USC Thornton School of Music: Faculty Recruitment Initiative

Situation

The USC Thornton School of Music was looking for a way to involve the faculty better in new student recruitment. Faculty genuinely wanted to help with recruitment but weren’t always sure about the best way to do so, especially given a full teaching load, not to mention a busy music or performing schedule.

Solution

We developed a faculty recruitment grant program, emphasizing ease of participation on one hand and the flexibility to fit into and expand work the faculty was already doing. We emphasized local recruitment, which not only reflected the strategic priority of the school to “own our own backyard” but also stretched funding further by promoting less expensive efforts (e.g., mileage for local travel as opposed to conference registrations). We identified $500 as the ideal window, both small enough to be budget-friendly and fundable, and high enough to incentivize participation. The simple process eschewed even a form, allowing submission by email.

Success

This new faculty recruitment grant process led to higher engagement and involvement with the faculty, contributing to improved yield.