Fall 2008

Table of Contents

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Description of Organization 3

Supervisor Profile 4

Learning Objectives 5

Overview of Internship 6

Leadership Advantage VIP Program 7

Recruitment & Outreach of Latino Students 9

Reflection 11

Appendix 14

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Office of Admissions WWU

The mission of the Office of Admissions is to identify, attract, and enroll a diverse and academically qualified undergraduate student body of appropriate size and composition, while providing a foundation for successful student transitions to WWU.

Enrolling a diverse student body requires an integrated plan for attracting a diverse applicant pool and developing criteria for admissions review that will highlight and reward multicultural perspectives and diversity. In working toward these goals, the Office of Admissions has prioritized hiring staff with passion and experience working with underrepresented groups. Admissions carefully tailors its outreach efforts and review process to address issues of culture, common obstacles for underrepresented groups, and the virtue of a diverse learning environment.

The efforts to attract a diverse student body include:

• Targeted travel• Publication crafting and mailings• Personal efforts/interaction• Facilitating campus visits

Their continuing efforts and successes in diversifying Western's student body were recognized last year when they won The 2008 Diversity Achievement Award.

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Supervisor Profile

Karen Copetas

Director of admissions and enrollment planning

Karen Copetas has been the director of admissions and enrollment planning since 1990. She has always known that “Western's success in attracting a more diverse applicant pool parallels the University's growing reputation for academic excellence."

Western was the first public university in the state to consider factors beyond GPA and test scores in the admissions process. Karen’s job has always been very gratifying as she knows that WWU’s commitment to diversity and inclusion has contributed to a more academically prepared student body. Which she always says makes her job easier.

Progressive admissions policy combined with highly effective recruitment efforts have contributed to Western's rating by US News & World Report as the top public master's-granting university in the Pacific Northwest, and second in the entire western United States for eleven straight years.

Karen Copetas’ position as the director of admission and enrollment is largely part of the reason why today WWU is one of the top universities in the state.

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Learning Objectives

Develop a marketing plan for the Leadership Advantage VIP Program, which is a recruiting selection program for high potential at-risk incoming freshman at WWU.

Experience first hand the different levels of management within the Office of Admissions.

Develop a marketing plan for the recruitment/outreach of Latino students which includes but not limited to…

o On/Off campus presentations and visitso One-on-one contact with prospective students and their parentso Carefully observance of the initial procedures of recruitment all the way to the

efforts of retaining students once at WWU. Review applications/scholarships and take part of the selection process. Train new hires

and specifically give them light of the need for multiculturalism on WWU’s campus. Learn through experience the difference in micro-managing a non-profit office. Expanding the knowledge of diversity management as experienced in the office and on

campus. Also teach others about the issues related to this field. Attend administrative office meetings to review and recreate office goals for the

upcoming week, month, quarter and year.

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Overview of Internship

Being an intern for the Office of Admissions at WWU has been one of my greatest experiences during my college career. I had the opportunity to take what I have learned from the various courses and outside learning experiences and apply them to real-life situations. My management experiences as well as my leadership techniques have grown immensely from haven worked with all the great individuals who work at the office.

For my internship I wanted to focus on completing two major projects. The first project was to help create a marketing plan for the Leadership Advantage Program (See Page 7). My second focus was to develop a marketing plan for the recruitment/outreach of Latino students. (See Page 9). Both projects required me to research past publications, evaluate current work, update and create new publications, and present my final work to the Office of Admissions.

My internship also asked to expand my knowledge and experiences in management. Attending weekly administrative office meetings as well as other scheduled meetings that took place during the internship were extremely helpful to fulfill this last requirement (see Appendix A). Learning from Karen Copetas on how to manage an office with such an important task was very rewarding and I was able to pick up new management techniques that I plan to use in the future.

One of my favorite parts of the internship was the interaction that I was able to have with the staff and students who work at the Office of Admissions. I realized that everyone in the office really bought into the mission and each of them did their own part to ensure that goals and deadlines were met. Lucy Cantu, Admissions -Multicultural Outreach Counselor, was a great support system and friend during the internship. From our first encounter during the hiring process early in the summer, I knew that she would be a great addition to the Admissions team. I hope that the work that I have completed will help her get further acquainted with the Latino students and enable her to do wonderful things in the future.

One of my top priorities for this internship, and really all my work that I have done while at WWU for the Latino community and students of color, is to make my efforts sustainable. Too often have we had work of past students gone to waste because as soon as they graduate then someone else has to start all over again. In order to combat this I tried to get as many students involved in my work and my hope is that they will learn from it and be inspired to continue pushing forward.

