recruitment and enrollment plan

8/2/2019 Recruitment and Enrollment Plan

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Recruitment Evaluation and Enrollment ManagementPlanWorking Document

Advanced Technological EducationBGSU College of Technology

Sherri Orwick OgdenRecruiter and Representative

October 12, 2007

LOCAL

NATIONAL

STATE/REGIONAL


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Recruitment Evaluation and Enrollment Management Plan Page 2 of 55October 12, 2007Working Document

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... 4

SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS.............................................................................................................................................5

2006-2007 RECRUITMENT EVALUATION .................................................................................. 6

STRATEGIC GOALS/ACCOMPLISHMENTS/STATUS................................................................................................................6

2007/2008 2011/2012 ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN ..................................................... 9

ONGOING/NEW STRATEGIC GOALS............................................................................................................................11STRATEGIES ......................................................................................................................................................12

Overview .............................................................................................................................................12Priority Strategies ................................................................................................................................12

Marketing ............................................................................................................................................14Partner/Prospect Development ...........................................................................................................15Accessibility Development ..................................................................................................................16

MEASUREMENTS..................................................................................................................................................18FIVE-YEAR PLANAND ESTIMATED COSTS.....................................................................................................................19

APPENDIX A ....................................................................................................................... 26

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION (ATE) ...........................................................................................................26Description .........................................................................................................................................26

Ideal Candidate....................................................................................................................................26IDEAL CANDIDATE................................................................................................................................................26

Students and Graduates......................................................................................................................27STUDENTSAND GRADUATES....................................................................................................................................27

Selling Points.......................................................................................................................................27SELLING POINTS..................................................................................................................................................27Vision Statement.................................................................................................................................27

VISION STATEMENT..............................................................................................................................................27Mission Statement...............................................................................................................................27

MISSION STATEMENT............................................................................................................................................27

APPENDIX B ....................................................................................................................... 28

DATA ANALYSIS..................................................................................................................................................28Prospects .............................................................................................................................................28Leads...................................................................................................................................................28

LEADS.............................................................................................................................................................28Lead Source - How Prospects Learn about ATE.....................................................................................29

LEAD SOURCE - HOW PROSPECTS LEARNABOUT ATE....................................................................................................29How Prospects Contact ATE.................................................................................................................32

HOW PROSPECTS CONTACT ATE.............................................................................................................................32Students ..............................................................................................................................................33New ATE Students...............................................................................................................................33

NEW ATE STUDENTS...........................................................................................................................................33How Students Learn about ATE............................................................................................................34

HOW STUDENTS LEARNABOUT ATE.........................................................................................................................34............................................................................................................................................................36

.....................................................................................................................................................................36New Students/New Leads.....................................................................................................................37

NEW STUDENTS/NEW LEADS..................................................................................................................................37


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Executive Summary

The Advanced Technological Education program in BGSUs College of Technology isa Bachelor Degree completion program that teaches students to integratetechnological concepts into their applied or technical trades and careers. Theprogram is specifically designed for individuals that have begun their careers butrequire further education to advance. The courses are designed for adult learnersand a majority of ATEs students are transfer students or previous BGSU students that attend classes part-time because of full-time work and family schedules.

The structure of ATE is in complete alignment with the University System of Ohioscharge to increase enrollment by attracting more transfer and adult students and

increasing the number of Ohioans in higher education. In addition, ATE is proposingan initiative to provide multiple technological bachelor degree completion optionswhich is unique in the State of Ohio.

ATE tracks student and prospect information in a database for analysis. In 2006 and2007, ATE had 114 new students. There was a 37% increase in new students from2006 (49) to 2007 (65). These numbers include new transfer students, existingBGSU students that transferred to ATE, students that re-admitted and transferred toATE, and students preparing for ATE. ATE met its goal of 35-40 new students with35 for Fall 2007 which represents a 40% increase over Spring 2007 (25).

ATEs enrollment goal is to increase enrollment by an average of 15% each year forthe next five years raising the number of new students to 115 in 2012. Thisprojection is based on the existence of a pre-ATE status as well as acceptance oftechnical and non-technical applied cognates.

ATE recruiting is based on the belief that customer service is of upmost importance.ATE assists individuals in answering all their questions so they can determine if ATEis the program that best suits their needs. ATE believes recruitment is customer-service based and employs a recruiter that is assigned the following responsibilities:Partner/Prospect Development, Marketing, and Accessibility Development. Thisdocument provides a summary of 2007 accomplishments and a recruitment and

enrollment management plan through 2012. A definition of ATE and supporting dataanalysis is included in the appendices.

Note: The enrollment management plan lists goals for promoting ONLINE.BGSU.EDUas a whole as well as the ATE program. ATE has incorporated this in pastrecruitment and feels this is important for all online programs to do the same. It isATEs belief that all BGSU online programs should work together to establish BGSUas a leader in innovative technological education techniques.


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Significant FindingsATE analyzed data from their recruiting database from 2006 and 2007. Below is alist of the more significant findings.

ATE generated 453 new leads in 2006 and 2007. Though the number ofnew leads dropped in 2007, the percentage of applicants increased andthe number of dead leads decreased. This would indicate that the ATErecruiting efforts in 2007 were focused more on the target market in2007 resulting in a smaller pool of better-suited students.

Both the number of leads and the number of students generated fromthe internet both increased significantly from 2006 to 2007.

The number of prospects and the number of students learning aboutATE from a Friend or Family member increased from 2006 to 2007. Thisindicates that prospects and students are talking more about ATE andcreating word of mouth advertising.

The number of prospects and students using internet searches to learnabout the ATE program increased dramatically from 2006 to 2007. Thisemphasizes the importance of effective search optimization tools.

In 2007, 54% of prospects used the Request for Information form on

ATEs website. This data indicates the website and request form putinto place in 2005 are proving to be effective and usable tools forprospects to learn about ATE and to request more information.

32% of current prospects in 2006 and 2007 applied to the ATE programand 25% enrolled.

An average, 67% of the new leads generated during 2006 and 2007applied that same semester they inquired.

In 2007, there was a 37% increase over 2006 in new ATE students from 49 in 2006 to 65 in 2007. This accounts for a total of 114 new ATEand Pre-ATE students in 2006 and 2007.

On average, 85% of all applicants during the two-year period enrolled incourses.

Of the enrolled students, the number that dropped classes decreasedfrom 13% in 2006 to 3% in 2007.


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2006-2007 Recruitment Evaluation

Strategic Goals/Accomplishments/StatusThe 2005-2006 fiscal year performance appraisal for the ATE recruiterestablished recruitment goals for the 2006-2007 fiscal year. This summarylists those goals and provides a status for each as of August 20, 2007.

1. Continue to exhibit commitment to the work and continue to set and reachrecruiting goals as well as operational goals of the ATE program.

Status: ATE reached a goal of 35 new individual ATE students for Fall2007. ATEs enrollment increased 37% from 2006 to 2007.

2. Continue to work with key BGSU offices and individuals to advance thecause of online programs generally and ATE in particular, and expand thiscollaboration with additional partner institutions, with particular emphasison the newly-implemented partner institution-specific student check list fortransferable course credits to the ATE program.

