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Admissions opens a welcome center designed to make visitors feel at home.
Extra shelf space in the new welcome center allows visitors to pick up a variety of Elon literature.	By Mandy Dixon When Penny Davis first moved to the new admissions welcome center across from the information desk in Moseley, there was some concern that she would be lonely, since she is the only staff member permanently assigned to that area. But with the number of visitors this September almost double that of last year, she has had plenty of company so far.	Heather Stuart gives a presentation to a group of prospective students and their parents.
	"People have asked me if I like it here, and I do -- I love it here!" says Davis, who works as the receptionist at the new location. "Moseley brings an energy in here that is great for prospective students." Davis says she enjoys all of the action and activity in the campus center. Dean of Admissions Susan Klopman is also excited about the welcome center, which opened officially last September. "It is an overwhelming success," Klopman says. "I don't think we could have even predicted how functional and how appropriate such a center could be." Before moving to the new location, the admissions welcome area was upstairs in Moseley 221B. But because this room was difficult to find, welcoming and orienting visitors to campus upon arrival was a challenge. So last spring, the decision was made to switch locations with Elon's Spanish center, El Centro. Renovations took place over the summer. The new center has a reception area and a presentation room, which can hold up to 50 people. "It's small enough to be intimate with a small group, but large enough to accommodate a large group comfortably," Davis says. An inviting atmosphere The rooms were designed to make visitors feel at home, with sofas, end tables, soft lighting and even a laptop computer. The presentation room is equipped with a stereo sound system, a DVD player, a VCR and a data projector, which lets admissions counselors show the Elon Experience DVD on a big screen. The new center has extra space for literature, such as Elon brochures and news releases. "The whole university is better represented by printed pieces there than ever before," Klopman says. To give the décor a more personal Elon touch, she plans to add artwork from Elon faculty and students. The main goal of the center is to greet and orient visitors as soon as they get to campus in a contemporary, technological setting representative of the university, Klopman says. The new location gets more walk-in traffic, making it easier for members of the Elon community to interact with visitors. Some faculty members have already stopped by to greet prospective students. "It has always been the philosophy that admissions is the job of the whole university," Klopman says. A group effort Senior Associate Director of Admissions Heather Stuart says that staff members from physical plant and media services were very helpful in setting up the center, and it is a big improvement for visitors. "You begin your day right here. This is the central location for the start of your visit," she says. Tours usually take two hours from start to finish, and the center is open 8-5 weekdays and 8-12 on Saturday. Stuart says it is exciting but challenging to have two offices operating at the same time. Klopman agrees. "It's not easy to open a branch office," she says. For the admissions staff, opening the welcome center meant changes in scheduling and job responsibilities to keep the center staffed at all times. The welcome center has gotten rave reviews all around so far, Klopman says. "I think everybody's fallen in love with it. That's been the neatest thing of all," she says. "We like being there, visitors like going there and we think it represents the university well. It's just been a great move."	Visiting families watch the Elon Experience DVD on the big screen.