As the dean of enrollment management, Julie Zulewski plays a key role in the admissions and recruitment processes here at Daemen University. Let’s get to learn alittle bit more about Julie.
What is a typical day for you like in the Office of Admissions?
Because my role encompasses working with students, parents, faculty and staff, each day looks different for me and that is one of the things I love about my job. I usually start the day walking through Rosary Hall (our admissions building) and greeting our staff. I like to hear how their day went and what is new going on in their lives and jobs. By mid morning, I am usually involved in meetings with departments across campus or with our community partnerships. One of my favorite parts of the day is the time I get to spend talking to parents. At this point in my life and career, I really enjoy helping families navigate the admissions process and find the right place for their children to have the transformational experience of a college education.
How did the pandemic change your role?
I think it changed my role in two major ways; how I interact as a manager and how I view the student admissions experience. As a manager, I had to broaden my view of how we interact as a team and provide our team with opportunities to communicate in different ways. From an admissions prospective, as a team we had to develop new ways for students and their families to interact with us and experience Daemen. Some of the ways we did that were to develop a virtual tour and we started providing one on one zoom visits for students to interact with their admissions counselor. We also moved our admissions events fully online, which provided more people the chance to get to know Daemen.
You get to help prospective students decide on Daemen. What is the main piece of advice you give someone who has enrolled at the university?
People always ask me what makes a great university experience. The best advice I can give is to look for a university where you have meaningful conversations- conversations with faculty, conversations with friends, even conversations with yourself as you think about what you learned and how it has changed your view of the world. Daemen offers that kind of experience, we are small enough to engage you in classroom discussions and for you to find ways to have your voice heard. We also offer opportunities for all kinds of students, whether you are looking for a place to reflect or to share your opinions, you will find a welcoming place at Daemen.
Tell us one fun fact people may not know about you.
I am a mom of 23 year old triplets, David, John and Sarah! They all just graduated from college last May and even though I have over 15 year of admissions experience, I was surprised at how much I learned going through the college search process with my own kids. They each approached it completely differently and we found the experience to be exciting, stressful, and a bit overwhelming. As a family, give yourself time and practice patience with each other. Everyone has different expectations and dreams and it is important to keep the lines of communication open.