Status:

ONLINE.BGSU.EDU. ATE is active in promoting ATE as well asONLINE.BGSU.EDU meaning all online programs BGSU offers. The ATE

recruiter contacted all online program representatives and asked forbrochures and other materials to distribute at recruiting activities.

Online United. The recruiter has been able to successfully createrelationships with BGSU Departments such as IDEAL, BLS, Marketing andCommunications, other BGSU online program representatives.

Course Equivalencies. Transfer equivalency forms were created for20 community colleges in the State of Ohio. The forms listed coursesapplicable to the ATE degree that transfer from the community collegeto BGSU. They were to be used as a tool for community college

advisors. They were distributed to two colleges for a usability study.Results are pending.

Radio Campaign. A small test radio campaign to promoteONLINE.BGSU.EDU ran during the summer of 2006. The campaign didnot appear to generate identifiable results.

Radio/TV/Print/Online. A 3-phase marketing campaign proposed bymarketing and communications to promote ONLINE.BGSU.EDU wasinitiated. This campaign, called Learning without Limits includes TV,


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Radio, Newspaper and Online Banners. It began in March 2007, ranagain in July 2007 and is scheduled to run again later Fall 2007. Theuniversity is paying for half of the campaign. BLS, IDEAL and ATE aresplitting the remaining half. As of this date, the March 2007 and July

2007 advertisements have not produced identifiable results for ATE.Enrollment is up for Fall 2007; however, it cannot be directly attributedto the advertisements.

Search Optimization. ATE worked with IDEAL in optimizing tags usedfor online searches that would direct prospects to BGSU for onlineprograms. The number of prospects that contacted ATE due to onlinesearches increased from 1% in 2006 to 10% in 2007. The number ofnew ATE students resulting from internet searches increased from 0% in2006 to 11% in 2007.

Website/Request for Information. ATE worked with IDEAL andContinuing Education and was able to have a link to Distance Educationplaced on BGSUs home page. In addition, in 2005 the ATE recruiter re-designed ATEs website. The re-design included the addition of aRequest for Information form. The number of prospects learning aboutATE from BGSUs website increased from 17% in 2006 to 27% in 2007.The number of prospects that contacted ATE using the request forinformation increased from 38% in 2006 to 54% in 2007. The number ofnew students that referenced BGSUs website increased from 11% in2006 to 18% in 2007.

Website Usability Study. Because 52 % of all prospects and 42% ofall new ATE students used the internet to learn more about ATE, therecruiter conducted a Website Usability study to determine areas ofimprovement in ATEs website. The results are included in thisdocument under Attachment D.

3. Continue to assimilate and apply new knowledge and procedures in newways to improve the recruitment processes as well as relationships withother institutions.

Status: The recruiter attended podcasting workshops, researched vodcastsoftware options, updated the ATE recruiting database to Office 2007, andworked with the Ohio Learning Network as a Track Chair for the Ohio DigitalCommons for Education conference for Learning, Libraries and Technology.

4. Continue reporting on recruiting and partnering activities and newdirections, and continue to develop the ATE Student database, includingmore historical information and enhancement of other types of informationas well as making it more useful for researching and summarizing data.


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Status: The recruiter provides various statistical reports based on prospectand student information tracked in ATEs recruiting database. In addition,the recruiter has begun to add class information and existing student datato monitor retention. This information is tracked in order to capture data

on all students in the process of transferring or preparing to transfer to ATEas well as all current students.

5. Steps toward a budget for ATE recruiting office are anticipated in thesecond y ear, depending somewhat on development of budget policies andprocess under the newly appointed Dean of the College of Technology.

Status: A budget for ATE recruitment is still in progress. The RecruitmentEvaluation and Enrollment Management Plan are intended to assist ATEfaculty and staff in creating a budget for the upcoming year(s).

6. Continue to present the ATE program and BGSU in a positive, professionalmanner in all venues of contact, including phone, visits to institutions,attendance at state and local events and in other venues, and enhancethese presentations in as many ways as possible during the year.

Status:

The ATE recruiter has received positive feedback from various prospectsfor assisting them in determining if ATE is the program best suited fortheir needs, positive comments from students for helping them throughthe application/enrollment/registration process, and positive commentsregarding the ATE program as a whole. Attachment C provides asampling of these comments.

The ATE recruiter joined the Ohio Learning Network and participated inthe Ohio State Fair vendor show. ATE was able to distribute informationand speak with numerous individuals making this a productive recruitingtool resulting in one new ATE student.

The ATE recruiter joined BGSU Continuing Education and participated inthe Wood County Fair. Though not as popular as the Ohio State Fair

show, it too resulted in one new ATE student.

The ATE recruiter worked with Continuing Education and developed alogo for ONLINE.BGSU.EDU. Promotional Items were created bearingthis logo including shirts, notepads, pens, and hand sanitizers. Theshirts are given to individuals that refer someone to ATE, ATE faculty,and ATE supporters. The pens and notepads are used for recruitingvisits and fairs and were distributed at the Ohio Digital Commons forEducation Learning, Libraries and Technology conference. The handsanitizers were distributed at the Ohio State and Wood County fairs.


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7. Assess the need for continuing/additional student workers. Also initiate aprogram for On-site Recruiters who perform recruiting activities at theirinstitutions on a minimal time basis to keep an ATE presence and referralchannel for prospective ATE students at partner schools.

Status: ATE hired a student work for Summer and Fall 2006. During thesummer, the student worker assisted with the equivalency forms and basicsecretarial functions. The student hired for Fall 2006 was experienced withMicrosoft Access and was to assist managing the recruiting database.Unfortunately, this student never reported to work.

An on-site recruiter was considered for Sinclair Community College. Thisindividual was beginning the ATE program while also taking courses atSinclair. Unfortunately, the legalities of how to pay the recruiter were notresolved in time and the individual became unavailable.

8. Organize, solidify and further develop current constituencies as describedabove and identify and begin development of additional constituencies.The goal for relationships of ATE with Ohio 2-year colleges is to have goodworking relationships of some kind with close to if not all such institutions.

Status:

The ATE recruiter continues to establish and enhance existingrelationships with community colleges throughout the state. Collegesthat actively communicated with ATE this year are: James A. Rhodes,North Central, Northwest, Central Ohio Technical, Jefferson, Lorain,Owens, Belmont, Lakeland, Marion Technical, Sinclair, Stark State, andTri-C.

In coordination with IDEAL, the ATE recruiter is working on 2+2agreements with Owens Community College for three online associatedegree programs.

Postcard mailings were sent to Firelands graduates and previous BGSUstudents close to receiving their associate degrees.

A postcard was designed and mailed to 15,000 community collegegraduates promoting the transfer incentives offered for Fall 2007.

