual prospective student engagement plan. Throughout each phase of the recruitment
cycle and virtual event, Simmons with the help of Magellan Promotions, brainstormed ideas and incorporated promotional products to provide
a physical and lasting connection. This presentation will review all of the touch points that Simmons pivoted to virtual and how they
successfully integrated promotional products into the engagement mix. In addition, we will review what lessons were learned along the way
and what will be incorporated into the visit and recruitment experience going forward.

Talk To A Terp: Reimagining a 1-on-1 In-Person Experience Virtually
Interested in learning how to provide an individualized experience virtually to prospective or admitted students? Come learn about Talk To A
Terp! At the University of Maryland (UMD) we have reimagined a full day in-person experience to a one-hour virtual experience. Talk To A Terp
allows recently admitted students to sign-up to speak 1-on-1 with a current student and ask them questions about their UMD experience. Join
us to learn how we got this idea up and running in less than 3 months and all that we have learned so far. We will share tips and tricks on how
you can easily duplicate or innovate this experience and make it your own.

The Evolution of Virtual Visits and Events at Flagler College
When the world shutdown, Flagler College's admissions and visit teams had to pivot programming just like every other institution. We
immediately began offering virtual visits and events - but were we offering too much? During this session, we will follow through the evolution
of a small, private college's virtual programming from pre-COVID to now.

The New Campus Tour
Learn how three current Princeton undergraduate students designed a mobile engagement platform to disrupt the tour industry. Leveraging
student stories, augmented reality geotags, and multimedia content, Adora allows campus communities to both enhance their own campus
visit programs and engage students in a virtual world.
In 2019, Ron, Raya, and Joseph started Adora Experiences after hearing from a friend who took a campus tour and, though he indicated he
was most interested in Physics, didn’t hear one thing about the Physics program during his campus visit. Understanding the importance of the
campus visit in the college search process, the trio built an end-to-end platform to offer personalized, accessible, and mobile-friendly tours to
Princeton’s prospective students - both in person and online. While this process started well before COVID-19, the pandemic has accelerated
the adoption of long-overdue technologies in our industry.
Since winning Princeton’s startup competition in February 2020, Adora has partnered with a number of other schools, including Stanford,
Pitzer, and Colorado State University. In April 2021, the company was acquired by Full Measure Education, the industry leader for mobile
engagement, who will work with the Adora team to bring the campus visit experience to campuses and students nationwide.

The power of the "near peer" experience - maximizing student ambassadors in a virtual world
Over the past year we have been living in a virtual world and have come to realize that virtual programming is not going away. For a generation
that relies on technology, this new virtual world is the perfect way to connect prospective students to current students from the comfort of their
homes across the world. Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA will talk about their innovative ways to foster “near peer” experiences between
student ambassadors and prospective students. These experiences go beyond formal Zoom meetings and student panels to meet students
on platforms like Discord, AmongUs, and Kahoot that they are already using. We will explain how to create more authentic student
experiences by celebrating student accomplishments and creating fun spaces during virtual events. Not only will this engage prospective
students, but it will also empower your student ambassadors by helping them build transferable skills. Join us, as we explore how to maximize
ambassadors in the virtual world!

This Isn't Going Away
Are you starting to wonder what virtual events to keep when you go back to a 'traditional' in-person world? What do you duplicate? How do
you balance? We'll talk about what we learned when we had to figure out how to balance both in-person and virtual programming.

Support for the Frontline: Student Development, Campus Safety,
and Current Events
   99 Problems But My Tour Guides Ain't One: How large tour guide program runs itself
   Albion College is a small private liberal arts school in Michigan with a student body of 1,600. With around 100 paid tour guides, a lot of folks
   are curious on the how's and why's of it all. Through delegation and empowerment we are able to offer a curated, one-on-one tour experience
   to our visitors and high level of individual development for our tour guides. In this session, we will cover how leveraging a smaller team of tour
   guides to do the heavy lifting of daily operations, training, program improvements, etc. leaves room for program coordinators to find more
   balance as their workload increases. This session will also include an interactive element to sharpen your own delegation skills.

   An AmbassaJourney - The Art of Student Storytelling from Application through Hiring
   This session will explore the importance of weaving a narrative and using personal anecdotes to best showcase the campus experience.
   Storytelling is a skill we emphasize throughout our Ambassadors' tenure - from the hiring stage through graduation. We will share our insights
   on seeking talented storytellers and fostering their skills throughout their time in our program. We will discuss our implementation of
   professional competences, the leveraging of varied experiences, and the consistent need for adaptability. With the unprecedented events of
   the last year, we've mastered sharing our stories in the virtual space and providing a much-needed, candid connection between current and
   prospective students.

   Inspiring Imaginative Student Organizations
   When it comes to the campus visit experience, building a dynamic, engaged, and collaborative culture within your student ambassador
   organizations can be the one little spark in making a difference to prospective students and guests. Often with volunteer organizations,
   however, it can be challenging to create consistent buy-in and build accountability and affinity. This session will tell the story how Arizona State
   has built a dynamic student ambassador organization culture across multiple campuses – promoting a single voice while cherishing unique
   identities of each campus. Gain general takeaways on how to build up your student organizations to a single vision and voice while promoting
   what makes the organizations special to students. Presenters will provide proven examples, assessment data, and challenges of this model as
   well as how you can implement similar strategies promoting organizational affinity that can be effective in any structure.

