Herald Inside LI will host local college informational webinar

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Herald Inside LI will host a live Zoom webinar called, “Staying Local for College,” on April 8 at 7 p.m.  

Panelists from local colleges and universities will discuss admissions processes, precautions taken on campuses, accommodating students during a pandemic and student retention and expansion. 

The panelists will include, Marguerite Lane, the assistant vice president of enrollment management at Molloy College, Christine Murphy, the vice president for enrollment management at St. Joseph's College in Brooklyn, Robert Oliva, the assistant vice president of enrollment management at St. Francis College and Joseph Posillico, the vice president for enrollment management at the New York Institute of Technology. 

Oliva, who will share more about information involving St. Francis College during the webinar, said when the pandemic hit, the recruitment process at St. Francis College changed in major ways. He also said the school has had to adapt to the pandemic by creating an online visit program—which went from having in-person to online appointments involving engagments with students over Zoom during times that were most convenient to them. 

“We became even more intentional about literally meeting students where they were at…in their neighborhoods and at their homes…celebrating students during one of the most challenging times we've ever been through,” he said. “These adjustments have kept us stronger together - and we are much better prepared for a return to the new normal in the fall.” 

Posillico said the most extensive change caused by the pandemic is how many colleges and universities have become test optional, such as, New York Institute of Technology. 

“This change has helped students apply to colleges that previously they may have felt reluctant to consider, and it has also reduced the stress levels associated with test-taking,” Posillico said. “The application process is now more of a well-rounded view of a student’s high school accomplishments, extracurricular activities, and strength of curriculum.” 

Other changes at New York Institute of Technology,  Posillico said, include how admissions events have become virtual throughout the pandemic—which he said has allowed students from all over the country and all over the world to attend.

“We have been able to promote New York Tech to students who would otherwise not have been able to reach our campus for an event,” he said.  “Virtual events allow these far-flung prospective students to meet with faculty and enable us to chat with students and answer their questions in a way not possible prior to the pandemic.”

For more on this topic, watch the webinar Staying Local for College on April 8, sponsored by Adelphi University, Molloy College, New York Institute of Technology, St. Francis College and St. Joseph's College.

To register for this webinar and to submit questions for the panelists in advance, visit liherald.com/college.