Summary
The college I chose is FAMU. This college is a historically black university located in Tallahassee, Florida. It is ranked number one in historically black colleges (HBCU) and has 23 degrees ranked top 10 in the U.S. This website is appealing to young adults of all races, but particularly grasping the attention of African Americans. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) uses ethos and Kairos to appeal to readers sense of family and community while acknowledging current historical events to convince prospective students to apply.
Analysis
Just like a magazine or a commercial, A college’s website is just a large advertising venue. These institutions use different ways to appeal and attract prospective students to apply to their school. The #1 HBCU FAMU is no different, this college uses Kairos and ethos to appeal to students’ sense of belonging. They use certain things to grab visitors’ attention and keep it. Besides the visual attention grabbers, they use bold letters and quotes to grab the attention of visitors. FAMU entices students to apply by appealing to their ethics on family, history, and the current climate in the world.
The first instance seen on the website to entice students to apply is a quote in big bold letters reading “Join the Famuly.”(FAMU “Main Webpage” Besides the typography this is an example of the author grasping the reader’s attention with the analytic strategy ethos. It gives students the impression that they are included, which in turn will make them more likely to apply. This is an example of ethos because the school includes prospective students into this shared community, making them feel like the university will make them feel right at home.
The website also displays the strategy ethos by highlighting black excellence. There is a news webpage celebrating African American alumni who went on to do remarkable things in the world. This is an example of ethos because it appeals to visitors’ emotions about ethics and pride. It makes readers feel like they could reach those same height if only they apply. They appeal to African American sense of pride and prosperity. “You are the answered prayers of our ancestors. You represent the hope of the slaves in the cotton fields. You are the dream come true of the dream deferred.” (FAMU “News”) This provokes students to want to be a part of something so prestigious and historical. This quote highlights how FAMU evokes emotions on ethics in prospective students to get them to apply to the school.
Another instance of FAMU compelling prospective students to apply is their acknowledgment of current historical context regarding the coronavirus. They use Kairos to show prospective students they support healthy and preventative measures toward the coronavirus. The website quotes “Remember, we can’t be FAM without U getting vaccinated.” (FAMU “Main Webpage”) This shows that they are in support of current global issues and that they are taking it seriously. This would attract students because they would be more likely to apply to a school that is safe and that acknowledges current economic issues.
FAMU also displays the use of the analytic strategy Kairos by having a whole page designated to sustainability. FAMU advertises a program called the sustainability institute where their students troubleshoot current climate change problems. This is an example of Kairos given the current environmental issues the earth is facing in the coming years. Not only is the environment at risk, but Florida is the most susceptible to disasters caused by climate change. “The Sustainability Institute supports Florida A&M University’s vision to be a living laboratory of innovations and learning experiences that generate global solutions.” (FAMU “Sustainability Portal”) This explains how FAMU acknowledges the current environmental issues and commits to working toward a better environment.
The hashtag Black Lives Matter can be seen plastered across multiple pages on the FAMU website. This is an example of Kairos because the school is making sure we are aware that they support the current historical climate we are living in. FAMU showing their support for the Black Lives Matter movement could be an example of ethos and Kairos because not only is it an acknowledgement of current historical context, but it also speaks to prospective students’ ethics.
FAMU uses ethos and Kairos the influence prospective students to apply to their college. Appealing to a prospective students’ feelings on ethics, sense of belonging, and using their acknowledgement of current historical context FAMU compels prospective students to apply to their university. They use these methods because they evoke certain feelings of belonging, safety, and community in people. They are a historically black college so it is obvious that they would acknowledge black history, Black Lives Matter movements and impower alumni that broke barriers. They also show support for the current environmental and health issues we are dealing with globally. FAMU use multiple ways to compel prospective students to apply to their university, the most easily identifiable strategies are ethos and Kairos.
Response
All else equal FAMU would be my ideal school. If money and location were not a problem FAMU would be my second choice after Howard University. Not only am I an African American female and the college is an HBCU, but it also serves all the values that I value. In class when we wrote down our three values my number one value was family. The whole thesis statement of FAMU is family. If I had been introduced to this school when I graduated, I would have attended because it is so close to where my family lives. My main worry about going away to college is that I would be away from the only people I have ever known, so a school like FAMU would have given me so much pride to attend the school just like GSU (Georgia State University) gives me. One of the first main ideas that I analyzed was the fact that they emphasized family on the main webpage. This college would have appealed to me because in my value inventory I stated “Family; I chose this because it is the most important thing in my life.”
Work Cited
FAMU