Salem State CollegeSchool of Graduate StudiesGraduate Education Programs Market Research and Marketing Plan Development Request for Proposal # 2011-03

August 13, 2010

Table of ContentsPage

Adjust the table of contents to match the new page #s. Cover Letter

Part 1: SEM Works Background Information 3 Company History Philosophy and Values Special Expertise Differentiation from Competitors Consulting Model Project Management

Part 2: Qualifications and Expertise 14 Capabilities and Expertise Project Team Staff Biographies

Part 3: Project Scope and Proposed Approach 19

Part 4: Proposed Research Methods and Consultancy Process 24

Part 5: Project Timelines and Cost 34

Part 6: References 37 Partial Client List Client References

Part 7: Vendor Identification and Contact Information 42

Addendum 1- List of Institution Supplied Reference Materials 43Addendum 2- Academica Group Inc. University/College Applicant Survey™ (UCAS™) 45

Enrollment Management Departmentc/o Ms. Evelyn Wilson, C.P.M., Director of Purchasing & Materials ManagementSalem State University

Dear Ms. Wilson:

Salem State’s Enrollment Management department (EM) is seeking proposals from experienced and qualified vendors to partner with the college to conduct market research for the School of Graduate Studies, and to make marketing related recommendations that will serve to inform the development and implementation of a branding and marketing/communication strategy. This proposal is in response to Salem State’s invitation for professional research and consultancy services.

Salem State College is in the process of transitioning to a new mandate as Salem State University. Congratulations on this historic milestone! As an institution in transition, the School of Graduate Studies (SOGS) understands that to be successful into the future, it must develop and consistently convey a unique identity in meeting the needs of target audiences and regions. If executed properly, your brand strategy will ensure that the School is “top of mind” among potential students, employers, donors, and other key constituents.

Truly strategic approaches to positioning the SOGS within today’s global and highly competitive higher education marketplace require a solid foundation of reliable data and market research, as well as an integrated strategy that aligns the institution’s brand strategy with the SOGS’ student recruitment marketing and communications. Our passion is to develop customized solutions that will competitively position the School of Graduate Studies for continued success into the future.

SEM Works’ expert consultants will work in partnership with you, our client, in the development and implementation of an integrated brand and marketing/communications strategy that will help leverage your competitive position. Our professional services include a combination of strategic research, consultation, and planning for data-driven, best-practice-informed institutional positioning.

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We appreciate the opportunity to work with Salem State University and are confident that SEM Works can provide you with exceptional results. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Jim Black, Ph.D.SEM Works President and CEO

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PART 1: SEM WORKS BACKGROUND INFORMATION

History

Jim Black and Associates converted to SEM Works in February of 2004 as an LLC. Prior to February 2004, Jim Black and Associates had been working and performing services in the higher education consulting industry for ten years. SEM Works was founded by Dr. Jim Black and is grounded in a long history of higher education clients through consulting and professional development. SEM Works’ staff has experience with community colleges, technical colleges, four-year public and private institutions, graduate and professional schools, proprietary schools, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and college and university systems.

The SEM Works staff is comprised of twenty-nine individuals, primarily current or former practitioners in the field and creative services professionals (refer to Section V for details). SEM Works provides consulting services to colleges and universities needing to assess existing operations and develop related plans. Areas of consulting expertise include:

Enrollment Management Marketing Branding Student Recruitment Student Retention Customer Service Student Services Relationship Management Market Research Environmental Scanning Organizational Change Process Redesign Web Development Graphic Electronic Communications Design/Publication Development

While our core business is consulting, we also provide some of the best conferences, technology services, on-site training opportunities, market research, and creative services in the industry. In fact, we recently facilitated a

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customer service workshop for Salem State.

Philosophy and Values

Dr. Black, president and CEO of SEM Works, has been in higher education for over twenty-five years. He has dedicated his professional life to finding solutions to enrollment management issues, first as a professional in enrollment management and most recently performing services in the higher education consulting industry for fourteen years. Strategies recommended by Dr. Black and the SEM Works team are more than just theory. They are grounded in reality. SEM Works does not offer clients boilerplate solutions. We believe that each institution is different, and our client’s needs and resources call for tailored solutions.

Our mission is to provide higher education institutions and organizations with objective insight, customized training, and the tools needed to accomplish their goals.

Our business philosophy is simple. Our success is determined by the success of our clients. To ensure your satisfaction we will:

Seek to understand your needs, your enrollment, recruiting and retention objectives, your competitors, and your institution culture

Prepare diligently for every meeting, every phase of the planning process, and every deliverable Serve you passionately Deliver more than you expect, and more than the contract requires Respond promptly to your requests Ensure the highest quality in everything we produce for you.

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Principal ConsultantsJim Black, Ph.D., President and CEO

Project Responsibilities: Lead Consultant

The president and CEO of SEM Works, Dr. Jim Black, is the founder of the National Conference on Student Retention in Small Colleges and cofounder of the National Small College Admissions Conference and the National Small College Enrollment Conference. He formerly served as the director of AACRAO’s Strategic Enrollment Management Conference. Dr. Black has published a monograph titled, Navigating Change in the New Millennium: Strategies for Enrollment Leaders, and three books, The Strategic Enrollment Management Revolution, considered to be a groundbreaking publication for the enrollment management profession, Gen Xers Return to College, and Essentials of Enrollment Management: Cases in the Field.

Among his other published works are numerous articles and book chapters including a feature article in College & University, “Creating Customer Delight”; a chapter, “Creating a Student-Centered Culture,” for a book on best practices in student services published by SCUP and sponsored by IBM; a chapter on enrollment management in a Jossey-Bass book on student academic services; as well as a bimonthly feature in The Greentree Gazette.

Black was honored as the recipient of the 2005 AACRAO Distinguished Service Award. He has been interviewed by publications such as The Chronicle of Higher Education, Converge Magazine, The Enrollment Management Report, The Lawlor Review, and was interviewed for AACRAO’s Data Dispenser. Black also was featured in an international teleconference on enrollment management sponsored by The Center for the Freshman Year Experience at the University of South Carolina, and a PBS broadcast on “Blending High Tech and High Touch Student Services.” Since 1999, Jim Black has been an IBM Best Practices Partner, one of only twenty-three in the world. He was invited by The College Board to Heidelberg, Germany, to evaluate the APIEL Exam and most recently was invited to lead conferences on enrollment management and student services in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

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Dr. Black has served on the boards of several technology companies and has consulted with companies such as Microsoft, Blackboard, and the SAS Institute. Higher education clients have included two-year, four-year, public, and private institutions. Jim earned a B.A. in English education and an M.A. in higher education administration from the University of South Carolina, as well as a Ph.D. in higher education curriculum and teaching from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

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Principal ConsultantsLynda Wallace-Hulecki, Vice-President of Strategy Project Responsibilities: Project Management

Lynda Wallace-Hulecki is a seasoned professional with over thirty years experience in higher education. She has an extensive track record of accomplishments in advancing a strategic approach to enrollment management, in facilitating an integrated approach to academic and enrollment planning, in managing change, and in developing systems for enrollment performance management, assessment, and accountability. Ms. Wallace-Hulecki has held a variety of leadership positions at both a research-intensive university and a four-year comprehensive college in Canada. For twenty-three years of her career, she served as the director of an institutional analysis and planning office─ a position for which she was awarded a distinguished administrator award.

