Tim Copeland's Blog on College & University Marketing and Enrollment Management

College Enrollment Marketing Recommendations - One Student's View

I frequently research how colleges and universities market themselves to prospective students. From surveys to secret shopping, emails to print publications, I review a lot. 

In a recent survey, I received the following thoughtful response from a current high school student named Daniel.

Read his comments below and notice the themes of relevance, permission, and value throughout.

***************************************************************************************************************************************

Be relevant

"Information that is unsolicited is typically discarded. When colleges want students to read/hear what they have to say, they should present it in a package that is likable. The more novel it is, the more likely it will be read. Consult a marketing major on improving direct mail communications"

Get Ready for Social Spam

For every good communication channel, there is always someone ready to step forward and abuse it.

Spam is a negative connotation that has long been associated with email marketing practices. No more.

There is a group out there that are looking to take advantage of the popularity of social technologies such as blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. This is particularly troublesome for colleges and universities looking to leverage these channels in their marketing and recruitment efforts.

Cisco, the international technology networking company, projects a 30% to 40% increase in spam volume in 2010. Social networks represent a particular trouble spot because hackers can pose as ‘friends’ and people tend to trust communication from their supposed social network ‘friends’.

Consider the following email message I received earlier this morning.

Government and Tuition: Nurse Triumphs Over IRS for M.B.A. Deduction

David still prevails over Goliath. Well, at least a determined nurse can against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Representing herself, Maryland nurse, Lori Singleton-Clarke won a victory against the IRS, allowing her to take nearly a $15,000 tax deduction in business school tuition. This according to Laura Saunders of the Wall Street Journal (See Nurse Outduels IRS Over M.B.A Tuition).

The tax code has long provided for work-related tuition write-offs, but under limited circumstances. The education must maintain or improve skills above the minimum level required in a current trade or business, and it cannot lead to a new license or line of work. In Ms. Singleton-Clarke's case, her decision to pursue an M.B.A. was motivated by not wanting to  "...feel outmatched by surgeons who didn't want to talk to me."

Her case began in 2006 when she deducted $14,837 of tuition from the University of Phoenix on her 2005 tax return. She was advised by her tax preparer that she met the stringent definition. What followed was a confusing round of correspondence from the IRS, followed by a meeting with an IRS agent.

"At one point I had three requests for the same records, each with a different contact name I had to spend hours calling to figure out who needed what," said Ms. Singleton-Clarke.

After the IRS denied her deduction once more, she went to trial. "There was me just me by myself at one table and the [IRS] tax team at another in a big courtroom." The team included two attorneys and several assistants.

Through detailed record-keeping, Ms. Singleton-Clarke won favor with Judge Stanley Goldberg who questioned her closely.

The tax court decision ruling should make it easier for many other professionals to deduct the expense of a M.B.A. in the future.

Good for you Ms. Singleton-Clarke.

ACHE 2009 - Serving as the 'Other' Business School: Roles for Continuing Education

Continuing education units must often walk a fine line within their own institutions. While programs in business and management are the most successful, there is often an internal collision between the business school, accreditation standards, and institutional market position. Jay Halfond, Dean of Boston University’s Metropolitan College addresses the common issues that confront business schools and professional and continuing education. 

ACHE 2009 - Higher Education and the Economy: Challenges, Trends, and Solutions

How is the economy affecting continuing education? What does the future hold? The 2009 Association of Continuing Higher Education Conference (ACHE) kicked off with an interesting ‘hot-topics’ panel discussion. Facilitated by David Thornburgh (University of Pennsylvania), the panel included:

• Jim Broomall, University of Delaware
• Doug Lynch, University of Pennsylvania
• Hadass Sheffer, Executive Director, Graduate! Philadelphia
• Ellen Sloss, Neumann University

The panel began with opening thoughts from each panel member. The following is an approximate transcript of the discussion.

What Corporations Want from Education Partners – Selling Professional and Continuing Education

What are the trends in corporate training and what do executives want right now?

In this recent UCEA South corporate roundtable, industry leaders discuss their needs and what colleges and universities must do to get their business.