   Let’s Get Digital: How we adapted our ongoing training program to the virtual world
   Do you have a robust onboarding and training program for your newly-hired students, but are wondering how best to continue training and
   development throughout their work term? Are you looking for tips on how to keep your students feeling engaged and invested in your tours
   program? Learn how the University of British Columbia (UBC) Campus Tours team has used our ongoing training portfolio for team culture-
   building and creating a sense of belonging, as well as training on knowledge and skills. We will also share how we adapted our established in-
   person training program to the virtual environment to help keep our Student Ambassadors engaged with our program, even from a distance.

   Morale in March
   Every year, Spring Break creeps up on us and our tour guides seem to disappear. As the semester begins to come to an end, midterms are
   happening, and tour guides are losing motivation. Add in a worldwide pandemic, and we ended up with quite the situation on our hands. Our
   tour guide advisors were forced to rethink the wheel with ensuring that tour guide demands could be met, while ensuring our tour guides were
   remaining excited to be a part of the program. Additional incentives for extra participation, opportunities to communicate with advisors, and of
   course free food helped ensure that our tour guides were set up for success. Join me to hear about how we managed to increase morale in
   March!

Supervising Non-Traditional Student Staff During A Pandemic
Participants will learn how to support non-traditional student staff virtually and in-person through student development theory-based practices,
co-creating supervision styles, and evaluation-informed work. Participants will leave with a model of how to schedule training when you have to
accommodate a wide array of student needs and schedules.

The Truth as we see it: Navigating Professional Narratives while maintaining student integrity.
Sometime we are put in difficult positions where there doesn't seem to be a good choice. Unfortunately this can affect our student staff, and
ultimately the guest experience. We will walk through how to navigate this difficult situation, and I'll provide real world examples and solutions. I
look forward to learning and sharing with you all.

Tour Guides got you “shook”? Let’s “spill the tea” on supervising Gen-Z!
Generation Z is all about the “vibes”, individualization, and authenticity. At West Virginia University, we believe the best way to reach incoming
students is by providing a personalized experience by our current students who can truly show what it’s like to be a Mountaineer. Our guides
remember the sense of community they felt on their tour, and credit this as a major reason they chose our university. Our job as their
supervisors is to keep that fire “lit” by empowering our Gen Z tour guides to “stay woke” and reach their future Gen Z peers by taking
ownership of the visit experience, “no cap”.

View from the Top: Development for Seasoned Professionals
   Elevating Your Staff Training
   This session will focus on the development and implementation of a new staff training program at the University of Pittsburgh. After
   determining what we wanted each staff to learn during their onboarding, we set out to find the best way (both virtually and in-person) to deliver
   that information and introduce new staff to our office and culture. This session will highlight our use of a training advisory board, committee,
   and the process we go through to facilitate the best atmosphere and learning we can with new staff. Staff training is integral to office success,
   come learn how to ensure your process is as efficient and worthwhile as it can be!

   Fearful of Feedback
   Giving feedback to an employee you supervise can be many things – uncomfortable, awkward, stressful. But it doesn’t have to be! Using
   feedback as an opportunity for professional growth can benefit both you and your employee, strengthen your relationship, and open doors for
   future conversations. Done well, having open communication about performance and behavior makes life better for both parties. This session
   will share various techniques and methods for delivering feedback and provide you with resources to improve your next conversation.

   Traveling the Road of Middle Management
   The middle management road can often seem long, windy, and maybe even treacherous. We're in this position of being given some authority
   and power, but not too much. We have some information, but not all of it. So what is our role? Are we foot soldiers doing the ground work or
   vision builders leading the way? How can we make a difference for our office, university, and everyone we come into contact with? This
   interactive session will provide encouragement and tools for middle managers to propel them forward on the journey instead of remaining
   stuck in a rut unsure of how to navigate in their lane.

   What is CAS? Using CAS Standards for Program Development and Assessment.
   Attendees will learn more about CAS and CIVSA's role as a member association. Attendees will learn how to use CAS Standards. Attendees
   will learn about the CIVSA Standards that are currently under review and due to be approved later in 2021.

   Who let me adult?!?
   Just some real talk about trying to be a good supervisor for your student tour guides while trying to take care of yourself during a world
   pandemic! Never did I ever think I'd experience something like this - trying to navigate the unknown...somewhere between surviving and
   thriving. This session will share some strategies for trying to find that balance for yourself as a human and supervisor. My friends, you are not
   alone!

   Let's talk CIVSA
   Come on – get involved in CIVSA! Not sure where and how to start? This panel of CIVSA veterans, as well as some recently
   involved members, will share the benefits of their involvement in the association. Learn about the various areas of service
   and find something tailor made for you! You’ll serve the organization, grow professional, make friends, and have fun!