Student Affairs & Advancement Connection

F R O M T H E V P

Message from LesThis fall, I had the pleasure of spending a few days on Mackinac Island. While there, I sat in on a history session at the renowned Grand Hotel. This is an intriguing and worthwhile endeavor. Affectionately known as the Grand, this hotel has a rich story to tell, but its people are what make it truly unique; they create a hospitable environment, and their positive attitude is infectious. While the hotel provides accommodations, dining, shopping, and reception and meeting space, the experience is really much more than this. While some hotels boast heavenly beds or freshly cooked chocolate chip cookies, those who experience the Grand are provided an opportunity and an experience where they truly feel the heart, soul, and spirit of the place.

Similarly, Michigan Tech has academic buildings, technology-rich labs, a variety of residence hall accommodations, food service, and recreational and performance space. Visitors to campus are impressed with our facilities and space, but, like the Grand, the majority of comments we receive are about the people who make up the University. From students and parents attending Open House in the fall, current students, and the recruiters attending the Career Fair, the comments are loud and clear: it’s the people who make Michigan Tech special.

We are in the mid-stages of our strategic planning review, which will be completed in spring 2015. The first goal of the plan focuses on people. This edition of the Student Affairs & Advancement Connection focuses on some of these people. You’ll meet the new director of University Marketing and Communications,

Ian Repp; learn about companies recruiting Michigan Tech students; get a glimpse of where some of our former student-athletes are now; and witness how some alums are giving back to Tech.

According to a recent SimpsonScarbough survey (results inside), the majority of our students indicate their academic and overall experience is better than they expected. We know that opportunity, excellence, and distinction define the Michigan Tech experience, and this experience is unlike any other because of the environment and the people of the University.

My thanks and best wishes to all of those who make this experience a Grand one!

Michigan Technological University

Fall 2014

2 Student Affairs & Advancement Connection • Fall 2014

Colleges across the country, including Michigan Tech, use first-to-second-year retention as a metric of their success. According to ACT, retention at doctoral, public universities for 2014 is 77.9 percent; for selective universities, the rate is 83 percent.* At Michigan Tech this fall, our retention rate increased from 83 to 85 percent.

Talking about what contributed to this increase at a recent staff meeting, we jokingly said hot chocolate at Winter Carnival and dry towels at Homecoming’s Cardboard Boat Races. On a more serious note, however, seldom can increases in retention be contributed to just one thing. Efforts to increase this number span from placing students in the right classes at the start to increasing need-based financial aid and establishing processes that make it simple for students to navigate the systems of the University. Below are some efforts that reflect that we are making a difference.

Recruitment

A University goal over the last several years has been to increase the average ACT score of our incoming students. As academic performance of the incoming class has increased, so has the retention of these students. Data from the previous three years of students

(2010–11, 2011–12, and 2012–13) show:

• Students with a 26 ACT composite or greater retain at 87 percent (students with a 29 or higher retain at 89 percent). Students with a 24–26 retain at 81 percent, and students with a 24 or less retain at 74 percent.

• The average ACT for the fall 2013 incoming class was 26.7.

Academic Outreach and Student Support

A number of student support initiatives were integrated into efforts this past year, including course work, academic success coaches, and expanded workshops. Other long-standing efforts, like first-year midterm outreach and the ExSEL program, continued to support students in their success. In 2013–14, ExSEL retained their first-year program participants at 83.5 percent versus 79.6 percent for their non-participating counterparts.

Other offices in Student Affairs and Advancement have also focused on supporting students’ academic success. For example, Athletics has instituted new advising procedures for at-risk students, and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion is providing evening tutoring sessions. Last year, the Wahtera Center

for Student Success coordinated success classes for 620 first-year students between fall and spring. Greek Life has also been working with students to improve academic performance. Average cumulative GPAs have improved from 2.88 in spring 2013 to 2.92 in spring 2014. Finally, additional staff have been hired in Counseling Services in the last year. A record number of students were seen, hopefully providing more coping strategies and enabling them to stay in school.

