University Ambassador Program The Institution and Its Students Chartered in 1801, the flagship campus of the (USC) is located in Columbia, the state capital of South Carolina, and offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs through the doctoral level. A major teaching and research university, USC Columbia is a four-year, public university enrolling more than 22,500 undergraduate students, including nearly 4,600 first-year students in fall 2011. While 36% of undergraduate students are residential, approximately 96% of first-year students live in campus housing. Roughly 20% of undergraduate students represent minorities: 11% African American, 3.5% Hispanic, 3% multiracial, and 2.5% Asian American. Women make up 54% of the overall undergraduate population. Additionally, 43% of first-year students are from out of state, and 7% of the undergraduate population is over age 25. Description of the Program First implemented in 1994, the University Ambassadors (UA) program provides volunteer undergraduate students to help run the USC Visitor Center, which also opened that same year. The Center was created to serve as the front door of the University and to advance an understanding of excellence in programs, services, alumni, faculty, staff, and students. The first UA team was comprised of 12 students who volunteered two hours per week to greet visitors and offer tours to groups of alumni and other constituents seeking information or an opportunity to reconnect with the University. Supported by a full-time staff member, training occurred in one afternoon at the beginning of each semester and typically covered customer service and general University programs, services, and accomplishments. In fall 1998, USC expanded its recruitment outreach to gain a competitive edge with college-bound students, and the UA program became part of this expansion. The UA cohort grew to more than 50 undergraduate students and the focus shifted to include the Visitor Center as well as University recruitment efforts. Satisfied students are a college s best recruiters (Kotler, 1976; Noel-Levitz, 2005) and a trusted source of information for prospective students (Eduventures, 2007); therefore, their influence on the enrollment rate of prospective students can be significant. The need for additional full-time staff support and UA training quickly became apparent, and the students increased their volunteer commitment to a minimum of four hours each week, including one hour of professional development and training. The group also participated in special recruiting events (e.g., open houses, scholar events) each semester. In fall 2004, to comply with new National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulations and after completing an NCAA-specific training, UAs also began recruiting prospective athletes.
Page 2 UA selection occurs in the fall, often attracting more than 250 applicants for approximately 25 spots. The selection process involves an application, an interactive group activity, and two formal interviews. Once selected, students are assigned to a cadre of current UAs who coach them throughout their first year and take them through a variety of assessment activities designed to build knowledge, confidence, and competence in their new role. Significant energy is dedicated to team building, which supports overall motivation and the UA experience. At least twice a year, seasoned UAs receive formal feedback from campus visit participants, their peers, and full-time staff. Recently, the number of prospective students and parents taking part in annual campus visit activities, which the UAs help facilitate, has grown to more than 130,000 (up more than 75% from 2007-2008). In addition, the Visitor Center serves nearly one million other visitors each year, including alumni; family and friends of current students; visiting athletic fans; and general visitors through walk-ins, telephone calls, e-mails, and online appointments. The cohort of UAs continues to grow (e.g., now averaging 75 members) to meet new University demands, and full-time staff has increased to four to provide student training, oversight, and evaluation. Assessment Methods and Design Quantitative and qualitative assessment methods have been employed to gain an understanding of the learning experienced through the UA experience. The research reported here represents a second level of analysis of a larger study that explored the perceptions of learning among all peer leaders (PL) groups at USC, a study conducted annually since 2008 by the Office of Student Engagement. The forms of assessment for this study include Peer Leader Participant Surveys. Two administrations of the Peer Leader Survey (PLS) were analyzed (2009 and 2010) due to the consistency among survey questions and peer groups involved. The respondents included 190 PL in 2009 and 165 in 2010 (24% and 43% of all PL at USC, respectively), across the nearly 25 PL groups invited to participate in the study. In 2009, 26 (42%) of all UAs responded to the survey, and 35 (67%) responded in 2010. UA Focus Group. UAs who participated in one or more PLS administrations attended a focus group in spring 2011 to gather opinions about their various peer leader experiences at USC, and specifically to understand their responses relative to nine of the 40 learning outcomes measured on the PLS. Ten (61%) of the 61 UA peer leaders who participated in at least one administration of the PLS participated in the focus group. Assessment-Supported Program Outcomes Data collected through the PLS (2009, 2010) indicate that UAs are experiencing significantly higher levels of learning on nine of 40 learning outcomes measured (Table 1).
