University of Idaho’s signature recruitment event moves online

Spring UIdaho Bound events will take place virtually

UIdaho Bound guests look over a brochure by the Bruce Pitman Center | Richard Pathomsiri
UIdaho Bound guests look over a brochure by the Bruce Pitman Center on July 24 | Richard Pathomsiri

The University of Idaho’s signature recruitment event, UIdaho Bound, has been moved online for the spring. This summer’s events are still scheduled in person for the time being.  

The decision was made while Idaho was still in Stage 2 of Gov. Brad Little’s Reopening Plan, according to Associate Director of Admissions Angela Helmke.  

UIdaho Bound events planned for March 27, April 24 and May 18 will all be strictly online. Events on June 11, June 25 and July 9, are still scheduled for in person, but plans may change depending on the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“There’s still hope that we will be able to host students on campus,” Helmke said. “Summer has typically afforded us opportunities to be outside and still get business taken care of.”  

On Feb. 4, the state moved to Stage 3, which allows gatherings of up to 50 people with an exemption for political and religious expression, educational activities and health care events such as COVID-19 testing or vaccination. 

In Stage 2, gatherings of 10 or more people were prohibited, with exceptions for classrooms.  

With vaccine rollouts expected to continue through the spring semester, Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management Dean Kahler said a decision needed to be made quickly. 

“We needed to give our families as much notice as possible,” Kahler said. “They’ll make hotel and airline reservations to come to a face-to-face event.” 

For the June and July events, the current plan is to keep UIdaho Bound in person with hopes there will be visible progress by the state in addressing the pandemic. 

While there is hope the summer events can be held in person, if the current state of COVID-19 does not improve, they could be moved online as well. 

“Unfortunately, we’ll have to play it by ear before we know what it will look like,” Helmke said. “At an in person event, people are willing to be on campus for much longer than they may be willing to sit on a computer for a Zoom meeting.” 

In order to adjust for COVID-19 the previous year, some in person activities were kept to small groups and others were pushed entirely online, a format that could continue.  

“I’m assuming we’ll be wearing masks and social distancing,” Helmke said. “No matter what, the university and the city of Moscow has safety protocols that we will be following.”  

UIdaho Bound has long been as an important tool for getting new students to complete their registration and lock in the university as their choice of school.  

“It’s a really good vehicle for us to finalize and put that last stamp on the students,” Kahler said. “We have a lot of students who will register, but they may still be shopping around.”  

Despite the impacts of COVID-19, Kahler said enrollment for freshman students has not drastically declined. First-time undergraduate student enrollment for fall 2020 was only down by 56 students.  

“We’re pretty happy, because schools across the nation were seeing 50% percent declines,” Kahler said. “I think we staved off what could have been a more tragic situation.” 

The fully online UIdaho Bound events will be live through remote sessions. Virtual one-on-one meetings with advisors will be available to help with registering. Access to live help from the Financial Aid Office will also be available. 

To give prospective students a sneak peek, a new 360 degree virtual tour allows students to explore campus facilities and residential areas with a guide.  

Kahler hopes that as things get back to normal, the ability to recruit students will improve enrollment.  

“I’m never happy when numbers are down,” Kahler said. “We believe once COVID-19 is out of our way, we will take off again.”  

Haadiya Tariq can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @haadiyatariq 

About the Author

Haadiya Tariq I am a senior at the University of Idaho, majoring in journalism and sociology with a minor in international studies. My final year at our publication, I am the Editor in Chief for 2022-2023.

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