The recruiter attended career and education fairs at the followingcorporations: GM, Toledo Machining, Jeep, Whirlpool, Cooper Tire

2007/2008 2011/2012 Enrollment Management Plan


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In order to create a 5-year recruitment plan, ATE has modified the goals from the2006-2007 fiscal year to reflect the three recruiting responsibility categories:Marketing, Partner/Prospect Development, and Accessibility Development. Theenrollment management plan describes the ATE recruitment goals for the 5-year

period, lists the strategies that will be used to reach those goals, identifiesperformance measurements, and estimates a five-year plan, and estimated costs.


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Ongoing/New Strategic Goals Increase the number new leads 15% each year for the next 5 years.

Increase enrollment 15% each year for the next 5 years.

2006/2007 Avg

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Enrollment per Year(Spring, Summer, Fall) 57 66 75 87 100 115Avg # of Students perSemester 19 22 25 29 33 38

New Leads per Year 227 260 300 344 396 456

Avg # of Leads perSemester 75.5 87 100 115 132 152

Target marketing and recruitment efforts to those well suited for the ATEprogram to increase the percentage of new leads that enroll.

Work with BGSU on streamlining admissions and enrollment proceduresand to emphasize online program policies.

Expand recruitment on local, regional and national levels.

Work with BGSU departments and personnel to obtain full funding forTV/Print/Newspaper/Online Marketing campaigns launched throughBGSUs Marketing and Communications Department.

Work with BGSU departments and personnel to have ONLINE.BGSU.EDUincluded as part of BGSUs on-campus marketing campaign.

Promote ONLINE.BGSU.EDU as a whole and continue to work with BLS,IDEAL, and other online programs.

Develop ATE as the premier online program for adults in the State ofOhio.

Establish 2+2 programs with two-year degree institutions that haveonline programs that are well-suited for transfer to ATE.

Use the latest technology in ATE classes to attract and retain upcomingstudents in the program.

Obtain approval and hire a full-time administration position allowing arecruiter to attend recruiting events full time.


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Maintain high quality customer service to prospects and students.

Integrate additional completion options to expand the target market.

Strategies

Overview

In order to obtain the specified goals, specific recruitment strategies will beused.

Marketing

Web Tools

o Search Optimizationo Education Websites

o ATE Website Upgrade

o Community College Websites

o Guest Shell

Student Survey

Radio and Television

Mailings

Promotional Materials

Community College Newspapers

Partner/Prospect Development

Community College Relationships

Corporation Relationships

Ohio Learning Network

Prospects

Accessibility Development

Admissions Process

Program Services

Administration

Priority Strategies

The data analysis shows that web presence is of high priority. Over half ofATEs new leads learn about the program on the web and there has been asignificant increase in the number of individuals finding ATE by using a searchengine or going to BGSUs website. However, a prospect must already knowabout BGSU to discover ATE from BGSUs website. Therefore, it is a priority forATE to increase its visibility in search results using search engine optimization


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techniques. Another priority will be to update the ATE information on theCommunity College transfer web pages.

Recruiting for 2008 will center largely around the Transfer Excellence

Incentive and the Regional Community College Transfer Incentive. TheTransfer Excellence Incentive offers individuals $2,500 if they have anassociate degree. The Regional Community College Transfer Incentiveprovides individuals that transfer directly from Northwest, Terra and OwensCommunity colleges $1,500. These incentives are not renewable, but they area great motivation for adults to start back to college now as opposed to later.ATE will promote these incentives in all recruiting and marketing effortstargeted for Spring, Summer and Fall 2008.

Because ATE is online, recruiting and marketing is not limited to the NorthwestOhio region. Therefore, the strategies chosen are three-tiered; addressing

local, regional/state and national levels.

National Level. Prospects will be aware of BGSUs reputation. Therefore, inaddition to ATE information, ONLINE.BGSU.EDU and scholarship offerings, it isimportant to include in this level of marketing BGSUs accreditationinformation for both on-campus and online programs to distinguish itself fromonline degree mill institutions.

State/Regional/Local Levels. At these levels, prospects will most likelyhave heard of BGSU but may not be aware it offers online programs andcourses. For these strategies, the emphasis needs to be ONLINE.BGSU.EDU aswell as reputation and current scholarship offerings.

State/Regional Level

Promotional MaterialsCommunity Colleges

CorporationsOhio Learning NetworkNational Level Strategies

Local Level

Radio/TV/Print CampaignsState/Regional Level Strategies

National Level Strategies

National Level

Search OptimizationEducation Websites

ATE Website UpgradeGuest ShellStudent SurveyMailings


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Marketing

Web Tools

Search Optimization. The data indicates that more prospects are findingthe ATE program using the internet. The number of new studentslocating ATE using internet searches jumped from 0% in 2006 to 11% in2007. As more and more prospects use search engines to findeducational programs, it is important that ATE be included in the top 10results. The goal for the first half of 2008 will be to consult withuniversity personnel to determine the most cost effective way toimplement search optimization and create a proposal for approval.Once in place, ATE will look for other cost effective optimization options

and plan implementation over the next 5 years.

Education Websites. ATE has a presence on OLN.org and does receiveinquiries from this website. However, there are many other websitesthat promote educational online programs; i.e., eLearns.com,Universities.com, Get Educated.com, just to name a few. Promoting onthese websites takes research, approvals and money. ATE plans toinvestigate the various websites offered and work with appropriateBGSU personnel to determine the most credible and profitable sites. Thebudget and return on investment will determine implementation;however, it is ATEs desire to roll out at least two educational websitesor more per year for the next 5 years.

ATE Website Design. In 2008, ATE plans to implement thesuggestions indicated in the Website Usability Study conducted in 2007which is Attachment D of this document.

Guest Shell. Develop the ATE guest shell so prospects can get an ideaof what an online class looks like and ATE can schedule and promoteonline informational sessions.

Student Survey. Consult with ATE faculty to determine pertinent ATEstudent demographics. Contact Institutional Research for assistance increating and implementing a survey. Analyze results for use in targetingrecruiting efforts.

Radio/TV/Print/Online. Work with IDEAL, BLS and Marketing andCommunications to analyze the success of previous TV/Print/Radio/Onlinecampaigns and develop a future plan that will produce identifiable resultsfor ATE.


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Mailings

Community Colleges. Obtain additional and update existing mailing listsof Community College graduates both inside and outside of the State ofOhio. Send Transfer Incentive and/or ATE informational postcards tograduates.

BGSU Employees. Obtain approval to send an ATE or ONLINE.BGSU.EDUinformational flyer and/or postcard to all BGSU administrative andclassified staff.

Corporations. Research corporations with training programs and ITdepartments. Create mailing list and implement postcard mailings.

Community College Instructors. Obtain lists of community collegeinstructors that do not have bachelor degrees and provide an estimateto purchase the list. If approved, send postcards to mailing list.

Vocational Schools. Obtain lists of vocational school teachers in Ohiothat do not have bachelor degrees and provide an estimate to purchasethe list. If approved, send new postcards to mailing list.


Brochure, Poster, Mailer. Obtain approval for a new brochure, posterand mailer that are in alignment with the Universitys Learning withoutLimits ONLINE.BGSU.EDU campaign.

Other promotional materials. Purchase promotional items such as pens,notepads, shirts, etc., for distribution at recruiting visits and events.