The discussion included the perspectives of:

• Tina Finch – Director of Leadership Development, AirTran Airways
• Marisa Benson – PMP, Director, Emory University Technology Services
• Steve Lee – Director of Training, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
• Cate Miller – PHR, Director of Learning & Development, Dixon Hughes PLLC

Conversation themes included doing more with less, the need for customized education, and listening to needs. The following is an approximate transcript of the discussion:

Technology in the Classroom ... playing in the Sandbox at UCEA South

What technology are you using in the classroom?

Pocket Projectors? Mini-camcorders? Acoustic Voice Trackers?

These are but a few innovative technologies in use today at Georgia Tech’s Distance Learning and Professional Education division.

During The Technology Sandbox at the UCEA South Conference, Nelson Baker and George Wright from Georgia Tech provided a hands-on look at how these technologies and others continue to transform the classroom experience.

Here is Nelson's list of recommended technology tools to consider:

Designing a Sustainable Future - Day 1, UCEA South Conference

Sustainability is especially timely and critically poignant in light of the challenges faced by many  professional and continuing education units today. This according to Amy Heitzman (Southern Methodist University) during her opening remarks to over 80 attendees at the UCEA South Conference. The conference theme, “Designing a Sustainable Future”, features over 20 general meetings and concurrent sessions at the Emory Conference Center Hotel, October 18 – 20.

Marshall Schott (University of Houston) followed Heitzman with a town hall discussion on Assuring Long-term Sustainability. Schott provided context by looking at the dramatic population changes in the country and how these shifts may impact our future quality of life.

Given the unique educational needs of the Latino population, he noted that traditional approaches to delivering education will not be successful.

Why should you care?

As Schott noted, “If you want your social security checks to clear, we have to do a better job of educating these populations.”

Schott invited participants to discuss a number of questions including:

1. What programs at your institution today address the emerging Latino segment of the population?
2. What should you to do to address this emerging market of the population?
3. What can you do over the next 12 months to move the needle?
4. What are you doing at your institution to promote math and science education?
5. What are you doing to promote in-service teaching excellence among math and science teachers?
6. What are you doing to promote greater alignment between industry and education?
7. Are there opportunities in the current recession?
8. What programs continue to do well?
9. What programs are you developing in anticipation of the end of the recession?

The challenge for professional and continuing education units is in balancing the need for revenue versus outreach programming for greater societal needs. Many units are being asked to generate even more revenues to offset current and anticipated budget shortfalls.  The needs are in conflict.

Thus, I would add a tenth question to Marshall’s list:

10. Is outreach education to emerging populations a part of your institutional or continuing education unit mission and vision?

There is a larger strategic question that needs to be addressed: is the continuing education unit operating (or surviving) as an auxiliary service?, or should it be a sustainable (perhaps free-standing) academic enterprise? I believe that to address the challenges and opportunities for the future, it must be the latter.

Saving for College? Tweaks Proposed for 529 College Savings Plans

The Obama administration is interested in 529 Plans as a way to increase college attendance and affordability. In a recently released Treasury Department report, officials set forth a number of recommendations to benefit low- and middle-income families.

These recommendations include:

1. Use of Age-Based Index Funds to Lower Investor Costs

2. Eliminating Home-State Plan Bias

3. Limiting Per Beneficiary Contributions

4. Improve Transparency

5. Strengthen Compliance and Monitoring

Download a full copy of An Analysis of Section 529 College Savings and Prepaid Tuition Plans 

The College Vendor/Association Relationship - In Search of Value

More organizations are putting travel spending to the test.  To balance the budget, colleges and universities are reducing – and in some cases eliminating – ‘non-essential travel’, a code word for conferences, retreats, and meetings.  Companies are cutting back as well, only willing to spend money on travel if there’s a chance it will generate revenue. American Express recently found that CEOs are taking an increasingly bottom-line approach to sending people on the road.

As we enter the fall conference season, many associations will understandably experience a decline in participation from both practitioners and vendors alike. As someone who has worked on both sides of the ‘aisle’, I want to explore the relationship between higher education associations and the vendors that serve college and university enrollment managers.

How Predictive Do You Want to Be? Enrollment Analytics and Easy Answers

Imagine sending a letter to a prospective student that says, “We regret to inform that we are unable to consider you as a prospective student. Other students who have graduated from your high school have a poor academic history at our college.” Harsh, huh?

