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Ralph Amos     To get involved For information on the Volunteer Alumni Admissions Network or other ways you can help with student recruitment, contact Associate Director of Admissions Kevin Witham at (740) 593-4116; witham@ohio.edu; or Office of Admissions, Chubb Hall 120, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701.

By Ralph Amos Dell Robinson is a model recruiter for Ohio University. He's enthusiastic, reliable, committed, knowledgeable. And to think, he does something altogether different for a living. Dell Robinson talks with visitors in Athens for the April Cultural Connections program. Photo by Regina Boone The most important job Dell does for his alma mater is serving as a proud graduate. About two years ago, he joined hundreds of alumni who regularly assist -- in ways large and small -- with recruitment efforts. It's a role you might consider yourself as the Office of Admissions and the Ohio University Alumni Association work to expand the number of ways alumni can help attract top students. It's a natural fit: Alumni are Ohio University's biggest supporters. Many consider their college years some of the best of their lives, and they'd like to see young people they know or meet have many of the same opportunities. It's a good fit for the alumni association, too. In fact, it's so important to the University's success that the association considers assisting with recruitment and retention one of its five primary missions. Alumni can get involved in the process as much or as little as they like depending on their time, interest and other obligations. For some, it might be as simple as filling out a Prospective Student Referral Card to tip Admissions off to an outstanding high school student. For others, like Dell, the commitment is more time-consuming. Dell, a 1988 graduate with a bachelor's degree in physical education, visits the Athens campus at least twice a year. In the fall, he chaperones a bus trip by Cleveland area high school students taking part in the Multicultural Visit Program. While the students learn about financial aid, application procedures, scholarship opportunities and other aspects of campus life, Dell heads to Grover Center to help the College of Health and Human Services during the students' visits there. An Admissions Office tour guide shows prospective students and their parents around campus. Photo by Rick Fatica He returns in the spring for the Cultural Connections program, which, like MVP, seeks to build greater diversity within the University. Prospective students meet with President Robert Glidden, enjoy recreational activities and attend various discussions. Dell serves on the panel during a session for parents, sharing his own college experiences and explaining why he's still so active with the University. Staff members in Admissions and Alumni Relations have been working hard to prepare for the expanded role alumni can play in recruitment and retention. The outcome of their efforts will be the Volunteer Alumni Admission Network, whose members will be trained to assist with everything from writing letters to prospective students to helping staff college fairs in their areas. Fortunately, we already have a strong base on which to build. Alumni around the country sponsor hometown receptions for prospective students, hold sendoff parties as students prepare to leave for campus in September and serve as mentors when a little reassurance or advice is needed. The VAAN program simply will enhance these already substantial efforts. For Dell, the rewards are worth his effort. He shares the story of a young woman who serves as a parking lot attendant in downtown Cleveland, where Dell works as an associate commissioner for the Mid-American Conference. She participated in one of the bus trips to campus and recently told him that she'd been accepted to the University, where she plans to begin her studies in the College of Health and Human Services this fall. "If I had somebody talking to me that early on," Dell says, "I would have probably been a little more ahead of the game. It's most rewarding to come to the campus and see students you've been involved with and see them grow." Dell's involvement in recruiting was spurred by the invitation of an Admissions staff member. Now, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Services Kip Howard and I would like to extend that same invitation to you. The work you do for Ohio University won't pay your bills. But the benefits will blow you away. Ralph Amos is Ohio University's assistant vice president for alumni relations.