RE-THINKING YOUR CAMPUSTOUR PROGRAM

IF IT AIN’T BROKE – IT S TILL NEEDS FIXIN’

Meg MalmborgUniversity of Connecticut May 2012

Why Change? UConn’s 13 year old tour program Annual increases in number of tours offered

and tour participants Sophisticated online tour reservation and

employee scheduling system Experienced professional staff Capable and enthusiastic student tour guides Beautiful and well equipped visitors center

Small Change = Small Results

Most change is incremental budget based reactionary

It’s Not What We Do - But How We Do It

Think BIGGER

What should drive change – Entrepreneurial spirit Innovation Measurable outcomes Challenge the status quo

Work Backward

Engagement with key audiences Educate audiences about your college’s

opportunities Inspire families to want to be a part of your

college’s experience Increase quantity and quality of applicants

Getting Started

Breakdown the components of your tour program Initial contact with prospective students Facility accommodations Tour presentation Tour route

Length, destinations, stairs, highlights Evaluation Visit follow up Campus partnerships Student staff selection, training, evaluation and motivation/reward

Everyone’s a Critic

Design assessment tools to critically evaluate your current program components

Require high level administrators to also evaluate program components

Ask trusted members of the campus community to observe and reflect

Conduct reconnaissance at peer institutions

No Other Choice

What if your job was outsourced to another department?

What if you had to prove that your program made students apply?

Define and Refine Goals

Gather many ideas instead of looking for a few perfect ones

Propose idea – Test it – Revise – Test Again Review ‘wish list’ and turn into a To Do List Seek constant feedback

Ask students and co-workers for input Partner with departments for mutually beneficial

projects to get ‘buy in’ and maximize funding

To Forgive Divine

You will mess up You will fail You will try again and fail You’ll learn Forgive yourself and keep going

Unarticulated Needs

What else could your visitors want? How else could you reach out in advance of their visit? What else could you do to follow up with guests and assist

them?

The Future is Now

How will your tour program look in five or ten years? Technological innovations Show and tell Online learning

It’s Not You – It’s Me

It’s not about looking spiffy It’s not the tour guides (a different topic)

It’s not about parking or Admissions

It is all about YOU and how you create the environment that welcomes change and your willingness to fight for the BEST for your program.

Your Work is Worth It

Change is difficult, messy and disruptive – so what!

What is holding you back from achieving greatness?

Expect more = GET MORE

Five Takeaways

1. Think Bigger – Comprehensive review of your entire tour experience.

2. Secure the support and direct involvement of higher level administrators.

3. Approach your research like a Start Up company which is hungry to be the next big thing!

4. Define and Refine – keep moving forward. 5. Don’t settle – your work is worth the effort.

UConn’s Tour Re-Invention To Do List• Ae s th e tic Upd ate s to Re s id e nc e Ha ll• To ur ‘Rig h t’ S izing• Co m pa nio n Ha nd o ut• To ur Info rm atio n Se s s io n• Ca m pus To ur Ro ute• To ur Re g is tra tio n S c h e d uling• Enh a nc e d Pre s e ntatio n Eq uipm e nt• To ur Co m m unic atio ns S tre a m• LVC Blo g Ho s ting• To ur Pre -Sh o w• Stud e nt Aw a rd s