This is not unlike a letter that American Express card member, Kevin Johnson received last year.  “Other customers who have used their card at establishments where you recently shopped have a poor repayment history with American Express,” the letter said.  In an effort to manage default risk, credit card companies are studying shopping habits, which mortgage lender a customer uses and whether the customer owns a home in an area where housing prices are declining.

After contacting the company, Mr. Johnson said, “I understand the need for and the power of predictive analytics … but I think they have crossed the line.”

Today, many in higher education – institutions are vendors-alike – are pushing and pursuing the concept of predictive analytics to optimize enrollment and reduce ‘institutional enrollment default risk’.

The question is how far is your institution willing to go?

Using Twitter in College Recruitment? On this One, Noel-Levitz Misses the Mark

Are you tweeting?

Seems like everyone’s doing it given the media hype. Even in higher education, there’s no shortage of ‘social’ experts proclaiming the virtues of social technologies (see my May 2009 post, OMG! If You Are Not ‘Tweeting’, You’re a Bad Enrollment Manager!). 

It’s easy to feel like you are not part of the ‘cool kids club’ if your institution has not joined Twitter-nation. Why even the enrollment management experts, Noel-Levitz, have jumped on the bandwagon.

Consider the following June 2009 excerpt - To Tweet or Not to Tweet? Is That the Right Question? – from the Noel-Levitz website:

DemandEngine to Reveal New Research - Announces August Webinar Series

Do you like to keep up with the latest research and finding on enrollment marketing?

If so, I invite you to check out the August 'back-to-school' webinar series my company is sponsoring. We will be presenting recent research findings on:

• What prospective students want from a collegiate social networking experience
• How high school students want to be contacted by colleges and universities
• The current enrollment management practices of professional and continuing education
• Search engine results for programs in undergraduate and professional and continuing education

Other enrollment-focused sessions will include:

• How to manage student touchpoints with your institution
• Using strategy and technology to improve email marketing results
• How to optimize the fundamental recruitment marketing communication channels
• The five fundamental mistakes made by professional and continuing education marketers

The series is free for current higher education practitioners. A phone line and an Internet connection is required to participate. Go here to review the presentations and register for the webinar series.

Oops ... the King of Software Reveals a Secret - Tech Tools and Time

Over the weekend, Microsoft founder Bill Gates revealed that he recently left Facebook, after fielding too many 'friend' requests, this according to AFP. Gates, attending an event in New Delhi, told guests that he recently tried Facebook, but gave up after receiving over 10,000 requests.

Gates, who received the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development from India's president for his work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said technology has been "hugely beneficial" but, "All these tools of tech waste our time if we're not careful."

Given Microsoft's global brand appeal and dominance, did Mr. Gates expect less from his Facebook experience? Or, perhaps he had no expectations at all.

Social Insight for Colleges and Universities

Similarly, colleges and universities - encouraged by a rising number of higher education (ahem) social experts - too are rushing into social technologies with little idea of how their students participate, what objectives they will accomplish, and with no strategy ... well, other than 'everybody's doing it.'

I'm an unabashed advocate of social technologies within an interactive marketing framework. That is, we learn something from our prospective students during the recruitment marketing process, and act in ways that demonstrate we are listening. It's a dialogue, not the fire hose of communication most engage in today.

You Need a Social Plan

From our research at DemandEngine, many higher education institutions are applying the same enrollment marketing playbook of irrelevance to social channels with poor results.

Rather than signing up for the latest free internet tool, ask yourself the following questions:

• How you want to change your institutional relationship with students?
• What is your audience ready for?
• What are your objectives? Listening? Embracing? Supporting?
• What strategies will support it?
• Then and only then, ask what technology tools support your plan?

Note to higher education enrollment managers and marketers; social technologies are not a panacea.

Day 3, Noel-Levitz 2009 - The Future of Student Recruitment, Marketing and Retention (Panel Transcript)

 In a session entitled, The Future of Student Recruitment, Marketing, and Retention, an all-star panel addressed issues and emerging trends on enrollment management, marketing, and retention.

Panel members included: Kevin Crockett, Noel-Levitz; Doug Christiansen, Vanderbilt University; Carol Aslanian, Education Dynamics; Brenda Williams, University of New Haven, and Ken Steele, Academica Group.