Ms. Wallace-Hulecki has served on both provincial and federal committees related to inter-provincial student mobility and higher education accountability systems in Canada. She has been an active member of numerous professional organizations (e.g., AACRAO, ARUCC, NASPA, AIR, SCUP, EDUCAUSE) at which she has been both a presenter and a presentation reviewer. In 2000, she participated in Harvard’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education (MLE).

Ms. Wallace-Hulecki holds a Bachelor of Science degree in the mathematical sciences from the University of Manitoba, and a Master of Educational Administration degree in higher education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership and Higher Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her graduate research has focused on the evolving field of SEM, and on the application of learned concepts in leading change, in building organizational capacity for enrollment performance measurement, and in building shared responsibility for enrollment outcomes with the campus community through an integrated approach to academic and enrollment planning.

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Special Expertise

Your lead consultant, Dr. Black, is an internationally recognized expert in enrollment management as well as in change management. He is highly sensitive to the nuances that exist between organizations and people and as such, effectively facilitates the enrollment planning process to ensure maximum engagement and adoption. Moreover, his doctoral experience in higher education curriculum and instruction provides our clients with insights into innovative pedagogical, curricular, and program opportunities that impact enrollment outcomes. To the best of our knowledge, no other enrollment management consultant possesses this vital perspective. Leveraging his expertise along with his many years as an associate provost, dean, and faculty member in a higher education environment, Dr. Black will work with your deans, department heads, and faculty to ensure academic offerings are competitively positioned and designed to optimize student recruitment and retention efforts.

Lynda Wallace-Hulecki, SEM Works’ Vice-President of Strategy, has extensive experience and a proven track record of accomplishments in bringing about campus-wide strategic enrollment planning success and transformative change in policies, systems and practices at colleges and universities. Ms. Wallace-Hulecki has more than twenty-three years experience in directing a Research and Planning Office, followed by almost a decade in leading transformative change in enrollment management operations in the dual capacity as Registrar and chief enrollment manager at both a research-intensive university and a four-year college. She specializes in facilitating an integrated approach to academic and enrollment planning, which was the topic of her Master’s thesis, Creating Shared Responsibility for Enrollment Outcomes: Reframing SEM from the Academic Lens. As a current doctoral candidate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, her dissertation is focused on building organizational capacity for enrollment performance measurement and culture change.

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Differentiation from Competitors

SEM Works is among a very few consulting firms that offers a full range of enrollment management consulting and planning services. Our advantage lies not only in the quality and breadth of our services, but also in our unique approach to facilitating integrated campus-wide marketing planning and implementation processes. We will work in partnership with you in fostering collaboration across divisional boundaries to identify strategic issues and opportunities, a data-driven approach to decision-making, and a managed change program that leverages organizational strengths to realize short-term results and sustainable success.

There exist best practices in marketing and research, standards to guide marketing strategy development and deployment, and even some predictable gaps and areas needing improvement. However, there is no single marketing solution that fits all institutions or graduate programs. In our experience, each institution has its own unique mission, vision, service region, marketing challenges and opportunities, and resource limitations. Perhaps, more importantly, every institution has a distinctive culture. Integrated marketing is largely about changing the campus culture to adopt a heightened marketing, recruitment, retention, and service orientation—at both the tactical and strategic levels.

Our unique approach to SEM planning and implementation focuses on: Uncovering the institution’s existing competencies Leveraging the use of strategic intelligence to improve competitiveness Fostering collaborative leadership in strategy development Engaging the institution constituents and cultivating buy-in to the process Identifying strategic opportunities to advance the institution’s market position and enrollment goals Clarifying organizational capacity conditions for sustained high performance

Mobilizing a campus community around a common marketing purpose is the secret to producing dramatic, sustainable results. Our team will work in partnership with you in identifying, defining, and organizing around that common purpose—what we refer to as strategic opportunities. Typically, the marketing planning process yields five-to-seven strategic opportunities along with complementary key performance indicators, metrics, strategies, and

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detailed action plans.

In the Jim Collins book, Good to Great, the author describes a common phenomenon among companies that is equally as prevalent among colleges and universities. Collins calls it “the flywheel”—the belief that one dramatic strategy or effort transforms an organization from good to great. Unfortunately, there is no single defining action or strategy significant enough to turn the giant flywheel—to yield dramatic results that are sustainable over time. It will be the cumulative effect of your efforts that will pave the path to success. It will not be the strategies per se that will get you there, but rather your ability to execute better than your competitors. The flywheel will turn if everyone is pushing in the same direction with equal vigor.

Our goal in working with you goes far beyond the development of strategies. We will assist your institution in defining its unique “flywheel” aligned with the promise you make to your key constituents; consistent with your mission, vision, and values; and inherently in synch with the raison d'être of your employees. Marketing, itself, is not a vehicle for culture change. It is simply a tool to focus an institution on marketing issues and opportunities. To create a marketing-oriented culture and thus, the “flywheel” effect, we fervently believe a college or university must identify and tap into the distinctive quality of the institution that internal and external stakeholders are passionate about supporting. SEM Works’ process for accomplishing this objective is not practiced by any other firm in the industry.

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Consulting Model

SEM Works offers a full range of marketing planning and consulting services and programs that are sought by Salem State University’s School of Graduate Studies. In addition to consulting, we offer a breadth of complementary programs and services including: Research services to inform strategy development A repository of secondary research sources and institution best practices Creative and technology services to inform marketing-related product development Training programs in student recruitment, customer service, and change management that support strategy

implementation Project management that provides you with a single point of contact, weekly progress status reports, and

unlimited access to remote consultation for the duration of the project

Integrated marketing is largely about changing the campus culture to adopt a heightened marketing, recruitment, and service orientation—at both the tactical and strategic levels. Therefore, SEM Works’ approach to marketing planning is highly collaborative and participatory in order to create an understanding of marketing concepts and build buy-in to the marketing plan. By developing an understanding of your unique challenges, we are able to develop customized marketing solutions that become an integral part of your strategic plan. Our recommended solutions are grounded in research on effective practices for fostering campus-wide engagement in the marketing planning process, and our strategies are based upon best practices in marketing and research. However, our thinking around strategies is not limited to best practices. We will work with your personnel to identify one or more strategies that are “game changers”—catapulting your institution beyond competitors. In our experience, this approach is necessary to create a sustainable competitive advantage.