Community College Newspapers. Advertise ATE, ONLINE.BGSU.EDUand scholarship offerings in community college newspapers throughout theState of Ohio.

Partner/Prospect Development

Community Colleges

Continue relationships with existing partners by meeting with advisors,administrators and students. Attend career and transfer fairs.

Establish relationships with remaining non-partner Ohio CommunityColleges.


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Develop criteria for selecting out-of-state community colleges to targetand identify 20 that fit the criteria and initiate partner development.

Identify community colleges that have online or classroom programs

that transfer well into the ATE program and initiate 2+2 agreements aswell as update or create articulation agreements.

Corporations

Identify corporations that conduct their own training programs and havein-house IT departments.

Conduct visits and presentations and meet with key personnel.

Ohio Learning Network

Continue to work with Ohio Learning Network to develop relationshipswith individuals involved with technology in education.

In 2008, the ATE Recruiter will be Chair of the Program Committee forthe Ohio Digital Commons for Education conference. This allows therecruiter to stay informed of the latest developments in learning andtechnology, as well as network with Ohio community college anduniversity personnel.

Prospects

Follow up with existing and new prospects and update the ATE recruitingdatabase.Create unofficial completion estimates for prospects upon request.

Create podcast to send to prospects in response to inquiries includedwith a text back up.

Update all current ATE information to websites so information is moreeasily obtained by prospects.

Assist prospects in determining if ATE suits their needs.

Assist prospects preparing to enroll in ATE.

Accessibility Development

Admissions/Enrollment


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Guide students through the processCreate/edit application and registration instructions.

Assist students in applying, submitting transcripts and registering.

Work with the College of Technology Program Services office,admissions, and other offices and departments as necessary toinsure students have a positive admissions and registrationexperience.

Community. Add students to the ATE online community and removestudents no longer in ATE.

Coordination with Program Services. Monitor and review list of new ATEstudents with Program Services. Monitor pre-ATE students each

semester.

Administration

Database Development/Management.

Update database design as necessary to accommodateinformation requirements.

Maintain prospect and student information.

Run statistical reports and create/update Recruitment Evaluationand Enrollment Management Plan.

Student Support. Provide continued support as requested to studentsafter classes have begun.

Document Creation. Create promotional documents; i.e., flyers,information sheets, unofficial completion estimates.

Office Equipment. Printer/Fax installation/set up, PC Maintenance

Miscellaneous. Obtain catalogs, create PDF forms, contact existingstudents to attend certain functions, printer specifications and purchase,verify associate degrees for existing students, notify students ofcancelled classes, organize marketing meetings, update ATE Textbookson bookstore website

Coordinate Recruiting Schedule. Car rental/hotel reservations, trackexpenses, coordinate appointments/travel

Budgeting and Planning. Obtain estimates for desired strategies andcreate budgets accordingly


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MeasurementsIn order to assess the effectiveness each strategy, the following measurements willbe used:

Did the strategy result in new leads?

Did the strategy result in new ATE students?

Did the strategy increase awareness of ATE and ONLINE.BGSU.EDU?

Did the strategy produce a good return on the investment?

Retention are students staying in the program? If not, are the reasonsrecruitment issues?

If the strategy does not directly produce leads, students or increaseawareness, was it an effective tool in creating interest in the ATEprogram?

This matrix will be used to compare measurement results:


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Five-Year Plan and Estimated Costs

Strategy 2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012Search Optimization - Identify Options

and Costs for oneor more searchengines.

- Evaluate,measure, adjust.




- Obtain Approvaland Implement

- Investigateadditional options,

obtain approval,implement.






obtain approval,implement.Educational Websites - Identify the two

most desirablewebsites for ATEtarget market.

- Evaluate anddetermine returnon investment




- Obtain costs andapproval

- Makeadjustments asnecessary




- Designadvertisement

- add additionalsites asappropriate




- Implement

ATE Website Design - Implement

changes indicatedin usability study.

- Evaluate and

make necessarychanges

- Evaluate and


- Evaluate and


- Evaluate and


Guest Shell - Design andimplement

- Scheduleinformationalsessions andadvertise




- Evaluateusability andeffectiveness




StrategyNew

Leads

NewStudent

sIncrease

AwarenessCreate

InterestCost

Income

Profit

ROI

Search Optimization

Educational WebsitesATE Website Design Guest Shell

Student Survey Radio/TV/Print Mailings


Community CollegeNewspaperAdvertisementsPartner/ProspectDevelopmentAccessibility Development Miscellaneous Recruiter Salary Future AdministrationPosition


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Student Survey - Work withFaculty todetermine desiredresults.

- ImplementSurvey

- Work withInstitutionalResearch todevelop questions

- Analyze results- Incorporatefindings inrecruitment andmarketing plans

Radio/TV/Print - Work to BGSUMarketing andCommunications

- Work to BGSUMarketing andCommunications




- Evaluate ROI for2007 campaign

- Evaluate ROI onpreviouscampaigns




- Based on resultsand budgets,continuecampaigns asdeemedappropriate.





Mailings - Update lists andmail transfer

incentivepostcards tocommunity collegegraduates forSpring and Fall2008

- Update lists andmail transfer








- Identifycorporations withIT and/or trainingdepartments andsend postcardmailing forSummer






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- Obtain lists ofcommunity collegeand vocationalschool instructorswithout bachelordegrees and sendmailing forSummer

- Send mailing tolists of communitycollege andvocational schoolinstructors forSummer

- Update or obtainnew lists ofcommunity collegeand vocationalschool instructorswithout bachelordegrees and sendmailing forSummer



- Work withappropriate BGSUdepartments forapproval to sendATE flyer to BGSUclassified andadministrativestaff



Promotional Materials Obtain budgetapproval and workwith BGSUMarketing andCommunications

to design andcreate newbrochure, poster,mailer andpromotionalmaterials

- Obtain budgetapproval to printand/or orderpromotionalmaterials as

deemednecessary.


deemednecessary.


deemednecessary.


deemednecessary.


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Community CollegeNewspaperAdvertisements

- Obtain estimatesand approval todesign andimplement an ATEadvertisements inOhio CommunityColleges

- Evaluate,measure andadjust. Add OhioCommunityColleges notincluded inprevious year.

- Evaluate,measure andadjust.



- Identify and addcommunitycolleges outside ofthe State of Ohio

- Run ads in allOhio CommunityColleges. Identifyand addcommunitycolleges outside ofthe State of Ohio



Partner/ProspectDevelopment

- Identify mostdesirableCommunityColleges based onrecruiting dataand schedulevisits/presentation

s


s


s


s

- Identify mostdesirableCommunityColleges based onrecruiting data andschedulevisits/presentation

s

- Identify mostdesirableCorporations andschedulevisits/presentations





- Program Chairfor the OhioLearning NetworkODCE Conference






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- Continueassistingprospects andupdate electronicATE information asdeemedappropriate.




- Continueassisting prospectsand updateelectronic ATEinformation asdeemedappropriate.

