University of Wisconsin-Stout’s Admissions counselors and student staff are sad not to be able to welcome visitors in person because of COVID-19. And after the cancellation of regular events like Campus Open House and Campus Preview Days, Admissions wondered how it would continue to meet the needs of prospective students and families.
“At the start of the alternative learning methods period, there was a whirlwind of daily change,” said Admissions Assistant Director Joan Ebnet. “We wondered what we could do in place of these visits. We had to find a way to tell Stout’s story while students were not able to come to campus in person.”
Following direction from Chancellor Katherine P. Frank, Admissions adapted quickly to the need to provide accessible, quality information by running a full schedule of virtual services available through the university website.
With live virtual admissions and Q&A sessions, a virtual campus tour, and a variety of digital brochures, Admissions was set to meet its audience’s needs this spring, the busiest time of year for campus visits.
Live virtual admissions sessions
Admissions counselors are offering virtual admissions sessions Monday to Friday at 11 a.m. Counselors highlight UW-Stout’s small class sizes, hands-on learning experiences, career clusters, student involvement opportunities, financial aid and more.
Counselors can customize the sessions based on information registrants provide, like program interests, reciprocity or study abroad. A virtual campus tour and digital brochures are also included.
Live virtual admission sessions are held on Zoom, a user-friendly webinar platform. The first day of sessions was on Wednesday, March 25. During the first full week, March 30 to April 3, two to three students registered each day, comparable to last year’s in-person daily visits.
“We’re happy with that,” Ebnet said. “We’re hoping to see a jump in registrants as the spring semester progresses and the summer draws near.”
Live virtual Q&A sessions
Live virtual Q&A sessions are being held in Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. through Thursday, May 7. The Q&A’s are led remotely by Admissions student staff and campus tour guides Nikki Fitzgerald, of Franklin, a retail merchandising and management major; Jake Thomas, of Northfield, Minn., an engineering technology major; and Samantha Ziwicki, of Clearwater, Minn., a hotel, restaurant and tourism management major.
Fitzgerald, Thomas and Ziwicki are committed to helping prospective students and families. They offer fresh, honest perspectives answering questions about life at UW-Stout. Admissions counselors serve as moderators and assist with answers.
Ziwicki is "Stout Proud" to be a part of the Admissions team and its dedication to showing all the university has to offer. “I always tell my tour groups that I have the best job on campus. All I have to do is share my love for Stout,” she said.
Thomas can imagine how difficult it is to choose a college but not be able to visit the campus or talk to an admissions counselor in person. And although the virtual Q&A’s are a “less conventional format,” Thomas feels Admissions is still able to connect with students.
“The new Q&A sessions over Zoom are really fun,” Thomas said. “Though it is not in person, we’re working hard to ensure that prospective students can still see all the amazing things Stout has to offer.”
Virtual campus tour
With the need for social distancing, Admissions considered hosting campus tours on Facebook Live. But with the limitations of on-campus operations because of COVID-19, this was not a possibility. Also, capturing high-quality picture and sound are challenging with Facebook Live.
Admissions collaborated with UW-Stout’s Marketing Communications (MarCom) to develop a 15-minute virtual campus tour that highlights the information prospective students and families would receive on an in-person tour.
MarCom Digital Media Manager Gary Schuster wrote the video script with the help of Thomas. University Photographer Chris Cooper then spliced together b-roll footage of the interior and exterior of campus buildings, following the typical tour route.
“It was a fun experience, and I was happy that I could help with the project,” Thomas said. “I also found it very nice that MarCom sought out a current student to provide information in order to not only give a professional and polished video but an authentic student perspective.”
After more than 58 hours of editing footage over the course of five days, UW-Stout's virtual campus tour was ready and launched on March 23.
Preparing for summer and fall
Normally, UW-Stout hosts Campus Preview Days and other events over the summer. Admissions is hoping to be open for in-person tours, but plans are uncertain at this point.
“If not, our virtual options will remain in place,” Ebnet said. “Last year, 374 attendees came to our Campus Preview Days. We’re hoping to have an equal number for this year’s virtual preview day.”
Admissions is also planning to collaborate with faculty and staff to add an academic perspective to the virtual presentations. Faculty and staff can provide a more in-depth look into what UW-Stout's programs are all about.
“We’re still working, still collaborating, still meeting the needs of our prospective students and applicants. Our staff is here and ready to help, either by phone call, text, virtual chat or email,” Ebnet said.