Even with the best marketing strategies, your success in sustaining a competitive advantage is directly correlated to your ability to execute better than your competitors. This requires broad buy-in to the marketing plan. Our planning approach is grounded in research on exemplary practices for fostering campus-wide engagement in marketing planning.

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SEM Works’ consulting model typically involves five stages: (1) Scope(2) Discover(3) Plan(4) Implement(5) Assess/Adjust

Recommendations stemming from our consulting process are based on a combination of physical evidence provided by the institution along with secondary data sources, on-campus interviews, and direct observations of existing practices, and will utilize a research method known as “triangulation” to validate findings. Any finding supported by all three research techniques are considered valid. A complementary method called “pattern matching” will validate findings that do not appear to be triangulated, but are reoccurring themes that emerge from one or more of these research techniques.

This model serves as the framework in the sections that follow for describing our professional programs and services. A brief description is provided of the typical approach we take in partnership with you, our client, every step of the way to develop strategies and tactics that yield maximum return on institutional investment (ROI) to improve recruitment, communications, marketing, as well as data-based decision making, optimization of resources, and effectiveness of organizational structures.

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Project Management

Your project manager, Lynda Wallace-Hulecki, will provide Salem State University with a single point of contact service following the project management protocols depicted below. Lynda will be available on an as needed basis throughout the duration of the project.

ContractConfirm contract specifications and obtain signed contract from the client.

Project PlanDevelop a project plan with a timeline and milestones.

Project Management (PM) SystemLoad the project plan in SEM Works’ PM systemand grant the client access.

Best PracticesAs appropriate, provide the client with best practice examples, articles, links, etc.

Client ContactAs needed, contact the client to address project issues and seek feedback.

Client SignoffObtain client input, revise accordingly and obtain client sign-off on the project plan.

Progress ReportProvide the client with the first progress report outlining related deliverables and milestones.

Progress ReportFor the duration of the project, provide the client with weekly progress reports.

OngoingWeek 3Week 2Week 1

SEM Works Project Plan Protocol

SatisfactionAt the conclusion of the project, assess client satisfaction (survey), and request a quote.

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Capabilities and Related Experience

SEM Works’ main office is located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The SEM Works staff is comprised of twenty-nine individuals, primarily current or former practitioners in the field and creative services professionals. Including Dr. Black, there are eleven SEM Works consultants— each with their unique specialty areas. In addition to the consulting group, SEM Works employs a director of creative services, director of market research, a research analyst, director of educational research, a director of marketing, a director of business development, a conference director, two account representatives, a director of operations, a team of web designers, three graphic designers, a copywriter, and an editor. We are able to share our expertise, talents, and innovations with SEM Works’ clients and work to reinforce some of the fundamental tenets of best practices in higher education. Our first priority is your SUCCESS!

In working with our management, consulting, or creative team, you will learn first-hand that we strive to ensure your needs are met. For your project, Dr. Black will be your lead consultant, and Ms. Lynda Wallace-Hulecki will be the project manager and your primary contact. Other SEM Works’ key personnel who may provide research and technical services include Dr. Bryant Hutson, Director of Educational Research.

SEM Works has a strong and growing strategic partnership with Academica Group Inc. in the delivery of research, technical, and creative services. Academica Group Inc. is a wholly Canadian and American owned private corporation incorporated in 2003 with a head office in London, Ontario, and satellite offices in Toronto, Ontario and Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to 2003, the research division operated as Acumen Research Group, incorporated in London in 1997. The Academica Group Inc. research division consists of over a dozen full-time research associates and a team of senior consultants. The Academica team has designed and executed hundreds of studies for private and public sector clients, including all levels of government. Most of their work involves research to support organizational strategic planning, evaluation, and communications for colleges and universities.

The research services associated with this proposal have been developed in partnership with Academica Group

PART 2: QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERTISE

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Inc., and will involve Mr. Oded VanHam, Director of Research, Academica Group, Inc.

For your project, all components and phases will be under the control of SEM Works.

Professional bios for each of the aforementioned key personnel are presented below.

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Professional Research Team

Bryant L. Hutson, Ph.D., Director of Educational ResearchProject Responsibilities: Situational and Retention Analyses

Hutson was also research associate at the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation at UNCG, where he participated in large-scale program evaluation projects and played a key role in developing instruments used in K–12 and higher education settings. He served as the technology and research coordinator for The College Foundation of North Carolina Resource Center when it was first established, and has been a faculty member at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro College, Rockingham Community College, and Guilford Technical Community College.

Hutson holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration with a concentration in educational research, measurement, and evaluation. His research focuses on the development and impact of first-year experience and retention programming on student success. He has been an active member of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), American Educational Research Association (AERA), and American Evaluation Association (AEA) and has made over thirty refereed presentations at national conferences. Collaborating with international colleagues, he has presented at international conferences and was an invited guest lecturer at Shanghai Normal University. His recent publications include The Appreciative Advising Revolution, a chapter for a NACADA research monograph, a chapter in Gen Xers Return to College, a section in the Academic Advising Handbook, and refereed articles in the Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education and the Journal of College Student Retention.

Dr. Bryant Hutson has over fifteen years of experience in higher education as faculty, administrator, and program evaluator. Before joining SEM Works, he served as Associate Director for Student Academic Services at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), where he coordinated first-year experience and retention programming and led assessment development and program evaluation efforts.

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His current responsibilities as director of educational research include leading the research arm of SEM Works, overseeing research projects and providing project management and quality control. In addition to planning, coordinating, and conducting research on environmental scanning, market opportunity analysis, academic program review, and application and retention enrollment decision studies, he also is responsible for developing assessment and program evaluation plans and instruments to meet the clients’ research needs.

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Professional Research Team

RESEARCH ADVISOR Rod SkinklePresident & CEO, Academica Group Inc.Rod Skinkle is the founder and president of Academica Group Inc. as well as a Lecturer in Applied Research at the university and college level. Rod has been dedicated to higher education focused research since 1987, and leads a team of creative and innovative researchers and consultants who work internationally to deliver a wide range of solutions to clients. His primary interests concern youth perceptions and decision processes about higher education, and higher education pathways and career development.

