University Stewards is an organization founded to assist with the recruitment process of prospective students, President-elect Maria Fernandez said.
Stewards provide a personalized dimension to prospective students’ visits by interacting with them, giving them the student perspective of life at the Capstone and answering any questions about campus they may have, Fernandez said.
Additionally, Stewards travel to receptions across the nation with the admissions office and speak to prospective students about why they chose to come to Alabama and the opportunities Alabama has to offer.
“In a nut shell,” Fernandez said, “stewards have to be informed about what the University has to offer in terms of academics, extra-curricular, social life, living situations and the expenditures of such.”
President Courtney Phillips said Stewards is a great opportunity for students to give back to the University.
“It’s a chance to be involved in the recruitment process of the best students in the country,” Phillips said, “therefore making the University an even better place to receive an education.”
Elisabeth Burns, a sophomore majoring in education, said she decided to join Stewards because she thought it would be a fun opportunity to meet upcoming freshmen.
“It’s so much fun and it’s not an inconvenience at all,” Burns said. “If you like to talk to people about the University and help students with any questions they might have, it’s a good organization for you.”
Currently, there are 40 members of University Stewards, Phillips said. Applications for next semester are due Friday.
The application process consists of submitting a resume and filling out the two-part essay application on uastewards.com, Fernandez said.
Last year, Phillips said, 120 students applied for Stewards. Of the applicants, about half are chosen for a formal interview.
Potential new members will participate in a formal interview and a mock-lunch, which is a usual weekly activity for a Steward.
“I would say it is a pretty competitive process, just because it is so important to choose students that are from many different types majors and that will be a good representation of the University to potential students,” Phillips said.
Fernandez said that the increasing number of students applying and choosing Alabama means more diversity, and to successfully aid with the recruitment process, selection of Stewards also needs to be diverse to accommodate to the prospect students’ interests.
“Students are coming here from all over the country and prospective students most enjoy being able to relate to a Steward, be it either through major studies, extra-curricular interests or being from a similar location,” Fernandez said.
Those interested in Stewards, Fernandez said, should be outgoing students who love the Capstone and want to make it better by recruiting top tier students that will continue to better the University.
Phillips said Stewards differs from Capstone Men and Women in that they give a more individual and personalized approach to campus visits.
“Instead of interacting with a large group of potential students, we interact with individual students and their families,” Phillips said. “This helps us to cater to their true interests and give them a down-to-earth approach from a student’s perspective.”
