Appendix B-9.
Aisling Sive: Developing a Graduate Ambassador Program
Silka Houghton – University of Rochester (2025)
Backgound information
Aisling Sive is the Assistant Director of Admissions and Enrollment for graduate programs in the School of Arts and Sciences and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Rochester. In this capacity she works in enrollment management and admissions since, where she works close with admissions committees and departments, and deans to look more strategically at the enrollment of our students and what our goals are. In this capacity she also works significantly on application management and in the recruitment area, fostering connections with prospective students, traveling occasionally for conferences, working with University of Rochester’s GROC reps in different countries, and a variety of other ways to help prospective student’s having the best experience. In her role she then has two populations she primarily serves. The first is prospective students, with the goals to inform them and help them feel prepared for graduate school and that they have a space in graduate education and that they will have value added by pursuing a graduate degree. The other population she serves is administration, where her goals are things like meeting certain admissions numbers, tuition revenue, and enrollment management for review committees. These two populations have mostly consistent goals, but they also have some conflicting needs occasionally.
Key innovations and their value added
Sive has led several innovations throughout her carrier. The main ones we discussed during our interview was the 8B initiative, the graduate ambassador program, and developing a better user experience for committees reviewing applications.
8B Initiative. This initiative involved a third-party company that assists African students in funding their graduate education. Even though there has not yet been a contract with this third-party company, the experience led Sive to grow significantly in a professional capacity. Sive led the project consciously, allowing her to be highly visible at the University of Rochester, gain experience in the challenges about working in a decentralized higher education place, and add to her budgeting experience.
Graduate Ambassador Program. This initiative focused on recruiting current graduate students to represent the University of Rochester for prospective and current students., with the goal of improving the prospective student experience and helping to show what being a student at the University of Rochester would be like. The program also expanded to include social programming run by students, allowing a space for graduate students to develop more of a community outside of a person’s department.
User Experience for Review Committees. This initiative involved providing more individualized, hands-on support for staff using the SLATE application database system to review applications; streamlining the review process and making it clear how an application should be reviewed holistically, and providing resources, guides, and training to improve the user experience and make the application review process smoother. It also gave the staff and faculty an opportunity to better appreciate the value that the Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs office provides.
In-depth story of an innovation: The development of the Graduate Ambassador Project.
How the idea came about and was evaluated/refined
The Graduate Ambassador Program began as a response to a clear and persistent gap in the graduate recruitment experience. Sive realized that prospective graduate students had limited insight into the student experience and noticed a significant gap in how prospective students were able to engage with and understand the graduate student experience. Traditional marketing efforts and small staff capacity left little room to convey the depth and diversity of the student experience in meaningful ways.
“Our resources are slim and our staff is small. So any time you can kill two birds with one stone, it’s super great. And this was an awesome opportunity to do that. I mean, [my colleague] wanted more social programing for students and I wanted to showcase that. We had social programing and opportunities for students.”
It was clear that there were limited resources dedicated to this aspect of recruitment, and Sive strongly believed that current graduate students could offer invaluable, authentic insight that no marketing material or staff member could replicate. Recognizing a mutual need, Sive collaborated with a colleague, the Assistant Director of Student Support, to develop a solution that could enhance both recruitment and current student engagement.
Together, they envisioned a program that would allow current students to serve as both storytellers and community builders—bridging the gap between prospective students’ questions and the lived experiences of those already enrolled. The team believed that peer-to-peer connections could offer a level of authenticity and relatability that institutional messaging alone could not. At the same time, they were mindful of the need to build a sustainable model that would not overextend limited staff capacity. The alignment of their respective goals—Sive’s interest in elevating the student voice in recruitment and her colleague’s goal of strengthening student life—means the Graduate Ambassador concept addressed both goals despite the team’s limited resources.
As a result, Sive began piloting the program in spring 2022 as a series of unpaid focus groups, which helped them to gather feedback on the student experience and gauge interest. These sessions allowed them to test the concept in a low-cost, low-risk format, while gathering meaningful feedback from students across 15–16 departments. This initial “test balloon” phase confirmed both student interest and the program’s potential value, which helped them refine the structure and advocate for its development into a formal, paid position.
Planning and gathering the needed resources
Following the success of the initial pilot, Sive began formalizing the Graduate Ambassador Program by seeking the resources necessary to sustain it. The first step involved developing a clear proposal that outlined the program’s objectives, structure, and anticipated impact. Sive crafted defined roles and responsibilities for ambassadors that reflected both recruitment needs and the university’s broader goals around student well-being and engagement. This careful planning was critical not only for gaining institutional support but also for demonstrating how the ambassadors’ efforts could be integrated into existing workflows without overburdening staff. The context surrounding this proposal further underscored the urgency and value of the initiative.
