Skapto 3 construction begins
AUBG seeks new ways to attract students
By Mariya Manolova
December 4, 2008
The University needs to be aggressive, but very selective - Sullivan
Challenges in recruiting students, attracting faculty, and promoting AUBG were among the issues raised on the second Town Hall Meeting held on Tuesday, December 2. More than 40 community members participated in the second draft report for the Strategic Plan, which focused on Environmental Forces Affecting the Future of AUBG.
The report analyzed the environment in which AUBG operates, and the changes that need to take place to sustain the institution’s mission. “AUBG should maintain its character as a competitive, small, highly selective, liberal arts college with a multicultural and diverse student and faculty bodies,” Economics professor Didar Erdinc, co-chair of the group, said.
Study groups identified challenges in recruiting students from European countries. “Students are increasingly trying to get European style education, as opposed to American style education. Increasingly, we are losing Bulgarian students to Western European universities,” Erdinc said.
Participants discussed ways to improve recruitment in Bulgaria. Publications and Website Coordinator Marin Shagov suggested recruitments should target parents. He added parents play an important role in students’ university choice.
Shagov added that the university could pay for the transportation of prospective students and their parents when they are visiting AUBG.
Dean of Faculty Steve Sullivan said that for AUBG to maintain its image, it “needs to be aggressive, but very selective.” He added that “students with [a] good level of English are our target audience.”
Professor Erdinc suggested AUBG should offer free SAT tests to Bulgarian applicants. “AUBG should continue to improve its programs and use word-of-mouth recruiting strategy [too],” she said.
“Student recruitment and faculty recruitment should not be treated as separate issues,” History professor Markus Wien, faculty representative to the group, said. New faculty will come to AUBG if they can academically realize themselves here, so improving research is very important, he added.
The first Town Hall Meeting was held last Thursday, November 27. There, the AUBG community discussed the first draft report on Liberal Education and Demand for Knowledge Workers. The administration is using the Town Hall Meetings as a tool for getting more feedback from the AUBG community in the Strategic Planning process.
