Listen HereRecker will continue to serve as interim VP
By Alexis Mitchell
@Alexis_Mitch14
The search for the new vice president of enrollment has been put on hold until early 2017, according to Katherine Fell, University of Findlay president. According to Fell, there were a lot of good candidates for the position; however, none of them were quite a perfect fit for UF.
UF held two open sessions last week with the two prospective candidates in which students, faculty, and staff were invited to attend. The sessions took place on Nov. 8 and Nov. 10 and centered on the question of what kind of students are being accepted into UF.
Ken Huus’s open session was on Tuesday, Nov. 8 and Susan Kassab’s was on Thursday, Nov. 10.
So what is the answer to the question, what kind of students truly represent UF? Huus said maybe the answer isn’t a student in a specific major, or a student’s appearance or what he or she is like as a person, but more of a student’s drive, and how hardworking they are to achieving their goals at the University.
Another point made in the session by Huus was that the way we get these students, is to engage them and build a relationship with them at the very beginning of the enrollment process. There’s a multitude of trust and respect that needs to be made with the future student so that they want to come to UF, he said.
Huus also highlighted that the number one reason students quit college is financial problems. Students with the highest grade point averages still ended up quitting college because of their financial stress. According to Huus, future students are attracted to financial benefits of a university, so in other words, better scholarships should be offered to attract more of the kind of students we want at UF, according to Huus.
During Huus’s session Fell asked the question, “What if a student wanting to go here doesn’t know what to major in? What should the Vice President of enrollment say to this student?”
Huus answered this question with another question: “Why does this student want to go to college in the first place?”
He explained that after knowing this it will make it easier to introduce the student to the wide range of opportunities and academic programs available.
The Pulse was unable to attend Kassab’s session.
Since the open sessions have been closed, Ed Recker will continue to serve as the interim vice president of enrollment. In this position he has full authority over the Division of Enrollment Management.
According to Fell, recruiting for next fall is already going well under Recker’s authority.