From 1987 to 1996, he served as Coordinator of Research in Student Services at the University of Western Ontario, one of Canada’s largest research universities, where he developed deep insight in PSE student development theory and practice, and designed groundbreaking research studies across the continuum of student experience. During his time at Western, Mr. Skinkle established Ontario’s first province-wide student housing evaluation, the Residence Environment Survey (RES), which was eventually adopted by all Ontario universities. He worked on the national steering committee to launch the national Incoming Student Survey, designed and executed Western’s first-ever longitudinal Student Quality Study, and worked with Dr. James Rush to assess education-career competences. He also worked with a consortium of universities across Canada to design the “First Year Student Experience” surveys, and coordinated the launch of the National Student Engagement Survey in Canada. More recently, he has engaged in an ongoing collaboration with Dr. James Coté to study student motivation, development and outcomes. Throughout his career, Mr. Skinkle has co-authored numerous published studies and government reports on post-secondary education issues.

Building upon Rod’s background in PSE student services, Academica Group has become a leading provider of PSE focused policy, consumer research and education marketing in Canada. As an expert in applied research with a focus on PSE, Rod has designed and coordinated numerous national studies for a wide range of policy/government groups. Rod is the principal author of Canada’s first and longest running study dedicated to post-secondary student recruitment, marketing and policy research, the University/College Applicant Survey (UCAS™). He has presented

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research across North America to groups including for example: The Council of Ontario University (COU) Presidents, The Canadian Marketing Association (CMA), The Professional Marketing Research Society (PMRS), and The Canadian and American Psychology Associations.

Rod has recently been appointed one of the principal Canadian investigators on SSHRC funded project to bring together a joint Canadian and Finish team of academics to design a comparative study of Youth Identity Development and Transformation from high school to higher education. Rod has a Masters Degree in Applied Research from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.

Mr. Oded VanHam, Director of Research, Academica Group Inc.Project Responsibilities: Coordination of Academica Research Services

Oded has spent more than 10 years in consulting, market research and project management. His clients benefit from an expertise in data collection and analysis, gaining knowledge from data. He also brings personal knowledge of academia, having taught undergraduate business and worked as a Business Development Manager at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Oded holds an MBA with a concentration in marketing from the Ivey School of Business, an MSc from the University of Western Ontario, and a BSc from the University of Waterloo. His combination of business and scientific background allows him to go beyond data analysis to understand the business drivers, their impact and significance, and to then make practical recommendations.

At Academica Group, Oded developed novel approaches to analyzing applicant trends based on geography that allow detailed recommendations regarding the allocation of recruitment resources. He played leading roles in the 2007 UAS™ reporting, 2008 and 2009 UCAS™ instrument design, Mount Royal College strategic positioning summit and Dalhousie University market research planning. He continues to look for new ways to view data for greater insight on behalf of our clients.

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PART 3: PROJECT SCOPE AND PROPOSED APPROACH

An effective marketing strategy should create a unique identity that will differentiate the SOGS at Salem State from your competitors while aligning with the institution’s brand. If effectively deployed, your marketing strategy and communication messages will ensure that the institution is “top of mind” among students considering graduate study. More importantly, potential students and other key constituent groups will not just think of Salem State’s SOGS generically, but they will have a clear and consistent image of the School—an image that can be further defined by audience segment with some specificity.

Salem State University’s Enrollment Management department (EM) seeks professional market research and marketing/communications consultancy services to partner with the School of Graduate Studies (SOGS) and related graduate programs to address two inter-related purposes:

1. Develop, implement, and analyze results of market research in order to: Identify existing perceptions/brand associations of Salem State’s SOGS by select target student segments

(i.e., prospective students, current graduate and undergraduate students, graduate and undergraduate alumni, as well as non-SOGS faculty and staff)

Identify gaps (if any) between the perspectives of internal and external constituents Provide a competitive analysis and perceptual map relative to competitors Identify programs/services the SOGS does not currently offer that are of interest to target student groups

2. Recommend a marketing strategy based upon the research findings that aligns with the institution’s existing brand and includes the following components: Distinctive institutional and program characteristics that may be used to articulate the SOGS brand and

position; Strategies to address negative/misperceptions regarding SOGS programs Positioning strategies for the SOGS and select programs (i.e., MBA, GIS, I/O, Graduate Education Programs)

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A comprehensive marketing communications plan for both external and internal audiences A cost analysis/projection for the various activities/tactics outlined in the communications plan

Leveraging the expertise of our research partner, Academica, SEM Works proposes a full range of marketing planning and consulting services and programs to meet your needs. In considering the aforementioned purposes and detailed specifications outlined in the Request for Proposal, SEM Works proposes a multi-stage process that involves a combination of strategic research, consultation, and planning for data-driven, best-practice-informed positioning of the School of Graduate Studies.

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STAGES ACTIVITIES DELIVERABLE

1. SCOPE Confirm Project Scope and Timelines Webinar report identifying observed strategy gaps and opportunities along with constituent perceptions

2A. DISCOVERY Perform a Situational Analysis

2B. DISCOVERY Conduct Market ResearchMarket research report and recommendations

3. PLANNING Develop a Marketing Strategy

OPTIONAL SERVICES

4. IMPLEMENTATION Facilitate Implementation with Strategy Team(s) Detailed implementation plan, inclusive of media tactics and associated costs

5. ASSESS Evaluate the Effectiveness of Early Implementation Preliminary assessment of return-on-investment and suggested changes, if any, to the plan.

The Consulting Map depicted below presents an overview of each of the process stages associated with our integrated research and planning services that is consistent with SEM Works’ five-stage consulting model.

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2A. DISCOVERY

Perform a SituationalAnalysis

Salem State UniversityConsulting Map

3. PLANNING

Develop & test thebrand/positioning

platform

4. IMPLEMENTATION

Facilitateimplementation with

strategy team(s)

5. ASSESS

Evaluate theeffectiveness of early

implementation

Conduct On-site Reviewof Marketing Strategies

& SupportingInfrastructure

Confirm Sampling Plan& Survey Procedures

1. SCOPE

Define the projectscope and timeline

Initial conference callto establish project

goals, scope, risks, andcontext

Conduct Off-siteSituational Analysis

StrategyImplementation

(Two-day site visit)

Formative Evaluationand Progress Report(One-day site visit)

Facilitate PlanningRetreat and StrategyDevelopment Session(Two-day site visit)

Develop an IntegratedMarketing Plan

Optional ConsultingServices (Creative,

ROI)

Adjust UCAS Survey™Based on Stakeholder

Feedback

Data Analysis & Reportwith Recommendations

Tele/Video Conferencewith EM/SOGS Team to

customize UCAS™survey for each targetgroup, refine sampling

plan, & surveyprocedures

2B. DISCOVERY

Conduct MarketResearch

Conduct MarketResearch

Assess ConstituentPerceptions

Determine StakeholderResearch Interests

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PART 4: PROPOSED RESEARCH METHODS AND CONSULTANCY PROCESS

Each of the aforementioned process stages is described in detail in the charts that follow. It should be noted that our professional services will be customized to the needs and resources of Salem State’s SOGS.

