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USC’s enrollment management office has two new administrators— Norman “Kip” W. Howard Jr. and Scott Verzyl—the assistant vice provost for enrollment management and director of admissions, respectively.
Howard joined USC in May after having spent the past 13 years at Ohio University in Athens, first as director of admissions and then as assistant vice president for enrollment services. Verzyl began his duties Sept. 15 and was associate vice president for enrollment services at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Both of them met recently with TIMES to discuss their plans and vision for admissions and student recruitment.
Both of you have recently joined USC, replacing two veteran admissions administrators who retired. What are your first impressions?
Verzyl: We’re very pleased with what we’ve come into. We plan to build on what our predecessors have done here. Every day, I love Columbia and this University more—there’s a lot to like, and we’re both looking forward to many years here.
Howard: That goes for me, too. Before I left Ohio University to come here in the late spring, I talked with high school guidance counselors there who were telling me that Carolina is one of the best-kept secrets among universities—we want to get the word out so it’s not so secret.
Any thoughts about particular strategies in USC’s recruiting efforts for the 2005 freshman class?
Verzyl: We have a lot of ideas, some of which would require additional staff and some that would simply mean reassigning responsibilities with our current staff. We want to do more with high school guidance counselors around the state and develop an alumni-recruiting network to search in state and out of state for top student prospects. We also want to involve emerging technologies and make our Web site more usable and effective.
Howard: One of the groups we’re focusing on is the 1250 and above [SAT score] students—the ones who don’t quite qualify for admission to the Honors College or who aren’t interested in the Honors College experience. We’re not going to emphasize additional scholarship resources for this program—most of these students already receive some scholarship support already—but we’re looking at creating a residential community with lots of additional learning experiences. For instance, there could be special sessions with career planning counselors, perhaps some enhanced study abroad and research opportunities. We’ll be announcing the plan soon for implementation in fall 2005.
What are the demographic projections for college-age students in the next few years in South Carolina?
Verzyl: The number of college-prepared high school graduates will be relatively flat for the next 10 years or so. There is some year-to-year volatility, but the trendline shows a very modest increase in college bound students. South Carolina peaks in 2009, and then the numbers begin to taper back off.
Howard: When you look at South Carolina’s high school graduation rate, there’s a lot of unrealized potential here—so many students are not completing high school.
That makes out-of-state students an important option.
Verzyl: That’s true, but we’re committed to providing opportunities for S.C. students who meet admissions requirements. We don’t plan to deny admission to any qualified, in-state students.
Howard: The makeup of the overall student body is about 80 percent resident and 20 percent nonresident. The freshman class shifted slightly this year—about 29 percent are from out of state.
You both have a lot of experience in admissions and student recruiting. What makes a student choose one university over another and how can USC stand out above the crowd?
Howard: Students choose a university based on feel and fit. Most of them can’t actually say precisely what it is—it’s often a number of things, some of them intangible. But recruiting is not rocket science—we just have to effectively advertise what we have here. Ultimately, most of USC’s success will be from the positive experiences of our current students. If they have a good experience here, they’ll share that with their families and other prospective students.
Verzyl: There’s a lot of noise out there. Students are getting barraged with print pieces, phone calls, and electronic communications and having to sort through all of it. We have to find creative ways to promote our institution—and give them the information they want on their terms. As our retention rates continue to rise here, it tells me that students are making the right choice for them. And that’s what we want—students to find a good fit here. If it’s not the right fit, no one wins.
Howard: Let me add that student recruiting is an ever-changing thing. We’re always going to come up with new strategies and approaches to accommodate the changing environment, and that’s what makes this a fun profession. But one thing that’s consistent is the personal connection a student makes with an institution, and that’s why we want to work more closely with the Visitor Center, the student orientation office, and the financial aid office, because that’s where those connections are made. And we recognize that parents are important constituents because when you come down to it, choosing a college is a family decision.
10/04
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