Alumni Recruitment Committee

The Alumni Recruitment Committee (ARC) is a network of several hundred alumni volunteers who support the efforts and initiatives of the Office of Admission. They serve as integral members of the admission team, extending their knowledge of the University of Richmond, and personalizing the process for prospective and admitted students.

Alumni knowledge contributes greatly to the effectiveness of national, and even international, student recruitment efforts. Alumni truly are the University of Richmond to the local community--its schools, its students, its civic organizations--and to the public at large. We believe that the personal contact alumni volunteers provide can be more influential than any University catalog, picture, or brochure.

In keeping with the University of Richmond's tradition of community engagement and service, the Alumni Recruitment Committee provides an opportunity for Richmond graduates to give back to the University in a meaningful and vital way, and to help build future generations of Spiders.

Volunteer Opportunities

As an ARC member, you will have the chance to increase the visibility of Richmond in your hometown while playing a vital role in local students' college search processes. There are many different ways to become involved in the Alumni Recruitment Committee (ARC). ARC members assist the Office of Admission in recruiting undergraduate students across the country and internationally by:

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  • Local College Fairs

    College fairs are an excellent, cost-effective method for the University of Richmond to market itself in the community. Each year the Office of Admission is invited to attend hundreds of college fairs throughout the country. While we send representatives to as many college fairs as possible, it is impossible for admission officers to attend every college fair to which we are invited. Therefore, we rely upon ARC members to represent the University at a number of college fairs, distributing brochures and contact cards to interested prospective students.

    Objectives of College Fairs:

    • Introduce guidance counselors, students, and parents to the University of Richmond
    • Provide accurate information about Richmond
    • Obtain and return general contact information from students so the Office of Admission is able to connect with those who exhibit a genuine interest in Richmond
  • Virtual Spider Chats

    The University of Richmond conducts Virtual Spider Chats for prospective and admitted students in the United States and other countries worldwide. These chats are casual conversations between students and alumni. While the Spider Chat is voluntary and not a requirement for admission, it does provide a personalized channel for an exchange of information.

    We think of Spider Chats more as a recruitment tool than a way to make admission decisions. Spider Chats seek to: 

    • Exchange of information between the applicant and the alumni volunteer
    • Convey the value of a Richmond education and excite the applicant about the areas in which he or she may have great interest
    • Provide students with a chance to share information about their interests and experiences
    • Involve alumni in a meaningful way in order to achieve Richmond’s admission goals
    • Increase a highly qualified student’s likelihood to enroll at Richmond

Eligibility & Expectations

Alumni Recruitment Committee (ARC) members must be Richmond alumni who attended as undergraduates. As the purpose of the ARC program is to assist with the recruitment of undergraduate students, being familiar with current University trends, updates and student experiences is essential. Please keep in mind that admission decisions are made by members of the Office of Admission. Alumni Recruitment Committee (ARC) members are not a part of the applicant selection process or admission committee; however, ARC members are asked to assist in the recruitment and yield of the first-year class through various volunteer opportunities.

The Office of Admission expects that ARC members:

  • Serve as local University of Richmond resources to interested prospective students and their families
  • Provide admitted students with information that will help them decide whether or not to enroll at the University of Richmond
  • Identify other programs, events, and opportunities where the University of Richmond's name recognition could potentially be increased through alumni or admission officer participation

The following alumni are not eligible to participate:

  • Professional college counselors or those who work in related fields
  • Those who are employed by or who volunteer for the Admission Office or another undergraduate institution
  • Parents or guardians of students entering or are in their senior year
  • Parents of current students who are not Richmond alumni themselves