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Jennifer Hess is assistant director for external relations in the Office of Admissions. Her responsibilites include recruitment and enrollment initiatives in the metropolitan New York area and out-of-state regions, and for the UB Alumni Ambassador program. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees from UB, and anticipates receiving her doctorate in May. Stephanie Taber, alumni recruitment coordinator in the Office of Admissions, and Laura Jones Godwin, program coordinator in the Office of Alumni Relations, also are involved in the Alumni Ambassadors program.
Stephanie Taber
Laura Jones Godwin
What is the UB Alumni Ambassadors program?
The UB Alumni Ambassadors program provides UB alumni with the opportunity to assist as volunteers with student recruitment efforts in their geographic location. Presently, there are a strong number of Alumni Ambassadors in the metropolitan New York area. We also are beginning to branch out into other areas of the state and targeted out-of-state regions, including New Jersey, Connecticut and Washington, D.C. The Office of Admissions works closely in implementing the program with the Office of Alumni Relations, with all activities coordinated through Stephanie Taber, alumni recruitment coordinator in the Office of Admissions. Alumni Ambassadors assist with recruitment efforts in a number of ways, including making high school visits, attending college nights and fairs, attending informational receptions, participating in targeted letter-writing campaigns and making phone calls and sending emails to scholarship recipients
How did the idea come about?
Many colleges and universities maintain successful alumni admissions volunteer programs where alumni assist with admissions recruitment initiatives. So in many ways, we were not reinventing the wheel, just building a program tailored especially for us. At UB, a number of people have been involved in the growth, development and implementation of our new program. The commitment came from the desire of Sean Sullivan, vice provost for enrollment and planning, to extend our presence (and what better way to do it than with our best "product"—successful UB grads) and because we know that they have a great impact on prospective students. In addition, Jennifer McDonough, vice president for university advancement, was prepared to similarly resource the effort so we could move forward. Regina Toomey, associate vice provost and former director of admissions, laid the groundwork for the collaborative relationship between the offices of Admissions and Alumni Relations.
What are the advantages of having alumni involved in the student recruiting process?
Alumni are one of the university's greatest recruitment resources. They offer a unique and personal perspective on their experiences at UB and have exceptional credibility with prospective students, their families and the school counseling community. In addition, alumni are proof of the quality of education at UB. With a limited number of admissions professionals, there is simply no way that UB can be represented at every student recruitment event that takes place. Alumni Ambassadors help supplement the number of events that we are able to attend. It also is very cost-effective to have alumni attend programs in their own geographical areas that are a considerable distance from Buffalo.
I understand metro NYC is one of UB's "target areas" for recruitment. In addition to the ambassadors program, what are some of the other things we're doing to focus on prospective students in this part of the state?
The "metro" area, as we fondly refer to it, is indeed a major target area for us. The Office of Admissions uses a regional approach to recruit students and metro is one of these regions. From our perspective, the metropolitan New York area encompasses nine counties, including the five boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island), Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland and Westchester. Five admissions counselors oversee the area, each focusing on one or more of the counties—for example, I have been recruiting in Rockland and Westchester for nearly three years—in order to become better acquainted with the many high schools, as well as strengthen and forge new relationships with the school counseling community. In addition, we meet with prospective students on numerous occasions, including through individual visits to high schools, college nights hosted by one or more high schools, local county college fairs, national fairs hosted in their areas and special fall and spring receptions hosted by UB and the SUNY Office of Enrollment Management. The UB Office of Admissions also hosts on-campus programs for academically talented prospective students and for school counselors from the metro area. This past fall, we held four very successful "fly-in" events, bringing 120 students and 20 counselors for an engaging and informative one-day visit.
How does one become an alumni ambassador?
Alumni are identified by the Office of Alumni Relations and then asked to fill out an interest form and attend a training session on admissions topics. Training is held in two-parts, with the initial session providing an overview of the admissions process and timelines, while the second part covers in depth the most frequently asked questions. Ambassadors receive an informative manual, and refresher training sessions will be held yearly to update ambassadors on any new changes in admissions policies. After completing training, ambassadors accompany an admissions representative to several recruitment events before representing UB at these events on their own.
What question do you wish I had asked, and how would you have answered it?
If I am a UB faculty or staff member who maintains a special relationship with a UB graduate, can I encourage this person to become involved with the Alumni Ambassador Program? Absolutely! We are very interested in hearing from the university community about star alumni who may not be aware of the opportunities to assist with recruitment. We've been fortunate to receive a number of calls from staff with great alumni recommendations. I believe there are many faculty and staff who, over the years, have developed meaningful relationships with former students and this is a wonderful way to encourage alumni to begin and/or continue giving to the university. Alumni participation is important and provides significant benefits, including maintaining the integrity of their valuable UB degree by connecting with academically talented students from their area and the enjoyment felt by the opportunity to give back in this way. This is an opportunity we'd like for currently enrolled students to consider upon receiving their prestigious UB degree.