The Duke Divinity School Office of Admissions has launched a new podcast aimed at giving prospective students an inside look into the Divinity School community during a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is limiting standard recruitment efforts.
“Normally, the heart of our recruitment strategy is welcoming hundreds of prospective students to campus and our staff traveling thousands of miles all over the country to share about Duke Divinity School,” said Todd Maberry, senior director of admissions, recruitment, and student finance, who is also serving as initial host of the podcast. “We are launching the Divcast to provide one more way for prospective students to connect with the Divinity community without requiring someone to travel or meet in person with a recruiter. We are also hoping it will appeal to alumni and friends of the Divinity community who are the primary source of referring prospective students.”
The first series of episodes will feature faculty interviews, including episodes with faculty members Edgardo Colón-Emeric and Peter Casarella.
The podcast is part of extensive efforts by Duke Divinity Admissions to meet the challenges of the current pandemic, which stopped traditional recruitment efforts abruptly in mid-March. Admissions launched virtual visits for prospective students in less than two weeks, hosted virtual Admitted Students Discernment Days, and offered four webinars where Divinity faculty discussed their scholarship and engaged in conversation with prospective students.
“All of that effort certainly helped us in recruiting the largest incoming class in the history of Duke Divinity School, despite the global pandemic,” said Maberry.
The podcast aims to tell stories that illuminate faculty scholarship, give insights into the student experience, and highlight the ministry of our alumni around the world. Prospective students can subscribe to the podcast through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and other podcast apps.