Accessibility

Development

- Identify

admissions/enrollment issues andwork with BGSUpersonnel toresolve

- Identify


- Identify


- Identify


- Identify


- Work with otherBGSU departmentsas required





- Performmiscellaneousadministrativefunctions that willenhance the levelof serviceprovided to

prospects andstudents







- Performmiscellaneousadministrativefunctions that willenhance the levelof service providedto prospects and

students

- Managerecruitingdatabase and runstatistical reportsas required.






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Estimated Budget

ExpensesSpent

2006/2007 2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012Search Optimization (this is anapproximation as no formalestimates are available at thistime)

$-

$10,000.00

$20,000.00

$30,000.00

$40,000.00

$50,000.00

Educational Websites

(2007/2008 figure is based on 2sites with an avg of 6 leads permonth at $40/lead for 12 months.

$-

$5,760.00

$11,520.00

$23,040.00

$46,080.00

$92,160.00

ATE Website Design

$1,000.00

$1,150.00

$1,322.50

$1,520.88

$1,749.01

Guest Shell (advertising) $-

$7,500.00

$8,625.00

$9,918.75

$11,406.56

$13,117.55

Student Survey $-

$1,500.00

$-

Radio/TV/Print$ 19,931.67

$30,000.00

$34,500.00

$39,675.00

$45,626.25

$52,470.19

Mailings (includes printingpostcards) $ 4,742.00

$20,000.00

$23,000.00

$26,450.00

$30,417.50

$34,980.13

Promotional Materials (07/08figure includes brochures, postersand give always) $ 4,032.71

$25,000.00

$28,750.00

$33,062.50

$38,021.88

$43,725.16

Community CollegeNewspaper Advertisements

$-

$15,000.00

$17,250.00

$19,837.50

$22,813.13

$26,235.09

Partner/ProspectDevelopment

$963.15

$2,500.00

$2,875.00

$3,306.25

$3,802.19

$4,372.52

Accessibility Development $-

$2,500.00

$2,875.00

$3,306.25

$3,802.19

$4,372.52

Miscellaneous $-

$5,000.00

$5,750.00

$6,612.50

$7,604.38

$8,745.03

Recruiter Salary$ 35,589.00

$36,657.00

$37,756.71

$38,889.41

$40,056.09

$41,257.78

Future AdministrationPosition

$-

$40,000.00

$41,200.00

$42,436.00

$43,709.08

$45,020.35

Totals $65,258.53

$202,417.00

$235,251.7

$277,856.6

$334,860.1

$418,205.3


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1 6 1 1

Income (For this purpose, income is calculated on new students only and not total enrollment)Projected New Students 54 66 75 87 100 115Avg # drop rate 2006/2007

of 7% (5) (5) (6) (7) (8)Projected New Students

15th Day 71 80 93 107 123

Avg # of credits per year 12 12 12 12 12 12Cost per credit hour 444 444 444 444 444 444Totals

$287,712.00

$376,263.36

$399,600.00

$463,536.00

$532,800.00

$612,720.00

Recruiting Profit$222,453.47

$173,846.36

$164,348.29

$185,679.34

$197,939.89

$194,514.69

Note: Salaries (other than the recruiter and administration position) and office expenses are not included in this estimate


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Appendix A

Advanced Technological Education (ATE)

Description

The ATE online degree completion program offers a Bachelor of Science inTechnology degree for adult students who want to improve their careeropportunities. Students must have previously obtained an applied AssociatesDegree from an accredited institution and have been employed full time for 12consecutive months. Students must meet all requirements of the University andthe College of Technology. All major classes are offered online using the Internetand the BGSU Blackboard course management system. All College of Technology

and BG Perspective courses required to complete the program are also offeredonline.

The Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program builds on credit thatstudents have accumulated from a two-year Associates Degree in an applied ortechnical discipline. If a prospect does not have an associate degree, ATE willwork with that individual to obtain one through Firelands or another communitycollege.

ATE teaches students how to integrate technological theories and concepts intothat discipline. The program consists of nine web-based courses which are

specially designed for working adult learners. Students can choose courses ofstudy in training and development or information studies. When completed,students receive a Bachelor of Science in Technology degree.

The ATE program is a unique option for individuals that require a bachelor degreeto further their careers as the program is not geared to just one discipline.Anyone in an applied area can be eligible.

Ideal Candidate

The perfect ATE candidate is an individual who has received an associates

degree in some type of applied or technical area and has been in the work forcefor at least a year. Most ATE students work full time and need the convenience ofonline. They most likely would not take classes if they had to attend a traditionalclassroom.


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Students and Graduates

It is difficult to determine the number of students in the program as many takesemesters off. However, we believe there are approximately 140 students in theprogram at this time. For the Fall 2007 semester, ATE has 50 Full TimeEquivalencies. There have been 157 graduates from the ATE program since2000.

Selling Points

o Attend class when its convenient.

o Transfer courses from any accredited institution.

o Complete the program in approximately 2 to 3 years taking just 2 classes

a semester (depending on transfer credits).o Out of state residents do not have to pay out of state tuition

o Fully accredited BGSU has accreditation from the Higher Learning

Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to offerfull degree programs online.o Bachelor of Science in Technology just like the degree students receive

when attending on-campus classes.o Individuals that do not have an associates degree have options through

BGSUs Firelands Campus.

Vision Statement

The ATE program will be recognized by prospective students and college advisorsas a leader in the delivery of top quality online instruction for adult students. Itwill be the program of choice in Ohio for completion of a Bachelor of Sciencedegree built on students applied studies from two-year programs.Prestige and student success in Ohio will result in similar recognition anywhereonline delivery is available to students.

Mission Statement

The ATE program will contribute to the success of the College of Technology andBowling Green State University, through the development and application ofinnovate strategies, techniques and principles of adult learning as they are usedin online environments. To fulfill the growth expectations of the university, theATE program will continue its aggressive recruiting strategy.

The ATE program will establish agreements with 2-year institutions in and beyondOhio to enhance its connections with potential students, to contribute tounderstanding of online learning and teaching, and to enhance the richness ofthe educational experience for online students.

To accomplishing these goals, ATE will work collaboratively with colleagues in theCollege of Technology, and in academic programs across the University. It willalso work closely with the BGSU Office of Distance Learning, and Continuing andExtended Education.


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Through an active Advisory Board, the ATE program will seek to ensure that itscurriculum and faculty remain current, relevant and practical, as we endeavor tomeet our responsibilities to our students, to the university and to our community.

Appendix B

Data AnalysisIn order to effectively define and evaluate the marketing strategies for the ATEprogram, it is important to analyze historical information for patterns and trends.This data can provide key insights into strategies that work and strategies that fail.The ATE recruiter developed a database in Microsoft Access to capture prospect andstudent data. For this enrollment management plan, the following data from Spring,

Summer and Fall 2006 and 2007 was compared and analyzed:

Prospectsa) Leads generatedb) How prospects learn about ATEc) How prospects contact ATE

Studentsd) New ATE Studentse) How students hear about ATEf) How many new students were new leads

Prospects

Leads

A prospect or lead is defined as someone who requests more informationabout the ATE program. They are considered a new lead for the upcomingsemester. For instance, those inquiring from May to August are considerednew leads for Fall semester. When Fall semester passes and the prospect hasnot enrolled in the ATE program but expresses interest in possibly enrolling inthe future, they are no longer considered a new lead but an active prospect. Ifa prospect is not eligible or expresses they are no longer interested in the

program, they become a dead lead.