Table 1 Nine Learning Outcomes of UAs Measured on PLS in 2009 and 2010 Learning outcome measured Mean difference* 2009 2010 More confident in my interaction with faculty 0.38 0.29 Oral communication skills have improved 0.37 0.35 Presentation skills have improved 0.44 0.43 More comfortable speaking in front of a group 0.34 0.46 Make more careful decisions 0.29 0.26 Appreciation for USC has increased 0.57 0.54 Better understanding of services offered at USC 0.31 0.22 Better able to demonstrate ideals of the Carolinian Creed 0.39 0.29 Would recommend peer leadership to other students 0.21 0.21 *p <.05 Page 3 An analysis of the focus group responses indicated nine characteristics operating within the UA environment, which collectively play a role in the experiences and skill development of the students involved. These characteristics, as described by the participants, were (a) mutually shared expectations, (b) continuous training, (c) repetition of practice, (d) feedback and evaluation, (e) meaningful relationships, (f) mentoring, (g) sense of purpose, (h) ownership and accountability, and (i) appreciation for the University. Organizational Culture Referring to the atmosphere around the UA experience, one student stated, we have the environment and the atmosphere that people, whether or not they are leaders when they come in, we grow and foster growth in each other we all bring each other up and continue to do so and we all reap the benefits from that. When asked to describe her work environment, another student remarked, Here we know it is going to get done, and it is going to get done in the best way possible that s just the culture of the Visitor Center a great feeling. The collaborative and complementary atmosphere around the UA experience is constantly renewed by dedication from staff but especially by the students themselves. The data also indicate that the UA culture impacts other issues related to the UA experience, specifically the recruitment and acclimation of the newest cohort of UAs and the sustained motivation and retention of older members.
Page 4 Ambassador Recruitment and Retention The culture around the UA experience appears to affect the pool of individuals who apply to, join, and remain with the organization. UAs are engaged in an environment that expects not only excellence but leadership to sustain the culture and propel it forward. A UA volunteer noted, this selection process and who applies for this organization are people who care, people who really want to be here and have that strong passion for what they do. I think that the people who are willing to go through the rigorous selection process are the ones who are passionate and willing to put the extra step forward, which carries on through into everything else we do. It is not uncommon for UAs to serve four years, often amassing more than 400 volunteer hours. The long-term dedication and commitment of older UAs permeates to each incoming cohort, and the students take ownership and pride in what they do, realizing that they have a vested interest in building and sustaining a culture that supports their own learning and advances the University they love. The constancy of training, practice, and feedback, within a community of strong relationships, enables each and every UA to not only grow and develop but to take pride in what he or she does. Possibly, their investment in the features that define and support this organizational culture, in turn, drives the long-term commitment, dedication, and engagement needed to enhance their own learning and that of their peers, including prospective students. Implications This research suggests that fostering a work environment that supports mutually shared expectations, continuous training, repetition of practice, feedback and evaluation, meaningful relationships, mentoring, sense of purpose, ownership and accountability, and appreciation has exceptional benefits. In part, these benefits are evident in (a) the high-quality visit experiences UAs provide for prospective students and (b) the positive impact of the peer leader role on each UA. The use of feedback regrettably remains an underutilized tool in many PL experiences. As a result of this study, visitor feedback is now shared with students to support the UA experience, and as of April 2012, 99% of UAs reported that they remain both challenged and satisfied in their role (an increase of 5% from 2010). Further, nearly 95% stated that receiving constant feedback throughout the year motivated them to consider how to better serve visitors. Additionally, UA peer leaders report they benefit from their experience, more significantly than other peer leaders, by gaining (a) effective communication and decisionmaking skills, (b) confidence in faculty interactions, (c) increased knowledge of and appreciation for the University, and (d) a dedication to ethically living within the University community.
Page 5 Lastly, they have a greater likelihood or recommending peer leadership to other students. If peer leadership serves to establish a student s professional interests and aptitudes in a variety of areas beyond their immediate role, it may also serve to create stronger alumni ties and lasting relationships with a college or university, adding another benefit to the use of paraprofessionals in higher education. References Eduventures. (2007). College search and the millennial generation. Boston, MA: Author Kotler, P. (1976). Applying marketing theory to college admissions. A role for marketing in college admissions. Paper presented at the Colloquium on College Admissions, New York, NY. Noel-Levitz. (2005). Navigating toward e-recruitment: Ten revelations about interacting with college-bound high school students. Iowa City, IA: Author. Primary Contributor Denise Wellman Director Visitor Center Columbia, SC 29208 Phone: 803-777-0172 E-mail: denisew@sc.edu Additional Contributors Karla Harper Janie Kerzan Cassandra Pope Samantha Rosser