The University of Chicago is reinventing its alumni engagement in admissions by moving from in-person alumni interviews to optional video interviews and reallocating alumni support to mentoring, off-campus recruitment, and employment opportunities. To facilitate this change, the university will use a new digital platform called Wisr to connect applicants directly to alumni and relevant resources through chat messaging and discussions while also sharing data with the university's applicant tracking system. The changes aim to empower more students, make the review process more equitable, and recruit fresh alumni volunteers while anticipating some attrition from current volunteers.

1. Peter Wilson
The University of Chicago
Deputy Dean of Admissions and Chief of Staff
peterwilson@uchicago.edu
October XX, 2018
REINVENTING ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT IN
ADMISSIONS

2.  Risk and Liability
 Quality Assurance
 Access Issues
 No one gets in
 Time commitment from staff and alumni
CHALLENGE

3.  Empower announcement
 Making big changes
 Financial aid
 Prepare for new review process
 Alumni interviews cancelled
OPPORTUNITY

4. SOLUTION
 Optional video interview
 Reallocating alumni support
 Alumni mentoring
 Off campus recruitment
 Employment opportunities
 Alumni task force
 Wisr

5. WISR
 Controlled and gated digital community
 Can connect cohorts directly to correct and
relevant resources, including people
 Chat messaging and discussions
 Easy data share with Slate

6. KEEPING ALUMNI ENGAGED
 Mimosas and Mentoring
 Training Videos and Webinars
 Newsletter

7. ANTICIPATING SPEEDBUMPS
 Will experience attrition in alumni volunteers
 1500 active volunteers
Provide other opportunities
College’s Wisr
 Get buy in from alumni in field
 Flew in task force
 Dinner and working group
 Discussion and demo of tech
 See as an opportunity to recruit fresh faces excited about impact and access

8. QUESTIONS
Peter Wilson
The University of Chicago
Deputy Dean of Admissions and Chief of Staff
peterwilson@uchicago.edu