SEM Works Consulting Process Details

SCOPE

1. SCOPE OF WORKDEFINE THE PROJECT SCOPE AND TIMELINE

CONFERENCE CALLAn initial conference call is held with key stakeholders to establish the institutional context, scope, timelines, and goals for the market research and the marketing and communications strategy consultancy, as well as environmental constraints and/or risks.

2A. DISCOVERYSITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

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DISCOVERY

Off-site ReviewIn preparation for the market research and on-site visit, SEM Works conducts a review of the institution’s strategic plans, enrollment and marketing trends information, competitor information, as well as institution supplied marketing and communications materials and web-based resources. Communications materials (print, web, etc.), Web sites and related resources are examined for visual consistency, visual appeal, message relevance, message repetition, ease of navigation for Web pages, and impact on target audiences. If warranted, recommendations are made to address critical gaps in information and research via internal and/or third party services such as an environmental scan. Refer to Addendum 1 for the requested list of institution supplied reference materials.

On-site VisitDuring a three-day site visit, a strategy audit of existing marketing and communication strategies will be undertaken, as well as constituent interviews to identify the SOGS market position, and stakeholder interviews to clarify market research scope and objectives, as follows:

Strategy AuditA one-day site visit is conducted for purposes of assessing graduate marketing and communications strategies, infrastructure, staffing patterns, and financial resources. The process is designed to foster institution-wide understanding of the value of an integrated strategy and marketing plan. Elements of the approach include, but are not be limited to:

Interviews with key constituents (faculty, staff, administration and others) to share their perspectives on the marketing challenges and opportunities, and their involvement in the marketing, recruitment, and branding processes

Review of admissions operations to identify opportunities that will improve recruiting (inquiry generation, application processing, and conversion strategies, etc.), marketing, branding, and communications strategies (Web marketing, media mix, resource allocation, etc.)

Analysis of existing practices and operational procedures such as inquiry, response and

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DISCOVERY

D

fulfillment for efficiency and effectiveness Review of institutional marketing and communications efforts to identify opportunities that

will improve awareness, image, and market position

On-site Constituent InterviewsA one-day site visit to identify the SOGS’s market position, SEM Works will collect internal and external constituent perspectives through a series of constituent interviews. At a minimum, constituent groups will include: prospective students, current students (undergraduate and graduate), alumni (undergraduate and graduate), non-SOGS faculty. Each interview session will be 60 minutes in length. Findings from constituent interviews will be used in combination with other research to determine current and desired positioning, needed programs and services, as well as messaging that compels constituent commitment to the institution and SOSG’s programs.

 Interviews with internal constituent groups will focus on:

Shared values Perspectives on “the ideal” graduate student experience Student expectations of the institution Other key constituent group expectations of the institution Existing and potential institutional guarantees

 Interviews with external constituent groups will consist of the following:

“Top of mind” perceptions of the institution Constituent expectations Institutional promises that matter most Alignment of the institution’s strengths with promises that matter Identification of gaps related to promises that matter

On-site Stakeholder Interviews

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ISCOVERY

A one-day site visit to assess the specific research interests of key stakeholders. Each interview session will be 90 minutes in length. Findings from constituent interviews will be incorporated into the UCAS™ instrument.

Interviews with stakeholder groups will focus on: Program demand to be assessed Service needs to be identified Perceptions and brand associations to be tested

Deliverable: A webinar report on the findings from the site visit audit and interview processes will be presented within approximately one week following the site visit. The report will identify observed strategy gaps and opportunities along with constituent perceptions, as well as include recommendations associated with the market research.

DISCOVERY

2B. DISCOVERYMARKET RESEARCH

A quantitative perceptions study (with an optional qualitative component) will be designed to meet the specific needs of the SOGS. To maintain overall project costs, one base survey will be used with only minor adjustments for each of the required target populations. The base survey will be Academica Group’s flagship University/College Applicant Study™ (UCAS™). Refer to Addendum 2 for an overview of Academica Group’s proprietary SEM Analytics survey tool.

Given your information needs, we think it best you focus first on attempting to quantify trends with respect to your major research questions. Below, we have proposed a quantitative research design to be executed in three steps.

Research Methodology OverviewSampling

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DISCOVERY

DIS

In recognition of the timing for the research noted in your RFP, we recommend conducting the customized graduate UCASTM survey in mid November when you should have received the bulk of graduate applications. We propose two sample sources for prospective students:

1. All applicants to all graduate programs at SSU.2. Purchased list of prospective graduate applicants in selected geographic locations.

Your total applicant pool will include a significant proportion of applicants who have applied to multiple other schools. In some cases, SSU will be a 2nd or even 3rd choice destination. Therefore, your applicant pool provides a ready source of applicants to your competitor schools which enables us to develop a competitive set analysis for the UCASTM findings.

The second sample source of purchased contacts provides an optional source to significantly enhance the applicant pool sample by including graduate school test-takers from across the region and neighbouring states of interest1.

We also recommend a customized version of the applicant survey that can be used with the additional key target groups noted in your RFP:

3. Current undergraduate students4. Current graduate students5. Alumni

Below we provide a concise summary of overall research process and specific deliverables for each stage.

STEP 1: SURVEY DESIGN AND IMPLIMENTATION We find that it is vital to have adequate consultation with the client EM team. This stage involves three steps:

1 The costs of purchasing contact information from any required external sources is external to this budget.

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COVERY

1. Via tele/video conference, SEM Works and Academica will consult with key internal stakeholder groups to review and customize the UCASTM survey instrument to address the specific information objectives identified in your RFP. As previously stated, to maintain overall project costs, one base survey will be used with only minor adjustments for each of the required target populations.

2. Consultation to review/refine sampling and survey administration procedures.3. Administer the customized on-line survey to the selected target groups.

STEP 2: ANALYSIS AND CONSULTATIONStep 2 will focus on the analysis of online survey results including key decision factor push-pull graphs and perceptual mapping radar graphs. The specific tasks include:

1. Download and consolidate data from each target population.2. Analyze and prepare results across target groups

STEP 3: CONSOLIDATION OF FINDINGS AND DEVELOPMENT OF FINAL REPORTThis stage of the study will conclude with the preparation and submission of the consolidated research report. Academica senior consultants working with SEM Works’ consultants will develop a report that will provide the basis for the development strategic recommendations concerning brand and competitive positioning, key value propositions, and specific information to support tactical communication plans.

