Students show off UA campus, bring in prospects
Nick DeMoss
Issue date: 3/9/09 Section: News
More than 35 students are being considered to become the newest UA student ambassadors, whose job it is to meet and greet prospective students, provide campus tours, help at recruitment events and assist in the Office of Admissions.
For the last 15 years, the Student Ambassadors program has been providing potential students a closer look at what it means to be a Razorback.
The program, funded and operated by the Office of Admissions, consists of UA students who volunteer to guide potential students and their parents around campus, with the intention of easing the transition to college life, according to the program's Web site.
Student Ambassadors President Bryan Griffith said he thought talking to actual students was a more reasonable way to find out what the UA experience is really like than asking people employed by the admissions office.
The Student Ambassadors program is a Registered Student Organization, meaning in addition to working with potential students, the group participates in Homecoming activities and attends other events, like an end-of-the-semester party.
The program consists of 55 students, and Griffith said the optimal number of ambassadors is between 50 and 70, which allows the program to operate 20 tours a week.
The tours, which generally last an hour and a half each, begin at 9 a.m. and leave every two hours until 3 p.m. Ambassadors show their groups around the campus while trying to establish a personal connection with the families.
"You want it to be as individual as you can," Griffith said. "A lot of schools have big tour groups, and it's just not as effective."
Despite the lack of pay, Griffith said being a student ambassador is worth the work for him.
"I'm OK with not getting paid because it's only one tour per week, but it demands a lot of your time relative to other student groups," he said.
Griffith added that being a student ambassador definitely helps build a résumé - public speaking skills, relatability and reliability are all traits student ambassadors need, Griffith said.
For the last 15 years, the Student Ambassadors program has been providing potential students a closer look at what it means to be a Razorback.
The program, funded and operated by the Office of Admissions, consists of UA students who volunteer to guide potential students and their parents around campus, with the intention of easing the transition to college life, according to the program's Web site.
Student Ambassadors President Bryan Griffith said he thought talking to actual students was a more reasonable way to find out what the UA experience is really like than asking people employed by the admissions office.
The Student Ambassadors program is a Registered Student Organization, meaning in addition to working with potential students, the group participates in Homecoming activities and attends other events, like an end-of-the-semester party.
The program consists of 55 students, and Griffith said the optimal number of ambassadors is between 50 and 70, which allows the program to operate 20 tours a week.
The tours, which generally last an hour and a half each, begin at 9 a.m. and leave every two hours until 3 p.m. Ambassadors show their groups around the campus while trying to establish a personal connection with the families.
"You want it to be as individual as you can," Griffith said. "A lot of schools have big tour groups, and it's just not as effective."
Despite the lack of pay, Griffith said being a student ambassador is worth the work for him.
"I'm OK with not getting paid because it's only one tour per week, but it demands a lot of your time relative to other student groups," he said.
Griffith added that being a student ambassador definitely helps build a résumé - public speaking skills, relatability and reliability are all traits student ambassadors need, Griffith said.
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may
posted 3/11/09 @ 6:51 AM CST
Good job by these students! Being a student ambassador will surely be a good highlight in their resumes. They can join nuResume - a student career network at http://www. (Continued…)
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