<p>This strikes me as similar to wanting the salesman who sold you your car to go over to the service department and do your front-end alignment.</p>
<p>LOL - good observation, gadad.</p>
<p>I had had those same thoughts, gadad, when I started this thread because last year we bought a new (used) car. The salesman was sucking up to us as expected when we were going through the purchase process. But as soon as the papers were signed, he wouldn’t give us the time of day, even when we had a couple problems that seemed easy enough to solve. They weren’t necessarily problems that he could have fixed himself, but he should have at least been cordial and directed us to the person who could help. But instead he didn’t return our calls and was very rude when we finally tracked him down in person. So I took matters into my own hands and took steps toward solving the problem by calling the man who’d owned the car before us. He couldn’t have been more gracious and helpful. (The idiot dealers had left his name and all his contact info in the glove box, which is inexcusable.) I ended up having to call the dealership back to talk to the salesman’s supervisor to finally get what we needed. The end result was that I received a very insincere-sounding apology phone call from the salesman, which didn’t particularly thrill me … plus an extra key, which did. :)</p>
<p>I believe that, while the initial salesperson --whether you’re talking about automobiles or admissions–isn’t necessarily required to superintend the customer for posterity, he or she should at least take responsibility for directing this customer to someone else who can take over once the sales phase of the transaction is over. </p>
<p>Many parents and students can easily transition on their own from getting their needs met by an admissions officer to getting them met by another administrator. But for others–especially those who are new to the college world–making this leap can be daunting or confusing. Over the years, I’ve heard many tales of admission staff members who aren’t so different from car salesmen in their zeal to pander to prospective customers during the recruitment period, only to ignore them once the deal is sealed. There are many others, of course, who bend over backwards to help, even when their duties are officially done.</p>
<p>Daunting? I can google any school and figure out someone to email for almost any question I might have. While the admissions people should certainly know how to redirect inquiries that aren’t in their scope, I’m not quite sure why a prospective student can’t figure out the email address of the housing department, residential life, financial office, etc.</p>
<p>Interesting concept, a Swing Dean. At one of my kids’ school, you select 8 subjects for a First Year Seminar, so pick any 8 you think you might enjoy. Over the summer before entering freshman year, you are notified which First Year Seminar you have been assigned to. The professor who teaches you your First Year Seminar is your advisor for your Freshman year, which means you see him/her at least twice a week in class. My child has found this very convenient for questions, where to go to get some info etc.</p>