Undergraduate Recruitment Strategies at Penn State

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Undergraduate Recruitment Strategies at Penn
States School of Forest Resources

• Betty J. Harper
• bjh17_at_psu.edu

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Enrollment Trends in the School of Forest
Resources
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Enrollment Trends Nationwide
T. L. Sharik and K. Earley, Department of
Environment and Society, College of Natural
Resources, Utah State University, December 12,
2003.
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Anticipated Needs

• In 2000, the U.S. Forest Service anticipated
  losing 30 of its workforce by 2005
• Greatest number of projected external hires
  Forestry Techs, Foresters, Wildlife Biologists
• Fastest growing occupations Botany, Fisheries
  Biologist, Soils Scientist
• Still striving to establish a diverse workforce

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• In 2002 permanent workforce hiring increased 8.6
  
• Almost half of all 2002 Forest Service hires were
  in entry-level positions
• Forest Service anticipates hiring over 7000
  people over the next five years
• SCEP will be a major entry-level pipeline
• US Fish Wildlife Service and National Park
  Service are in similar situations

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Then and Now

• Five years ago the School of Forest Resources
  (SFR) was comfortable waiting for students to
  come to us
• Today we are seeking to actively recruit a
  diverse student body from a pool of candidates
  increasingly drawn to careers in business,
  healthcare, and law enforcement

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Strategy I The Undecided Student

• The most efficient recruitment strategy for the
  SFR is to draw from students who have already
  been accepted to Penn State
• 6000 Division of Undergraduate Studies
  (undecided) students
• 2500 College of Business students not yet in a
  major
• 3600 College of Engineering students not yet in a
  major
• 34,000 students at PSU locations other than
  University Park

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• Maintain contact with advisors in DUS, Business,
  and Engineering and provide them with our program
  materials as well as specialized materials
  addressing the issues of students considering a
  change of major
• Mailings to students who did not get into their
  first choice major

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Strategy 2 Tech Programs

• Forest Technology at Penn State Mont Alto and
  Wildlife Technology at Penn State Dubois
  Approximately 42 of their students enter the SFR
  for a BS (about 20 students a year)
• Forest Technology at Pennsylvania College of
  Technology
• Recruit directly from these programs through
  campus visits

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Strategy 3 Summer Programs

• Conservation Leadership Schools
• Food and Agricultural Sciences Institute for
  Minority Students
• PA Governors School for the Agricultural
  Sciences
• Courses
• Mentors
• Institutes for teachers Forest resources
  aquatic resources

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Strategy 4 Personal Contact

• Increased level of follow-up after initial
  student contact
• Program coordinator phones potential students
  when offered admission
• Family visits including contact with program
  coordinator, staff member, and faculty person

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Strategy 5 - Peer-to-Peer Recruiting

• For students considering Penn State
• Ag Advocates escort them on their visits to
  provide a student perspective
• For students who have been offered admission to
  our programs
• Ag Advocates phone-a-thon
• Letters from student societies
• Phone calls from current students

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Strategy 6 - Scholarships

• The gamble of first-year scholarships
• Prior to 2003-04 SFR was routinely offering only
  a few thousand dollars in scholarships to the
  incoming class
• In 2003-04 introduced four 20,000 scholarships
  (over 4 yrs.) for first-year students
• Personally contacted (phone) students being
  considered for this scholarship early in
  admission process in order for this to be part of
  their decision-making process

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Strategy 7 - Marketing

• New brochures featuring more dynamic photography
  and color
• Focus on field work
• Focus on technology
• Feature a representative group of students
• Complete redesign of web page including a section
  devoted to Prospective Students and their
  families
• New careers publications

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The Results?

• Too soon to tell, but in 2003-2004 our offers of
  admission increased 47
• Almost 50 of students in the Wildlife Tech and
  Forest Tech programs at Penn State are now
  continuing their education in the SFR
• Database developed to track students from point
  of initial contact
• 82 of information requests are referred from our
  college recruiters
• 15 from web page
• Of our current offers, this is the first time
  weve made contact with most (84) of them