[civsa] Group Tour Policies

[Boehm, Andrew]

Hello all,

One thing I have done in order to alleviate a lot of these problems is to
clearly set the expectations for these groups, or simply explain why an
"admission visit" may not be the best use of their time on campus.  By
telling every group that this is a visit intended to help students decide
if this University is fit for them to apply to in the very near future and
possibly attend in the near future.  That's also how I nicely say no to
groups of young students.

The best way is to redirect their interest to other spots on campus that
may be more interesting to the students.  It takes some good campus
relationships but if you have museums, or even a good contact at your rec
center, these are often better options for young groups and in a lot of
cases they have programming set up for young visitors.  Playing around in a
gym or a museum is often much more appealing for them than listening to us
or tour guides droning on about SAT scores and meal plans.

I just know that whatever we try these group visits will continue to be a
pain for any collegiate visit professional.  Any collaborative gathering
I've had in this profession comes with a huge, collaborative sigh when they
are brought up.

Good luck and just know that I feel your pain.

*Andrew Boehm*

Assistant Director - Campus Visits and Events

Miami University Office of Admission

301 S. Campus Avenue - 41 CAB

Oxford, OH 45056

513-529-2580


On Wed, May 28, 2014 at 9:35 AM, Rebecca Tuck <rtuck at spsu.edu> wrote:

> Hi Laura!
>
> At Southern Poly, we are only able to accommodate high school groups. We
> used to do elementary and middle school tours (and even church and camp
> groups) but we had lots of issues with that - poor behavior, not enough
> chaperones, the visit just being a field trip, etc. So a few months ago we
> decided to change it to just high school counselors/teachers bringing their
> high school aged students (10-50 students).
>
> In regards to a cancellation policy, we require that the group send us
> back a signed form that's included in our Group Campus Tour Confirmation
> Packet - they have to send that form back at least a week prior to their
> visit (I give them the exact date). We actually use a tour confirmation
> packet that Georgia State (I think) shared on the CIVSA sharing library and
> then modified it to fit our school. It's very thorough and really sets good
> expectations for the group tours.
>
> Hope this helps a little! Let me know if you have any other questions.
>
> Becca
>
> --
> Becca Tuck
> Office of Student Recruitment
> Southern Polytechnic State University
> Office: 678-915-3521
> Email: rtuck at spsu.edu
> www.spsu.edu/visit
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Susan Houston" <SRH003 at SHSU.EDU>
> To: "listserv at civsa.org" <listserv at civsa.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2014 9:26:51 AM
> Subject: Re: [civsa] Group Tour Policies
>
>
>
>
>
> Laura,
>
>
>
> We are having the same problem that you are having. I have started putting
> groups on a waitlist in case of a cancellation. However, it is usually too
> late for them to secure transportation in short notice. We have discussed
> putting the group on a one year “suspension” if they cancel late. But I am
> interested in finding out how if anyone that does this tells them this in a
> “nice’ fashion! Also, how does one enforce it?
>
>
>
> Thanks, Susie
>
>
>
>
>
> Susie Houston
> Visitor Center Coordinator
>
> GO Kats GO Center Coordinator
> Sam Houston State University
> Box 2539
> Huntsville, Texas 77341
> 936-294-1063
> shouston at shsu.edu
>
> http://www.shsu.edu/enrollment/gocenter/index. html
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: listserv [mailto:listserv-bounces at civsa.org] On Behalf Of Stansell,
> Laura J
> Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2014 9:46 AM
> To: listserv at civsa.org
> Subject: [civsa] Group Tour Policies
>
>
>
> The University of Tennessee is seeing a tremendous increase in the number
> of group tour requests. We are struggling to honor all requests because of
> funding. Because of this, we are considering limiting the age level of
> students and/or setting stricter policies that would be enforced for ‘no
> shows’ or late arrivals. If you have any information, contracts, letters,
> policies that you wouldn’t mind sharing, I would appreciate it!
>
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> Laura Stansell
>
>
>
> <><<<><<<><<<><<<><<<><<<><<<><<<><<<><<<><<<>
>
> Laura Stansell – Assistant Director
>
> Visitors’ Center & Undergraduate Admissions
>
> The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
>
> 2712 Neyland Drive
>
> Knoxville, Tennessee 37996
>
> (865) 946-TOUR
>
> stansell at utk.edu
>
>
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