The document discusses Regis College's efforts to move ordinary graduate student recruitment and onboarding events to the extraordinary through engagement and a personal touch. It outlines programs like "Come to Class" visits, "On the Spot" admissions, and new student orientations. These events aim to immerse prospective and new students in the campus community through class visits, immediate admissions decisions, and multi-hour orientations. The goal is to apply adult learning theory to better integrate and engage students using a casual yet informative approach. While staffing and resources present challenges, initiatives like designating an Office of Graduate Affairs and hiring engagement staff aim to enhance the personal recruitment approach.

1. Claudia Pouravelis, Ed.D.
Associate Dean of Graduate Affairs
Jenene Romanucci
Associate Director of Graduate Admission
Shelagh Tomaino
Assistant Director of Graduate Admission
BACK TO BASICS:
ORDINARY EVENTS FOR EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS
Why should society feel responsible only for the education of children and not for the
education of all adults of every age? – Erich Fromm

2. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
 Background:
 Regis College
 The Office of Graduate Affairs
 General overview of programs
 Taking the lead from theory
 Overview of specific programs
 Come to Class
 On The Spot
 Orientation
 Challenges and Future Initiatives

3. REGIS COLLEGE
 Over 1100 graduate students
 Program Options:
 14 Masters degree programs
 11 Certificate programs
 1 Doctoral degree program
 2 schools
 Liberal Arts, Education, and Social Science
 Nursing, Science, and Health Professions

4. WHO ARE REGIS STUDENTS
 Many come from within 40 miles of the
Boston area
 Working adults with other commitments
 Career changers
 Looking for professional
advancement

5. GRADUATE STUDENT GROWTH AT
REGIS COLLEGE
5000
4750
4500
4250
4000
3750
3500
3250
3000
2750
2500

6. REGIS COLLEGE GRADUATE
DEPARTMENT: THEN AND NOW
2004 2012
5 Graduate degrees 15 Graduate Degrees
(14 Masters, 1 Doctoral)
3 Certificate options 11 Certificate options
200 Graduate students 1100+ Graduate students
2 Graduate Admission staff members 3 Graduate Admission staff members
`
(100 students/staff member) (366+ students/staff)

7. A CYCLE OF “NOT ALWAYS
ORDINARY” EVENTS
 Recruiting Events and Opportunities
 Information Sessions
 Come to Class Visits
 On The Spot Admission
 Admitted Student Evening
 New Student Orientation

8. RECRUITING EVENTS AND
OPPORTUNITIES
MORE ORDINARY
 College/Career Fairs
 Regis College
 Providence College
 Wellesley College
 Merrimack College
 Emmanuel College
 Assumption College
 UMass Amherst 5 College Fair
 MERC Education Career Fair
 Roxbury Community College
 Middlesex Community College
 North Shore Community College

9. RECRUITING EVENTS AND
OPPORTUNITIES
LESS ORDINARY
 Conferences and Forums
 MA Student Nurses Association
 HIMSS Nursing Informatics Institute
 Hospice and Palliative Care Federation of MA
 Association of Clinical Research Professionals
 NENIC Nursing Informatics Conference
 MAAPS – MA Association of Approved Private Schools
 NEMA – New England Museum Association

10. RECRUITING EVENTS AND
OPPORTUNITIES
NOT ORDINARY
 Tufts Health Plan 10K Race
 Breathe Deep Boston Lung Cancer 5K Walk
 MIT/Wellesley Virtual Grad School Fair
 Regis College Undergraduate class visits
 Promoting 5th year programs
 Area Elementary/Special Ed School visits
 Gifford School
 Visits to area Hospitals
 MGH
 Boston Medical Center
 Faulkner Hospital
 Lawrence General Hospital
 Lawrence Memorial Hospital
 Melrose Wakefield Hospital

11. MOVING FROM ORDINARY TO
EXTRAORDINARY
 Information Sessions
 General program and program specific sessions
 3 general per semester/2 general per summer
 An additional 4-5 program specific sessions held throughout the
semester
 Evening and weekend
 On and off campus
 Come to Class visits
 4 per semester/2 per summer
 “On The Spot” Admission
 1 per semester
 Admitted Student Event
 1 per semester based on decision cycle
 Program specific
 New Student Orientation
 1 per semester/1 per summer

12. AN EXTRAORDINARY COMMON
THREAD
ENGAGEMENT!!!
 Office of Graduate Affairs
 Coordinator of Graduate Student Services and
Engagement
 Graduate Admission Staff
 Center for Student Services
 Faculty

