4.6

Recruitment materials and presentations accurately represent the institution’s practices and policies. (Recruitment materials)

Compliance Judgment

X     In compliance     Partially compliant     Non-compliant

Narrative

The Office of Public Affairs has primary responsibility for all Francis Marion publications. Their objective, as published in their “Internal and External Communications Policy Statement,” is:

To provide service to the divisions of Francis Marion University and to ensure that printed matter for public distribution reflect the goals and image of this institution, it is desirable that uniform practices be followed in planning, editing, designing, purchasing, and producing such materials. Therefore, supervision and production of all University publications (catalogs, pamphlets, booklets, brochures, fliers, posters, newsletters and other similar printed and electronic matter) shall be centralized in and coordinated by the Office of Public Affairs. This office will determine the need for and purpose of publications and to ensure that they contribute to and reflect favorably on the University [1].

Student recruitment publications at Francis Marion are developed internally by the University’s Office of Public Affairs and approved by the Office of Admissions and the Office of the Provost before publication. Communication between these offices ensures ongoing accuracy.

Recruitment Materials

Print and electronic recruitment materials include a variety of mediums, for example, brochures, flyers, videos, and webpages. A sample of these materials are included in the list below:

Accuracy of Materials

Recruitment materials accurately represent the practices at Francis Marion University. For example, Francis Marion offers four state scholarship opportunities: South Carolina HOPE Scholarships, South Carolina LIFE Scholarships, Palmetto Fellows Scholarships, and Enhancement Scholarships. These opportunities are listed in both the most updated scholarship brochure [2] and the Catalog 2016-2017 [3].

Additionally, recruitment materials accurately reflect the policies of Francis Marion University. For instance, scholarship information that appears in the most recent scholarship brochure [4] matches information published in the Catalog 2016-2017 [5]: students must earn 30 semester hours per year and maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher to keep their scholarships.

Finally, recruitment materials accurately represent Francis Marion’s academic programs.  For example, faculty members sometimes volunteer to deliver Open House presentations for their respective departments. These presentations derive information from the university catalog. Specifically, requirements for a major in history are consistently represented in both Open House presentations [6] and in the Catalog 2016-2017 [7]. For instance, History 299 is normally taken in the sophomore year, and History 499 is the Senior Thesis course.

Ensurance of Accuracy

Admissions personnel make recruitment presentations on and off campus after completing training with the Director of Admissions.  The training process includes a “dry run” supplemented by the Admissions Training Manual 2017, developed to include university policies, as well as recruitment procedures introduced over a 12-month period.  For example, the manual states that during the first three weeks, new hires in Admissions meet with designated trainers to “give practice information sessions and tours” [8].  This practice of having senior staff members train junior staff members helps to ensure that information sessions and tours provide accurate information about the University.

Personnel from various offices on campus preview recruitment materials to ensure ongoing accuracy. For example, the Director of Marketing in the Office of Public Affairs communicates with the Director of Admissions and the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management about updating recruitment materials such as A Special Guide for Counselors and School Personnel and the Francis Marion University McNair Scholars booklet [9, 10, 11].

Documentation

  1. Internal and External Communications Policy Statement
  2. FMU Scholarship Brochure 2016, State Scholarships
  3. Catalog 2016-2017, State Scholarships, p. 29-30
  4. FMU Scholarship Brochure 2016, University Scholarships, p. 29
  5. Catalog 2016-2017, Institutional Academic Scholarships, p. 29
  6. History Open House Presentation
  7. Catalog 2016-2017, Department of History, p. 101
  8. Office of Admissions Training Manual
  9. Recruitment Materials Review Email
  10. Guidance Counselor Booklet
  11. McNair Booklet