“Lot of things kind of happening within the admissions space, which put more of a focus on admission. … There was some real needs to meet expectations and goals. And it became very apparent that only one person was not enough. And that gave rise to a lot more than just the ambassadors, you know. But, I think that was also a big piece of the puzzle. And I think coming out of COVID and students coming back to being in person, there was this new rise in students talking about mental health. … All the studies in higher ed were showing that students are struggling and grad students are struggling. … I think all of those factors coming together really influenced and showcase the need for this program.”
Sive’s goal was to get ten graduate student ambassador positions approved using a formal proposal plan. While funding and administrative buy-in were critical, Sive emphasized that the most precious resource was time—specifically, time to manage, train, and support the ambassadors effectively. Planning efforts included building a system of oversight and collaboration that ensured students were not only empowered in their roles but also equipped to succeed.
The proposal was well-received by the Dean and Assistant Dean, who approved funding for six paid graduate ambassador roles—establishing a strong foundation for the program’s next phase.
Implementing and Monitoring the Initiative
Once institutional support was secured, the team recruited the first cohort of six ambassadors. Their roles were intentionally designed to be both impactful and manageable, including event participation, peer storytelling, and direct communication with prospective students. Onboarding included training and clear expectations, and their efforts were carefully coordinated with recruitment and student services to ensure alignment between the needs of both Sive and the Assistant Director of Student Support. The team also prioritized diversity among ambassadors to reflect the range of graduate student identities and experiences, helping to address gaps in representation within existing outreach materials.
Monitoring and improving the program continues to be an ongoing, collaborative effort. Sive implemented an informal yet structured feedback loop—collecting reflections from ambassadors, tracking prospective student engagement, and observing event participation. Metrics were qualitative and adaptive in the early stages, focusing on anecdotal evidence, student inquiries, and ambassador reflections. Regular check-ins between recruitment and student support created space for problem-solving and innovation. This responsive approach allowed the program to evolve in real time, ensuring it remained relevant, inclusive, and aligned with institutional values. The Graduate Ambassador Program not only strengthened authentic student connections but also laid a foundation for long-term, sustainable growth.
Ensuring long-term sustainability and increased impact
Over time, Sive expanded both the scope and size of the program as institutional buy-in and demonstrated impact grew. Sive expanded the size of the program by now having 12 paid ambassador positions each year.
“I definitely think it’s very successful. … in a really obvious way, we’ve been able to grow it. We’ve been able to double the amount of paid ambassadors that we have, because our deans have taken notice and they see value in it.”
She has also been very conscientious of ensuring the work the ambassadors are doing is seen by the Dean and Assistant Dean of the department so they can see the positive impact the initiative has had. This also continues to support the expansion of the program, both with allocating more money to programing and in the hiring of more students. Sive takes meticulous notes ensuring that each hour an ambassador works is being spent working towards supporting the initiative and then includes the data in end of year reports given to the Dean and Assistant Dean, continuing to show the positive impact of the program and continue to build institutional buy-in to continue support for the initiative. By being strategic about resource allocation and advocating for student-centered engagement, Sive was able to establish a meaningful initiative that continues to add value across multiple areas of the Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs office for SAS/Hajim.
Sive intentionally designed the program to align with multiple strategic goals, such as recruitment and student support. This cross-functional benefit increased the program’s visibility and relevance, making it easier to advocate for continued resources. To increase impact without overstretching the team, Sive incorporated scheduling tools, relied on graduate assistants for support, and integrated ambassador contributions into existing outreach efforts like webinars and newsletters. By embedding the program within the broader recruitment and student experience framework, she created a sustainable model.
Observations and lessons learned
I’ve learned through this class and interview that successfully launching value-adding innovations in education requires a deep understanding of student needs, the ability to start small and iterate quickly, and the strategic use of relationships and credibility to build support. From the interview, it became clear that listening—both to students and collaborators—was foundational, as was the willingness to test ideas through low-risk pilots before scaling. Innovation in education also demands navigating organizational structures with persistence and adaptability. It’s key to have an initiative be able to grow and evolve with the institution’s needs.
I also learned something specific about the office I work in. When Sive told me, “In our office it is very, very conducive to taking something on, trying it, adjusting if it’s not working and then continuing to move forward”, I felt reassured that I can develop my own ideas and they would have the opportunity to be heard and not just pushed aside. I also felt that, even though I do not have as much clout as some of my peers, I can still take the initiative to propose my own unique ideas.
Finally, successful innovators pair vision with practicality, staying anchored in purpose while making real-time adjustments based on feedback, outcomes, and available resources.