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Leadership Advantage VIP Program

Description:

The Leadership Advantage VIP program was developed as a personal and financial investment in a select group of WWU students who have tremendous leadership potential, academic promise and financial need. The inaugural class of 2007 included 10 new freshmen who demonstrated impressive drive, resilience, and an exceptional capacity for making a difference in the lives of others.

The commitment to these inspiring students includes:

A financial guarantee that covers tuition and general fees for up to five years of undergraduate education at Western, as long as the student continues to have significant financial need.

Western’s Leadership VIP pass which provides an inside track to leadership training, mentorship, various campus resources and other opportunities aimed at empowering students as leaders, scholars, and individuals who may one day change the world.

Objectives:

Research the program and find out more about what it really is as well as its offerings to the students. Meet Joanne DeMark, the programs director, and all the students in the program. Review past publication and make new changes. Create a questionnaire and receive responses from current members. Update student profiles and integrate them into the new publication for 2008. Review the nomination form and help create a new form for 2008.

The Process:

I had only heard a small amount of information about the program from Karen Copetas and some of my friends who were current members of the program. Thus, one of my first priorities was to find out more about the program. I researched the program through WWU website and found out about the administration and some information about the current students in the program. On October 8th, I attended the program’s first meeting of the year where I met the past members as well as this year’s inductees. I listened closely as some of them talked about their past experiences in the program and some of their favorite memories. I made sure to make notes of those students who were the most impressive so I could later ask them to answer the questionnaire I planned to create.

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My next step was to brainstorm and create a questionnaire that I would use during the interviewing process (see Appendix B). I identified the six students who I was most impressed with and made arrangements with them to interview them during the Ethnic Student Center Conference. On October 18th, I sat down with the five students and asked them the questions from the questionnaire. I used a voice recorder that I checked out from the ATUS and to my surprise the device was not working. The voices came out scratchy and unfortunately I would have to do the entire process again.

This is where my past management skills helped me make sense of the situation and enabled me to think on my feet and make an administrative decision. I decided that the best thing to do is to tell Joanne DeMark that the interviews did not work out and therefore that I would need for her to make it a requirement for the students in her class (all of which are part of the program) to fill out the questionnaire. Her help and a little of convincing (I made some of them cookies and salsa) resulted in the students completing the questionnaire in time for me to meet my deadline of October 24th (see Appendix C).

During the week of October 27th – 31st I reviewed all the responses from the students and made grammatical corrections. I selected the top five respondents and included their responses in a report that has given to Karen Copetas on November 5th. Karen reviewed the responses and gave me the clearance to go ahead and pick out the questions I believed would best work for the final publication. On this day we also reviewed the past nomination sheets sent out to the counselors of the high schools. We made major changes to the form which made it easier and more effective to fill out (see Appendix D).

On November 7th, I passed on all the information to Erin Jensen who would be putting them into the final publication.

Outcomes:

By November 14th, the new publication was completed (see Appendix E) Erin and I checked it for any errors and overall appearance. I was satisfied with the work and very happy to have finished the first major project. The new brochure will be included as part of the nomination packed sent out to high school counselors to give them light into the program and see the kind of benefits that students gain from being nominated. It is our hope that this will not only lead to more nominations but will add to the quality of students who will be nominated in the future.

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Recruitment & Outreach of Latino Students

Description:

Western has never before enjoyed such a diverse student body. In 1990, just 755 students of color, or less than 8 percent, attended WWU. By last year, that number had more than doubled to 2,259 students of color, or nearly 17% of the student body. Of which 5% is made up of Latino students. With the Latino population expected to continue to grow in the state of Washington this group has become a major focus for the Office of Admissions.

Objectives:

Develop a marketing plan for the recruitment and outreach of Latino students. Give the Office of Admission further insight into the needs of prospective and current Latino students. Connect the Office of Admission to MEChA and Latino Student Union student groups in order to leverage their efforts.

The Process:

During September I compiled student questionnaires from some members of MEChA and LSU as well as some of their parents (see Appendix F). These questionnaires were reviewed by myself and Karen and together we selected the ones we felt better fit the publication that would be sent out to freshman Latino students and their families. By the end of October we had selected a template and the quotes from the students and finalized the publication, which went to print in early November.

