Tech Pushing For More Feedback After Student Visits

Tennessee Tech is emphasizing feedback from students and their families following campus visits as they look for ways to attract more students.

Enrollment and Communication Vice President Karen Lykins said the university stands out in its ability to provide “VIP Tours” where families are assigned their own tour guide. She said survey responses from these families allow Tennessee Tech to improve these visits and better inform students about the opportunities ahead.

“70 percent of the students that enroll at Tennessee Tech participated in one of these tours,” Lykins said. “So, it is a very strong driver of that emotional connection that they get. If they’ve not been on campus before, in particular, it really solidifies the connection”

Lykins said the school has administered some 3,000 tours since August. She said over the past 18 months, they have been more intentional about surveying potential students, enrolled students, and even students who did not elect to attend. She said reaching all three groups allows the school to see what enticed a student to enroll, what has a potential student on the fence, and where the school may have fallen short in the eyes of a student who did not enroll.

“This is one of our primary recruiting tools because we know if they don’t come to campus, they are much more likely not to feel that connection,” Lykins said. “So we have actually increased our number of visits to do just that. To get more connections with families.”

She said Tech also hosts group tours. Lykins said getting students on campus to see with their own eyes what Tennessee Tech has to offer, and improving on those experiences as time passes, remains one of the highest priorities and recruitment efforts.

“We’re looking through that data weekly to understand what it is that would set us apart and what type of communication they like to receive so we can get them to the point that they would visit campus,” Lykins said.

She said for parents, communication is extremely important. She said most often, parents spend a lot of time on tour asking about Tech’s financial aid options, scholarship opportunities, and FAFSA-related matters. She said the school arranges a contact for families to help students decide what departments and majors interest them and what they want from their college experience.