Preaching students to create their own path of learning to reach pinnacle of success - Interview with Marcus D. Murrell

Mr. Marcus Murrell talks about his journey as a student to now serving as the International Admissions Counselor of Concord University. He highlights on the challenges the students face and how Concord resolves them and gives utmost importance to cater the needs of the students. He goes on to describe the vast roles and responsibilities of the faculty and how they juxtapose their experiences as an educator and as a mentor too. In the later segment he describes his roles towards the students and the institution, and how the university has taken measures during the pandemic to organize online sessions for the students.

The bond established when I started working at the Admissions office and thereon the journey commenced

I am a Concord University graduate and I have worked in the Admissions Office at Concord since my junior year of undergraduate study. Following graduation, there was an employment opportunity that opened in CU’s office of international admissions. It was an easy decision to choose to stay at the place I call home, and continue to serve the institution that I love.

We amalgamate the needs and trends to develop an enriching experience for our international students

I’m a member of some national organizations that concentrate on international student recruitment. I stay updated with trends and international student needs. I amalgamate the trends and needs to other Concord departments and together we develop the best experience that we can for our international students.

The faculty of Concord plays the role of educator and mentor

At Concord, students have the opportunity to learn in a more personal environment. Concord University has an average classroom size of 13 students. Faculty at Concord do not solely serve the role of educators but serve the role of mentors to our student body. We are proud to offer such a unique experience to students across the globe.

Our faculty brings vast contemporary learning experiences from their respective domains

Concord University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Over 71% of full-time faculty at Concord University have their highest attainable degree. Concord’s faculty comprises scholars who come from a broad range of geographical and cultural origins. Our faculty brings a wide range of perspectives in order to come together and offer high-quality, contemporary learning experiences harmoniously in their perspective fields.

We are planning to increase the demographics of our enrollment of the students from diverse and ethnic backgrounds

Concord University can further welcome students of different races or ethnic backgrounds by increasing the demographics of our enrollment. CU has an Office of Multicultural affairs, however, countries with the highest student population may be more represented than countries with a lower number of students enrolled at Concord. We welcome student growth in underrepresented countries in order to change to bring forward advocacy from a wider range of backgrounds.

My role is to enlighten the path of the students seeking entrance via various mediums to Concord University

My role is to guide international students who are seeking entrance to Concord University via admission process, scholarship process, and visa application process. As a Concord University graduate, I believe I possess knowledge about Concord University, which can help students know if CU is a perfect blend for them. Students from India can expect for me to initiate contact and follow-up regularly from the moment they apply to Concord until they cross the stage at CU.

Many admissions officers tend to abandon their relationships with students once they enroll in their school. At Concord, I like to see my office as a one stop shop for the students I assist in finding a home in Athens, WV.

Our utmost priority in the future is to offer quality and affordable education to the Indian students

Concord’s top priority for Indian students over the next 10 years, should be to continue offering a high-quality, affordable education. As we continue to offer support to ensure student success, we must continue to provide accessibility to our programs to all students.

CU has always prioritized students and their opinions to be the pillar of support they want

When I first came to Concord as a student my vision was for the university to further consider student experience when implementing policy. Since then, Concord University has prioritized student experience in our strategic planning processes. We have added a student government representative to our university’s Board of Governors, and held public forums for students in any instance a change to campus-wide policy is being considered. I am proud to say Concord University prioritizes our student’s experience and opinions.

A vivid description on the strengths and benefits of studying at Concord University

Benefits to studying at Concord may include: small classroom sizes, mentoring from professors/professionals, job shadowing/internship opportunities, and hands-on learning experiences in many of our 80 programs of study. It was all because of the strength the university possess, which includes

1. Offering a private education for a public cost
2. High acceptance rates into graduate school
3. Opportunities for undergraduate research with professors.

Not leaving behind our most prestigious offering are our courses. The most preferred courses include: Biology, Business Administration, Social Work, Education, and Chemistry.

US News and World report ranked Concord University #31 for the level of undergraduate teaching.

We are planning to evolve and expand our online presence via different domains

We are planning to participate in online college fairs and interviews. We also have plans to continue to expand on our online offerings and student outreach opportunities. For example, we are now offering a virtual tour of campus. I encourage all to visit our virtual tour webpage at: concord.edu/videotour.

Concord smoothly transitioned to the online courses when the pandemic created panic across the world

Concord smoothly transitioned to online courses for the remaining of the Spring 2020 semester and just completed a virtual Spring graduation ceremony. While Concord is continuing to conduct online only courses for summer, we are preparing for in person education in August for the Fall 2020 term. We are excited about welcoming students back to campus and will have processes in place to ensure student and staff health and safety. We have currently planned our Intake date for our initial fall start date on August 17^th, 2020.

We are leaving no stones unturned to provide support via online classes and lectures to our students

Classes were shifted to online mode for students following our Spring Break. Our well trained faculty made this transition very smoothly, swiftly with precision. Although our programs have moved online, we have continued to provide support to our students with:

Online check-ins with faculty

Virtual lunches with the president

Dispersing Aid to students to accommodate these changesThough we face many variables which can alter the near future. Concord University is making every effort to continue offering the best possible educational experience to our students.