by The Cowl Editor on October 3, 2021
Campus
On Sept. 21, Student Congress invited Raul Fonts, Assistant Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid to our General Assembly meeting, to present and answer questions from members pertaining to his department.
One member asked Fonts how the school can provide information to First Generation students and MLK Scholars about resources on-campus. Fonts suggested that community-based groups can help shed light on the opportunities available to these students. He also pointed out that eliminating application fees and making educators and counselors aware of what PC has to offer will help to bridge the gap of challenges that these students face.
Another member, who is interested in a career in higher education, asked Fonts what attracted him to college admissions. Fonts said that he “fell into the role” through an internship within his college’s admissions office. He mentioned that if anyone is interested in a career in higher education, they should reach out to see what opportunities are available in the Office of Residence Life, Admissions Office, etc. to see if it will be a good fit.
A member asked what changes are being made to merit scholarship at PC. Fonts said that they review merit scholarships every summer. When starting in this position, he saw that the college was giving out more merit-based aid than need-based, so Fonts made the gradual shift of having the college give out a majority of need-based aid. He also looks to expand the endowment to be able to offer more need-based aid.
Another member asked what the recruitment process will look like this year, as some high schools are not allowing recruiters onto their campuses. Fonts shared that there is a brand study underway to give the college insight as to what may work better. He added that there are two full-time representatives for PC on the West Coast to help recruiting efforts out there. He also mentioned that the Friar Search had been expanded on a national level to improve our national branding and recruitment efforts.
The final question came from a member from the Midwest. The member asked if the recruiters on the West Coast and in the Midwest were from the regions they are recruiting in, or if they were from the Northeast. Fonts said there are a handful of staff from outside the Northeast; however, recruiters receive a large amount of information about their assigned area, so they are well equipped for recruitment.
Student Congress would like to thank Raul Fonts for his time and welcome him back for future meetings and projects.
The Class of 2025 is electing their Class Secretary, and the results will be announced Thursday, Sept. 30, in the evening. Additionally, members of the Class of 2022 introduced a bill regarding moving commencement from The Dunk’ (Dunkin Donuts Center), onto campus, like the Class of 2021 had last year. Finally, the Guest Speaker for Oct. 5 will be Fr. Kenneth Sicard, O.P.. As always, the meeting is open to the public, and will occur in Ruane 105, at 5:30 pm.