For many current and past University of Idaho students, Vandal Friday was an event that stuck with them throughout their college years.
Sure, it probably wasn”t the free pizza or the countless people telling them to get involved that remained in their memories. It was, however, the connections made that day.
This year Vandal Friday takes the same form, but with a new name – UIdaho Bound.
For those who have participated in a Vandal Friday or heard the countless references to it as a recruiting event, the new name feels awkward and will take some time getting used to, but the name change makes sense. The annual event has expanded far past Friday activities and its Saturday-centered events make it easier for students and their parents that have to travel to Moscow to attend.
The expansion of the event is a good thing for incoming students and the university.
UIdaho Bound, and its predecessor, connects incoming students to their university and to fellow students. Many find their place on campus by interacting with various groups.
However, the event is consistently framed as a recruitment event, yet it”s heavily focused on incoming students, not prospective ones.
By this time of the year, most high school seniors have already decided where they will attend college and juniors are beginning their search. The biggest draw of the event is registering for classes before anyone else, but this doesn”t draw younger high school students.
The campus and residence tours UIdaho Bound offers are valuable for anyone considering UI. But, there are only two scheduled events targeted toward non-registering students, and one of them is for parents.
If UIdaho Bound is supposed to be the major recruitment event of the year for the university, UI needs to do more to target potential students. UI should promote the event as an information session and offer incentives for students who attend and then apply to UI the following year.
The benefits for incoming students are clear. UIdaho Bound allows incoming students the ability to see what campus has to offer and get excited about the upcoming fall semester. Those students are also able to re-investigate campus at New Student Orientation.
Changing the name to reflect the event”s expansion was a good move. Now, UI needs to turn its focus toward catering to younger high school students. We need to build the Vandal family and younger students need more individualized treatment.
– KH