Read my best effort to transcribe/paraphrase the panel discussion.

Day 3, Noel-Levitz 2009 - Is CRM for higher education a technology ... or something else? (Slide deck)

Building relationships has always been a fundamental core competency for successful recruitment and admissions. Yet with an ever increasing tool set of digital and social technologies, enrollment managers face a complex landscape to connect and engage with prospective students.

In this presentation, New Strategies for Managing Relationships: Recent Research Findings and Recommendations for Undergraduate Admissions, learn how CRM provides a road map to manage complex relationships and supports the attainment of enrollment goals. Discover how colleges and universities are (or are not) embracing the central tenants of CRM, and learn actionable best practices.

Day 2 Insight - Noel-Levitz 2009 Conference

Two down, one to go at the 2009 Noel Levitz National Conference on Student Recruitment, Marketing, and Retention.

I have write-ups on sessions by Indiana Wesleyan's Daniel Solms on the topic of relationship building , and Craig Engel from Noel-Levitz on the fundamental recruitment mistakes made by graduate and professional programs.

Day 2 - Enrollment Management Practices of Professional and Continuing Education (Slide deck)

I've uploaded my updated slide deck from today's conference presentation. Unfortunately, I'm one of those presenters that tweaks their slides until the last minute. The description is below:

New Research: Enrollment Management Practices for Professional and Continuing Education

Professional and continuing education (PCE) leaders are challenged to operate a self-sustaining operation while growing enrollments.

Yet, competition and changing expectations of students put 'build it and they will come' approaches at risk.

Enrollment management provides a well-tested paradigm to improve enrollment performance and increase student success.

From primary research, discover how PCE units approach enrollment management today and learn specific recommendations to improve enrollment performance.

Insights from Day 1 - Noel-Levitz 2009 National Conference

Day 1 is in the books (well, except for the cocktail reception) for the 2009 Noel-Levitz Conference. Despite the budget challenges and travel restrictions faced by many colleges and universities, this year’s conference has attracted over 1,250 attendees … surprising, given the difficult economic climate.

I decided to attend sessions starting with the big enrollment picture and strategy to funnel management, and social media.

Here are the highlights:

Live from San Antonio ... It's Noel-Levitz 2009

High above the mid-western United States, I'm on my way to the Noel-Levitz 2009 National Conference on Student Recruitment, Marketing, and Retention. Featuring sessions on strategic enrollment planning, technology, student success, and admissions and financial aid, this year's conference is being held in San Antonio, Texas.

I will be blogging and 'tweeting' from the event to share up-to-date insights from presenters, panelists, and keynote speakers.

I'm also presenting two presentations on CRM for Undergraduate Admissions: What it Really Means and the Enrollment Management Practices of Professional and Continuing Education.

New White Paper: The Professional and Continuing Education Enrollment Funnel

While Professional and Continuing Education (PCE) units have upped their marketing capabilities in recent years, many have taken a narrow view on the role of prospect cultivation and the need to intentionally manage the student pipeline. PCE has long been driven by lagging performance measures of gross revenues, course go/nogo decisions, and total student headcount.

In this new white paper, learn how the enrollment funnel can be a valuable tool to measure program demand and prospective student intent, improve forecasting, and align outreach marketing activities with how students' make decisions.

A very special thanks to Stephanie Platteter from the University of Minnesota-College of Continuing Education, and Steve O'Brian from the University of Washington-Extension for their significant contributions to the paper.

Download a copy of Introducing the Enrollment Funnel: A Valuable Tool for Professional and Continuing Education Outreach

Where Undergraduate Enrollment Managers Go for Thought Leadership

Ever find yourself searching for new enrollment management ideas and insight to help you in your job? You may be looking for thought leadership. Wikipedia defines a thought leader as a buzzword or article of jargon used to describe a futurist or person who is recognized among peers and mentors for innovative ideas and demonstrates the confidence to promote or share those ideas as actionable distilled insights. I know, a little long, but the best I could find on an early Sunday morning.

Updated June 26, 2009

As part of a study I conducted this year, I asked undergraduate enrollment managers where they go within the industry for enrollment management thought leadership. To provide context, I was looking at companies whose primary competency is undergraduate enrollment consulting and research. Thus technology providers or communication agencies were excluded from the choices.

