ALL IN A DAY'S WORK
Why do students come to Sussex? 
Partly because of the hard work of the schools liaison team, headed by Rob Evans in the undergraduate office. His team promotes higher education by visiting schools and running open days. Rob told Bulletin about the work behind the scenes of the Sussex publicity machine.
Schools liaison is a very small section of the undergraduate office. We are a team of five, of which three studied for degrees at Sussex, which is useful because we have to know a bit about everything on campus. Our role is to promote both Sussex and higher education generally. If we visit 50 schoolchildren and only convert two to Sussex, we've still achieved something if we get the other 47 interested in university.
Traditionally we organise two open days a year, one in May and one in June. Around 1500 students come to each. This year we are planning one big day, which we hope 3000 will attend! We are also holding a parents session to answer questions while their sons and daughters are busy looking around. Also this year we're holding another open day for teachers which will hopefully encourage them to recommend Sussex to their students.
Organising the open day is very time-consuming, what with booking rooms for talks, approaching academics to talk about their schools of study, and training student volunteers to do campus tours. You can find us frantically making signs and badges when it gets nearer to the day, to ensure that visitors can get from Falmer Station to the Refectory without getting lost.
We do lots of little things, such as warning the newsagent and baguette shop that extra people will be on campus, and asking the grounds staff to clear the litter the day before, so that everything looks at its best. The campus is so attractive that we try to make the day as impressive as possible, and hope the weather is good.
Apart from open days, we also squeeze in about 60 visits to schools and colleges a year, attend higher education fairs, and organise around 40 groups visiting campus from schools. Today some local access students will be visiting to see what Sussex is like.
When we tell people about Sussex we have the advantage that it really sells itself. Here everything is in one place, arts, sport, the academic facilities, and if you live here, you instantly have at least a dozen people in your flat/corridor to socialise with. Academically speaking, the School structure is a major selling point, and over the last few years, people have been asking more about teaching and learning methods. We get questioned as to whether courses are seminar or lecture-based, with the vast majority of potential students concerned about getting the right mix of a good time and a good education out of their time here.
When students visit, we emphasise how near the campus is to Brighton, which has everything you'd expect from a big city in a smaller, seaside location. The campus is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty, so a five minute walk leaves you in Stanmer Park having a cream tea, or strolling across the Downs. If you are stressed, a quick walk up the hill takes you to the middle of nowhere - you don't get that in many universities.
The Schools Liaison team from l-r: Lynda Whitby-Eastwood, Jayne Guildford, Hanka Mayhew and Simon Rigby (plus Rob Evans - top)
| The schools liaison team are grateful to the academic and student helpers who help with open days. Students can earn a nominal fee for their services but must wear a T-shirt! To volunteer your services, contact Rob or Simon on (67) 8417 |