Why Research, Why Now, & Three Studies You Should Undertake Immediately

Category: Research

  • Why Research, Why Now, & Three Studies You Should Undertake Immediately

    Why Research, Why Now, & Three Studies You Should Undertake Immediately

    Too often, research is relegated to the categories of “when we have time”, or “when we have the money.”

    Today’s dynamic and uncertain marketplace, however, suggests that this is an ideal time to conduct research and that your research dollars will return great and immediate benefit.

    First, let me give you five reasons why I believe research is so critical, and then let me suggest three studies that you should undertake right now.

    5 Reasons Research is Critical

    1. Solid strategy rests on a foundation of solid, defendable research.

    It is not an overstatement to say that any plan that does not include research at its base is almost surely flawed. It either will fail outright, deliver less than anticipated, or will take more time and money to execute.

    With so many competing and ill-formed opinions, research provides certainty during these uncertain times.

    Data on student interests, or even their predisposition to return to campus this fall, is a strong bulwark against a tide of opinions.

    2. Research establishes credibility not only for you, but for your planning efforts.

    Without solid research, it is likely that your conclusions will be challenged and confidence in your plan and activities undermined. This can negatively impact your leadership during this crisis and in the years that follow.

    3. Research helps you make better choices. 

    Rather than being stymied, a West Coast client wanted to know which of two potential academic programs would attract the most students. A survey of prospective students in the region, an analysis of competing colleges and their offerings, and an evaluation of short- and long-term job and employment trends provided the necessary data to help them decide.

    4. Research helps you set priorities.

    In today’s marketing, fund-raising, and recruiting environments, the problem is generally not a lack of options, but determining which option is most likely to succeed or provide the greatest return.

    If you have $100,000 for a social media campaign aimed at nontraditional students, you can use research to pinpoint the messages and channels to which they will most likely respond.

    5. Research lets you test competing ideas.

    You can use research to determine preference for different social media campaigns, publications, and even alumni magazine covers. Using research in this way can often prevent you from making expensive and very public mistakes before you launch.

    This type of study, called an A-B split, is especially useful when testing different creative concepts or campaigns.

    Three Studies

    During the introduction I mentioned that I would suggest three studies you should undertake. Here they are:

    1. Study determining the intentions of your current students.

    Not only do you want to know if they plan to re-enroll, but under what conditions. For example, do they plan on returning to campus or do they plan to study online. Presently, the media is awash with colleges announcing their plans to reopen. What seems to be missing from the conversation, however, is how students and parents view this idea.

    This information is critical for budgeting, staffing, and facilities planning and should be done immediately.

    2. Nonmatriculant study.

    Nonmatriculants, you will remember, are those students who applied, were accepted, and then chose not to enroll. Because of all the dollars and time you spent on these students, it is important to know why they opted out at the last minute.

    Of course, Covid-19 may have influenced their decision. But there is every likelihood that other factors may be in play. Identifying those factors that you can change will have an immediate and positive impact on enrollment.

    This study should be done in June-July.

    3. Study directed at donors.

    Recognizing that declining enrollment will lead to financial shortfalls, it stands to reason that many colleges will turn to donors to help cover their financial needs. Today’s donors, however, want to have a say in how their dollars will be used and under what circumstances. Making sure you are aware of their interests and concerns ahead of time can mean the difference between a campaign that succeeds and one that fails. 

    This study should be done immediately.

    Today’s dynamic and uncertain marketplace suggest that this is an ideal time to conduct research. Solid strategy rests on a foundation of solid, defendable research. Schedule a free consultation today.

  • How to Know When a Program Has Run Its Course: Using Academic Program Assessments

    How to Know When a Program Has Run Its Course: Using Academic Program Assessments

    But there are several less obvious ways you can tell whether a program at your institution has run its course. One way to reveal these details is to perform an academic program assessment using external data analysis.

    Conducting an assessment of your institution’s academic programs can provide administrators and faculty with data and insights to make meaningful changes to the services you are providing.

    The results will help drive cost savings and free up resources that can be used elsewhere.

    4 Signs It’s Time to Reconsider an Academic Program

    1. Product vs. Promotion

    If data show that students are enrolling in the same type of program at other colleges in the country, or your region, but not at your institution, there might be specific issues to address:

    • Your academic program (the “product”) could be outdated or less compelling than competitor offerings in terms of content or delivery.
    • Communication surrounding the program might need support. How is the program named, does it fit SEO terms students use, and how are you attempting to reach prospective students? Are you tracking results by program page to see what’s working?
    • Weak content regarding program career outcomes such as job titles, employer names, work settings, and skills.

    A program might be near and dear to certain stakeholders or your school’s mission, but if it’s not performing well, an academic program assessment using a supplier or vendor dedicated to this type of data analysis can help determine whether promotion is the issue or if the program needs revitalization.

    2. Brand vs. Commodity

    Academic programs—particularly graduate programs (like MBAs)—typically fall into one of two camps: either well-branded or a commodity.

    Branded programs propel graduates into top-tier jobs. Also, branded programs attract:

    • Better students who are willing, and often able, to pay more
    • Highly qualified faculty who often graduate from well-branded programs
    • More affluent donors

    Commodity programs, on the other hand, are known for lower cost and greater convenience. They offer less prestige and attract students and faculty who did not or could not attend (or work) at a branded program.

    Are your academic programs brand or commodity buys? Academic program research assessments can tell you and provide positioning insight to improve your program’s performance.

    3. Delivery

    Since the COVID pandemic, online programs have gained acceptance and growth in student demand. Employers’ acceptance of online learning has also grown considerably.

    That said, how students can access a program might be holding the program back:

    1. Could the program be rejuvenated if it was offered online or in hybrid format? In 2022, the percentage of students enrolled in distance education courses in postsecondary institutions in the fall was 53.3%. The number of students in distance education continues to increase every year. For specific programs, the penetration of online/hybrid delivery is higher than others. Your institution may need to adapt more quickly to the shifting student demand trends to remain competitive.
    2. Is it possible to shorten the time to a degree? Shorter terms, shorter courses, and more start terms can help students obtain the degree more quickly and be more attractive than competitors in your market. This offers student cost savings as well.
    3. What specializations or tracks are offered with your programs? Students often have specific topics of interest in mind. Adjusting your program’s position to meet key tracks that lead to specific career outcomes, jobs, or work settings demonstrates to students that they will find work upon graduation.
    4. What adjacent credentials or degrees are offered with your program? Employers often post specific skills that education providers need to offer within the program’s curriculum. Also, micro-credentials or short-term certificates can stack toward your degree.

    Related reading: What Certificates Should We Offer

    To determine the proper course for your existing program, consider conducting market research to evaluate the student demand, employer demand, and competitive landscape. Supplement the findings with prospective student or alumni interviews and you’ll have the confidence you need to take the next steps.

    4. Faculty Changes

    Sometimes programs fail due to the departure of a faculty champion who was a main draw for students.  Though name recognition is beneficial when starting a new program, it’s dangerous to build a program around a person. Student search for programs is primarily digital and search engine optimization with keywords plays a greater role in being found. Consider a thought leadership blog from multiple faculty members to build more attention around a program or set of programs to increase your ranking in search engine results.

    Starting Your Academic Program Assessment

    When conducting an academic program assessment, it’s critical to consider the data plus the political implications of changing or potentially ending a program. An equally important consideration is choosing a supplier or vendor who can remain objective when working with all your key stakeholders, from students to leadership to faculty to marketing officers. Often third-party analysis provides the necessary speed and distance from internal politics to make program change happen more quickly.

    Our research team brings direction and focus to each program or portfolio analysis we conduct. Using robust and proven databases, we offer suggestions for program viability and improvement.

  • 5 Tips for Higher Ed Teams to Get Answers Fast

    5 Tips for Higher Ed Teams to Get Answers Fast

    Particularly when it comes to problem-solving at work, if you’re anything like me, you want—no, you need—to find the answer.

    In a sometimes politically charged industry like higher education, there are often many people who have information and opinions that affect the answers to your questions.

    The good news? There’s usually a way to find the answers you need. But there are many ways to arrive at a resolution, and you must ask the right questions to get there.

    Ask the Right Questions

    Here are a few tips to set you on the right path.

    1. What is the main objective?

    There needs to be a purpose driving the conversation. If everyone around the table can’t answer this question or doesn’t agree on the objective, you’ve already set yourself up for trouble.

    It also doesn’t hurt to do a gut check along the way to remind everyone of why you’re all here. For example, an act as simple as gesturing to a campaign goal or business objective you’ve written on a whiteboard can serve as a visual cue if the discussion gets off track.

    2. How will finding the answer impact the way you do business?

    If there is no appetite for change, you may as well stop here and save yourself some time. We’ve all probably been through exercises that ended up being for naught because there was ultimately no desire to change the status quo. Don’t do that to yourself. Your time matters.

    If you and your colleagues (and leadership!) are genuinely open to change, look broadly at how those changes will impact your day-to-day. And keep in mind that the effects may reach further than your department. From tuition pricing strategies to branding campaigns, every decision has its own ripple effects.

    If you’re all truly focused on your institution’s mission, changes to the status quo are ultimately in the best interest of all affected parties, be it students, faculty and staff, or your institutional community.

    3. Who is leading the conversation?

    Ever been to a meeting without an agenda? A ship without a captain is a wayward vessel. While you may have more people profess “not it!” when looking for a leader, it’s important to have someone steering the ship to ensure the objective remains in focus, tasks get completed, and a clear outcome is achieved.

    Keep in mind that leading a conversation doesn’t require a “leadership” title. No matter your role, you can lead and contribute to impactful conversations by being engaged, actively listening, and helping others to be heard.

    4. Are all the right people at the table?

    Every captain needs a crew. I’ve seen many initiatives fail because all key stakeholders didn’t have a seat at the table.

    If the outcome of your research may impact the admissions counselor, fundraiser, or data manager down the hall, include them in the conversation. It will result in fewer dart boards with your photo as the bull’s-eye. Relationships matter!

    For example, if your focus is reversing enrollment declines, determine what areas of campus will be impacted by the insights gleaned through enrollment and academic program research:

    • Admissions officers will have new or revised academic programs to promote to prospective students.
    • Marketing and communications might need to revise or develop new web content strategies or creative materials.
    • You will need buy-in from faculty and staff that changes are in the best interest of students and your institution’s mission.
    • Advancement and alumni engagement may be faced with questions from alumni and donors who may be perplexed by changes happening on campus.

    5. It’s okay to ask for help.

    No one is an expert at everything. There’s a reason why you see many professions branch off into various subspecialties. And sometimes an objective view of the issue is just what you need. The devil is in the details, and sometimes you will benefit from a little help to achieve your goals.

    Marrying data-driven decision making with consensus building is often best achieved with an outside expert’s objective counsel. If you are ready to take a hard look at academic program offerings, infusing market research data into institutional strengths and weaknesses can help achieve your goals.

    What questions are you seeking to answer? Email Sarah Clough today to discuss your market research options and effectively arrive at a resolution.

  • Doctoral Programs—On The Rise

    Doctoral Programs—On The Rise

    Doctoral Student Demand Continues

    Table-Doctoral Student Demand Continues

    SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Award completions data. Doctoral awards combining research, professional, and other award types. All delivery modalities included.

    Largest Volume Doctoral Programs

    Not surprisingly, the largest volume doctoral programs are in law, health science occupations, and education. STEM and business programs are also among the top 25 highest-volume programs in the U.S.

    table - Largest Volume Doctoral Programs

    Source: IPEDS Degree completions, top 25 doctoral programs in 2022 by volume. All disciplines, all doctoral award types, and all delivery modalities included.

    Doctoral Disciplines—Fastest Growing

    Professional health sciences like Occupational Therapy, Nursing, and Physician Assistants are among the fastest-growing doctoral disciplines in the U.S. Education disciplines of Higher Education Administration and Curriculum and Instruction serving the education and teaching sector are on the rise too.

    table-Doctoral Disciplines—Fastest Growing

    Source: IPEDS Degree completions, year-on-year growth at 7% or greater among all doctoral disciplines with at least 500 awards in 2022. All disciplines, all doctoral award types, and all delivery modalities included.

    Others may be surprised to see sharp growth among these programs:

    • Organizational Leadership – 3rd fastest growing program at the doctoral level in the U.S.; providers growing most rapidly offered the program in the distance format.
    • Theology – 2nd fastest in terms of year-on-year growth. Liberty University excels—doubling degrees conferred in one year in the distance format. Some of these degrees may be Liberty’s Doctor of Ministry, offered online with 14 concentrations. Several other faith-based providers have recently entered this market and are vying for market share.
    • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics – 7th fastest discipline at the doctoral level in the U.S.; this is often an interdisciplinary cross-section of economics, statistics, machine learning, and finance. This highly rigorous degree meets employers’ needs in academia and government as well as the private business sector.
    • Biomedical Sciences – Doctoral program demand grew nearly 15% in one year. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is the top-performing institution in the country with 58 awards in 2022 at the doctoral level in Biomedical Sciences. The Icahn website suggests three tracks of study; Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, Ph.D. Neuroscience, and Ph.D. Clinical Research. Neuroscience was also among the fastest-growing disciplines in the graphic above.

    Doctoral Disciplines—Distance Format

    J.D. degrees in the distance format? Yes, it’s happening! Syracuse University’s J.D. Interactive program claims to be the first American Bar Association-accredited program in the U.S. The Syracuse program web page indicates synchronous and asynchronous online courses as well as six in-person residencies. Professionals need to keep jobs and tend to families so distance modalities (online, hybrid, low residence) are important to meet student demand.

    table - Doctoral Disciplines—Distance Format

    Source: IPEDS Degree completions, year-on-year growth at 20% or greater among all doctoral disciplines with at least 400 awards in 2022 in the distance format.

    Academic Program Development

    Student demand trends are an important piece to consider but also relevant for academic program development are:

    • Labor and occupational trends
    • Local employer needs and input
    • Competitor offerings and competitor performance in similar programs
    • Associations and credentialing bodies detailing skills in need within the profession

    Altogether, student demand, labor market data, and competitive intelligence can shed light on the feasibility for a new academic program or a program change at any award level. Four in 10 new academic programs fail after launch, so you’ll want to be armed with a robust, data-supported proposal before investing. We’re ready to help you move fast!

    Ready to research certificates for your institution? Email me to schedule a free consultation.

    Related reading: What Certificates Should We Offer

  • What Certificates Should We Offer

    What Certificates Should We Offer

    Undergraduate Certificate Volume — Student Demand Continues!

    The table reflects actual degrees awarded to students.

    Shortest Certificate, Faster Growth

    Undergraduate certificates completed in 12 weeks or less posted 11.9% growth. Students want short education sprints and convenient delivery to gain skills needed for jobs.

     Workforce Ready Certificates

    Community colleges and technical and vocational schools offer the bulk of the career and technical undergraduate certificate programs in the U.S. to help students directly enter the workforce. Among CTE-oriented programs, here are some of the fastest-growing for 2021-2022 in student demand:

    Source: IPEDS Degree completions: 1,000 or more awards in 2022, faster than average growth rate among all undergraduate certificates.

    Health Sciences Certificates — Fastest Growing

    Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistant certificates are the biggest programs in health sciences at the undergraduate certificate level. The graphic below shows other health science certificates experiencing sharp growth.

    Source: IPEDS Degree completions: 1,000 or more awards in 2022, faster than average growth rate among all undergraduate certificates.

    Complementing bachelor’s degree programs in public health, exercise science, healthcare administration, human services, social work, and psychology are these possible certificates:

    • Health and Wellness
    • Substance Abuse and Addiction Counseling
    • Health Information

    Business, Tech, and Arts & Sciences Certificates — Fastest Growing

    Like last year’s report, many of the fastest-growing certificates are in computer and information technology, with subjects such as:

    • Networking (LAN/WAN, Cloud Computing, Amazon Web Services)
    • Computer Programming, which includes software programming and web development (HTML, Java, SQL, Agile, Project Management, etc.)
    • Cybersecurity (CISSP, CEH, etc.)

    Source: IPEDS Degree completions: 1,000 or more awards in 2022, faster than average growth rate among all undergraduate certificates.

    Some notable surprises for fast-growth programs in the graphic above are:

    • Technical writing
    • Design and Visual Communications, Computer Graphics, Graphic Design
    • Film/Video Production
    • Recording Arts

    Many of these skills are needed for creating content across all industry sectors and can be offered alongside existing communications, public relations, marketing, and arts programs so students can add skills to their resume while achieving a related degree.

    Certificate Program Development

    Often, colleges and universities, especially large online universities, offer stackable certificates, so credits earned apply towards an associate or bachelor’s degree. Consider doing the same to attract degree completers, adult students, and career changers to your college or four-year programs.

    Student demand is an important piece to consider, but also relevant for academic program development are:

    • Labor and occupational trends
    • Local employer needs and input
    • Competitor offerings and competitor performance in similar programs
    • Associations and credentialing bodies detailing skills in need within the profession

    Altogether, student demand, labor market data, and competitive intelligence can shed light on the feasibility of a new academic program at any award level. Four in 10 new academic programs fail after launch, so you’ll want to be armed with a strong, data-supported proposal before investing. We’re ready to help you move fast!

    Related Reading: Micro-Credentialing and Short-Term Certificates Insights

  • Opportunities and Challenges Facing Business Schools

    Opportunities and Challenges Facing Business Schools

    Rapid automation and increased reliance on technology in the U.S. and the world economy put more pressure on employers and workers to adapt quickly, and this trickles down to business school education curricula, academic program portfolios, and establishing close relationships with employers to meet those challenges.

    Stamats Research Director Nadine Brock examines a few of the driving forces business schools are addressing now.

    Program Delivery

    Can you do it virtually? Work from home, learn from home; remote is here to stay. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 59% of undergraduate students at four-year degree-granting institutions in the U.S. in the fall of 2021 were enrolled in some distance learning.

    Business schools already face strong competition from online universities to enroll non-traditional undergraduate students. Program delivery and faculty attitude towards teaching across all platforms must adapt with consumer demands for convenient learning options to gain enrollment.

    Skills needed. How rapid is your short-term business credential development? Is it aligned with employer needs? Is it aligned with your economic region?

    “AACSB business schools offering non-degree certificates or diploma programs over the last three years have grown to nearly 50%—a 20% increase over three years.”

    –AACSB Microcredential briefing paper, published August 2021

    This excludes business-related certificates that third parties offer, like Microsoft and Google, which exert pressure on business schools to innovate faster.

    While large employers conduct some in-house training for staff, part of this responsibility lies with the employee who is motivated to remain relevant in today’s rapidly changing workplace. Higher education institutions can help fill this gap by offering short-term certificates and more convenient education delivery.

    Related reading: Which Programs Should I Develop for Online?

    Curriculum Offering

    Big Data, AI, cloud computing, and automation are skills in high demand. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 states that “more than 75% of companies are looking to adopt these technologies in the next five years.” This is already profoundly affecting how business schools approach their regular content and curriculum for human resources, marketing, finance, logistics and supply chain management, and customer service/product development/CX and UX design. All disciplines will include more data analysis than before.

    Sustainability and green transitions are appearing in curricula out of necessity to deal with climate change and create more resilient companies to weather disruptions. Younger consumers also demand more attention to sustainability and environmental causes. Many business schools offer courses or full degrees that address the intersection of sustainability, environment, and business. At the bachelor’s or master’s degree level, the average annual growth rate of degrees completed in Sustainability is in the double digits.* Business schools need to integrate offerings with natural sciences, energy solutions, engineering, and urban planning to meet this economic reality.

    Interdisciplinary innovation, such as Business and Healthcare, Medicine, Law, Computer Information Technology, and more, are growth sectors in almost every geographic market in the U.S. As business schools adapt their offerings to market needs, more interdisciplinary approaches are needed across campus. This is where the innovation happens—working with experts in other fields and consulting with employers to develop courses, certificates, and concurrent degrees that meet specific needs.

    Read more: What Certificates Should We Offer

    Enrollment

    Nontraditional adult student enrollment is predicted to gain traction and offset declines in first-time freshmen. Students entering higher education with non-traditional approaches are disrupting traditional enrollment practices.

    “Transactional marketing will be replaced with relational enrollment management. Precision and science will influence how, when, and who engages the inquirer of the future.”

    —UPCEA The Impact of the New Adult Learner – Trends in Higher Education in 2023, January 17, 2023

    Business schools must adopt digital marketing technologies in their own enrollment practices to compete more effectively with other business programs.

    Master’s degrees are one of the fastest-growing award levels in business disciplines. MBAs still capture the largest share of the master’s degree market in business disciplines, but specializations in big data, data science, information technology, finance, and marketing continue to grow. As the economy demands more specialization, business schools are pivoting to customizing programs with specialized areas of study.

    International is back! The number of international students enrolled in the U.S. in 2022-2023 has grown by 9% since the 2021-2022 period, and 90% of these students are enrolled in on-campus programs. Business disciplines remain one of the top five areas that international students seek in the U.S.** While this may not be the largest part of your enrollment growth plan, it should be considered. STEM-OPT programs in Management Science, Actuarial Science, and Business Statistics qualify for the 24-month STEM optional practical training extension that these international students seek.

    DEI—more diverse students, faculty, and leaders in business are needed in gender, racial identity, sexual identity, and neurodivergence. Due to the Supreme Court ruling that ends race-based affirmative action in college admissions, ongoing cultural change at business schools will be necessary to encourage diverse populations to enroll. Business schools must dedicate DEI offices and staff with budgets, revamp curriculum content to be more inclusive, use DEI metrics to measure progress towards initiatives and focus on the people and culture.

    Related reading: Maximize Your Enrollment Initiatives with Website Personalization Strategy

    We’d love to connect with you to talk about the opportunities and challenges facing your institution.

    * Bachelor’s 21.2%; master’s 16.2%; IPEDS Degree Completion data CIP 30.3301 Sustainability, 2017-2021.
    ** OpenDoorsData.org; November 2022.
  • Which Programs Should I Develop for Online?

    Which Programs Should I Develop for Online?

    How do you determine what specific programs to develop for online or distance delivery? Here’s my guide to making these strategic decisions wisely.

    1. Student Demand Data

    This is a critical component of your decision matrix. You can glean data on expected student cohort sizes for many disciplines. For new interdisciplinary programs, proxy program student cohort sizes may give you more insight than other estimates or opinion surveys.

    2. Employer Demand in Your Area

    Labor market and occupation trends in your specific recruitment area for jobs that the academic program relates to are another key component of this decision. While some programs like Cybersecurity are needed nationwide in every sized market, other occupations or skill sets may not be as pervasive.

    Examine the volume of jobs, the trends, and skills in specific occupations associated with your program for a future-proof concept. In the end, the academic award must lead to a job. Nontraditional students are keen to gain employment, increase earnings, or change careers—job market data is important not only for institutional leadership but to prospective students on program landing pages.

    3. Competitor Intensity

    Recent prospective adult student interviews we’ve conducted show that many are still considering close-to-home brands when they begin the search. While there may be many online players nationwide, there is comfort in knowing that the on-the-ground, around-the-corner college or university can meet their needs. Look at regional competition in the online/distance space for your program. You are most likely to take market share from existing regional competitors over time. Online or distance education is only going to grow so don’t wait.

    4. Interview Employers

    If all the above looks positive, talk to a few key employers in your area that would hire graduates of your proposed program. What specific skills do they need? Is there a special relationship you can create before other regional competitors do? Not only will you gain valuable feedback on your draft but a few key quotes from employers will bolster your program proposal to the provost, president, board…and accrediting body! Interviewing key employers will help determine complementary certificates as well.

    5. Pro Forma Analysis with your CFA

    Run the numbers of the expected cohort size, faculty load, administrative support, infrastructure needs, and marketing spend for this new program to make this even more enticing for your decision-making team.

    6. Assign Program Champion

    While you may have already done this, it is a critical step. Good ideas and plans fail when they lack a truly passionate program champion. Someone must drive this through the accreditation process, the faculty acceptance process, and be responsible for checking all the boxes.

    7. Presidential Buy-In

    The highest level buy-in on your leadership team is essential to overcome political hurdles that arise when online/distance learning is introduced. Hard choices about how dollars will be spent to grow enrollment are inevitable. Sound program proposals, as outlined above, are difficult to ignore and take weeks—not months—to perform.

    8. Marketing Commitment Begins Earlier Than You Think

    If the program is a go, the program champion must start committing to thought leadership, webinars, blogs, and newsletters that mention the program by name. You’ll warm up the search engines, you’ll build a prospect contact list, and generate student demand prior to program launch. You can’t “buy” online student records to market to, so you’ll need to create demand organically.

    While you could hand this responsibility to marketing, we see greater success when subject matter experts accurately and enthusiastically describe the program and tie it to career potentials. The passion of a key subject matter expert can be felt and prospective students will get a sense of the faculty and institution; something they can’t get from a national online player.

    We are experts in consulting higher education clients on new academic program development and have completed hundreds of investigations into everything from liberal arts offerings to health professions and STEM programs.

    For help identifying which programs your institution should consider for online or distance delivery, please reach out to me.

    Read NextMicro-Credentialing and Short-Term Certificates Insights

  • 10 Tough Research Questions You’ve Likely Never Asked, But Should

    10 Tough Research Questions You’ve Likely Never Asked, But Should

    Here is a list of our top 10 tough research questions:

    1. What are the reasons your last strategic plan underperformed or even failed?

    Calculation: Hold one-on-one interviews and group discussions with the most recent planning team and major campus leaders and influencers. Identify issues, policies, structures, and perhaps individuals, that negatively impacted the planning process, strategy formation, and/or plan execution.

    Application: Use insights gained to address planning obstacles before beginning the next planning process.

    2. What are the 3 or 4 biggest problems and opportunities facing your institution?

    Calculation: Conduct an internal and external analysis to identify and gain agreement on the top three or four institutional problems and opportunities.

    Application: Build your strategic and day-to-day operational plans around these issues. Examine existing plans and remove goals, actions, and functions that do not pertain to these issues.

    3. What kind/type of student and donor do you serve best?

    Calculation: Examine data regarding students who persist and donors who repeat. Create a demographic, academic, and psychographic profile of these individuals.

    Application:

    Students: Direct further research at how this cohort identifies and chooses which college to attend. Understand their communication habits and expectations.

    Donors: Direct further research at this cohort to identify their giving needs and the communication channels they prefer.

    4. What is the time to graduation for students over the last 5 years?

    Calculation: Look at each full-time student over the past five years, being sure to separate students who began as freshmen and those who transferred in.

    Application: Ideally this number is flat. Better yet, it is decreasing. If increasing, determine why. Institutional factors influencing this rate often involve either class scheduling, advising, or the number of classes. It is imperative that you do as much as possible to decrease the time it takes to graduate. This is one of the most effective things your school can do to lower the relative cost of an education. Don’t forget to compare your findings with those of your major competitors.

    5. What is the average debt load of your graduates over the last 5 years?

    Calculation: Calculate the amount of financial aid debt students accrue while at your institution. Do a separate calculation for students who transfer in with existing debt.

    Application: Like time to graduate, your hope is that the debt load is flat over the last five years. Unfortunately, this is seldom the case. You have a big problem if the debt load of your students is demonstrably higher than those of similar students at competing institutions. If the debt load of your students is increasing, you must spend serious time reducing costs and increasing the perception (and reality) of value.

    Note: Here are a couple of sites to help calculate and compare debt loads:

    Student loan calculator

    Student loan debt by state

    6. Which academic programs are underperforming and why?

    Calculation: Look at the cost of offering a program and then compare that cost with tuition generated by the program.

    Application: If you have academic programs that consistently consume more dollars than they generate, and these programs are not missional in nature, then you need to determine why they are falling short. Chances are they are: 1) of low academic quality; 2) poorly promoted; or 3) have limited marketplace (students and/or employers) interest. If “1” or “2,” fix. If “3,” terminate.

    Note: Separate calculations must be made for individual courses that serve the core. There is every likelihood that you may have a course that is doing well within a major that is not. Remember, one of the reasons faculty and others like big academic cores is that they generate greater need for courses/majors that otherwise would be in difficulty.

    7. How do different advisors impact retention?

    Calculation: Organize your retention data by academic advisor.

    Application: Identify those advisors who either need further training or who should be removed from your advising pool.

    8. What is the relative worth of key administrators?

    Calculation: Make a list of your 15 to 20 highest paid administrators. Rank by salary.

    Application: Look at the list and ask yourself of each person, “Are they worth the money?” Chances are some of your administrators receive high salaries not because of worth, but because of longevity.

    9. What are your sources of competititve advantage?

    Calculation: Conduct external brand value research to determine what prospective students value you most (and are willing to pay for) and internal research on why your best faculty and staff stay.

    Application: Identify those compelling qualities and characteristics and make them central in your messaging strategy. Focus especially on those qualities and characteristics not offered by your top competitors.

    10. What is your brand value?

    Calculation: Collectively review your cost to recruit a student, the average debt load of graduates, the difficulty/cost of recruiting and retaining great faculty and staff, and the difficulty/cost of attracting donors, especially major donors. If these numbers are increasing, your brand value is decreasing.

    Application: Develop a comprehensive brand platform that embraces your sources of competitive advantage as well as the college-choice expectations of prospective students and the giving needs of donors. Develop a verbal and visual vocabulary to communicate your brand.

    Interested in answering some or even all these questions? Please drop me a line. Stamats has long been a market leader in research that offers information, but more importantly, insight.

    Read next: Using Market Research to Build and Enhance Your Brand

  • Research on a Budget

    Research on a Budget

    Secondary Data

    1. Your own institution

    One of your best sources of data is your own institution. In particular, consider the data that is regularly collected by:

    • Your IR (institutional research) department
    • The registrar
    • Your alumni office
    • Admissions
    • Student affairs

    Based on my experience, these offices often have volumes of data, but often lack the time, expertise (IR folks notwithstanding), or even a specific reason to analyze it. Even a small investment in analysis can offer dramatic returns.

    2. The federal government

    While the federal government is a vast repository of data, there are three agencies that are particularly helpful to higher ed. First, the U.S. Census Bureau provides everything from basic demographic data to educational trends. You can learn, for example, the current and projected number of 17-year-olds in a given area and whether the population there is increasing, flat, or declining.

    Second, the National Center for Educational Statistics is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. and other nations. In the higher ed space, the Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (IPEDS) offers up a wealth of data via a series of interrelated surveys of colleges and universities. IPEDS data reflect all higher education institutions participating in Federal financial aid programs.

    Finally, the U.S. Commerce Department offers data on job trends and other economic indicators. Since students are especially interested in majors that lead to jobs, it is essential to keep a pulse on the job market.

    The odds are high that your IR office is already aware of these and other sources of existing data. Your challenge, then, is to convert this data into marketplace intelligence.

    3. Competitor research

    Another significant source of low-cost data and marketplace intelligence are your competitors’ websites. Here are some things you can routinely locate (and they will likely find on yours as well):

    • Strategic plan and vision
    • Enrollment and graduation data
    • Alumni data
    • Financial aid policies and scholarships
    • Brand strategy and assets
    • Marketing plan
    • Recently completed market research

    Related reading: Numerical Fluency and the Importance of Market Research

    4. Associations and organizations

    Every college and university in the country belongs to one or more associations and these associations often conduct research on behalf of their members. The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) is just one example. NAICU offers myriad reports on everything from college costs and affordability to annual studies on tuition and available financial aid.