Of the 105 institutions that responded, 48% were 4-Year Publics, 37% were 4-Year Privates, and 15% were 2-Year institutions. Fifty-six percent of the respondents were at the Dean or Vice-President level, while 35% were directors.

Here’s what I found:

Breaking News: YouTube, Twitter and Facebook to Merge

Higher education marketers and enrollment managers take note.

In a bold move to simplify social tools, it was recently announced that YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook will merge.

Watch the announcement below.

Credit to www.collegeinteractivemarketing.com for finding this one.

Too good to pass up.

Enrollment Marketing, Online and Social Channels: Questions from the Field

From time to time, I get questions from people who stumble across the blog. Well, stumble isn't exactly accurate as www.enrollmentmarketing.org has the number one natural search ranking in Google!

I received the following note from a new higher education practitioner in the world of enrollment marketing.  As I found her question and comments to be quite insightful,  I asked her permission to post her question and my response:

The Original Social Networking Site

I caught this interesting 'take' on social networking last evening during a commercial break.

Now we know where social networking really started ...

 

Watch the video

As you are thinking about adding 'social' to your enrollment marketing approach, it's a good tongue-in-cheek reminder of what it is all about.

OMG! If You Are Not ‘Tweeting’, You’re a Bad Enrollment Manager!

Twitter and Facebook … the future of enrollment marketing and management for prospective students … or as some would have you believe. 

Consider the following excerpts from higher education vendor email messages I’ve received in the last two weeks.

‘Tweeting’, ‘Friending’ and other Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds

In the mid-1600’s, the newly introduced Dutch tulip bulb skyrocketed to twice the price of gold. It was said that one of the rarest of the bulbs could be traded for 12 acres of land!

In his 1824 book Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, author Charles Mackay proposed that crowds of people often behave irrationally, and he buttressed his argument with examples of crowds pursuing ‘get rich quick schemes’ including tulip mania, the South Seas and Mississippi company bubbles. Add the recent real estate collapse and the Internet bubble of the late 1990’s, and you get the idea.

According to MacKay, why do otherwise intelligent individuals form seething masses of idiocy when they engage in collective action?

The Long Arm of the NCAA - Recruitment and Facebook

North Carolina State freshman Taylor Moseley is an avid basketball fan.

So much so he recently pitched in to help the Wolfpack recruit the nation's number one prospect using Facebook. With over 700 members strong, Moseley pleaded his online case to N.C. State recruit, John Wall, by starting a group entitled, 'John Wall PLEASE come to NC STATE!!!!' National basketball signing day is this week.

Unfortunately, the NCAA does not support Moseley's zeal.

According to AP writer Justin Pope, the NCAA says such sites, and dozens more like them wooing Wall and other top recruits, violate its rules. More than just cheerleading boards, the NCAA says the sites are an attempt to influence the college choice of a recruit.

Moseley got a cease and desist letter from N.C. State's compliance director, Michelle Lee, warning of "further action" if he failed to comply.

Is the NCAA simply out of touch with the realities of online access and transfer of information control, or are they right to attempt to keep a level playing field in the high stakes game of college athletics?

Read the full article

Fearing 'Rejection' Colleges Double-Down on Admission Yield Efforts

A senior enrollment officer told me recently, 'you know, we really don't accept students ... they accept us." According to a recent USA Today article, he couldn't have been more right.

Colleges and universities are hedging their bets as best they can as students delay deposits and wait out the best financial aid packages and educational deals. With a troubled economy, price-sensitive students seek the best 'fit' and the best price. In response, institutions are ramping up yield activities to new heights as they make a last stand to secure fall enrollments.

Looking to Sharpen Your Enrollment Marketing Message? Start with this Tool

What educational value do you provide your students?

Over time, it's easy to lose your core value proposition. Messages grow in number, words change, or simply get lost in the sea of media clutter.

Stephanie Platteter, director of enrollment marketing for continuing education at the University of Minnesota offers a one-page positioning worksheet for industry practitioners. The worksheet serves as a  fundamental planning tool for her account managers to bring continuing education opportunities to market.

Download a copy ...