On October 25th, Western hosted Western Fall Welcome which is a program that was attended by over 500 prospective students and family members. During the program I made contact with two Latino students and their families. I spent most of the day with them and made sure that their visit was warm and welcoming. One of the things that I have learned from my own experiences is that the Latino community’s number one priority is family. The value of family is something that I try to demonstrate with anybody I encounter because it is something that is also extremely important to me. This is the reason why I’m able to make great connections specifically with Latino students and their families.

On November 3rd, Karen and I attended an executive board meeting for MEChA. I presented the goals that we have for this year and how we would like them to join in our outreach and recruitment efforts of Latino students. We also thanked them for all the work they have already

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helped with in the past. Our goal is to make us of the student group on campus to help leverage our efforts and to make our work sustainable. We also met with LSU to ask for the same help.

On November 15th, a group of students and staff from AC Davis High School from Yakima, WA came for a special group visit. I attended to every one of their needs and made sure that their visit at Western was one to remember. I made great connections with most of the students and at the end of the visit extended my help with anything that they may need in the future. So far I have received emails from 3 students from the group and now all three are planning to apply to Western.

On November 20th, Eric Sanchez, Karen, and I presented at the 8th Annual Champions of Diversity held at Skagit Valley Community College (see Appendix G). The week prior, Eric and I had met with Angela Dittmar to come up with a script for the presentation as well as to learn about the students we would be giving the gifts to. We presented seven students with $1,000 Multicultural Achievement Program Scholarships. After the event I made sure to congratulate each and one of them as well as their parents. One of the winners, Diba Samadani, was very appreciate of the fact that I had spent time with her and her family and to this day we still email each other. She has already applied to Western and is awaiting a decision. We are currently working on setting up a special program for these students and their parents to be held on campus early next quarter.

Throughout this entire quarter and really my entire time at WWU I have kept contact with those Latino students who I have encountered through tours, group visits, special visits, and other events to give them more insight into the college experience. I feel that my ongoing commitment to these students will leave a mark in the decision to apply to Western or any other university.

Outcomes:

The bilingual publication for Latino students and parents is now available for any recruiting event (see Appendix H). An electronic letter compiled by Karen and I will be sent out to Latino students urging them to attend Spring Preview (see Appendix I). Great connections with MEChA and LSU have been made and we are hoping to only strengthen our relationship with them. Numerous Latino students have been identified as being interested in Western and I’m continuing my efforts to get as many as them to apply.

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Reflection

As I reflect on the past nine seven weeks of school I begin to get a much greater appreciation for everything that I have been able to accomplish. Having the opportunity to intern under the supervision of Karen Copetas has taught me a lot about the real-world of non-profit business. I have worked very closely with her to stay on track in order to accomplishing the objectives that we set out before the beginning of this school year.

With the direction of my supervisor I have been developing a marketing plan for the Leadership Advantage Program, which is a recruiting selection program for high potential at-risk incoming freshman at WWU. I have made great connections with Joanne DeMark, the program director, and all of the students in the program. I have tried my best to be as professional as I can be with my interactions with both these groups because I want them to know that the work I intend to do with them will be one of high quality. This I think has been the greatest challenge because these students see me as their fellow peer and so I have had to use the managing skills that I have learned in my different management classes (most specifically Management 311 and 481) to deal with people of diverse backgrounds and motivate them in the way that best works for them individually. For example, promising them cookies and salsa in return of a very speedy response to ensure that I can deliver on my promise to my supervisor.

Karen and I brainstormed together and finalized a plan to update last year’s brochure that showcased 5 of the students in the VIP program. We built a great questionnaire and sent it out with the assistance of Joanne to all of the students. We received great responses from the students and I condensed all their answers into an easily readable document that will be stored in a file specifically for this program. I then indentified the top 5 student’s responses to use for this year’s brochure and contacted them individually to congratulate them on their selection. They were all very pleased and happy to hear that they had been chosen. After all the hard work I feel proud to say that were done with the production of the brochure and is now ready to be sent to the high school counselors as part of the nomination form.

I have also had the great opportunity to experience firsthand the different levels of management within the Office of Admissions. Through scheduling regular weekly meetings with Karen and other counselors and advisors around the office, I have been able to learn the different positions of the individuals working at the Office of Admissions. I have seen how each of them has their own unique responsibilities and set goals and how these relate to the overall mission of the Office of Admission. I strive to learn everything I can from these individuals because I look up to them and want to someday be able to have the great managing skills that they hold. I have carefully observed the initial procedures of recruitment and how these

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continue all the way to the efforts of retaining students once they are part of WWU.

