For more than a decade, 麻豆原创 student fundraisers have called on alumni and parents from a lively call center housed just slightly off-campus in Research Park. Known as Knight Line, the center employs around 35 full-time 麻豆原创 students each semester whose goal is to engage with donors and potential donors and provide an insider view on the great things that are happening at 麻豆原创. Their efforts have raised as much as $400,000 annually for student scholarships and vital programs at the university.
When the pandemic came calling, the on-site engagement center went remote. Getting new software to keep information secure and allow calling from personal computers was the easy part. But with training and feedback being crucial to the student fundraisers鈥� success, this new format presented some challenges.
As is typical of Knights, they rose to the challenge and have excelled.
鈥淸We] had to change up how we interact during shifts, since we aren鈥檛 together in person; it鈥檚 more difficult to ask a question or provide feedback,鈥� says Alexander F. Pribil, engagement center manager at Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL), the organization that partners with The 麻豆原创 Fund in managing call center operations.
Although COVID-19 has changed some of the logistics of student calling, the focus remains the same: staying in touch.
鈥淥ur goal is to let [alumni] know we still care about them, wanting to know how they鈥檙e doing after graduating and letting them know about things going on at 麻豆原创,鈥� says student supervisor Ilyssa Appleman, an event management聽major who has worked at Knight Line for two years.
Now, the student fundraisers focus on 鈥榗are calling,鈥� rather than on raising funds for university students and programs. Since the pandemic hit, callers have made about 16,000 care calls.
鈥淲hen we got started with our care calling, we spent some time working on active listening, and taking cues from our alumni,鈥� says Pribil.聽 鈥淢ost calls average around the three-minute mark but we have [had] some great conversations that went on for 25-30 minutes 鈥� the callers were really connecting with our alumni.鈥�
Appleman agrees that everyone has adapted well off-site. She has found the transition to care calls very successful and says that most alumni seem to enjoy them.
鈥淭hey feel appreciated that we called to check in during these challenging times. A lot of them like to talk because they have been cooped up inside.鈥�
鈥淸The alumni] feel appreciated that we called to check in during these challenging times. A lot of them like to talk because they have been cooped up inside.鈥�
The student fundraisers also work hard to stay connected to each other remotely. 鈥淚 believe that the callers have adapted to working off-site in a wonderful way,鈥� says Tahlia Hutchinson, a political science major who has worked at Knight Line for more than a year. 鈥淲e run games in our chatroom during shifts and even just talk about our days and update each other on what鈥檚 going on.鈥�
But, regardless of the location 鈥� on-site or off-site 鈥� Knight Line makes an impact not only on the alumni who receive the calls, but also on the students who make the calls.
鈥淭he friendships and connections I have made at the Knight Line will always hold a special place in my heart,鈥� says Appleman. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned so much about the university while working here, and while it鈥檚 common to have a bad day at a job, I have never had a bad day here!鈥�
Hutchinson agrees. 鈥淲orking at the 麻豆原创 Knight Line has offered me many different opportunities, from internships to networking,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he 麻豆原创 Knight Line pays in more ways than one.鈥�
