Strategies for driving engagement with prospectsand providing flexibility for decision-making

KristenCapezza is vice president of enrollment and university communications atAdelphiUniversity in New York.

Flashback. Its September 2019 and higher education is facing one of the largest disruptions to date; theNational Association for College Admission Counselingvotes to remove long-standing provisions of the Code of Ethics and Professional Practices (CEPP), drastically changing the landscape of college admission. Institutions are left worrying what the future holds and race to remain competitive. Words like sweepstakes are introduced to the college process.

Read:Admissions ethics code now allows student poaching

Fast-forward. The bustling spring season approaches, and this year, its not business as usual. Contrary to expectations, this springs challenges are not a result of fall CEPP changes. The global coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) disrupts all of higher education, forcing campuses to close and operations to resume remotely. Enrollment teams scramble to make class and create strong connections with admitted students, some of whom never set foot on campus.

It feels like the perfect storm.

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Many of us would claim our institutional culture becomes undeniably apparent through our on-campus events, bringing to life the words found in our glossy viewbooks. At Adelphi University in New York, our visitors experience the personalized interaction between our faculty, staff and students, and they feel the safety and energy of the possibilities that await them on our breathtaking campus, an award-winning registered arboretum.

For many, COVID-19 stole those visit experiences this spring. But Adelphi pivoted to recreate those feelings in our virtual campus environment, as did many others. And while no online interaction can replace the feeling of pulling onto campus, our honest and innovative responses may help us long into the future. Here are four considerations for enrollment leaders now:

We must acknowledge social, financial and other priorities that guide human behavior, and we must work extra hard to reflect them in an empathetic approach to college enrollment.

Read:How these colleges are marketing to admitted students during COVID-19

Our team here at Adelphi will continue to meet students where they are. As a result of CEPP changes and the challenges of COVID-19, our team has planned the following.

Read:Schools offer summer scholarships to cope with disruptions

The fall enrollment picture is uncertain for colleges coast to coast. Students are delaying decisions, and many are asking for deposit extensions as they consider their options. We anticipate a large number of students will change plans and opt to stay local, seeking comfort in being near to home. There are students who will request gap semesters and years, waiting to start a campus experience uninterrupted by thermal scans and face masks.

As we look to the months ahead, they are filled with challenges, difficult decisions and unpredictability. Through it all, we must keep our students and institutional missions at the core of our decisions, offering flexibility and accessibility to those who need it most.

Kristen Capezza is vice president for enrollment and communications at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York.

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How COVID-19 is changing the face of college admissions | - University Business