This assessment protocol will measure the success of off campus accepted student events,

yield events, put on by the UNC Asheville Admissions Office. This protocol will also serve as

exploratory and developmental as UNC Asheville has not tracked nor benchmarked what may or

may not be success for these events. This protocol when create a system to assess the yield

events as well as beginning to record and create metrics for benchmarking in the future.

Yield events are held in several areas in North Carolina within large concentrations of

accepted students. The overall purpose of these events are to further inform students about UNC

Asheville with hopes they would matriculate. Presentations are typically given by student affairs

staff, faculty, and alumni. Yield events are typically the last physical presence of the Admissions

office in the counselors respective recruitment region.

Purpose of Evaluation

As mentioned, this assessment will used to gather data for future assessment benchmarks. The

need for the assessment stems from having no set criteria for event success while there will be at

least four events happening each Spring in three different regions with three different staff

members planning and hosting them. It would behoove the department to have an assessment

protocol that would allow each event, regardless of location or staffing, to be evaluated similarly

for success.

Standards of the Evaluation

Two fronts will be evaluated. One will be the event itself and the other will be student presence

and matriculation.

Event Standards

1. Budget

2. Venue location, proximity to student population

3. Refreshments and comfort of space

4. Length of event, including post-presentation Q/A and mingling

6. Faculty, staff, and alumni presentations relay appropriate information

Student Standards

1. Methods of student invitations (phone call, email, physical mail, weekly, monthly, etc)

2. Actual student presence vs student RSVP

3. Matriculation via enrollment deposit

a. Within a week

b. Within a month

c. By May 1 National Deposit Day

Data

The required data will be the budget of the event as well as past events. The protocol will also

need the know the number of students or RSVPd versus those who attended as well as the

number of deposited students within the standard timeline. This data will be necessary to develop

metrics for future events. The protocol will also require that counselors track their methods of

invitations and their timeline of such. Data will also be needed regarding the geographical

location of invited accepted students. Informally, the counselors will ensure that the guest

presenters cover the necessary information such as Next Steps (Orientation, Advising, Housing),

explaining the Liberal Arts, and other information relevant to their department. Guest presenters

are only given a brief guideline as to what they should present. They are given leeway as

presenters may alternate from each event and represent different academic programs or student

affairs offices. Informally as well, the counselors will observe the students and their guests

(typically parents and siblings) reactions to the venue, presentations, and questions they pose.
Event Yes No N/A
Was the event within $200 of average accepted budget?
Was the venue location in most appropriate location proximate to student
population?
Were the refreshments satisfactory?
Did the venue provide an overall comfortable space?
Did the event run in allotted time allowing Q/A and post presentation mingling?
Did the presentations relay appropriate information?
Did the Admissions counselor perform satisfactory methods for invitations?

Student Yes No N/A

Was the student turn out within 10% of accepted range?
Were matriculation quotas met within a week?
Were matriculation quotas met within a month?
Were matriculation quotas met by May 1 National Deposit Day

Conducting the Evaluation

The evaluation will be done mostly internal to the Admissions Office, especially during the

developmental process as there are no set benchmarks for those outside of Admissions and yield

events to use. The Associate Director of Admissions will be part of each evaluation as they are

the immediate supervisor to the counselor as well as part of enrollment management. The

evaluations purpose is for measuring the yield events, but may also indirectly measure the

counselors ability in planning and hosting the event. The counselor themselves will also conduct

the evaluation using their knowledge of their respective region and relationship to the invited and

attended students. The third person involved for the evaluation will be any other Admissions

team member that was present at the event. Typically two Admissions Office staff members

attend each event, the Admissions counselor and an alternating staff member as a backup

resource. Their purpose in the evaluation is to discount any bias of the Admissions counselor,

specifically regarding the informal data (student reaction, guest presenters).

Follow Up

As this is a developmental assessment protocol, the evaluation will be used to create criteria for

future evaluation. Important criteria will be the number of students who RSVP, attend the event,

and matriculate. Follow up will also develop a better understanding of venue location and budget

standards to guide future events. When those criteria are developed, future evaluations will be

able to further assess each event and understand successful invitation methods, information for

presentations, and necessary requirements from the venue and location to control costs.