“Recruitment is a team sport”: Open House 2013
More than 1,000 prospective students and their families turned out on Saturday, November 9, for Concordia’s Open House and Portfolio Day. The visitors were able to explore the university, and see and hear about everything the university has to offer.
Provost Benoit-Antoine Bacon, who was attending for the first time, praises the many students, staff and faculty who committed themselves to making the event a success.
“It was great to see so many people speaking passionately about our university,” he says. “The families I spoke to were very impressed by the positive energy and generosity of our community.”
With an astonishing 51 presentations and workshops, 98 activities and 103 information tables at the day-long event, organizers made an effort to help visitors tailor their experiences to their specific interests.
“We asked guests to register in advance, and then we built a personalized itinerary for them,” explained Matthew Stiegemeyer, director of student recruitment in Student and Enrolment Services. “I saw people walking around with their schedules, so I’m confident this helped a lot of them take full advantage of their day.”
There were other improvements this year, including the addition of a Student Experience Showcase in the Henry F. Hall Building. It featured information about moving to Montreal, picking a major and taking advantage of experiential learning at Concordia.
“It was basically a chance to show all the support systems we have in place for students, as well as the ways they can add value to their educational experience through opportunities like volunteering, going on exchange or taking part in a Co-op program,” Stiegemeyer says.
Another high point in this year’s edition was the record number of student volunteers. Student and Enrolment Services trained a 75-strong “Welcome Crew,” and the individual academic departments enlisted dozens to help present their programs. Student clubs and associations were also on hand in the mezzanine of the Hall Building.
“The students were fantastic — as ambassadors, working at the information desk and giving campus tours,” says Deputy Provost Lisa Ostiguy, adding that she noticed more faculty members on hand as well. “Recruitment is a team sport, and a lot of people contributed their time.”
We welcome your feedback. Please send suggestions for next year’s Open House to deputy.provost@concordia.ca.