By attending weekly administrative office meetings I have been able to learn the statistics, current and new strategies, and the future goals of the office. From listening to each member of the administrative team I now have a greater appreciation for all the hard work each and one of these individuals puts day in and day out to make sure WWU gets the best of the best. I have also been able to bring some light into the current problem with our economy and how it will affect our prospective and current students here at WWU. Currently in my Management 470 class we are learning about this issue and so I try to fill in everyone with the latest facts and statistics. I have also paid close attention to the way Karen uses her management skills in the weekly meetings and at the office. I have taken notes on certain strategies and techniques and I have to say that I’m very impressed. One of the aspects that I like most about her management style is that she prefers for the entire team to be part of the meetings instead of her just talking endlessly about the issues on the agenda. This creates a very open and lively environment where new ideas are able to spring up from anyone on the team.

I’m continuing to work on developing a marketing plan for the recruitment/outreach of Latino students. Karen and I have had countless meetings trying to figure out a strategy to tap more into this growing population. Currently we are working to identify individuals, clubs, and organizations that are willing to help us out with our efforts. So far we have spoken with M.E.Ch.A. and the Latino Student Union and we are hoping to work together with them to send out a personalized email to the Latino transfer and freshman students, collect student profiles from the members, and connect with past counselors and advisors who could also help with our efforts to get more Latino students to WWU. I’m also in the process of creating a committee whose sole purpose will be to help with the recruiting of Latino students and invite other leaders from the Western community, both young and old, in order to make the system sustainable. This part of the internship was my main focus after the Leadership Advantage Program brochure was completed. My current Marketing 487 (Non-Profit Marketing) class is helping me so much with my efforts as it has taught me how to recruit volunteers and keep them motivated. Also, it has taught me how to deal with organizations and create a marketing strategy to target the population we are looking to create a change for.

I only spent a small amount of time with the review application/scholarship process but hope to do more so in the future. I’m did take part in helping train new hires and give them light of the need for multiculturalism on WWU’s campus. Lucy Cantu and I are working together to get help from the community here at Western in our efforts to recruit and retain more Latino students. Her and I were finally connected again and our first order of business was to present at the Champions of Diversity celebration on November 20th. Last year, Eric Sanchez and I were the very first student presenters ever, something which we expected other schools to copy. To our surprise no one stepped up to the challenge. Once again Western showed that

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their top priority is their students. Eric and I delivered a warm-felt message of hope to all the students and their families and assured them that if they chose Western that they would be taken care of. After the event we met with the parents and students and once again congratulated them as well as took a picture with all the winners (see Appendix J).

Last but not least I continue to expand my knowledge of diversity management as experienced in the office and on campus. I also try to teach others about the issues related to this field. For me this is a very important issue and Management 481 only added fuel to my passion on tackling this current issue on our campus. In order to create a friendly environment for people of all different backgrounds, our administration, staff, faculty and students need to learn how to effectively deal with diversity. I hope that by having interactions with as many people as I can within the Office of Admissions and any other affiliates that I will be able to lead by example and help them understand the importance of this issue.

Throughout the internship I stayed on top of my correspondence with Latino students with which I have made connections with. Most of the students come from families which are not very knowledgeable in applying to colleges and so I try to be that help for them. I allowed them to ask me anything that they want and try to give them the best responses I can think of. Most of the time this means telling them of my own experiences. I really hope that all my hard work will pay off and that these students will be inspired to apply to Western and come here. I know that this is a very special place where they can grow into amazing individuals. I will continue to work on my efforts to recruit and reach as many Latino students as I can. Having this internship has giving me more focus on my goal. I want to someday look back on this day and know that I did everything I could to help my community find a better future.

I want to thank you both personally for allowing me to follow my passion and for giving me an opportunity to grow as an individual. This internship has equipped me with the tools that I need to not only be a great manager but a great human being. I plan to continue my efforts to recruit even more Latino students to WWU because I know that Western really cares about diversity and they are doing real things, like this internship opportunity, to prepare them into what is in store for the future.

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Appendix

Appendix Title

A Administrative Meeting Notes

B VIP Program Questionnaire

C VIP Program Student Questionnaire Responses

D VIP Program Nomination Form

E VIP Program Brochure

F MEChA and LSU Members Questionnaire Responses

G Champions of Diversity Program

H Publication for Latino Students and Parents

I Electronic Email sent to Latino Students and Parents

J Champions of Diversity Group Picture

K Weekly Internship Updates

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