13. ADULT LEARNING THEORISTS
 Malcolm Knowles, 1968
 Adult education and andragogy
 Vincent Tinto, 1993
 Retention and attrition

14. ADULT LEARNING THEORISTS
Knowles (1968, 1980) Adult Learning Theory and
Adult Education
 Andragogy
 Process of helping adults engage in learning (in contrast to pedagogy)
 Elaborated on four assumptions by suggesting
that classroom climate and the relationship
between teachers/students should encourage
acceptance, respect, and support for the adult
student
 Assumption 1: Adults tend to be more self directed as a result of their
maturity
 Assumption 2: Adults possess personal histories which define their
identities and serve as a resource of experiential learning upon which
new learning can be applied
 Assumption 3: Motivation in adults is directed to more socially relevant
learning
 Assumption 4: Adult learners have interest in immediate application for
problem solving

15. ADULT LEARNING THEORISTS
Tinto (1993) Model of Institutional Departure
 Attrition
 Caused by academic difficulties, inability to determine
educational and professional goals, and failure to
incorporate into the intellectual and social life of the
institution
 Retention
 Tinto‟s “Model of Institutional Departure” says that to
persist, students need:
○ Integration into formal (academic performance) and informal
(faculty/staff interactions) academic systems
○ Formal (extracurricular activities) and informal (peer-group
interactions) social systems

16. BACK TO BASICS WITH
EXTRAORDINARY GRADUATE
ADMISSION EVENTS
 Come to Class event
 On the Spot Admission
 New Student Orientation

17. COME TO CLASS EVENT
 Evening/Weekend class meetings
 Extensive promotion to “hot” prospects
 Faculty advisement with advanced notice
 Coincide with campus activities
 Weekend Health Administration „Come to Class‟ event is right
before a Graduate Student Luncheon with President Hays.
Attendees are encouraged to join faculty, students, and staff for
the luncheon.
“I think what really helped me with my decision to enroll in
Regis full time was the idea of having small classes and being
reassured that professors are very supportive and highly
engaged with their students.”
- Erica McCrea „13, MS in Health Administration

18. COME TO CLASS EVENT
 The Basics: What might be ordinarily expected…
 Class that is free of charge to attend
 Students provided with an opportunity to see the campus
 Allows students to get a sense of what lies ahead
 Beyond the Basics: What might not be ordinarily
expected…
 Greeted by an Admission Representative
 Informal Information Session and admission information
 Mix and mingle with current students, faculty, and staff
○ Lunch for weekend class
○ Coffee/refreshments for evening class
 Camaraderie between prospective students
 Students encouraged to participate in the class, thus feeling part
of the Regis Community

19. COME TO CLASS EVENT
 Total CTC Numbers
 62 prospective students CTC events in:
○ Biomedical Sciences
○ Communication
○ Education
○ Health Administration
○ Heritage Studies
○ Regulatory and Clinical Management
 Specific program example – MS in Health
Administration
Attended Enrolled
April 2011 5 3
November 2011 10 6
March 2012 11 6
December 2012 3 RSVP‟s to date TBD

20. ON THE SPOT ADMISSION
WHO is On The Spot Admission for?
 All prospective students in Graduate programs
with the exception of:
 Applied Behavior Analysis
 Direct Entry Nursing
 Doctor of Nursing Practice
 Nuclear Medicine
 Students who are in their first two courses who
have not yet applied are encouraged to attend
to avoid registration holds at a later time

21. ON THE SPOT ADMISSION
WHAT is On The Spot Admission?
 Students bring their application materials and receive an immediate
decision for their chosen graduate programs
 Applications also available at the event
 Students are asked to bring:
 Resume
 500 word Personal Statement
 Letter of Recommendation
 Official Transcripts
 Materials may sent ahead of time
 Interview and development of curriculum plan with faculty
 Students are encouraged to register for classes at the event
 Application fee waived

22. ON THE SPOT ADMISSION
WHERE is On The Spot Admission held?
 Students are invited to the Regis College campus
for the event
 Centrally located College Hall Foyer is an ideal location for
OTS at Regis
 Because students are encouraged to register for
classes, the event is held in close proximity to the
Regis College Center for Student Services
 When determining location, easy access to a copy
machine is ideal