ATE recruiting efforts generated 242 new leads in 2006 and 211 leads in 2007.Of the 242 new leads in 2006, 71 applied and 50 are dead leads. Of the 211leads in 2007, 79 applied and 21 are dead leads.


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Though the number of new leads dropped in 2007, the percentage ofapplicants increased and the number of dead leads decreased. This wouldindicate that the ATE recruiting efforts in 2007 were focused more on thetarget market in 2007 resulting in a smaller pool of better-suited students.

Lead Source - How Prospects Learn about ATE

When a prospect contacts ATE, they are asked how they learned about theATE program. Sometimes the only contact info ATE has is an email addressand not all prospects respond to the request for lead source information.Therefore, every semester there is a percentage of leads that do not have leadsource information.

ATE groups the sources of their leads in the following categories:

o Web Tools BGSU Website, OLN Website, Community College Websites,

Internet Search and miscellaneous other websites.o Community College Visits, Transfer Fairs, Advisors, Brochures/Flyers

o BGSU Departments Adult Learning, Admissions, Program Services,

BGSU Staff Employees, Faculty Members


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o Friend or Family a prospects friend or family member told them about

ATE.o Mailings postcard or email mailings to various lists including CC

graduates and previous BGSU studentso Students current or previous BGSU studentso Corporations resulted from a Career or Education fair at a corporation

or a corporation visit.o Advertising Radio, TV or Newspaper advertisements

o Miscellaneous Ohio State Fair, Wood County Fair, Publications,

Catalogs, etc.

Of the 453 leads since in 2006 and 2007, 158 (35%) are missing referralinformation. Of the remaining 295 leads, the lead sources are as follows:


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Web Tools 39%

Community College 19%

BGSU Departments 13%

Friend or Family 10%

Mailing 8%

Students 6%

Corporations 3%

Advertising 1%

Miscellaneous 1%

A comparison of 2006 and 2007 is as follows:

Since Web Tools generate the most leads, it is important to analyze thedifferent sources included in this category:


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The number of leads from the internet jumped from 26% in 2006 to 52%in 2007. Over half of the leads generated in 2007 indicated they learnedabout ATE on the internet.

The Friend or Family Member category also increased in 2007 from 6% to

14%. This indicates that individuals are talking more about ATE andcreating word of mouth advertising.

All other lead sources decreased in 2007. This would account for the largeincrease in web lead sources.

Of the web tools, the BGSU website seems to generate the most leads.

The number of individuals using internet searches to find the ATE programincreased dramatically from 5% in 2006 to 19% in 2007.

How Prospects Contact ATE

It is important to note how prospects contact ATE to ensure we are reachingthe target market. If a majority of prospects are contacting us online utilizingemail or websites, then we are recruiting the correct students for an onlineprogram. There are 4 ways ATE prospects can contact ATE: phone, email,website request form, or visit the office.


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In 2006, 41% emailed ATE, 38% used the website request form, 15% calledATEs 800 number and 6% visited us on campus.

In 2007, the number of individuals that emailed ATE dropped from 41% to 32%and the number of prospects that used the website request for informationform jumped from 38% to 54%. The number of individuals that called droppedslightly by 1% and the number that visited dropped from 6% to 1%.

This data indicates that the website and request form put into place in 2005are proving to be effective and usable tools for prospects to learn about ATEand request more information.

Students

New ATE Students

Each semester, ATE tracks the number of new ATE students that enter theprogram or begin preparing to enter the program. The types of studentsincluded in the numbers below are readmissions to ATE, readmissions to BGSUthat transfer to ATE, students that are preparing for ATE (pre-ATE), and newtransfer students.


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In 2006 there were 71 prospects that applied to ATE and there were 75applicants in 2007 for a total of 146 applicants.

Of the total applicants, 79% enrolled in classes in 2005 and 92% in 2007.

Of the enrolled students, 13% dropped classes within the first 2 weeks in 2005and 3% dropped in 2007.

In 2007, there was a 37% increase in new ATE students from 49 in 2006 to

65 in 2007. This accounts for a total of 114 new ATE and Pre-ATE students in2006 and 2007.

On average, 86% of prospects that applied during the two year period enrolledin classes.

Of the 453 prospects over the 2-year period, 32% applied and 25% enrolled inclasses.

How Students Learn about ATE

ATE tracks the lead sources that generate the most students. As with

prospects, the web appears to be the place most students learn about ATE.

Web Tools 33%

BGSU Departments 21%

Community College 19%

Students 9%

Mailing 7%

Friend or Family 6%

Corporations 4%

Miscellaneous 2%


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A comparison of lead sources for 2006 and 2007 is as follows:

Since most students learned about ATE using the web, its important toanalyze the lead sources included in this category. Below indicates abreakdown of the percentage of new ATE students for the Web Tools category:

Almost half of the new students learned about ATE from a website.

As consistent with the prospects, the only other lead source that increasedfrom 2006 to 2007 was the Friends and Family category indicating word of


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mouth is becoming a more effective marketing tool. All other lead sourcesgenerated fewer students which accounts for the increase in studentsgenerated from internet lead sources.

The internet search lead source jumped from zero to 11% in 2007.

The BGSU Website is where most students go to retrieve information about theATE program.

New Students/New Leads

ATE tracks how many of the new students each semester are prospects thatinquired about the ATE program that semester meaning they are a new leadas opposed to a current prospect. This is important to more accurately projectfuture enrollment. Of the 49 new students in 2005, 37 (76%) were new leads

during the semester they were a new student. In 2007, 39 (58%) were newleads.


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Appendix C Student/Prospect Feedback

Sherri thank you!!! The $1250 credit has hit my account. Letssee.... once again the job gets done immediately after you getinvolved :-) Have a wonderful weekend & I'll follow up withyou next week if I dont hear from you regarding the advisor.

Thanks again :-)

Thanks for following up on our conversation.

They need to give you a promotion and raise based on your attitude and customer service!!!

"What has been unique about the ATE program and what has greatly enhanced my learning experience at BowlingGreen State University has been the integration of learning and real world experience. That being able to takewhat I am learning and apply it to a real world situation in which I am currently involved or have experienced inmy life, enabled me to essentially learn by association. This also achieved greater retention value and the ability toapply to future situations to not include only my career work but also other areas in that require learning. . . It isdifficult with the breadth of knowledge the University or any academia has to offer to fine tune a program thatwill encompass all of the learners needs while associating the learning to real life situations. I was fortunate in theATE program that most of what I learned I was able to relate to my current and past work. It is hard for me tofathom how difficult it would be for ATE students that have never been in a real world situation, a real worldsituation I should say that applied to the learning that is required in the program. . .I have over the course of thepast three years developed advanced communication skills through the magnitude of writing and associating thework to real life situations. Through working in groups I have learned and became proficient at delegating work,leading and communicating with others to resolve problems and/or issues. I have proficiently used independentthinking and problem solving shown in accomplishing many in-depth course assignments that required researchand development. I have developed courseware for several classes to include most recently an instructional designthat would be utilized to train 900 employees at over 200 site locations worldwide on a new company softwareapplication. I constructed many strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analyses that have notonly produced insight in organizational change and company prospects but also in turn gave me insight to howthese situations impact other people and businesses. The ATE program learning outcomes have given me the toolsand the background to be effective and influential in the technological field that I currently work in and plan toremain throughout the remainder of my career."


