Instead of bringing prospective students and their families to campus for Fall Preview next week, Brock University will bring the campus to them.<\/p>\n
The University has planned an action-packed online event Monday, Nov. 9 in place of the traditional one-day affair that typically draws thousands of Badger hopefuls looking to learn more about Brock\u2019s offerings.<\/p>\n
Virtual Fall Preview<\/a> \u2014 for students considering joining Brock in January or September \u2014 will include more than 20 live sessions detailing various programs and aspects of academic and student life, as well as student panels, mock lectures, a live chat and live campus tours that can be enjoyed from the comfort of home.<\/p>\n In addition to guided tours of the main campus, which run every 30 minutes throughout the day, viewers have the opportunity to participate in specialized tours of the Goodman School of Business and Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts. Student ambassadors, who lead the tours, will share their personal Brock experiences and field questions from viewers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been pretty rewarding to see so many members of the University community \u2014 faculty, staff and community partners \u2014 come together to contribute to Fall Preview,\u201d said Carly Dugo, Recruitment Officer, Campus Initiatives. \u201cIt\u2019s a prime example of the sense of community and collaborative environment that we\u2019re always cultivating at Brock.<\/p>\n \u201cThese may be challenging times, but we\u2019ve made the most of it,\u201d Dugo said in reference to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the cancellation of in-person tours and major recruitment events such as the Ontario Universities\u2019 Fair. \u201cThanks to the collaboration we\u2019ve experienced, we\u2019re still offering just as much, and in some ways, even more than we have in the past to ensure prospective students can make an informed decision as they plan for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n Fall Preview will include a number of opportunities for students and their families to ask questions and interact with department heads, faculty members, staff and existing Brock students.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to provide as much virtual face-to-face interaction as we can,\u201d Dugo said. \u201cAnd by having Fall Preview online, we\u2019re hoping to connect with students and their family members who otherwise may not have been able to make it to a all-day campus event.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to Fall Preview, Brock\u2019s Recruitment team has been offering virtual tours and one-on-one chats on an ongoing basis, and delivering hundreds of presentations to high school students not only during the day but also on evenings and weekends to accommodate various schedules.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had a lot of students engage with us. They\u2019re asking a ton of great questions and are really excited,\u201d said Dugo. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to give them every possible way to connect with us and we\u2019ve been seeing a lot of success so far.\u201d<\/p>\n Since virtual tours were relaunched at the beginning of September, the number of attendees is up more than 50 per cent, said Matt Melnyk, Director of Student Recruitment. Surveys from the tours, he added, have shown the personal experience being offered is helping to boost interest in applying to Brock.<\/p>\n With the secondary school system undergoing changes this year due to COVID-19, it has taken students a bit of time to adjust before turning their focus to the next steps in their educational journey, he said. As a result, Brock is now seeing a \u201cbig spike in activity\u201d from prospective students wanting to learn more about their options.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know the fall semester has been challenging for them,\u201d Melnyk said, \u201cso we\u2019re making ourselves accessible and trying to reach out to them in every way possible.\u201d<\/p>\n What makes Brock stand out, he said, is the strength of its community and its commitment to supporting students, which has led to the University ranking No. 1 for the third consecutive year<\/a> for mental health supports for students in the annual Maclean\u2019s University Rankings.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re demonstrating through our actions that we\u2019re available to help students through this process.\u201d<\/p>\n Lynn Wells, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, praised the University community for coming together to make Fall Preview and other recruitment initiatives possible.<\/p>\n \u201cFall Preview is an important day on the calendar, providing an opportunity to celebrate the academic and student experience Brock offers and to share it with a new group of prospective students,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile we would much rather be hosting this year\u2019s event in person, students, staff, faculty members and librarians from around the University have put significant effort into showcasing the best of Brock. I want to thank them all for their hard work and service to the University in this exceptional year.\u201d<\/p>\n Fall Preview content will go live Monday, Nov. 9 at 8:30 a.m. and will remain available throughout the fall, allowing students and their families to watch sessions at their own convenience.<\/p>\n More information on Fall Preview and a full schedule is available at discover.brocku.ca\/fallpreview<\/a><\/p>\n