HARRISONBURG, Va. — Prospective and newly-admitted college students are in a tough spot right now. Visits and open houses have been halted by school closures related to COVID-19. But many universities are increasing online resources to provide virtual tours. We’ll visit several on our show this week.
Our first stop is exploring the hills of Harrisonburg at James Madison University, where spring is normally a popular time to be on campus.
“This is one of the most exciting times of the year for us and campus is typically buzzing,” said Chris Meyers, JMU’s director of recruitment marketing. “Fun fact — JMU’s campus is actually the most Instagrammed location in the state of Virginia. Campus is beautiful year round and we sit right in the middle of the Shenandoah Valley, so you can imagine how hard it is to be away from campus this time of year and not be able to show it off in a tour.”
Campus is closed due to COVID-19, but the team has been working tirelessly to offer virtual resources to every admitted and prospective student who would normally visit in person right now.
“Bringing the campus visit experience online was an incredible endeavor that required help from more than 50 faculty members, staff members and students from across the university to really make it happen,” said Meyers.
On JMU’s Virtual CHOICES page, virtual visitors will find a livestream event schedule for Facebook and YouTube, 360° videos from several spots on campus, a full walking tour with a student tour guide.
There are also online academic program sessions.
“It really gives admitted students and prospective students the opportunity to dig into their intended major through a presentation,” said Meyers.
Click here to check out the resources available and take a virtual visit.