Shorting For-Profit Education - Marketing Costs Under Scrutiny

I caught an interesting higher education segment this week on CNBC's Squawk Box. Jim Chanos, president of an investment firm, questions the value of for-profit degrees that leave students with onerous amounts of debts and little empirical evidence that these degrees make students more employable. According to Chanos, most of for-profit revenue stems from government guaranteed loans, up to 75-85% of Title IV assistance. Chanos speculates that more government scrutiny is coming on the high marketing costs of for-profit education.

While I don't get caught up in the philosophical debate of 'quality', for-profit institutions provide a model for making education accessible for students by removing external and internal barriers to enrollment. That's not a bad thing.

The education segment begins 58 seconds into the clip.

Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness – A View from Corporate America and the Nation’s Governors

I caught an interesting discussion last weekend on US Workforce Skills and Competitiveness on CSPAN.  As part of the  Governor’s Association Meeting, Governor Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), and Vice-Chair of the Education, Early Childhood & Workforce Committee hosted a televised session including presentations from executives from TPI-Composites, a manufacturing entity, and Microsoft. Interesting insight for colleges and universities programs serving adult learners.

CRM for Higher Education, What Does It Mean? - Upcoming Webinar

The topic of CRM is top-of-mind issue for many higher education professionals, from undergraduate admissions to professional and continuing education.

Facing an era of rapid and pervasive change, colleges and universities are struggling to balance the challenges of changing demographics, competition, and declining resources. With institutions increasingly competing on the same value propositions (e.g. quality, small classes, personalized attention), future success may hinge on the ability to differentiate by providing more and better service to students and constituents with the same of fewer resources.

On Friday, March 6 at 2:00 PM EST, I will be presenting a webinar entitled CRM for Higher Education, What Does it Mean? for SunGard Higher Education.

During this presentation, we will look at the art and science of CRM and context for higher education, recent research on the current relationship management practices of higher education, as well a best practices approach for moving CRM forward at your institution.

The webinar is free and is available to those currently working at colleges or universities (sorry, fellow vendors). Register now

New Warning for Collegiate Conferencing Directors: Corporate Travel is Being Cut Dramatically

Twice as many U.S. companies as previously expected are cutting their travel spending in response to the economic weakness and uncertainly. This according to today’s USA Today (Money, Section B). The Associate of Corporate Travel Executives says 71% of their member companies now plan to spend less on travel this year as compared to last. Less than five months ago, only 33% said they planned to cut back demonstrating the unprecedented shift in the economy future expectations.

Combine this market outlook with the strain on higher education resources and collegiate conferencing units are facing extraordinary times.

How do you move forward in 2009?

Balancing the Budget ... State Furloughs and Employee Ire

Georgia Senate President Pro Tem Tommie Williams (R-Lyons) acknowledged Monday what everybody at the Capitol already suspected: lawmakers won’t be able to balance the state budget without more furlough’s of the government’s 100,000 employees. This is according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution's James Salzer.

While many state agencies have forced employees to take days off with pay for months, this has not been the case for University system employees  (see Is the Academic World Sharing the Economic Pain?) ... to date.

Employees are now reacting online. Here's a sample of the comments:

Is the Academic World Sharing the Economic Pain? A $7 Million Dollar Advertising Budget

State of Georgia Lawmakers and the University System Chancellor faced off during a budget discussion on today. At issue? Required furloughs for college and university employees and a $7 million dollar university system advertising budget.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Chancellor Errol Davis took heat over the University System budget, a plan that would be cut some 10% under recommendations from the Governor.Like many states, all state agencies are under pressure to reduce costs and some are forcing employees to take unpaid days off to close the budget gap. The Chancellor is resistant to use furloughs.

Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta) questioned why the university system, which has more than 40,000 employees, is not furloughing employees. He noted that private companies are laying off workers, and many government employees are being forced to take time off. According to AJC staff writers James Salzer and Ariel Hart, Martin asked, “What has the academic world done to share in the economic downturn?”

State representative Martin raised an interesting question, one that should be considered by all colleges and universities. He criticized the system for spending money on recruitment advertising when schools like the University of Georgia are rejecting far more applicants than they accept.

The Worst Marketing Idea of 2008

I've been holding onto this 'marketing gem' since September when I attended the NACAC conference in Seattle.

