Students to aid admissions
The Student Union is in the process of forming the Executive Task Force for Admissions, a committee that will encourage current Brandeis students to reach out to accepted students in an effort to help admissions recruit potential students, Student Union President Jason Gray '10 said. Gray appointed Jamie Fleishman '11 and Sofya Bronshvayg '11 as the heads of the Executive Task Force, the committee spearheading this initiative, right before the February break.
The task force currently only consists of Fleishman and Bronshvayg, but Fleishman said that he, Bronshvayg and Gray are in the process of finding six or seven students to serve on the task force and that the members will be chosen "within a week."
While he would not name the potential members because they are not yet confirmed, he said that they would be from all facets of the student body, not just the Student Union.
"Even though we are picking from a self-selecting pool, we have reached out to people that are very active in the Brandeis community and enthusiastic about Brandeis as a whole," Fleishman said.
He said he hopes to make membership an application process by next semester.
Gray said that he and Dean of Admissions Gil Villanueva "realized that as a result of the financial challenges Brandeis is facing, continuing to recruit a strong class would involve recruitment from current students."
Fleishman said that he met with Villanueva over February break to discuss ways in which the student body could help the Office of Undergraduate Admissions with the recruitment process.
He said the task force will initiate several specific ideas over the course of the semester to help increase enrollment for the Class of 2013 such as talking to students, making a video showcasing certain students' Brandeis experiences and organizing an event on Accepted Students' Day.
Admissions recently sent letters to the top 500 applicants assuring them of likely admission to Brandeis and providing them with a link to indicate a preference for student contact. Fleishman said that the members of the task force will begin calling and e-mailing these students when Villanueva gives them permission.
As more applicants in addition to the top 500 are accepted to Brandeis, Fleishman said that the task force will send a mass e-mail to the student body asking for help contacting potential students. Those students who are interested will list their hobbies and interests and will then be entered into a database, enabling the task force to match current students with prospective students according to their various interests.
The task force will also work with the Office of Communications to help develop a video featuring up to six students telling their personal stories about why they chose to attend Brandeis.
Fleishman said that while the video will most likely feature Gray, he and Bronshvayg have not decided who the other students will be. He said that the task force was looking for a "good representation of every class year as well as students that are enthusiastic about Brandeis."
The task force is also working on planning a concert on Accepted Students' Day April 7 featuring various student a cappella and dance groups. Fleishman said the task force had not chosen which groups would perform.
He said the Senate Outreach Committee is organizing a mixer for prospective students and the members of the Student Union on the evening of Accepted Students' Day.
While Gray acknowledged that the financial crisis "primed the need for current students to reach out to prospective ones," he, Bronshvayg and Fleishman said that they are trying to make this initiative a long-term effort.
"This initiative may have started because of the financial crisis, but the idea behind the initiative-student outreach to accepted students-is something that should have been started a long time ago, and we are aiming to make this committee a long-term initiative," Bronshvayg said.
"We are trying to create a large number of opportunities for students to create a tangible impact and involve themselves in the University," Gray said.
"If people are worried that the economic crisis will adversely effect Brandeis' reputation, this initiative enables them to get involved and change that," he added.
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