Recruitment Coordinator has a Plan — a Five-year Plan

Coordinator of Recruitment and Admissions Carolyn Chow meets with master's student Ekene "Kennie" Amaefule

"Your chances of getting in look pretty good."

So remarks Carolyn Chow to a nervous caller who has just turned in an application for one of the School's 16 focal areas for a master's degree. The applicant is well qualified but worried that she may not "be good enough" for the top-ranked school of nursing in the country. Chow has been on the phone most of the morning, helping nurses long out of school navigate the admissions process, or explaining the specialty options within focal areas, or encouraging those who have just inquired about a program to actually apply. She will also have several one-on-one meetings with current students about graduate programs, or about assisting with several outreach programs she has initiated.

Designing a Master Plan
It's all part of an average day, and only one part of a master plan Chow has designed to recruit and retain a diverse student body that includes students from under-represented ethnic groups. Although achieving that goal has never been easy, it has become even more of a challenge since the passage of Initiative 200, Washington's anti-affirmative action amendment. But Chow has a plan. Based on the goals of the School's five-year Strategic Plan, she has devised a long-term strategy to attract more applicants across a wider population base, and to service those who apply to make sure they are matched with the appropriate program.

"We're not afraid to give applicants the attention they need," says Chow, "and it makes a difference."

Staying in tune with students is second nature to Chow, who earned a master's in speech communications from the UW before joining the School of Nursing. Prior to graduate school she worked several years as an account executive in a New York public relations firm whose clients were well-known celebrities and community organizations. The firm was minority owned and operated and was "very service oriented," recalls Chow, offering free help to many groups and raising money for children's programs.

Casting the Net Wide
Chow has incorporated these elements of inclusiveness and service into her five-year plan. In the first year, she "cast the net wide" by reaching out to middle and high school students, community colleges, and hospitals. She organized workshops and classroom programs about nursing for undergraduates and hosted monthly informational sessions for the general public. She created outreach programs at community festivals where nursing students and faculty provided information along with free blood pressure screenings. Other activities encouraged current students to advance to graduate studies.

But encouraging people to apply is only half the job, says Chow. The more difficult part is ensuring that applicants are a "good fit" and that they know what to expect from the program. As a result of extensive follow-up work by Chow, other Student Outreach Coordinators, and focal area faculty, retention rates for students who are accepted into programs are very high and most students excel. The BSN rate of retention is 98% and the master's only slightly less.

"There are few surprises for our students," says Chow. She also personally contacts every person who is denied admission to encourage them to try again.

Although Chow's plan especially targets communities who are underrepresented in nursing, the same level of service is made available to everyone who applies. "We don't just send out form letters," she notes. "We know all of our students and we are there to provide support every step of the way."

Currently, about 14% of undergraduates are from underrepresented ethnic groups, with a slightly lower percentage at the graduate level. This figure does not include men, who are also underrepresented in nursing and who make up about 7% of all students.

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