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Dr. Bradford,I would like to take a small portion of your time to commend you for your skills conveyed in our classes

together. This praise extends to all of the quality facilitators I had in the ATE program. I continuously imbibenew skills others pass on to me. I feel that one can't completely master any one task and therefore we need others

that can provide help and input. I acquired a solid foundation from the course work and have been able toassimilate and apply much to my current career. From my experiences at BGSU, I have formulated two newgoals, one to continue on to grad school, and two, to become a teacher/facilitator.The ATE program combined with my previous educational endeavors extremely well, so much so that I havelooked into graduate programs that best complement my education and future employment opportunities. Onesuch program I found is offered at the University of Colorado at Boulder. It's a Masters of Engineering degree inEngineering Management specifically called The Lockheed Martin Engineering Management Program. Thisschool also happens to be in the area I plan on moving to within the next year or so.I have also looked into becoming a substitute teacher at least long enough to become the third generation of myfamily to teach in the school system I went through, Genoa. Conveying knowledge to the next generation isfundamental to facilitators. I prefer to work with adults as I currently do in my job, but to be better-rounded; I

think the experience of working with younger students will be worthwhile.With that in mind, continuing my education or finding employment, these goals are well within my reach. Both ofmy goals share one thing in common--they require letters of recommendation from academic or professionalsources. I hope when the time comes for letters of recommendation or reference, I can request one from you. I'mgoing to avidly pursue both of these goals after the holiday season. At that time I'll contact you with specifics andI am thanking you in advance.And again, thank you for sharing your wisdom and expertise at BGSU. I value it with the highest regard.

Hi Amy - I would like to speak with you about my Associate's degree audit when you have time. I work full-time so it is not to easy

for me to speak on the phone, but if you can let me know a good time to call you I can work that out. I attended BGSU from 1977 -1981 and just started back with the on-line program. I am currently in my first course, Pop Culture 165. I would like to finish up myAssociates degree initially and then will be going on for my Bachelor's, through the ATE program. I know my grade point needs to goup, but I also want to check on how many courses I have remaining to take. I will likely take the summer off and then start back upagain in September. Sherri has been a huge help, I would not even be doing this if she had not been such a great coach and mentor.

PS: You should know that the main reason I decided to attend this university was because of your personaltouch. You would be surprised at all the negative feedback I received during my search for the right institution tostudy at. Thank you for your support and encouragement. Your personal touch is refreshing.


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Appendix D Website Usability Analysis Report

BGSU ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION

Sherri Orwick Ogden

July 13, 2007


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INTRODUCTIONBowling Green State University offers an online degree completion program that is

designed for working adults who wish to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Technology.

The Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program consists of nine core courses that teach

students how to integrate technological concepts into their working environments. Students can

choose between two courses of study: Technology in Training and Development or Information

Studies. All of the courses are online offering convenience and flexibility for working students.

An applied associate degree is required for the program, as well as work experience.

Prospects wishing to pursue a degree online will tend to look for information online. It is

critical that the ATE website be enticing, informational and usable. Therefore, a usability test was

conducted on the ATE website to determine if prospects and existing students are able to easily

retrieve key information. In addition, the process in which prospects contact ATE personnel to

receive additional information was also analyzed, as it is an integral component of the website and

recruiting process.

In order to encompass all components of the website and the information process, this

usability analysis consists of the following sections:

Pre-analysis

Methodology

Results

Conclusions and Recommendations


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PRE-ANALYSISIn order to develop productive test questions, it was important to determine relevant facts

about the ATE program. For instance, what do prospects and students want and need to know?

Who is the target audience? What types of tasks do they want to perform from the website? What

are the objectives of the website and key points it should contain?

What is the purpose of the website?Currently, the purpose of the site is to inform prospective students about the ATE program.

A list of questions usually asked by prospects was compiled. Answers to the following frequently

asked questions should be found easily and quickly:

How long will it take me to finish?

What is required to be eligible for the program?

Do I need an associate degree?

How much does it cost?

What can I do with an ATE degree?

What does ATE stand for?

What will I learn in the ATE program?

What courses will I be required to take?

Can I take courses elsewhere and transfer them to the ATE program?

Will my degree say online? When do classes begin?

What if my employer pays my tuition?

The four questions below were found to be questions asked not of prospects, but of those

that have already applied. Therefore, it was discovered that the purpose of the website needs to

expand to providing information to those that have just applied as well.

When will I know Ive been accepted into the ATE program?

Ive applied what happens next?

I dont think a course transferred correctly. What do I do?

What is a transfer evaluation vs. an official audit?

Who is the audience?The website can be accessed by both prospects and current students. However, for the

most part, the website is currently designed for future students. Is it not normally used as a tool for


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students already in the program. However, for the purposes of the usability test, the future and

current student audiences are defined.

Future StudentsUsers will be most likely between the ages of 25 and 60. Computer skills will varyfrom beginner to expert. Most will have some college experience. Connectionspeed will vary from dial up to high speed.

Current Students

Users will most likely be between the ages of 25 and 60. Computer skills will varyfrom beginner to expert. All will have some college experience. Connection speedwill be high speed.

What tasks need to be performed from the website?Students and prospects viewing the ATE website will need to have access to the following

links:

Financial aid

Course Descriptions

All online courses available

Course Schedules

Online application

Tuition deferral program

Ability to request more information

Access to a sample online classroom

Video/Audio of ATE explanation

Information and features that should be present:

Explanation of the enrollment process including time involved

Application instructions

Curriculum

Course Descriptions

Class Schedule

Faculty Information

What are the measurable usability objectives?In order to create test questions that would provide meaningful information, it was

important to define the following measurable objectives:

Were all of the users questions answered?

Was the user able to request more information easily?

Was the user able to quickly identify the correct links to answer theirimmediate questions?


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Was the user able to easily print the information they wanted to save?

Did the user have an emotional reaction to the site? Was the user excitedabout starting the ATE program or was he/she discouraged, confused orindifferent?

What are the key points?The following key points are important components and should be included in the website:

Course Descriptions

Costs

Completion Time

Current Promotions

Accreditation

METHODOLGYParticipants

Five testers were selected for this usability test. Three out of the five were female and all

five were between the ages of 40 and 45 which is also the approximate average age of most ATE

prospects. All use the internet and email to some degree for work and/or pleasure. Hours of usage

vary from 10 hours to 40 plus hours per week.

