NEWS
life in the Admissiens Department in the eyes ef Andy Stricider
JANUARY 27, 2012
By Michael Mac Vane
Staff Writer
Andy Strickler came to Guilford College at the beginning of
this school year as the new director of admission.
Strickler is in for a lot of hard work in these upcoming
months as he faces new plans and budget cuts. The Guilfordian
sat down with the director of admission to talk about his role
and how he plans to handle the challenges of his department.
The Guiifordian: As head of admissions, what are some of
your expectations?
Andy Strickier: My expectations are that we are going to
accurately, effectively and authentically convey the message of
what a Guilford education means, what the value of it is.
G: What are your responsibilities in admissions? I know you
are head of the admissions, but what are some of your roles
within that and other than that?
AS: (Supervising) the counseling staff, (doing) final
review on applications, (doing) final review of paragraphs or
personalizing a paragraph in admit letters this year, (directing)
communication flow (and) strategic communication flow,
messa^n^ providing liaisons within the marketing staff. That is
primarily it, but anything that really comes into the recruitment
or evaluation of prospective students comes out of my desk.
G: What are some of the things you did at other schools that
they weren't doing here that you learned and brought over?
AS: Personalizing the letters is one thing for sure. We are
spending a little bit of time and energy telling kids why we
think they are a good fit for Guilford and identifying in the
application something about them that we like or we think is
special, whether it is their essay or their experiences.
The second thing is we need a clearer sense of a strategic plan
as to how we do the work that we do and that's been part of
the transition.... (We also need) better communication as well.
Our marketing person is new; she has just finished her first
year. I arrived in September, so we are spending a lot of time
and energy with two offices trying to create a more consistent
feedback, messaging, (and) marketing plan.
G: So how is this $2.2 million budget cut going to affect the
The new head of admissions, Andy Strickler, hopes to portray
the authentic Guilford experience to perspective students.
Office of Admission?
AS: For us, it is going to impact students from North Carolina
who applied for admissions and have been accepted this year.
With the state cutting financial aid pretty much across the
board, our perspective for them is that their financial package
or the financial reality of attending Guilford will be different.
G: Than it would have been?
AS: Than this group of s^dents that arrived this fall and into
the recent past.
G: Does it affect North Carolina students that were already
here?
AS: I believe so, yes.
G: Last question — sports. Has that helped you in admissions
at all? We know you are an avid sports fan and meet with
coaches.
AS: I do. I have an athletic background, but my philosophy is
that anything a student does outside the classroom can be and
should be a "hook," as I like to call it. It's a way in which we
can bring in a student in a meaningful and tangible way. The
upside of attending a school that has 1,300 traditional students
is the opportunity to get involved in co-curricular activities, and
that could be athletics, it could be student government, it could
be writing for the school paper, it could be theater, it could be
music, it could be community service, it could be anything like
that.
My philosophy has always been that it is a major selling
point that a small college has over a large university. So I believe
in facilitating a conversation with prospective students and
admitted students on co-curricular activities so that they can
better envision what their life could be like. Sports happens
to be the one people tend to focus on because at my previous
institution, about 30 percent of the students were varsity
athletes. Three out of every 10 kids at the institution were
varsity athletes, and that is a huge chunk of the student body.
G: Do you know what it is here?
AS: I don't know off the top of my head, but look at it from
an athletic perspective. Every student has the opportunity to go
to class, get an education and have a vibrant and co-curricular
life, and engaging them in conversations that will allow them
to see that and envision that and, as a result, want that for their
college experience, and that is what we do.
• Community Senate Update •
Stuff we did
Learned a lot and gave
valuable input to Andy from
Admissions and Camilla from
Marketing Communications.
Representing students
at the Founders
Renovations meeting
(If you're interested
there's one Wednesday
8:15 In the Gilmer
room).
Stuff we're
gonna do
Talk about getting a
consistent alcohol policy
on campus.
Silly rabbit, ideas should be sent
to Senate! Contact senate(g
guilford.edu.
Full Senate meets at 7 p.m. in
Boren Lounge in Founders
every Wednesday.
Stuff you
wanna
By Yahya Alazrak
Community Senate President/Clerk
Survey seeks student feedback on diversity at Guilford
By Aaron'Hall
Staff Writer
Students at Guilford may have
noticed recent announcements
about a survey being collected by
the Diversity Action Committee—
the Community Climate Survey. But
what is the Community Climate
Survey exactly, and what does it
mean for Guilford students?
According to David Hammond,
professor of theatre studies and
co-chair of the Diversity Action
Committee, the Community
Climate Survey is "a broad-ranging
survey that seeks information on the
campus experience of all members
of the Guilford community."
The results of the survey will
provide background information
in assessing how well Guilford
College does in making everyone
feel welcome.
Hammond said that the idea of
the Community Climate Survey
evolved from an earlier survey
aimed at a specific campus group.
It occurred to the committee that
the results of the survey of one
particular group should be placed in
context in relationship to the entire
campus, faculty and staff included.
The Diversity Action Committee
was the result of Guilford's
implementation of its first Strategic
Long-Range Plan. This plan, which
was endorsed by the college
community, included the creation of
the Diversity Plan.
The Diversity Plan, according
to junior and Community Senate
Diversity Action Chair Tim
Leisman, was "designed to help
guide Guilford College to keep
up with the diverse national
environment we live in, and to keep
up with the standard of an effective
academic institution which ensures
students are educated in a diverse
environment."
The committee includes faculty,
staff and student representatives,
and meets every other week to
ensure that steps are being made
toward implementing that goal in a
timely manner.
The committee also consists of six
subcommittees that meet on weeks
that the large committee does not
and focuses on specific areas.
While many students may not
give the survey a second thought,
members of the Diversity Action
Committee want them to know that
it is important.
"We need to get feedback about
how we can better serve students,
faculty and staff," said Leisman.
"We need to know what we are
doing well and where we can
improve."
The goals of the committee,
according to Leisman are not "a
one-way relationship."
"We need students to be a part of
it," said Leisman. "Getting diversity
on campus has to be an everyday
thing, not just on Martin Luther
King Day."
DirectorofResidenceLifeSusanna
Westberg sits on the committee and
also sees the importance of student
feedback.
"Because this pertains to the
entire Guilford community, we
need responses from as many
perspectives as possible, and the
student perspective is crucial,"
Westberg said. "This survey will
hopefully guide us in improving the
overall student experience and in
ways to better carry out the Diversity
Action Plan and achieve equality
and diversity at our institution."
Hammond agrees.
"We want to know how each
individual perceives the Guilford
experience," said Hammond.
"The survey is not cumbersome.
It has many questions that can be
answered by checking a box, but it
also has open-ended questions. I like
very much that it aste respondents
how they identify themselves rather
than requiring them to 'pick a
category.'"
Hammond said that the survey
is an opportunity to be heard as an
individual voice in the community.
"It's a chance to tell Guilford
who you are, how you see yourself,
what you think is here for you,
how you 'fit in' or would like to
'fit in,' what you like about your
experience and what you think can
be improved," said Hammond.
"Doing the survey will also give
you a lot of information about our
community and the diversity of its
membership."
"One way to start being more
involved in Guilford is through
participation in this really important
project," said Hammond. "Don't sit
on the sidelines. Join in. Participate."