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How Roberts Enhances the Campus Visit Experience
“When I was looking for schools in my undergraduate degree, the visit truly made the difference.“ - Rebecca Gartland
In our interview with Rebecca “Becca” Gartland (Assistant Director, Campus Experience and Events), we learn the secret of the best campus visit experience: personalization. Read on to learn what’s new in the world of higher education and what you can expect out of a Roberts visit.
What’s new in the world of campus visits?
Visitors are looking for customization and experience. More and more colleges are offering unique visit experiences that are tailored to student's specific interests and desires in the college search process.
Families are also looking for the “authentic” student experience, so visit offices are looking for ways to showcase this and connect prospective students with current students in as many ways as possible.
How has the Roberts campus visit experience changed?
In 2022, we expanded our offerings to make the campus visit more customizable.
For example, prospective students and their families can meet with the Wellness Center, the Office of Diversity and Equity, or Access and Accommodations and even grab a coffee with a current student.
We will be adding a “taste of Roberts” experience to all individual visits in the Spring - you will have to come to campus to check it out!
We also designed a new series of events called “All In Fridays” where families get to experience life as a current student by attending an event on campus such as an athletics game or concert.
How do you strive to improve the campus visit?
Last summer I attended the CIVSA (College Information & Visitor Services Association) conference - a gathering of over 600 professionals in the collegiate visit industry for a week of professional development. I was able to attend sessions on a variety of visit and event-related topics and network with others in my position at colleges and universities across the country!
The insights I’ve gained from this conference (as well as valuable feedback from our families) helped shape my philosophy: enhancing customization.
Recognizing that each student is a unique individual, we strive to provide a visit experience that helps them decide by offering choices and flexibility. This is our unique value as a small school, unlike larger schools where visits often mean large group tours and presentations with no other options.
This is really important to me because when I was looking for schools in my undergraduate degree, the visit truly made the difference.
During the campus tour, we ensure our student interns tell their stories at every stop. This personal touch helps prospective students envision their future here. Families are significantly more likely to remember the student's story and experiences, so we focus on the intern instead of just sharing facts about us.
What stops students from visiting?
Often, it's the fear of the unknown, not knowing what to expect.
We help address this concern by providing pre-visit communication so students and their families know exactly what to expect from their visit.
For some families, finding the time to visit can also be a challenge! We strive to make it as easy as possible. For example, we host visits every weekday at numerous times. I love hosting events on days when high school students don’t have school. Plus, our largest Accepted Students Day is always on a Saturday.
To make it even sweeter to visit Roberts, we also treat our guests to lunch, coffee, and some swag.
How do you enable visiting families to connect with current students to gain a deeper understanding of the university's unique culture?
Current students can connect with visitors whether at the Admissions front desk or as tour guides. Students get to know our visitors, walk with them to meetings and classes, eat lunch, or grab coffee.
Even though it might feel intimidating, our students genuinely want to get to know you and answer your questions! So this might be the most insightful and fun part of your experience.
How does Roberts demonstrate how character education and Christian faith are instrumental to our campus culture during the visit?
We showcase this through intern stories, illustrating what it looks like in classrooms, dorms, and formal chapel settings. Our student tour guides share about how they are being prepared both academically and spiritually, and how they feel equipped to lead conversations in a polarized world.
What advice would you give to families planning a campus visit?
I'd recommend coming when students are on campus to get a real feel for the environment. If a visit during the summer or a break day is your only option, ask many questions and consider planning a second visit later. The earlier, the better; junior year is an excellent time to visit.
You can come to Roberts any way you want - bring a friend, family member, or alone. Do what you need to do to be comfortable.
If you have unique requests, just ask – we will try our best to make it happen. For example, you can ask to shadow a student or attend an athletics game.
