The University of Aberdeen has landed a prestigious international award in recognition of the institute’s strength in communicating with prospective students and applicants.
Beating off stiff competition from internationally acclaimed institutes such as Harvard and Cornell, the University's Student Recruitment and Admissions Team received the Peer Excellence Award for best practice in the Higher Education sector, at the Connect University 2008 conference in Phoenix, Arizona last week.
More than 40 institutes from across the UK and America were nominated for the accolade which was voted for by representatives of the 350 international institutions who attended the conference.
The University were the only Scottish Institute invited to present at the conference which showcased effective methods of practice in student recruitment and enrolment management.
The award win comes ahead of the University's annual Open Day which takes place on 26 August. Aimed at showcasing the facilities the University offers to prospective students, through campus tours, informative exhibitions, presentations and demonstrations, over 5,000 visitors are expected to attend the event.
Rachel Sandison, Head of Student Recruitment and Admissions, University of Aberdeen said of the award win: "Securing this prestigious title is a huge achievement for the University of Aberdeen. To be selected from amongst an extremely high calibre of institutions from throughout the UK and the US is a great honour, and is deserved recognition of the contemporary, forward thinking methods which the University deploy to ensure we are communicating effectively with our prospective students and applicants."
The University received the award following their presentation at the conference, which highlighted the various marketing campaigns, initiatives and technological methods deployed to interact with applicants and potential new students.
Rachel continues: "From e-zines and web portals to blogs and web-chats, the University has created a diverse set of communication tools in order to correspond with our new intake of students and those who are still considering their Higher Education options. We recently introduced the CHAT initiative which allows prospective students to log on to a bespoke chatroom at specific times and speak to our team of experts about their future University career. Schemes such as this further demonstrate our commitment to enhancing our interaction with scholars by using the means of communication they would naturally use themselves."
For more information on the CHAT initiative and the range of services offered by the Student Recruitment and Admissions department visit www.abdn.ac.uk/sras
Booking is essential for the University of Aberdeen Open Day and prospective students must log on to www.abdn.ac.uk/openday to register their place or call Student Recruitment and Admissions on 0800 027 1495, or email: href="mailto:openday@abdn.ac.uk">openday@abdn.ac.uk</a>Â </p>