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Come On In; the University's Just Right
E-Recruitment Site Designed to Entice Prospective Students
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Come On In; the University's Just Right
E-Recruitment Site Designed to Entice Prospective Students
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Why UC Davis? This is the question UC Davis' pilot e-recruitment site attempts to answer. With the best students pondering several acceptance letters, UC Davis must find ways to set itself apart. One result is a bright, interactive Web site targeted — for now — at potential humanities majors. Targeted primarily at students who have been admitted to UC Davis but have not yet chosen to attend, the Why UC Davis e-recruitment site currently focuses on those students who, when applying, declared majors within the Division of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies (HArCS). These students were directed to the site (at http://why.ucdavis.edu/) in their admittance packets. 
Interactive and Informative
The showpiece of the e-recruitment site is an interactive Flash-animation filled with dynamic graphics and music, student profiles, and general information on UC Davis students and activities. The site is organized around five themes (Challenging, Enriching, Relevant, Personal, Exciting) to highlight the campus' various academic and social opportunities for students. Each of the themed sections explores a different aspect of the UC Davis experience and provides students with a sense of real campus life from a student point-of-view. Prospective students (and their parents) can also explore a wealth of links and content about HArCS and the campus, learn about different majors and noteworthy campus cultural events, and access details on the transition from admission acceptance to enrollment.Thanks to the personalization built into the site, prospective students (once they log in with their unique ID number) are greeted by name and are able to access information on their major and application status, along with pertinent financial aid information. Why HArCS?
According to Leslie Campbell, Senior Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Services and the e-recruitment project manager, the choice of HArCS for the pilot test was a deliberate one. "UC Davis is often identified by potential students as an 'ag school,' a 'science school,' or an 'engineering school'; however, many of our strong programs in the humanities, arts, and cultural studies historically have been overlooked," says Campbell. "Our goals are to spotlight the innovative and exciting opportunities HArCS offers and to encourage admitted students in HArCS to choose UC Davis."Collaboration Key
A Web site of this size and scope requires the cooperation and collaboration of several campus units and departments. Carol Wall, Vice Chancellor of the Division of Student Affairs, provided higher-level guidance on the project's development, while HArCS created content and played an instrumental role in developing the site's structure, according to Campbell. "Public Communications designed the site, created the interactive Flash presentation, and edited text to conform to campus standards," Campbell continues, " while Information and Educational Technology (IET) programmed all database connectivity, hosts the site on a dedicated server, and coordinated the extensive testing process."
Looks Pretty Flashy
According to Craig Hillis, electronics communications specialist for Public Communications and primary Web developer of the site, the extensive use of animation and sound effects in the Why UC Davis site were designed to appeal to students. "Our research showed the importance of the Web as a tool for young people researching college options," Hillis says. "It was especially important that we try to create a dynamic site for prospective students and not a static, unexciting one that students would find dull."The use of popular Flash animation on the site, while requiring an up-to-date Web browser and downloaded plug-in software, was not a difficult decision for this type of audience, shares Hillis. "It did seem to us that if any group of Web users would be savvy to this type of Web site, it would this entering group of students." IET's programmer, Brian Alexander, agrees, "We want the site to take prospective students by surprise, directly engaging them with technology and linking UC Davis with things they like and are interested in. In other words, we wanted to create an interesting dynamic site that matched the people who would use it." Those individuals without a high level of Web experience needn't worry, however. "We do also provide a non-Flash version of the site to accommodate those without the Flash plug-in," says Hillis. Future Plans
Campbell says Student Affairs Research & Information is currently designing an evaluation to measure the success of the Web site's effects on the rate of admitted HArCS students and the students' knowledge of UC Davis in general. If the site proves to be effective, an expanded e-recruitment site might be created that would include other campus divisions and colleges, enticing prospective students of all majors. "While this first iteration focuses on HArCS students exclusively, we anticipate expanding the project to appeal to students from all disciplines," says Campbell. "We think this format offers great potential for providing a one-stop resource to answer all students' questions about coming to UC Davis and for establishing our image as a thriving, welcoming campus where students are excited about learning."
Curious?
Interested in checking out this new site? Because the site is targeted at incoming students, access to the full version of this site is limited. However, for those curious folks who would like to take a look, go to http://why.ucdavis.edu/. |
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