As an employee of a higher education vendor myself, I fully understand the challenges of engaging attendees at conferences. Some conferences are more vendor-friendly than others ... I wouldn't put NACAC in that category (fine organization but a different post for another day).

Perhaps this is the reason that led Applywise to execute the offending marketing tactic at this year's conference.

Let me tell you a quick story of a fine dinner in Seattle and a demo post card in the Men's room.

Gaffes in the College Admissions Process

Don't be too polished. Pick inspiring essay topics. Don't stalk the dean.

These are but a few applicant recommendations from college gatekeepers across the country. In a Wall Street Journal article, Sue Shellenbarger writes about behind-the-scene experiences of admissions deans at a dozen top-tier colleges and universities when evaluating prospective student applicants.

The bottom line?

Too many students are submitting "professionalized" applications rendered all too slick by misguided attempts at perfection, parental meddling and what one admissions dean describes as the robotlike approach teens are taking in presenting themselves.

How Can We Integrate CRM? You're Asking the Wrong Question

With competition, rapidly changing demographics, and the need to be more productive with scare resources, many higher education institutions are looking to CRM as a competitive advantage.

Commonly known as Customer Relationship Management, Constituent Relationship Management, or simply as Relationship Management, CRM investments at colleges and universities are growing. Datamonitor projects technology spending on CRM in the markets of the US, UK, Germany, France and Australia will grow from $184.9 million in 2007 to $324.5 million in 2012.

CRM is a professional interest of mine since the early 2000’s. I had an opportunity to help lead a corporate global CRM initiative in 2001 and I consult with higher education institutions on the topic today. Given the range of technology investments already made over the last 10-15 years within higher education, I often hear the question, “how can we integrate CRM with all of this?”

In fact, this is the wrong question all together.

Managing Enrollment in An Economic Downturn

A sign of the shaky economic times.

The University of Denver recently sent letters to thousands of undergraduate students asking them to consider all options before leaving school for monetary reasons. The University is offering payment plans, extended deadlines, and financial aid, all in an effort to hold on to their students. This according to a recent FoxNews Report.

Managing enrollment in an economic downturn. It's a concern that's on the minds of college leaders and boards across the country. Forget an annual retention rate, many institutions are concerned about students returning for the next semester.

As I've talked with enrollment leaders from undergraduate, to graduate and professional education, I'm often asked what others are doing/what 'we' should be doing to compensate. Here are a few ideas and lessons that I learned in the corporate world:

Colleges Taking Hard Knocks - When Wall Street Sneezes Campuses Get Chills

Several news stories this week in the mainstream media on how colleges and universities are coping with the economic slowdown.

Here's a report from NBC news:

College Closings Could Rise in the Economic Downturn

Some colleges _ like many American consumers and homeowners _ may soon discover they took on more debt than they should have, lured by low interest rates and ambitious growth plans, according to Justin Pope, an AP education writer. Figures from Moody's Investor Service on private colleges show median debt up 50 percent over the last five years.

As quarterly investment statements arrive on campus combined with state budget cuts, over-extended institutions may be at risk. While college closing announcements are anticipated, it would likely be next semester, or next fall, when schools find out how many of their students don't return.

"We've seen what's happened to family income, the financial assets of so many families," said Matt Hamill, senior vice president of NACUBO, a college business officers group. The key question is "how that will manifest itself when it comes time to enroll next fall."

Read the full article

Association of Continuing Higher Education 2008 - Rethinking the CE Marketing Organization

Thank you to all who attended our panel discussion. Hard to believe we used the entire two hours for the session.

You can download a copy of the presentation slides as well as audience survey responses at the following link:

Rethinking the Continuing Education Marketing Organization PowerPoint Slides and Audience Survey Results

A special thanks to our distinguished panel and to Sean Gallagher from Eduventures for responding to some impromptu questions. Finally, I checked with Sean after the presentation. The percentages he cited for the amount of dollars allocated to marketing including personnel costs.

Online Learning in Continuing Higher Education - Promises and Perils

Online continuing higher education is in demand by students and institutions alike.

Today, 490 institutions offer online programming. Twenty-five percent of all enrolled continuing education (CE) students are currently taking online courses; by 2013, this number will grow to 35-45% of all CE enrollments, according to Sean Gallagher, research director at Eduventures.  Sean presented today at the ACHE 2008 conference.

