1. 1
Recruitment Practices:
Making Connections,
Maintaining Connections
Ann Blackman
CTC Program Manager, Collin College
Mike Harsh
Professor, Collin College

2. Convergence Center Partners
2 01/29/15

3. Do You Represent ….
29%
57%
14%
1 2 3
1. K12
2. Higher Education
3. Other
NOTE: Example of questions asked at beginning of
Info Sessions to know who’s in the audience

4. Do you currently participate/ have
responsibility for any recruitment or
retention activities?
1. Yes
2. No
1 2
50%50%
NOTE: Example of questions asked at beginning of
Info Sessions to know who’s in the audience

5. 01/29/155
Types of Prospective Students
 Recent High School Graduate
 Undeclared Major
 Entry level technician
 Re-careering individual
 Post Baccalaureate

6. 01/29/156
Do We Have Their Attention?

7. 01/29/157
One Recruitment Event, Over and
Over, Right?
 Recruitment MUST be a multi-faceted,
focused approach.
 “We’re creating quality through
customization.” -Alicia Huppe, Associate Dean of
Recruiting & Programs for New Students, Collin College.
NO!

8. Making Connections
Focused Recruitment
 Provide “just in time” information
 Keep it relevant to what their interest and
needs are
 Show them the money
 Remember - If they’re not a geek, then they
know a geek
01/29/158

9. Making Connections
Information Sessions
SHORT, INFORMAL
One stop shopping
– Advisors, high school dual
enrollment, internship info etc

10. Making Connections
Information Sessions
Keep it interactive
– Clickers (we use Turning Technologies)
– Passports to stamp, games, etc.
– TRY THIS! http://wiffiti.com
Let the students and alumni be your
ambassadors

11. Is Convergence Technology...
1 2 3 4
0% 89%7%4%
1. Voice
2. Voice & Video
3. Voice, Video &
Data
4. Voice, Video &
Data on one
secure network
NOTE: Example of quiz game used at Info Session
in place of a lecture describing value of program

12. The average salary of Convergence
Technician with an AAS degree is...
1 2 3 4
0% 0%100%0%1. $100/year
2. $5/hour
3. $35,000-
$50,000/year
4. More than Bill
Gates will ever
make!
NOTE: Example of quiz game used at Info Session
in place of a lecture describing value of program.

13. 01/29/1513
Make It Hands On
NOTE: Demo’s can be cheap and easy yet
meaningful and engaging … students using their
own cell phones to plot wireless strength based on
3 minutes of instruction.

14. 01/29/1514
Make It Hands On

15. 01/29/1515
Partners in Recruitment &
Retention
NOTE: Students lend your recruitment events
credibility as well as more energy.

16. 01/29/1516
Partners in Recruitment &
Retention
NOTE: Partner a current student with a prospective
student. This builds confidence in the current
student and provides an additional resource for the
prospective student.

17. 01/29/1517
Partners in Recruitment &
Retention
NOTE: Encourage the students to create demo’s
they have not learned in class – We ALL have got
something to learn!

18. 01/29/1518
Partners in Recruitment &
Retention
 Recruitment includes not just prospective students,
but also
The Influencers…
Parents, Friends, family
Teachers, advisors
Employers

19. 01/29/1519
Partners in Recruitment &
Retention
NOTE: Inviting Student Services to your
department events. Tailor your program so that you
have dual enrollment & tech prep advisors available
for high school students.

20. 01/29/1520
Partners in Recruitment &
Retention
NOTE: Making student services like advisors, co-op
program, career services etc turns a recruitment
event into a recruitment AND retention event.

21. Partners in Recruitment &
Retention
01/29/1521
B.A. in Information Technology
 A new program from the Computer Science and
Engineering Department at UNT

22. Do you agree?
1 2 3
89%
0%
11%
1. Yes
2. No
3. Abstain
NOTE: Clickers let you spontaneously add
interaction to your presentation.

23. 01/29/1523
Partners in Recruitment &
Retention

24. Effective Communication Tools
 Online Communication
– Regular contact that is CUSTOMIZED
– Upcoming courses, Promote events, Faculty
development
 Email & Event Marketing
– www.constantcontact.com
– www.icontact.com
– www.eventbrite.com
– www.eventsbot.com
– www.verticalresponse.com

25. Maintaining Connections …
Be Social!
01/29/1525
Convergence Technology Center Fan Page
Collin College Convergence Group
GreenITCenter twitter stream
LinkedIn Group: CTC - The Green IT Solution

26. Effective Communication Tools
It’s not ALL online …
Advisors
Faculty
Posters …. And chalk! … And maybe
balloons!
LISTEN to what others want …

27. Maintaining Connections
 Declare Your Degree Day - is a hand out in class
 Focus Groups - are a class visit and/or email
survey
– Plan TechKnowFire
– Suggest “Bringing IT Together” Network Dinners
– Participate in recruitment events
 Take every opportunity to highlight and
acknowledge student accomplishments

28. Access To Recruitment Materials
 www.greenITcenter.org
– Choose “Educators” (in brown on left column)
– Scroll down and choose “Recruitment
Products”
 www.greenITcenter.wikispaces.com

29. In Summary
01/29/1529
 Personalize
– Communication, Events, and Follow Up
 Think Recruitment and Retention
 Seek out partnerships
 Develop a Year-Round Plan
– Think in terms of both in person
and online

30. REMEMBER
Your Best
Recruitment
Tools are
Your
Students!

31. Want More?
Join us November 5, 2010 for the
Texas Community College Technology Forum
31 01/29/15

32. Want More?
Join us December 14 – 16, 2010 for the
CTC Winter Retreat
Effective Pedagogy of Social Media in
the Classroom
Gordon Snyder
National ICT Center
32 01/29/15

33. Want More?
01/29/1533
Consider becoming a CTC Mentored College
 A lead faculty member to assist
 PI or grant staff as an administrative contact
 Training for faculty through summer institute
 Equipment list
 Recruitment plans and event details

34. Want More?
01/29/1534
 The future…IT looks Green
Room for your college to join us
 Mentored College Applications available from
– Helen Sullivan hsullivan@collin.edu
 More colleges will be accepted next year

35. 01/29/1535
For more information:
www.greenITcenter.org
Ann Blackman ablackman@collin.edu
Mike Harsh mharsh@collin.edu
"This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0402356.
and 0903239. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are
those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation."