graduate enrollment management: building your …...now that you understand what you want to...

C O N F E R E N C E

GRADUATE ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT: BUILDING YOUR INTEGRATED MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY

January 15 - 17, 2020 | Baltimore, MD

C O N F E R E N C E

Academic Impressionswww.academicimpressions.com

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Are you putting enough strategy behind your recruitment marketing tactics?

OVERVIEW

Join us for a hands-on, active learning conference that has been specifically designed to help graduate enrollment management professionals take their recruitment marketing strategies to the next level. During this training, you will spend time workshopping and developing your own integrated marketing and communications strategy by delving into its core components:

• Brand-building and messaging for graduate programs

• Identifying and understanding your audience(s)

• Determining communication channels (e.g., web, email, digital advertising, and print)

We ask that participants come prepared with a specific program in mind. Throughout the conference, you will be given ample time to discuss your current practices with peers, share best practices, and develop new ideas based on what has worked well for others. You will also see a variety of examples of the ways other institutions are successfully using these tactics to further their own graduate enrollment efforts.

This program will provide attendees a content-rich experience, full of examples, strategies, and best practices. Our instructors will be accessible and available, ready to answer questions and provide feedback, and ultimately ensure that you’re distilling what’s most relevant for your institution. You’ll leave with the bones of a communications plan for your program.

COME PREPARED WITH A PROGRAM, YOUR LAPTOP, AND MARKETING MATERIALS

You will have plenty of time to begin building your program plan, workshop your marketing materials, and hone your graduate marketing strategy. We recommend that you bring digital and print recruitment materials with you so that you can share and workshop them with your peers. To participate effectively in the activities and working sessions we have set up, you will also need to bring your laptop with you.

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FULL-DAY PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP: CONDUCTING MARKET RESEARCH FOR NEW GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Join us for this workshop to learn about open data sources that can help you conduct market research through establishing degree awareness, assessing job market demand, and performing competitive scans at the local, regional, national, and international levels. You will participate in a hands-on activity in which you will use and become familiar with the tools introduced. You will leave the workshop better able to conduct market research for your own new graduate programs.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

We encourage you to attend the conference in an institutional team that includes representatives from Enrollment Management/Admissions, Marketing, and/or Academic Affairs. Faculty members who don’t get additional support to market their own graduate programs will gain strategies and tools to meaningfully impact enrollment goals.

The content presented at this event will be scalable and applicable to all institutions— no matter the size of your operations or resources. You’ll gain ideas and inspiration for adapting these strategies to your own institutional context.

BRING YOUR TEAM AND SAVE!

Save over 15% when you register three or more colleagues.

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AGENDA

Full-Day Pre-Conference Workshop: Conducting Market Research for New Graduate Programs

Registration and Breakfast (included in workshop registration fee) 8:30 - 9:00 a.m.

Welcome and Opening Activity 9:00 - 9:45 a.m.

We’ll begin this workshop thinking about the current “state of affairs” in your school or department when it comes to a) generating ideas for and proposing new graduate programs, b) conducting market research and feasibility studies, and c) launching new graduate programs.

Making the Case for Programs at the Graduate Level 9:45 - 10:30 a.m.

Our instructors will cover the following key points to set the stage for the rest of the workshop:

• Why develop new graduate programs?

• Who are the key players?

• How do other institutions conduct their program proposal processes?

• What should an academic program business plan look like?

• What should be the role of revenue and enrollment projections in the process?

Morning Break 10:30 - 10:45 a.m.

Conducting Effective Market Research at the Graduate Level 10:45 - 11:20 a.m.

Our focus here will be on best practices in market research for new graduate programs to determine their viability. We will discuss competitive scanning and demand analysis as well as how these tools and others should be used within the new program ideation and proposal process.

Working Time Pt. 1: Conducting Market Research 11:20 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

You will break into groups based on region and/or program type, and you’ll be given a hypothetical graduate degree program. Your group will apply the market research sources and sites introduced earlier in the day to make a data-based recommendation about the viability of the program. Instructors will be available for questions and guidance.

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AGENDA

Pre-Conference Workshop (CONTINUED)

Lunch (included in workshop registration fee) 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Job Market Demand, Demand Analysis, and Competitive Scanning 1:00 - 1:45 p.m.

We will introduce sources to help you focus on the following aspects of the market research process:

• Assessing job market demand by state/region/country

• Performing a demand analysis

• Competitive scanning, both locally and internationally

Afternoon Break 1:45 - 2:00 p.m.

Working Time Pt. 2: Conducting Market Research 2:00 - 2:45 p.m.

Here you will continue with the hands-on market research activity using the hypothetical graduate degree program that was introduced earlier in the day. Groups will be asked to report out regarding their findings to bring the activity full circle.

Reflection and Summary of Learning: Workshop Wrap-up 2:45 - 3:30 p.m.

Day One - Main Conference

Continental Breakfast (included in registration fee) 8:30 - 9:00 a.m.

Welcome and Introductions 9:00 - 9:15 a.m.

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AGENDA

Day One - Main Conference (CONTINUED)

Building a Framework for Graduate Marketing and Recruitment: Where Are You Now? 9:15 - 10:15 a.m.

This opening session will set the stage for the rest of our conference by providing a high-level overview of key components to consider while building your graduate marketing and recruitment strategy. You will have time to reflect on what you currently do in terms of marketing and communication as well as work with your peers to identify goals for the conference. You are invited to bring examples of print and digital materials you are using to evaluate and receive peer feedback.


Brand-Building and Messaging for Graduate Programs (includes activity) 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 p.m.

Focusing on the role of your brand, we will explore the ways in which the graduate brand is both connected to and distinct from the institutional parent brand. You will see examples of how other institutions are using various internal and external partners and strategically equipping them with the information they need to be brand ambassadors. You will complete an activity to help you reflect on your current brand and identify areas for further development or clarification.

Lunch (included in registration fee) 11:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Align Your Messaging: Understanding Your Audience and Channels 12:45 - 2:00 p.m.

Now that you understand what you want to communicate about your brand, it is time to identify who you want to target in your messaging. You must know who your audience is and what they need in order to maximize the impact of your marketing and recruitment plan. During this session, we’ll show you how you can use personas and lead scoring to identify which channels (digital and print) you want to focus on as you build out an intentional integrated marketing plan.

Working Time Part 1: Building your own Communication Plan 2:00 – 2:45 p.m.

You will use what you learned during the previous sessions to begin building out your own communication plan for the program you are focusing on. You are also invited to bring your own marketing materials to be reviewed by peers at this time.

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AGENDA

Day One - Main Conference (CONTINUED)

Afternoon Break 2:45 - 3:00 p.m.

Maximizing the Effectiveness of Email Marketing and CRMs 3:00 - 4:45 p.m.

Email marketing is one of the best ways to get your messages out to your intended audience. We will focus on maximizing the effectiveness of your email marketing strategy to promote your graduate programs. We will also walk through the process of identifying content to include message frequency and segmenting your audience to improve engagement. You are invited to bring examples of emails you are using to evaluate and receive peer feedback.

Networking Reception (included in registration fee) 4:45 - 5:45 p.m.

This informal reception is your chance to decompress, have some refreshments on us, and expand your network of connections. Our programs are intentionally designed for smaller groups, so this is a great time to catch-up with attendees and speakers whom you may not have connected with yet.

Day Two - Main Conference

Continental Breakfast (included in registration fee) 8:00 - 8:30 a.m.

Tactics to Strengthen Your Website & Analytics 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

In addition to email marketing, one of your greatest digital marketing tools is your website. We will focus on tactics and strategies that can improve your current graduate program pages and apply analytics to gain insights and further refine strategy. Using real examples from a variety of institutions, special attention will be paid to:

• Inquiry forms and capturing data

• Driving traffic to key pages

• Using storytelling to create compelling content

• Tracking and web analytics

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AGENDA

Day Two - Main Conference (CONTINUED)

Website Activity 9:30 - 10:15 a.m.

Attendees will choose a partner from a different institution and, using a set of guiding questions, share impressions of one another's websites. The goal is to hear an objective opinion of your own website and to gain ideas and inspiration from your partner's site.


Scenario Activity 10:30 - 11:45 a.m.

This interactive session will breakdown how to use the key components you have explored throughout the conference (i.e., brand messaging, audience, and channels) to create an effective, nimble communication plan to recruit graduate students. Our expert facilitators will demonstrate how they use the framework you have been building to create dynamic plans in real time.

Lunch (included in registration fee) 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Working Time: Building your own Communication Plan 12:45 - 1:30 p.m.

You will use what you learned in the previous sessions to begin building out your own communication plan for the program you are focusing on.

Afternoon Break 1:30 – 1:45 p.m.

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AGENDA

Day Two - Main Conference (CONTINUED)

Tying It All Together: Small Consultation/Working Groups 1:45 - 3:00 p.m. (Two 30-minute blocks with time for movement)

Now that you have begun crafting your own plan, you will have some time self-select into two of three small working groups to focus in on tactical pieces of strategy that you would like to explore further:

• CRM and Email Strategy

• Digital Tactics

• Brand Messaging and Personas

Each of our three presenters will be focusing in on a tactical area to explore during this time. Within your small groups, you will be able to ask questions and brainstorm with your peers and one of our expert facilitators.

Conference Reflection, Wrap-Up, and Evaluations 3:00 - 3:30 p.m.

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INSTRUCTORS

Chris Connor Assistant Dean and Chief Enrollment Officer for Graduate Education, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo

With twenty years of experience in higher education, Chris’s experience includes leadership roles in undergraduate and graduate education both from an institutional and academic unit perspective. He currently serves as the Assistant Dean and Chief Enrollment Officer for Graduate Education in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY). In his current role, he focuses strategically on all aspects of the graduate student lifecycle including new program development, international and domestic recruitment for both traditional and online programs, enrollment planning, financial aid leveraging, diversity programs, graduate student professional development and alumni engagement.

His past positions at the University at Buffalo include serving as Assistant Dean for Graduate Enrollment Management Services, Interim Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Director of Graduate Recruitment Services, Associate Director for Admissions and Student Services in the Department of Economics and serving as Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Communication.

Chris’ research interests focus on Strategic Graduate Enrollment Management (SGEM) and identifying key components, synergies, and more importantly the critical differences between undergraduate and graduate enrollment management. He also has published and presented both nationally and internationally on numerous topics related to enrollment management. Connor, internationally recognized for his work in enrollment management, is also known for co-leading a global research project (with Joshua Lafave) which resulted in the higher education industry accepted definition of graduate enrollment management.

Chris has received several national awards and distinctions related to graduate education and enrollment management. Most recently, Chris was awarded the 2019 Chancellor’s Award for Professional Service by the State University of New York system.

Julie Gacnik Independent Consultant

Julie is an experienced professional in higher education with emphasis in enrollment, marketing and data-integration for process improvement strategies. She has more than 15 years of experience in higher education, and has served in administrative roles at Universities. Her knowledge includes organizational change, data and economic insights, graduate enrollment, marketing and communications, CRM implementation, and online vendor relations. She has served as adjunct faculty, and worked with private and public universities. Julie is the Owner and Principal Consultant at Peak Marketing Insights Consulting. Her organization focuses on integrating new data sources into marketing and enrollment efforts on college campuses.

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INSTRUCTORS

Marcus Hanscom Director of Graduate Admission, Roger Williams University

Marcus Hanscom is an established higher education marketing and enrollment management professional and consultant, having served in a variety of roles working with undergraduate and graduate students for 13 years. He currently serves as Director of Graduate Admission at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI, where he helped facilitate seven percent average annual new student growth since his arrival and has helped build graduate student community and services on campus with new student fees and the forthcoming graduate student association. He previously worked in progressive roles in undergraduate and graduate admission at the University of New Haven in West Haven, CT.