    Two more examples:

    • The Pew Research Center website has a huge database of free research, ranging from political attitudes and economic situations to social media usage and marketing statistics. Pew resources are either free or very low cost.
    • Statista boasts over 1 million stats and facts within 600 industries for more than 50 countries. It contains statistical data on more than 80,000 topics from over 22,500 sources. Statistica is a relatively low-cost, fee-based service.

    The Gale’s Encyclopedia of Associations is an extremely comprehensive listing of the more than 23,000 national and regional associations and organizations in the U.S., many of which conduct market research for their members. Can you guess which “industry” has the greatest number of associations? If you said, “education,” you are right. Although a subscription service, it is likely you already have access through your campus library.

    5. Just Google it

    I still am continually amazed at all the stuff you can find online. For example, I searched, “How students choose a college” and found:

    • How students choose which college to attend
    • Factors to consider when choosing a college
    • The 7 things students think about when choosing a college
    • The top 10 factors for choosing a college
    • How today’s students decide which college to attend

    Of course, when using Google or any search engine, carefully evaluate the suitability, currency, and credibility of the data/research you uncover.

    6. Publications and blogs—free and low cost

    There are a handful of free publications/blogs that often cite higher ed research you should be regularly reading. High profile ones include:

    Whatever your particular interest (e.g., recruiting, fundraising, branding, etc.), you will be able to find related content. As you review this material, keep a filter in place—many of these sources have a perspective or even an agenda that should be factored into any interpretation.

    If you’d like to discuss these and other options for your institution’s research data, reach out for a conversation.

    Next week look for low-cost options for gathering your own data.

  • Using Market Research to Build and Enhance Your Brand

    Using Market Research to Build and Enhance Your Brand

    1. Research is used at the “Uh, oh” stage

    This is when you sense that something is wrong with your brand, but you’re not sure what. Perhaps enrollment has stalled, or your latest capital campaign is struggling. Your gut is telling you that something is amiss but you’re not sure what it is.

    Research at this point is largely perceptual and positional. You want to know how you are perceived or, also illuminating, misperceived by your key audiences. This might include audiences such as prospective students and nonmatriculants, current donors, and donors who have lapsed.

    Here are a few questions you want answered:

    • Why do students and donors we once served no longer consider us?
    • When these audiences think of us, what do they think?
    • To what other schools are they turning and why?

    This research can be used to help get your brand back on track. However, if it reveals a significant disconnect between you and your market, it might be time to use market research to develop a wholly new brand strategy (see below).

    Before we move to the second type of research, let me offer a quick thought. If students are electing not to attend because your facilities are increasingly out of date or your current curriculum is rightly perceived as poor, then these deficiencies must be attended to before your brand will gain traction. Remember, great brands are built on great products.

    Related reading: Four Questions that will Dramatically Improve Your Market Research

    2. Research can be used during brand development

    This will include the perceptual research outlined above but it will also include comparative/competitive research. In addition, your goal is to determine what niches are occupied by competitors and what potential niches (that you can fill) are still open.

    Some possible questions:

    • What niches are “owned” by our competitors?
    • What niches remain open?
    • With what schools are we compared by students?
    • What words and phrases do students use to describe our school and our competitors?

    For example, if you want to be known as the best liberal arts college in Iowa and you are not Grinnell, your brand strategy will fail. Grinnell owns that niche.

    Remember, one of the cardinal rules of brand development is that it’s always easier to fill an open niche than to nudge a competitor out of an existing niche.

    Not only does this research provide data that will help you develop your brand, but it also provides a baseline against which to measure, at appropriate intervals, the effectiveness of your brand strategy.

    One extremely powerful research tool to use during brand development is called a price elasticity and brand value study. This study uses choice-based modeling to not only determine how you are perceived and compared, but also how to identify the price point at which you will generate the most revenue and the college-choice attributes students value most.

    Please let me know if you would like more information about a brand value study.

    Read more: Options for Measuring Brand Equity

    Research can be used to determine if your brand strategy has begun to move the needle

    In other words, are you making progress against the baseline you established through your brand development stage?

    This involves repeating, at a lesser scale, the research you conducted as part of your brand development process.

    A couple of quick reminders before closing.

    Because you are going to be making significant decisions based on the data, you want audience research that is robust and inferential. This means incorporating surveys and samples (quantitative) and not just in-depth interviews and focus groups (qualitative).

    In the coming weeks we’ll look at the costs and benefits of different types of research, research options when you have a small (or nonexistent) research budget, and how to complete an internal brand audit.

    If you would like to talk about how research can be used to help you assess or develop a brand, please drop me an email. I’d love to show you how we have helped our clients refine their brand strategy.

    Read Next: 6 Signs Your Brand is Failing Your Institution