The promise for students is schedule flexibility and for institutions the opportunity for growth.

One of the perils is cannabalization of enrollment. During his discussion, one session attendee noted that 78% of his institution's online enrollment represented on-campus students taking online courses. Others raised the issue of retention for online students, particularly for lower-division students. Sean noted that while 85% of adult learners would consider a 100% online course, it may not be the right delivery modality for 30-40% of students.

As the author of over 100 higher education research reports, Sean has a wealth of knowledge including organizational and course development benchmarking.

If you are looking for additional online continuing higher education insight, contact Sean at sgallagher@eduventures.com.

'A Can't Miss Investment' ... Notes from the 2008 Association of Continuing Higher Education (ACHE) Conference

How would you like to invest in a company poised to exploit the following tremendous market opportunity?

• The industry is a fertile new market, ripe for business investment
• Represents potential large economies of scale
• Industry is currently poorly run, has high costs, and low technology utilization
• Generates large amounts of revenue
• Market is growing and is increasingly global

The industry investment opportunity you ask? Higher education.

This according to a recent investment prospectus received by Dr. Andy DiPaolo, Executive Director, Stanford Center for Professional Development, and the opening session speaker at the 2008 Association of Continuing Higher Education (ACHE) Conference. I'm attending the conference and will be presenting on Tuesday.

Election Day 2008 ... How's Your Enrollment Ground Game?

Well after two years of campaigning, election day is finally here and we get a brief respite from nonsensical television campaigns ads (at least for a couple of years). The electorate is energized with some 130 million+ anticipated voters expected to cast ballots today.

If you watched any political coverage over the weekend, there was a lot of talk on the importance of the 'ground game' today with each political party having a set of strategies to get voters to the polls. As I learned about ground game fundamentals from political pundits, I started to think about the parallels to prospective student enrollment management and marketing.

I'm spending the first part of election day in Corpus Christi, Texas to present at the annual TACRAO conference. Given the theme of the day, my topic?

Planning for Recruiting and Admissions Success: Four Steps to Develop a Winning Ground Game (Download the presentation)

GM Suspends Tuition Reimbursement - Impact on Professional and Continuing Education

In the face of an extraordinary economic climate and mounting losses, General Motors announced additional cuts in production and white color jobs.

What does this have to do with higher education? In addition to suspending their 401(k) match for employees, tuition reimbursement will be halted at the first of the year for new participants. With the likelihood of increased taxes and a prolonged recession, this may become a national trend that will have negative consequences for professional and continuing education units, many who rely on corporate tuition programs to support degree program enrollment.

With states that already can't pay for themselves, a new level of fiscal discipline is required among our nation's colleges and universities. The 'build it and they will come enrollment philosophy'  - supported by a blank check from the government and families - is no longer viable.

There is no better time than now to rethink your enrollment strategy.

More Millennial Myth Busting ...

As I posted back in December (Marketing the Millennial Myth), the millennial craze is finally facing tougher scrutiny. The research that led to the wildly popular book Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation was limited and used a broad brush to paint the nation's 'next great generation." At the time, I wrote there would be more contrarian views on this in 2008.

Blogger Carol Phillips recently reported on some additional research conducted by the College Board that indicates this generation is not unlike ones that proceeded.

Read Carol's post at http://millennialmarketing.blogspot.com/

ACHE 2008 - Learn to Reinvent Your Outreach Marketing Effort

These are challenging times for continuing education leaders.  In the face of an economic crisis and the public’s concerns about rising higher education costs, leaders must try to respond to the call for increased accountability, while simultaneously taking the steps necessary to attract, enroll, and retain adult learners.

At this year's ACHE 2008 Annual Conference, I will be moderating a workshop on Reinventing the Continuing Education (CE) Marketing Organization. The panel - made up of leading CE practitioners and thought leaders - will discuss best practices and provide actionable ideas to improve enrollment management and marketing within your organization.

Trust Me ... You No Longer Control The Message

Raise your hand if you would be interested in a marketing campaign that would generate more response than any of your enrollment campaigns over the last 10 years combined. Who wouldn’t be … right?

The catch is that you would have no control over it. Still interested?

Let me tell you about Appalachian State University's HOT story and YouTube, the online video sharing service. First, enjoy the video.