Marcus has presented widely on marketing strategies for adult and graduate students at national and regional conferences for Academic Impressions, Aslanian Market Research, Carnegie Communications, NAGAP, NEGAP, STAMATS, TxGAP, and others, and now serves for his third term on the NAGAP Board of Directors. He was awarded the Future Leader Award by NAGAP in 2012 and was the founding president of NEGAP, the New England Association for Graduate Enrollment Management.

Joshua LaFave Director of Graduate Business Programs, Clarkson University

Joshua LaFave’s experience over the past 10+ years has included a comprehensive canvas of Graduate Enrollment Management functions. These roles have included enrollment planning, marketing and recruitment, admissions, student services, retention, advising/coaching and career planning. In his current role, Joshua is responsible for all elements of the graduate student lifecycle, as well as the college’s special sessions, early college programs, non-credit offerings, and conferences/special programs. His research on Graduate Enrollment Management includes the adoption of the integrated interdependence model in GEM, working definitions, the four “O’s” of student services, and holistic strategic enrollment management planning. He is also an adjunct instructor in the Organizational Performance and Technology graduate program at his institution.

Josh’s research interests include the continued development of Graduate Enrollment Management as it relates to the integration of various functions in GEM, and the synchronization of those areas as it relates to strategy, operational efficiencies, and the differentiated student experience.

Prior to beginning his current role at Clarkson University, Josh served as the Executive Director of the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education at SUNY Potsdam, Director of Graduate Enrollment for the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, and Associate Director of Graduate Business Programs at Clarkson University.

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INSTRUCTORS

Eric Nissen Associate Director, Marketing and eCommunications, University of Colorado Colorado Springs

With more than ten years of experience in higher education student recruitment, marketing and communication, Eric provides strategic and tactical support for both central campus marketing, as well as the academic colleges, programs and departmental offices. He coordinates marketing initiatives, including communication, recruitment, advertising, and outreach, and is the primary liaison for the CU system’s eCommunication initiative. Previously the lead on several CRM implementations, Eric is considered a subject matter expert on CRM implementation and administration and has spoken widely on these topics.

Before working in higher education, Eric held director level positions in both the fitness and hospitality industries, with a focus on sales, marketing, management, and professional and executive development.

ACADEMIC IMPRESSIONS STAFF

Kate Poisson Program Manager, Academic Impressions, [email protected]

Kate is an enthusiastic, adaptable educator with experience in advising, training, facilitation, and planning programs in university settings. An alumnus of both the Fulbright Program and the University of Michigan’s Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education (CSHPE), her passion for higher education, lifelong learning, and relationship building has enabled her to create engaging educational experiences for learners, both domestically and abroad. Prior to becoming a Program Manager with Academic Impressions, Kate had worked in the realms of Student Affairs and International Education at the University of Michigan, the University of Montenegro, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is thrilled to work with AI to serve the higher ed industry in innovative and exciting ways. When she isn’t planning programs around Enrollment Management, you can typically find her hiking, writing, connecting with friends and family, playing volleyball, starring in Montenegrin wine commercials, and exploring the world.

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LOCATION

January 15 - 17, 2020 | Baltimore, MD

Hotel: Hyatt Regency Baltimore

300 Light St.

Baltimore, MD 21202

410-528-1234

Room rate: $179 plus tax.

Room block dates: The nights of January 14, 15, and 16, 2020.

Room block cutoff date: December 23, 2019.

Reserve Your Room: Please call 410-528-1234 and indicate that you are with the Academic Impressions group to receive the group rate. Please book early - rooms are limited and subject to availability.

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The Academic Impressions Experience

Intimate, workshop-style trainings with personalized attention

Trainings are practical and action oriented so you can hit the ground running

Carefully vetted expert instructors who are also practitioners in the field

Learner-centric and designed for interaction and collaboration

Highly recommended: 9 out of 10 participants recommend our trainings to colleagues

graduate enrollment management: building your …...now that you understand what you want to...

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