23. ON THE SPOT ADMISSION
WHY is On The Spot a good idea?
 Student
 Convenience
 Reduces the “drawn out” process of applying to Grad
School
 Decreases likelihood of registration holds for students in
their first two courses
 Office of Graduate Admission
 Encourages those with incomplete applications to complete
the process in one fell swoop
 Gets faculty in one place at one time to meet with students

24. ON THE SPOT ADMISSION
WHEN is On The Spot Admission held?
 Once per semester
 After course registration opens
 Generally the first week of registration
 Afternoon/Evening
 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

25. ON THE SPOT ADMISSION
HOW is On The Spot Admission successful?
 SUPPORT, SUPPORT, SUPPORT
 Center for Student Success/Registrar
 Faculty/Advisors
 Structure
 Appointments required
○ Know your faculty/advisors
○ Know your students
 Assign a faculty to each student ahead of time
 Thirty minute interview slots
 Know how many students per interview slot you can assign
○ Depends on faculty/advisor availability
 Organization
 RSVP list organization is essential
 Have folders made ahead of time
 Locate materials that students may have sent in previously
 Utilize your Graduate Assistants or Work Study students

26. ON THE SPOT ADMISSION
 The Basics: What might be ordinarily expected…
 Meet Admission representatives
 Convenience as part of a personal approach to students
 Refreshments served
 Beyond the Basics: What might not be ordinarily
expected…
 Immediate decision that night
○ Everything is provisional
 Financial Aid representative available to answer questions
 Application Fee Waiver
 Reduction of Letter of Recommendation requirement from 2 to 1
 Development of curriculum plan with faculty/advisor

27. ON THE SPOT ADMISSION
 Possible Concerns and Hesitations
 EVERYTHING is provisional
○ This should continuously be conveyed to the students
○ You are not locked in to any decision that is made
 Awkwardness of denial
○ Language used: “Here are some things that would strengthen
your application” versus “Denied”
 Does not change application process
○ Exception is application fee and reduced letter of
recommendation requirement
○ How the student perceives the event
 Competitiveness of programs
○ Have exclusions in these cases
○ Be cautious where and to whom you promote the event

28. ON THE SPOT ADMISSION
39
40
35
30 27
25
21
20
16
15
10
Spring 2011 Fall 2011 Spring 2012 Fall 2012

29. NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
 The Basics: What might be ordinarily expected…
 One per semester and one per summer
 Invitations by mail and e-mail
 Required RSVP
 General event overview
 Beyond the Basics: What might not be ordinarily expected…
 Outreach within Regis Community (months in advance)
○ Program Directors/Faculty
○ Departments
 IT
 Nursing
○ Student Services
 Registrar
 Bursar
 Financial Aid
 Housing
 Health Services
 Library Services
 Academic Advising

30. NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
 Leading up to Orientation
 Congratulatory call from Coordinator of Student
Services and Engagement
 Personalized communications
 Regular, consistent, and tailored communications
 Flexibility
 Welcoming/Mandatory yet casual

31. NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
From ordinary to extraordinary with the
simplicity of information, collaboration, and
engagement.
 Six hour event with energy and engagement
 Treating adult learner as an adult
 Program specific times integrated with
flexibility for all other components
 No one student tied to set amount of time

32. NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
 Event logistics
 On Campus
○ Student Union
 Central
 Hub of Activity
○ Café style
 Welcoming and approachable ambiance promotes interaction
○ Student Services
 On perimeter encompassing café area
 Easy visibility and accessibility for one-on-one
○ Program specific sessions alternate in common room to
see campus culture and campus amenities
 IT Sessions
○ Purposefully held on campus

33. NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
What may seem ordinary: on campus versus online
 Intentionally bring people to the Regis campus
 True taste of what to expect
 Open, casual and professional, informative
 Reality
 Commute
 Parking
 Campus logistics
 Personal and engaged approach
 Results
 Informed and engaged students from the start

34. CHALLENGES AND INITIATIVES
 Challenges
 Limited staff
 Limited resources
 Initiatives
 Establishment of Office of Graduate Affairs
○ Advisement
○ Admission
○ Student Services
○ Faculty resource for program promotion
 Coordinator of Student Services and Engagement
 Continued recruitment with a personal approach
○ Personalized visits to community
organizations, homes, etc.

35. WHAT DOES IT ALL COME DOWN TO
 Collaboration
 Engagement
 Know your “audience”
 Think beyond status quo
 Student-centered philosophy and
approach get you results…