Effectiveness of the Admissions Office of a University


Introduction


The University naturally offers various services that can answer the needs of the students. One of the reliable offices among the Universities is their Admission Offices. It seems that this kind of office is busy for the entire school year and busiest during the enrollment and the end of the school year. Behind the piles of workload of the staffs and the importance of assisting the students, how can we say that the services they offer are effective? 


Background of the Study


            Admissions office includes Student Financial Services, the Registrar’s Office, and the Access Center. Basically, the office is charged in leading undergraduate recruitment and outreach efforts for the entire university, as well as making decisions on all undergraduate applications, and processing graduate applications. This complex office is already introduced in many of the universities with the continuous recruitment of the office staff who will assist the students and manages the students’ applications. Through active and strategic approaches, Admissions has enjoyed an increase in both resident and non-resident enrollment over the last several years, and strives to balance its growth in attracting an increasingly diverse and well-prepared student body while still remaining true to its land-grant mission and heritage (Rawlins, 2010).


Problem Statements


Based on the review on the background of the study, there are two problems identified that are associated in the Admissions Office’s effectiveness.


·         What are the impacts of leadership in the Admissions Office?


·         What are the impacts of undergraduate students’ staff in the Admissions Office?


Research Aim and Objectives


The main aim of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of the Admissions Office of a certain University. In order to facilitate the investigation, there are objectives that need to be considered. First is to identify the practices that are implemented in the Admissions Office in the University and their advantages in the University. Second is to determine the importance of the Admissions Office towards the efficacy of University. Third is to recognize the perception of the staffs in the practices involved in the Admissions Office. And fourth is to identify the challenges or problems that may pose a threat in the efficiency and effectiveness of the Admission Offices.


Literature Review


The Office of Undergraduate Admissions strives to work as a team to attract, select and enroll the best students by providing the highest quality college selection process. We recruit and enroll talented and diverse students by providing accurate and appropriate information, timely decisions, and quality service to prospective students, families and counselors (Assessment Plan, 2004).Employing a holistic, comprehensive review process to best select new undergraduates not only in light of their preparation, but their potential to successfully contribute to the campus community. The entering freshman class of in the University is largest admission. From diversified society and passing the GPA/test, the freshmen are guided to learn the rules and regulations of the school and assess their score averages. The office is making notable strides in strategic recruitment and communication approaches for all its prospective students. To address the innovative changes and growth of University, and to best capitalize on the opportunity to evolve the Admissions Office along with its institutions’ needs, there are innovative changes that should be adopted (Rawlins, 2010). In general, the effectiveness should be maintained in the Admissions Office. The admissions process is intended to allow the University to recruit the correct number of students of the appropriate ability and potential from a diversity of backgrounds. All policies and procedures must also allow the University to discharge its various responsibilities, for example, in terms of diversity and equality. In addition, the admissions process should minimize the barriers through encouraging and supporting the applicants of diverse backgrounds by minimising procedural obstacles to entry that are irrelevant to the valid requirements of admissions decisions. Professionalism is also encouraged in each stage of the admissions process must be carried out by appropriate, trained staff with relevant and up-to-date knowledge and expertise. Consistency in the admissions decisions of all kinds (both standard and non-standard) must be promoted as well as the transparency. In this way, the operation of the admissions process and the criteria by which judgments are made must be transparent to both internal and external stakeholders. An important aspect of transparency is the creation and maintenance of clear and appropriate methods of communication with all relevant groups. Overall, the Admission Office should operate with the simplicity, fairness and equity, credibility, efficiency, and responsibility (Admissions Office, 2010).


Methodology


The most desirable method is the use of the secondary information coming from the report of the schools (whether in primary, secondary, or tertiary/college). The secondary data can be also acquired from the national achievement test that was implemented in the country. It can be also obtained from the survey that was conducted in the participation of the educators in different levels and from the education department’s assessment on the changes on educational level from the past year up to the recent.


References:


Admissions Office (2010) Postgraduate Students: Policy Statement on Admissions [Online] Available at: http://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/university.calendar/volumeii/2010.2011/adregspg.pdf [Accessed 10 December 2010].


Assessment Plan (2004) Institutional Effectiveness, Office of Undergraduate Admissions


Rawlins, J., (2010) Job Description Office of Admissions [Online] Available at: http://www.coloradocouncil.org/resources/pdf/job-2010-07-costate-dir-recruit.pdf [Accessed 10 December 2010]. 


 



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