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Thursday, January 25, 1990 / University Daily Kansan
LOUISE'S BAR
WATCH THE SUPERBOWL HERE.
- Play Budbowl II
- Free Budweiser sign giveaways
- $1.00 Schooners
- Open at noon, Superbowl Sunday
Program involves KU alumni in drive to recruit students
By Pam Sollnner
Karen staff writer
Kansan staff writer
This year's graduates and other alumni who may not have money to donate to the University of Kansas still can give something back.
W. Wes Williams, dean of educational services, said alumni could volunteer their time and energy to their alma mater through a new student recruitment program.
"We have a lot of alumn wanting to make a contribution to the University by recruiting students who would be good KU students," Williams said.
Williams said he was a middle man in a central administration push to involve alumni in student recruiting. In his three and a half years here, Williams said, several people have been involved in the program's development, but one person now directs its implementation.
Richard Morrell, assistant director of admissions, filled that new position in August 1989. Half of his job duties are devoted to the recruitment program, tentatively called KU Alumni and Friends.
"It's really more than just alumni." Morrell said. "It can be parents or students here, or just friends of the University here."
Morrell said this type of recruiting was not new at universities.
"The private schools across the country have been doing this for a long, long time," he said, "but public institutions haven't done much of it.
"It really is a leading-edge idea in a large public university."
Because of increased competition for students, Morrell said, large public universities must boost their
recruiting processes.
Since August, Morrell has researched the programs at public universities comparable to KU, including Pennsylvania State University, Arizona State University, and Colorado State University. He reviewed the most effective programs then structured KU's programs.
Morrell said volunteers, particularly alumni, would be able to choose from four proposed programs.
In one program, out-of-state alumni would represent KU at "college nights," sponsored by high schools or school districts to give high school seniors information about several universities in one evening.
Alumni would answer questions about KU's academic offerings, student life and admissions procedures.
Morrell said that admissions staff members covered most in-state college nights but that the staff couldn't cover the 40 out-of-state programs
On a more personal level, alumni would be able to encourage admitted students in their area to choose KU by calling or writing the students, offering congratulations and answering general questions about the University.
"It's a confirmation that there is someone from their community who graduated from KU." Morrell said.
The program also would permit alumni to be involved with two types of events for prospective students.
A reception would give alumni and admissions staff a chance to encourage admitted students to enroll at KU, Morrell said.
Alumni also could arrange summer send-off parties for area students enrolled at KU. Morrell said the parties gave students from the same area a chance to meet each other and possibly arrange future trips home.
Morrrell said the programs were ready for preliminary implementation this semester. He plans to have two or three college nights and five or six social receptions this spring. Printouts of 20 newly admitted students will be sent to volunteers to offer letters or calls of congratulations.
Morrell said he had worked closely with the KU Alumni Association, which identified interested volunteers.
Loren Taylor, director of membership development at the Alumni Association, said the organization frequently received requests from alumni for ways to volunteer their time. The Alumni Association also would expand pilot programs in which alumni served as role models for high school seniors considering KU.
About 40 people nationwide already have volunteered for the recruiting program through the Alumni Association chapter leaders and the Kansas Honors Program, Morrell said.
He expects continued annual growth in the number of volunteers. By Spring 1991, he hopes the program has 50 to 100 volunteers.
"It really is a volunteer program in the truest sense that we have some good people out there who are willing to donate their time," Morrall said.
Group calls for halt in distribution of milk until hormone is reviewed
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Some farm and consumer advocates want the Food and Drug Administration to halt the distribution of milk from test cows treated with a synthetic hormone until the agency completes a scientific review.
The group said yesterday that the
FDA at least should require labels on milk and other dairy products that originate from test cows treated with bovine growth hormone, or BGH.
Jeremy Rifkin of the Foundation for Economic Trends, a long-time critic of the synthetic growth hormone, told a news conference that his organization was preparing a petition asking for "a full, thorough, internal investigation" into allegations that the agency worked with the drug companies.
During the news conference, however, Brian Alhberg, spokesman for the National Farm Coalition, said the group was not claiming adverse health effects.
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