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USF Administration

Admissions department responds to visitor feedback

Posted by Stephanie Fred ⋅ April 26, 2011 ⋅ Leave a Comment

It has taken two years for the admissions department to respond, but they are finally making adjustments to the campus visit experience based on visitor surveys and recruitment consultants from Target X, a college recruitment firm based in Georgia.

When families take a campus tour of USF, they are followed up with an email by the admissions department asking them to take a survey and give feedback about their experience. Forty percent of visitors wanted to see a classroom, 27 percent wanted to see a dining hall and an overwhelming 87 percent of visitors wanted a bus tour option.

Jonathan Earnest, visitation coordinator, says, “We would love to provide bus tours, but right now it is not in our budget to hire a driver. We look forward to do this in the future though as the campus continues to grow.”

Although a bus tour isn’t soon to come, golf cart tours are. Golf cart tours are now available upon request. It is a first come first serve service, but Earnest believes it is a step in the right direction.

The Green and Gold Guides, USF’s student tour guide organization, has created a tour trainer committee. This new committee re-routed the tour which now includes a visit to a class room in either the Engineering building or Education building, and also includes a visit to Juniper Dining.

“We want to make sure visitors get the most out of their visit at USF and if that means switching up the route and adding a few more stops, then so be it,” says Melanie Reiss, Green and Gold Guide and newly appointed tour trainer.

The Admission Department also hired consultants from a college recruitment firm called Target X. Among many things, the firm suggested that tour routes steer clear of construction sites which prove to be distractions to the campus visit experience. They also suggest that tour guides show tour stops on a map before tours take off so that visitors get a sense of what the tour entails.

Changes to campus tours will take effect by the end of the month.