Written by Watkins Kelly // Graphic by Wagner Valdez
University President Mike Williams is continuing his presidential tour over the course of the semester, partnering with University Admissions and Alumni Relations to connect members of the Harding community past, present and future.
So far, Williams has visited seven different cities throughout Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Alabama and Arkansas. Four more stops are scheduled for the remainder of the fall semester.
Multiple members of the University’s faculty and staff have participated in visits, primarily aiding in recruitment efforts at local high schools. The team has conducted “school takeovers,” beginning with Williams speaking during the high schools’ chapel services. Dr. Heath Carpenter, associate professor of English, attended the Dallas trip and co-taught a Bible class for the high school students.
Carpenter said the team aimed to give students a taste of a college classroom, while also developing connections through breakout groups and interactive activities.
“In the process, we have some reflective teaching time where we do work with the text in ways that try to take it to a collegiate level,” Carpenter said. “We want to model the level of scholarship that you can expect at Harding.”
Carpenter and other members of the team encouraged the class to share their personal stories and form genuine relationships with the members of the Harding team. Carpenter said this team approach helped set them apart compared to recruitment trips from other universities.
“What we hear from the teachers and principals at these high schools is that nobody else is doing this,” Carpenter said. “It’s unheard of, that you would bring faculty on the road with you to model a college experience and connect with the students you would hope to come.”
Williams said the University has already seen the positive impact of increased recruitment efforts. Due to more external messaging, the newly renovated welcome center and other factors, campus visits increased by 35% in the past year. Williams said the increase in numbers is a testament to the current students who shape the positive environment of campus, which is what prospective students see.
“We want prospective students to see that this is a school that prides itself on ‘Inspired Purpose,’” Williams said. “We want to develop game-changers, people that move into a community and envision something better … and it’s also a way for alumni to say, ‘That’s my alma mater. I’m proud of them. They’re raising up a new generation of leaders.’”
Along with recruitment events, each stop on the presidential tour has included an alumni reception. Williams said he has seen an energetic response to these events and stressed the importance of an open dialogue with alumni who are still invested in the happenings on campus.
“A huge part of it is about listening,” Williams said. “During the day, we’re sitting down with individual alumni at coffee or lunch and saying, ‘What does the next century of Harding need to be, in your view?’”
Williams said he hopes that these events with alumni can build pathways between current students and alumni, both in terms of relationships and professional opportunities. He also emphasized that this open dialogue will not stop after this school year and is going to become a part of the University’s “new normal.”
The presidential tour has energized the Admissions and Alumni Relations teams and renewed and stimulated interest from both prospective and former students. Junior Jayda Lynn, who attended a trip to Oklahoma City, said all students should be encouraged by the changes being made to the University’s connection efforts.
“The tour lets it be known how important Dr. Williams’ presidency is in shaping the future of Harding,” Lynn said. “And it’s also adding awareness and amplitude to what Harding is doing right now.”