Test QuestionsThe following information, directions and questions were provided to each participant.

Usability Test Instructions and Questions

I would like you to view a website for me and answer a few questions. The process will probablytake approximately 15 minutes.

Please know that I am not testing you, I am testing the site. You cant make any

mistakes during the test.

I want you to be completely honest you wont hurt my feelings. The goal is to make

the site better and easier to use.

As you think about each page and decide where to click, please do me a favor and

include any thoughts you have in your answers so I can understand your thought

processes during the test.

Before you look at the website, I have a few questions for you, OK?1. What is your occupation?

2. How many hours a week do you spend using the internet, including email?


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3. What types of tasks do you use the internet for? What kinds of sites do you like to visit?

4. What is your age? 18 to 25, 26 to 39, 40 to 59, 60 to 74

Now its time to open the website. Go to http://ideal.bgsu.edu/programs/ATE/index.php5. Have you ever seen this website before?

a. If so, why and when?

6. Just from looking at this site, who do you think the site is designed for?

b. Why do you think that?

7. By glancing at the website but without clicking on anything, can you tell me 4 types of

information the site is intended to provide?

8. Click on a link you think you would click on first if you were accessing this website for the

first time at home. Why did you choose that link?

9. By just glancing at this page, what information is provided?

Scenario 1

You want to know the eligibility requirements for the ATE program. Youve heard an associatesdegree is required, but you dont have one. You want to know if you can still apply. Can you findthe answer to your question?Not completed Completed with difficulty or help Easily completedScenario 2

You would like to know how much it will cost to complete the program. Can you find the answerto your question?Not completed Completed with difficulty or help Easily completed
http://ideal.bgsu.edu/programs/ATE/index.phphttp://ideal.bgsu.edu/programs/ATE/index.php


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Scenario 3

You have an associate degree but want to know how many courses will transfer to the program.Can you find the answer to your question?Not completed Completed with difficulty or help Easily completed

Scenario 4You want to know what courses you are required to take as a part of the ATE program. Can youfind the answer to your question?Not completed Completed with difficulty or help Easily completedScenario 5

Youve heard some employers dont hold online degrees in as high esteem as other degrees.However, BGSU is a reputable and highly regarded by employers. You want to know if yourdegree will indicate that you attended online or if it is the same type of degree you would receive ifyou attended on campus. You also would like to know ATEs accreditation. Can you find theanswers to your questions?Not completed Completed with difficulty or help Easily completed

Scenario 6You want more information about the program and would like more information. Can you requestmore information?Not completed Completed with difficulty or help Easily completedComplete the request for more information form on the website

10. Did you feel uncomfortable about providing any of the information asked of you on the

request for information form?

Open the email sent to you in response to your request for more information

11. Do you feel youll read the entire email?

12. What information are you inclined to look at first?

13. Is the information too much information, not enough information, or just enough?

14. Is the information organized and easy to read?

15. Are you confused by anything indicated in this information?

16. Would you open each and every document?

Open the documents you would open in a real situation

17. Can you now answer any of the scenario questions you couldnt answer before?

18. What is your overall impression to the ATE website and request for information process?

19. What did you like best?

20. What did you like least?

21. What is the first thing you would do to improve the site?


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22. Do you have any other comments and/or questions?

Rate the website and the request for information process:

Strongly Strongly

disagree agree1. Overall I found the information I needed.

2. I found the information unnecessarilycomplex

3. I thought the information was easyto use

4. I found the various links in

the website were well integrated

5. I thought there was too muchinconsistency in this website

6. I would imagine that most peoplewould learn to navigate this website quickly

7. I found navigating the website very

cumbersome

8. I felt very confident using theWebsite and the request for information

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5


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Test Procedures

The ATE program is online, so there is a presumption that individuals requesting

information about the program have access to the internet and email. Therefore, all informative

documents about the ATE program are emailed to prospects. Statistics show that a majority of

prospects find the ATE website and then complete the Request for Information Form. In order to

simulate this procedure as accurately as possible, testers were emailed the test instructions. They

were asked to complete the tasks and answer the questions without a test administrator present.

Part of the test was to utilize the Request for Information feature on the ATE website, and then

read an email with 5 attached documents sent to them in response. Participants were asked

questions about both the website and the emailed information. Testers recorded their answers

electronically and submitted their results via email.


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ecruitment Evaluation and Enrollment Management Plan Page 49 of 55ctober 12, 2007

Working Document

RESULTS

Test Answers


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ecruitment Evaluation and Enrollment Management Plan Page 50 of 55ctober 12, 2007

Working Document

Tester Information Tester 1 Tester 2 Tester 3 Tester 4 Tester 5

1 Occupation IT/ContractorSecretary/MedicalTranscriber/Student Secretary Administrative Secretary

Recruiting Coordinator &Database Administrator

2

How many hours aweek do you spendusing the internet,including email? 10 hours 10-15 hours A lot 20-40 hours a week 40+ hours

3

What types of tasks doyou use the internet for?What kinds of sites doyou like to visit?

Banking, Investments,Shopping, Email,

NewsEmail, online classes,shopping

Google calendar, weather,news, paycheck, bursar bill,

book orders

Email at work, internet for work procedures. Irarely surf for pleasure but frequently visit my

bank site and sometimes will view self.com ordiet and exercise sites. I have a businesswebsite that I check and sometimesweather.com Google, databases, email,

4 What is your age? 40 to 59 40 to 59 40-59 40-59 40-59

Website Information - http://ideal.bgsu.edu/programs/ATE/index.php

5Have you ever seen thiswebsite before? no No No

I thought I had been to this website but itlooks different than I remember. no

6

Just from looking at thissite, who do you thinkthe site is designed for?Why do you think that?

Designed for adultsthat want a four year

degree

20-somethings who didn'tgo to a 4-year school. Itnever says anywhere it'sfor adult learners or non-

traditional students

To get info about a degree inTech Education. I think that

because it says "Bachelor of

Technological Education."

At the very first glance, I would think the siteis for any BGSU student. It references thedegree name and that it is a bachelor ofscience. Of course, knowing about the

program, I know it is for adult students and itis an online program, but you wouldn't knowthat unless you read the first three bulleted(sort of) lines under the description. I t think

that is because of the template

Students wanting to earn aBachelor of Science in Ad

Tech Education

7

By glancing at thewebsite but without

clicking on anything,can you tell me 4 typesof information the site isintended to provide?

Contact information ifthey are interested inlearning more Not really Contact info

Four things I should be able to get areinformation about the program, the specificcurriculum to finish the degree, info about thefaculty and contact information to sign up.

Phone number, email addqualifications: need an asdegree & work experiencetake classes online

It is a degree fromBGSU info about the degreeYou can find moredetails by the links onthe left

It is an online degree(although that isn'tterribly obvious)

1

Click on a link youthink you would clickon first if you wereaccessing this websitefor the first time athome. Why did youchoose that link?

About the Program -because there isn't a lotof information on thehome page.

I clicked on About theProgram because I want

recruitment and enrollment plan

Documents