OPTIONAL - QUALITATIVE – CONSUMER RESEARCH PANELAn important step to ensure that ‘data’ are translated into ‘market intelligence’ is to include a ‘marketing concept testing’ component within the overall project. We find that a qualitative research component adds real value by allowing you to: a) delve deeper into the key learning(s) from survey findings, and b) provide feedback on preliminary marketing implications and creative concepts. This stage can save the institution money by getting feedback from the target audiences before you allocate money and resources to the development of creative marketing materials and purchasing advertising. Given expressed budget limitations, the ‘consumer panel’ qualitative research is

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provided as an optional component. Refer to Addendum 2 for details.

PLANNING

3. PLANNINGSTRATEGY DEVELOPMENT

PLANNING RETREAT (ONE-DAY VISIT)SEM Works facilitates a one-day planning retreat to initiate the marketing planning process with the SOGS leadership team, graduate program directors, and key campus constituents. The quantitative and qualitative data gleaned from the off-site review, the strategy audit, constituent and stakeholder interviews, as well as the market research inform the development of the agenda for this workshop-style retreat. The primary focus of the retreat is to confirm:

Marketing goal parameters and principles High priority strategic opportunities Key performance indicators to track Priority target student segments Principles to guide marketing decision-making

PLANNI

STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT (ONE-DAY VISIT)An integrated, multichannel approach to brand strategy is developed with multiple authors and through multiple mediums to impact prospective student recruitment and current student retention and loyalty. The integrated plan includes:

Both pull and push strategies that are the most effective with the target audiences. Media and marketing mediums will be recommended for each target audience. Promotional strategies will be developed for each target audience. A marketing schedule with media and marketing selections will be presented in an easy-to-read

calendar. Factors considered in our media and marketing recommendations include:

─ effectiveness for your institution and graduate programs

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NG

─ projected return on investment (ROI)─ cost per lead and enrolled student─ fit for the institution─ impact on target audiences, etc.

IMPLEMENT

4. IMPLEMENTATION (OPTIONAL)ENSURE CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT, EFFECTIVE EXECUTION, AND SUSTAINABILITY

STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION SESSIONS (2-DAY SITE VISIT) SEM Works assists in the initial implementation and formative evaluation of the strategies and plan. This typically involves a two-day visit with the institution’s strategy team(s). Particular attention is given to the development of an internal awareness and engagement campaign, and accountability mechanisms for monitoring progress on both the strategic and tactical levels, with a particular focus on the development of performance indicators, metrics and reporting mechanisms that will provide actionable intelligence going forward.

INTERNAL AWARENESS AND ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN As part of the implementation process, a rollout campaign for the campus is developed with the

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ATION

intent of raising awareness and seeking buy-in. Campus marketing evangelists will engage the campus community using the rollout campaign that includes a rationale for supporting marketing efforts, a common message designed around the SOGS’s promise to students, a marketing presentation with relevant data, tips for guiding campus discussions, and a call-to-action with concrete examples of ways to support ongoing brand strategy efforts at the divisional, departmental, and individual levels.

OPTIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES CREATIVE MARKETING SERVICES - Our creative team can assist you in revitalizing your current

Web presence and online tools, or in developing a customized microsite or an entirely new site. SEM Works also provides creative services for the development of marketing materials through its team of web designers, graphic artists, copywriters, and project managers.

MARKETING/RECRUITMENT ROI - Recruitment and marketing programs and activities are an expensive albeit essential endeavor for any institution. Understanding the return on investment of these activities is critical in order to manage them in a fiscally responsible manner. Through specialized analysis of Academica’s UCAS™ applicant survey, a return on investment analysis of the benefit of marketing/recruitment activities can be determined.

ASSESS

5. ASSESS (OPTIONAL)FORMATIVE EVALUATION AND PROGRESS REPORTS

Following each strategy implementation session, SEM Works provides a brief formative evaluation of the planning process and related deliverables, including recommendations for mid-course adjustments, if warranted.

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PART 5: PROJECT TIMELINES AND COSTS

SEM Works offers solutions designed to improve enrollment outcomes without overtaxing the client’s resources such as budgets, staffing, and technology support. We will customize our services to meet Salem State University’s needs within the context of the institution’s resource constraints.

The charts provided below present an overview of SEM Works’ programs and services and associated cost estimates. The costs are based on the assumptions outlined above and on our current understanding of the details presented in the RFP. The final budget will be adjusted and refined through the initial planning stages of the consultation process.

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Breakdown of Costs Associated with the Consulting Services

Proposed Timeline

Budget

Project Initiation and Project Management Sep 24 $3,000Step 1: Scope

Conference call Sep 27 $0Step 2: Discovery

Off-site situational analysis review Oct 1 $0On-site strategy audit Oct 4 $4,000On-site constituent interviews Oct 5 $4,000On-site stakeholder interviews Oct 6 $4,000Webinar report Oct 13 $1,000

Step 3: Planning

Planning Retreat Jan 24 $4,000 Strategy Development Jan 25 $4,000 Draft Marketing Plan Feb 21 $0 Final Marketing Plan Feb 28 $6,000

Total (plus travel expenses) $30,000 Optional – Implementation Consulting Services Mar 7-8 $8,000 Optional – Assessment Consulting Services June $4,000

Total (plus travel expenses) $12,000

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Breakdown of Costs Associated with the Market Research

Proposed Timeline

Budget

Project Initiation and Project Management Oct 14 $2,000Step 1: Survey Design and Implementation

Client consultations and survey refinement (4+ target groups) Oct 15 – 29 $2,800Refinement of survey sampling and administration procedures Oct 21 – Nov 8 $1,200Administration of applicant survey(s) (includes $1,500 for prize incentives) Nov 11 – Dec 5 $5,000

Step 2: Analysis and Consultation

Download and consolidate data from each target population, data cleaning and coding of open-ended responses

Dec 8 – 10 $1,500

Analyze and prepare results across target groups Dec 10 – 19 $5,000Step 3: Consolidation, Reporting and Presentation

Draft research report development Dec 22 – 30 $5,000Tele-presentation and discussion with EM team Dec 30 $1,200Report finalization Jan 1 - 10 $1,200

Total (plus applicable taxes) $24,900

Optional - Qualitative Research TBDDevelopment of research objectives, participant specifications, and draft discussion guide

$2,000

Tele-presentation and discussion with EM team $500Recruit qualitative research participants $1,200Conduct 40 individual/small group interviews ($50/participant) $11,000Summarize results $3,000

Total $17,700 The costs of purchasing contact information from any required external sources is external to this budget.

