In addition to the normal New Student Outreach strategies you may employ each fall, here is a list of additional strategies that you may consider, given the potential of online or hybrid school openings.
While shifting focus to new strategies, it is vital to not forget the fundamentals, like having a solid tracking and follow up plan for new students, e.g., a spreadsheet that enables your student team to have accountability for follow up. Here are IV’s general follow up recommendations and resources. Also, every initial contact with a new student ought to result in capturing that student’s contact information and interest level. Finally, solidifying the community for returning students and inviting them to help welcome new students, perhaps through an in/formal mentoring match up, will provide another set of students outside of the leadership team who are helping to recruit new members.
It is highly recommended that you encourage your leadership team to pursue several kick off strategies and not put all their eggs into one basket. Multiple events allow for multiple points of entry, e.g., a speaker and a retreat and a social event. Here is a list of strategies that may be helpful in a hybrid or virtual school kick off scenario:
- Creatively advertise your chapter, e.g., in departments, chalking, coffee shop bulletin boards, Facebook boosts for events, etc.
- Ask local churches to advertise (get kick-off in bulletins)
- Ask Grad Student Assembly Newsletter to advertise
- Identify first-year students who are willing to reach out to their peers on the 1st year student social media platform - they can post things about events
- Have a virtual lunch where the chapter still orders food for everyone -- it’s just delivered to their homes
- Church tour: have a church of the week, even if virtual, and then meet up afterwards
- Create smaller in-person NSO events, e.g., corn hole
- Search for people who went to Christian undergrad schools
- Offer virtual social gatherings with games and mixers. Suggestions on this site or just do a websearch.
- Check in with local Undergrad Campus Staff to learn from them about outreach strategies and also ask about incoming grad students they may know
Many chapters include a speaker event for fall kick offs. If you are planning an on site speaker, we recommend you discuss with them in advance the possibility of needing to switch to a virtual event. Our Working Group anticipates publishing a guide to coaching virtual speakers soon.
