Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / April 11, 2003, edition 1 / Page 20
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UtUtUM Applications Up 47% in North Carolina Enrollment from Paqe 13 This year applications are up 47% in North Carolina alone. Assistant Director of Admission Jeff Thigpen, one of three counselors assigned to North Carolina, sees sev eral reasons that contribute to the increase in applications. He covers most of North Carolina, except for Charlotte and Raleigh, which are handled by other counselors. In addition to the extensive help of alumni, improved publications, an experienced Admission staff, and what Thigpen calls a gut feeling that stu dents are choosing schools closer to home after 9/11, he credits the office's decision to increase the number of counselors covering North Carolina, up from one four years ago. "That has made a difference," Thigpen said. "I believe collectively we do a better job staying in contact with students who have visited and/ or have expressed a pressing inter est in Guilford. Faculty and current students help us in making 'a quali BlacKMen Panel Continued from Page 10 ciety imposes on black men to he challenges present in black com nunities. "We have a bt of problems we Tave to deal with. It isn't white folk standing on the corner selling drugs [O-Our children," said Shields. "We've to take responsibly We need to expect more from our black men and not blame it on society" Following the forum a reception was held in the foyer where panefists and attendees mingled to discuss the Danel. Junior Spencer Tisdale reflected hat he found the program insightful and engaging. "The panelists addressed a lot fyfiifyn.4 tative difference' during and after vis its. We are focusing on juniors more as well. I think we do a great job of staying focused and maintaining a personal relationship during the ap plication process." Thigpen also credits the North Carolina Initiative, a scholarship pro gram for North Carolina residents that "has made it more affordable to attend a private school." Thigpen says that if the cost of attending Guil ford becomes comparable to a public school's, "I believe that many stu dents choose Guilford because we are qualitatively better." While pleased that applications are up in North Carolina, Thigpen warns that many of Guilford's NC ap plicants are overlap applicants at other NC schools. "We are all working very hard right now related to the transition from higher applications to [higher] yield," Thigpen said. Susan Bagley, theassociate di rector of admission for Pennsylva nia, Maryland, and Virginia, three of of taboo issues that African Ameri can males don't tend to come oul and talk about," said Tisdale. expressed views that are difficult for us to express to our white counter parts. I hope that the discussion wil result in more attention being paic to racial matters on campus." Whitlow also expressed a de sire tor continued discussion of is sues of race relation on campus. "This was an amazing edu cational opportunity for all of Guil ford," she said. "It is a subjecl which I feel is under-discussed ir both the white and black commu nities. I hope that these forums wifl begin discussion." Guilford's top-10 application pool states all of which saw an increase in appli cations this year, suspects that the book Colleges That Change Lives by Loren Pope, which includes Guilford, might help explain the growing pool of applicants. "I know it has changed our overlap list [schools that receive ap plications from the same pool of stu dents], since publication a few years ago. One of the big reasons that Doss, Thigpen, and Bagley all cite for the in crease in applications is also one of the simplest. The rise of web-based technologies, particularly the efficiency of on-line applications, makes it easier for students to learn about the col lege and apply Campus Visits Emily Bebber, Guilford's coordina tor of visitor services since last spring when the previous coordinator, Nancy Reimer —formerly Houston —be- came an assistant director of admis sion, confirms that there has been an increase in campus visits this year. Bebber says it is hard to mea sure campus overnight visits against previous years', as last fall the college adopted a policy of only allowing stu dents who had applied to stay over night, effectively eliminating junior over nights altogether. She notes that there were few overnights in the fall, but says there have been a lot in the spring. "It is always very busy this time of year," Bebber said. "But, I don't remember it ever starting this early." "We take great care to allow students have overnights, meet students and faculty, and make a well-rounded decision regardless of [their] state," Thigpen said. Bebber has been pleased with Total Applications Received by Year over last 5 Years Slei AM** 12W12 2*IU |2MI \vm North Carol ilia 417 2K4 -7) 294 I 237 Virginia IM I M I M l>s j |(K> MuryUtnci 13 ~~~T? 92 [77"" MitwK'htDH'iis x> 11 JO 65 [59 Jersey M M 47 T\ [4O PtniwiviHiiii W >5 72 4 151 N*wVrk ft? 76 M~~ T\ |7ir" CO 55 60 94 119 jif}9a 45 4X 5$ 1 35 Smilt) Cartilinn IP ?5 51 [ 2X Stun Guilford of Eur otJifawi * uefMnelilf )ltS3 the efforts of student tour guides this year, noting that many of them are seniors who are expe rienced and know how to respond to questions. Bebber identifies setting up classroom visits as the most chal lenging part of her job, noting that she knows the professors who are most receptive to visi tors, but tries not to overuse them. She also sees arranging the classroom visits as "probably the most rewarding ... because I think it is a really good experi ence for a prospective student to have while they are visiting." Pn/etHom for Ike Oass of 2!007 Doss predicts that the next first-year class will raise the college's enrollment to over 2,000 students, "or certainly right at it." Anthony Gurley, associate dean of enrollment, notes the small size of the current gradu ating class as a factor that could influence the overall enrollment next fall. "If all we do on the admission side of things this year is bring in a dass of 320 students, comparable to the last couple of classes," says Gurley, "we still ought to have somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 more stu dents here than we have had this year or the last couple of years. April 11, 2003 Page 16 Bebber is likewise optimistic about the incoming first-year class. "It just seems like we have had great students visiting cam pus this year," Bebber said. "All around nice kids that seem re ally happy to be here." Looking Ahead When asked to predict how Guilford could look five or ten years from now, Doss says "it is very easy to think that we could be 3,000 students. And again, that is counting everybody." As for whether the college will grow that big, or how a stu dent body of 3,000 would break down between Early College, Tra ditional, and CCE, Doss says that will be for committees like SLRP to determine. "We have not gotten there yet," he added. "If you want - and I think we do want - to keep a real emphasis on full-time faculty, student-faculty ratios, and av erage class sizes, than if we're that large, quote unquote, it certainly means more full-time faculty." "And you never know how technology can affect how you teach and where you teach," Doss added. "That kind of stuff is just emerging everyday."
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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April 11, 2003, edition 1
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