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PART 6: REFERENCES: PARTIAL CLIENT LIST

Partial Client ListAdams State College North Carolina Central UniversityAlice Lloyd College Ontario Institute of TechnologyAndrew College Pacific Graduate School of PsychologyArkansas State University Paisley University (Scotland)Belmont University Robert Morris College (University)Buffalo State College Roosevelt UniversityCarson-Newman College Salem CollegeCharter Oak State College Seventh Day Adventist UniversityCity University of New York Sherman College of ChiropracticClayton State University Slippery Rock UniversityCoker College Southeast Missouri State UniversityCollege of Saint Rose Southern Adventist UniversityDefiance College Southern New Hampshire UniversityEast Stroudsburg University Spalding UniversityEastern Kentucky University Sunderland University (England)Eastern Oregon State University University of Colorado at DenverEast-West University University of British ColumbiaFanshawe College University of California at Santa CruzFayetteville State University University of IdahoFerris State University University of Maine at Fort KentFort Lewis College University of Maine at MachiasFrancis Marion University University of Maryland—Eastern ShoreFranklin University University of Missouri—Kansas CityGuilford College University of North Carolina at GreensboroIndiana University Purdue University Indianapolis University of ReginaIthaca College University of SaskatchewanJohnson C. Smith University University of St. FrancisKettering University University of Texas at DallasLenoir-Rhyne College University of Texas at El PasoLincoln University University of VermontMars Hill College University of VictoriaMedical University of South Carolina University of West Florida

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Meredith College University of WindsorMount Olive College University of Wisconsin at Eau ClaireMt. St. Vincent University Villanova UniversitySherman Chiropractic College William Paterson UniversityNew England Culinary Institute Winona State University

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PART 6: REFERENCES: CLIENT TESTAMONIALS

Ferris State UniversityCraig Westman, Ph.D., Associate Vice Provost University CollegeUniversity of Texas at El PasoASB Room 102, 500 West University AvenueEl Paso, TX 79968cewestman@utep.edu or 915/747-5000

An enrollment capacity audit and enrollment planning consulting were provided. Key concepts such as branding, marketing, the relationship continuum, integration, the enrollment funnel, student recruitment, student retention, and student services were addressed.

"Ferris State University has had Jim Black to campus several times. Each time Jim has brought institutional focus to enrollment management and how enrollment management is an institutional imperative, not a singular unit's job. Jim has aided Ferris in realigning its recruitment activities to place them into a firm strategic enrollment management context. About every two years, Jim comes to campus to get our batteries recharged—to look critically and strategically at how we are doing our recruiting. Jim's guidance has allowed Ferris to embark on successful e-Recruitment and print campaigns. Jim's guidance has been instrumental in the past several years of Ferris's success—a 15.63% growth in enrollment!”

Enrollment Success: 15.63% increase in enrollment between 2002 and 2006, second highest among public institutions in Michigan. Including fall 2007, the highest enrollment growth among public institutions in Michigan.Craig Westman, Ph.D., Former Associate Dean of Enrollment Services and Director of Admissions and Records, Ferris State UniversityArkansas State University

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Rick Stripling, Vice ChancellorPO Box 189Jonesboro, Arkansas 72467ricks@astate.edu or 870/972-2048

Jim Black, president of SEM WORKS, facilitated the development of an enrollment management plan and branding strategy at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Dr. Black worked directly with a planning group at the University to identify objectives, a planning construct, a process, and timeline. An audit of existing enrollment management operations was preceded by a review of institutional trend data, competitor information, survey data, publications and Web sites, strategic plans, enrollment plans, organizational charts, and related documents. The site visit included direct observations of operations, interviews with staff and those they serve, along with focus groups with students. Ongoing consulting assistance with planning and implementation led to a 214 student increase in the entering class.

E-mail campaign technology and strategy provided by SEM WORKS are already yielding significant results. ASU has had more visitors to campus this fall than ever before.

"There are a lot of consultants. We needed someone to understand our institution’s mission and purpose. Jim Black's knowledge of the enrollment process and higher education marketing greatly helped our institution focus on enrollment and marketing efforts that matter. We have seen an increase in our freshman class for the second straight year. Freshman enrollment has increased 27 percent for the past two years, and this year's class represents the largest freshman class that we have seen in eight years. Our spring to spring enrollment increase is the largest in at least fourteen years and the second highest spring semester enrollment in history. SEM WORKS and Jim Black delivered!"

Rick Stripling, Vice Chancellor

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St. Louis Community CollegePat Crowe, Director of Communications300 South BroadwaySt. Louis, MO 63102-2810314/539-5141 or pcrowe@stlcc.edu

SEM WORKS consulted with the four college campuses of St. Louis Community College and conducted a comprehensive audit of existing communications and branding practices including the College’s recruitment publications/Web site, logos and marks, promotional materials, standards and graphics, etc., analyzed existing market research; administered a competitor analysis; developed a brand identity and marketing strategies; completed Web site development; created strategies for Internet marketing; and developed collaterals, print, broadcast, and out-of-home advertising. SEM WORKS established a detailed consulting agenda and consulted with the college to include: a comprehensive audit of communications and branding practices; brand identity and marketing plan; collateral development; and print and broadcast out-of-home advertising.

"We have been impressed with the branding and marketing consulting work that SEM WORKS has done for St. Louis Community College. Dr. Black and the SEM WORKS team have carefully explored and assessed our culture and image. Dr. Black is highly skilled at analyzing complex issues and providing smart, realistic, and creative solutions. Thanks to SEM WORKS we are building a powerful brand through a focused strategic marketing plan that will enhance our market position and sustain us for many years to come."

Pat Crowe, Director of Communications

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PART 7: VENDOR IDENTIFICATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION (REQUIRED)

Company Name: SEM Works, LLC

DBA: _______________________________________________

Company's Federal ID Number: 20-3298510

Address: __________________________________________

Remit To Address: 1175 Revolution Mill Drive, Studio 3

City: Greensboro State:_NC ZIP:_27405

Telephone: (336) 844-4060 ext. 1006

Fax: __1-888-626-2374

Email: jimblack@semworks.net

Web address: http://www.semworks.net/

Name: Dr. Jim Black

Title: President and CEO

Authorized Signature ______________

Date: ___________________________

Main Contact: __________________________________________________

Person responsible for response (if different) ___________________________________________

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ADDENDUM 1LIST OF INSTITUTION SUPPLIED REFERENCE MATERIALS

Strategic Plans: Institution strategic plan (mission, vision, values, strategic development directions), Academic development plan and priorities Institution enrollment goals, plans and strategies Institution marketing goals, plans and strategies

Organization & Governance Structures: Organizational charts SEM Committee charter(s) and accountabilities

Environmental Analyses (conducted in past 5 years): Environmental scan (external and internal) Strategic research: e.g., campus climate studies, previously conducted market research (past 5 years) SWOT analyses (if available)

Marketing Trends and Information Resources Marketing impact assessment trend data (if available) Competitor information Publications Advertising and promotion plans Graphic identity system Admissions presentations Foundation materials

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Enrollment Trends and Related Research: Application, admission, and enrollment trends and yields by key student segments Enrollment and student flow trends and analyses Student geo-demographic profile Student survey research: recruitment and applicant yield studies, student satisfaction surveys, student

engagement studies, completions/graduations studies

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ADDENDUM 2ACADEMICA GROUP INC.

UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE APPLICANT STUDY™ (UCAS™)

University/College Applicant Study™ (UCAS™)

Academica Group’s flagship UCAS™ Applicant Study is the ultimate benchmark for trend, attitude, reputation and influence data among higher education consumers prior to enrollment. From its inception in 1997, this comprehensive study has provided scores of subscribing institutions with insight into applicant demographics, motivations, decision-making processes, post-graduate intentions, perceptions of university/college brand positioning and reputation, key competitor strengths and weaknesses, and the influence and appeal of recruitment marketing efforts. The study has been refined by enrollment management professionals to provide precise measurement on all key variables to help guide and fine-tune recruitment and enrollment management strategies.

Note: The Graduate UCASTM has been designed specifically to emphasize graduate applicant decision factors.

The UCAS™ provides you with detailed, real-time, actionable data in 4 areas:

1. Prospective Student Profile

This section of the UCAS™ describes the demographic, financial and academic characteristics of your prospective graduate student pool and compares it to your key competitor institutions. More importantly, the profile data provides the crucial ability to cross-tabulate data throughout the report, to isolate students from particular geographic regions, age groups, income segments, grade averages, or ethnic backgrounds.

2. Marketing Efforts

Today’s college applicants make use of a wide range of information sources in establishing their shortlist and preferences. Some sources, like institutional websites, viewbooks, and campus tours, are largely controlled by your recruitment or marketing departments, while others exist quite beyond your influence but require monitoring, such as magazine rankings, social media, family recommendations or word of mouth. The UCAS™ includes questions to

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measure the use, influence, and appeal of more than 20 key information sources and marketing efforts on your applicants, and to benchmark your institution’s recruitment marketing impact against key competitor institutions.

3. Decision Factors

The UCAS™ investigates the impact of up to 40 key decision factors on prospective student choice, and compares your institution against a benchmark or specific competitor institutions for applicant perceptions of strengths and weaknesses in five general categories (see Figure below).

Prospective students rate each factor on a seven-point scale from strongly negative to strongly positive. This approach captures both perceived strengths and weaknesses of an applicant’s first choice college, reflecting the complex trade-offs applicants sometimes experience as they make their final decision.

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FIGURE 1: PUSH/PULL CHART SHOWS PRECISELY WHICH PERCEPTIONS TEND TO 'PULL' YOUR APPLICANTS IN COMPARISON TO THE COMPETITIVE SCHOOLS

Academic Factors – including program offerings, admission criteria, and academic reputation of programs

Financial Factors – including merit- and need-based financial aid, employment opportunities, costs of living and of course tuition

Outcome Factors – including graduate employment outcomes, graduate school placement, credit transferability and co-op programs

Campus Factors – including residences, varsity athletics, extracurriculars, student life experience and recreational facilities

Nurturing Factors – including safety, class size, religious affiliation and proximity to

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home

4. Reputation and Branding

Of course, institutional reputation is a key driver of graduate and undergraduate applicant decision-making, and underlies the word of mouth that drives parental, family, and peer influences. Reputation is a complex and elusive concept; often an amalgam of emotional preconceptions and gut-level reactions, but Academica Group’s proven metrics have provided remarkably consistent data on marketplace perceptions for 14 years. College marketers now have a heightened appreciation for brand positioning, and the powerful effect that a credible, compelling, and competitively distinctive brand can have on all stakeholders—applicants, students, faculty and alumni alike.

With graduate student applicants the program can be as important as the institutional reputation. The UCAS™ measures reputation providing a multi-dimensional view of brand associations with key attributes, including perceptions concerning: Perceived Overall Excellence, Reputation for Research, Teaching, Social Environment, Costs (Affordability), Tradition and Innovation.

Where you are perceived on these dimensions will influence marketing strategy and communications plans. For example, if you are perceived as a more ‘Traditional’ institution with less awareness as an “Innovator” within your region, and in comparison to your key competitors, you face more and different challenges to market newer programs (such green technology or leading edge internet and software development). Knowing where you are on these key dimensions of overall reputation helps you to leverage your strengths and shore up your perceived weaknesses.

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FIGURE 2: MULTI-DIMENSIONAL REPUTATION MAP

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Optional Consumer Panel Sample At Academica Group we regularly recruit student consumer panels for follow-up research. To do this we simply include a question on the survey asking participants if they would be interested in being contacted for further contest and/or paid research opportunities. Generally, 40-60% of the respondents agree to be contacted. There are many advantages to this approach. The foremost advantage is that we can select the sample on the basis of their responses to the quantitative survey. That is, we can select the precise mix of students based on various factors, such as their country (international students), state, demographic variables (age, gender), program of interest, and/or the institution they selected as first choice.

The follow-up qualitative research can be done through in-person focus groups in certain urban locations or it can be done via telephone or on-line interviews. The mass availability of high-speed internet has made on-line interviews a very cost-effective approach to qualitative interview research. Academica has a well-developed and cost-effective qualitative research methodology involving the use of on-line interviews with individuals and/or groups of students. This methodology is similar to typical in-person interview studies and lends itself well to research involving the presentation and testing of creative copy, messaging, and social media concept testing.

We normally recommend a minimum of 20 interviews per key segment (for example, 20 out-of-state applicants, and/or 20 prospective students for each of the key programs of interest). One of the real strengths of this approach is that we can link the quantitative findings up with the qualitative, providing the ability to follow-up key comments or observations on an individual basis, if desired.

The specific tasks in this stage include:1. Develop qualitative research objectives and discussion guide. 2. Presentation and discussion of above with the EM team.3. Recruit on-line consumer panel.4. Conduct on-line consumer interviews.5. Summarize findings and prepare report for presentation.

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ConclusionTo summarize, we envision a three-step methodology with extensive consultations. Each step builds upon the last and the consultation between our research team, SEM Works’ enrollment management experts, and SSU’s EM team is important to make the most of this opportunity. In this study we have stressed the quantitative research as the most efficient starting point. This approach will enable you to reliably quantify applicant perceptions and beliefs concerning the majority of your research questions and identify key factors that can be explored further through the proposed follow-up qualitative research. The optional qualitative research component, although not completely necessary, would enable us to delve deeper into the underlying basis of key perceptions and if desired, to provide target group feedback on preliminary positioning and promotional concepts and copy.

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