Overall Student Satisfaction

Every two years, Student Affairs and Advancement conducts a Student Satisfaction Survey. The last survey was completed in spring 2014 and reflects first-year satisfaction at high levels. For example, 91 percent strongly or somewhat agree that faculty are genuinely interested in serving students; 89 percent strongly or somewhat agree that when they have questions, it’s easy to get information from staff. When it comes to recommending Michigan Tech to someone else, 91 percent say they would do so. Clearly, everyone contributes to retention—let’s keep up the good work.

—Bonnie B. Gorman

First-to-Second-Year Undergraduate Retention is Up

*www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/retain_2014.pdf

Student Affairs & Advancement • www.mtu.edu/student-affairs 3

The Fall 2014 Career Fair hosted a record 340 recruiting organizations—the previous record was 295, set in 2008. The burning question is why have they targeted Michigan Tech students to work for them?

Trista Schieffer, global lead development engineer at General Motors, stated, “We know how difficult Michigan Tech’s curriculum can be. We are looking for students who thrive with each challenge, including the snow!” Rob Sweet, director of systems and programming at Jackson National Life, adds that Tech’s computer science curriculum lines up with their company needs. Rob indicated that character counts: “They have an enthusiasm for programming. Michigan Tech students are outgoing and eager to get to work.”

Both companies indicate their corporate cultures are a good match for Tech students. GM offers students the opportunity to engage in many different roles within the company and grow professionally within the organization. Jackson provides their employees the opportunity to work with a wide variety of technologies—from mobile applications to web-based projects to data mining—on large-scale development projects. With studies predicting that millennials will have fifteen to twenty careers in their lifetime*, the diversity of career options these companies offer fits well with the ambitions of this generation.

To answer the competitive challenge of recruiting students, both companies focus on developing relationships with

students early. Jackson hires students part-time on campus to work at their campus offices while going to school, assigning them special developmental projects. GM engages students as soon as they arrive on campus, volunteering to help with interview and résumé blitzes, which prepare students for their job search, while also conducting formal recruiting interviews. The goal: connect early and get them in their talent pipeline leading to possible co-ops, internships, and full-time careers. These companies are not only helping to develop our students, but they are also investing in their future workforces.

—Steve Patchin

Why and How is Corporate America Seeking Michigan Tech Students?

* www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2012/08/14/job-hopping-is-the-new-normal-for-millennials-three-ways-to-prevent-a-human-resource-nightmare/

4 Student Affairs & Advancement Connection • Fall 2014

Our culture of philanthropy continues to grow both on campus and among our alumni. Here are two donor couples who are having a tremendous impact on the lives of today’s Michigan Tech students.

People Who Make a Difference

Michigan Tech’s mascot, Blizzard, is a very busy dog, attending not only the many Huskies sporting events but also other University and community functions. As a result, there is much wear and tear on his costumes. Dave and Sharron Paris, loyal supporters of Tech’s athletics program, made a gift to help provide for

Blizzard’s most recent costume and then began asking for more information about the ongoing costs related to Blizzard. This query led to Dave and Sharron making a gift pledge to support Tech’s costumed mascot for the next ten years, including a $1,500 annual scholarship for the lead mascot. Sharron, a retired Michigan Tech registrar, and Dave ’68 ’71, a civil engineering graduate who was

inducted into Tech’s Sports Hall of Fame (football) in 2006, have a longtime connection with Blizzard, having spearheaded the campus competition to name the Husky mascot in 1997. As Sharron relates, Tech’s mascot almost was named Howard T. Husky.

David and Sharron Paris

Grant Nuttall ’59, a business administration graduate, feels privileged to have had Joseph Romig as a law professor at Michigan Tech. Grant and his wife, Maureen, supported the Dean of SBE Recruiting Scholarship for a number of years, but this year they started thinking about creating their own scholarship to ensure that Professor Romig is not forgotten at Michigan Tech. In August, they traveled from Toronto, to Houghton to finalize the documentation for the new Joseph A. Romig Memorial Annual Scholarship. Their first scholarship was awarded to Jesse Linebarger, a senior who is double majoring in management and marketing while minoring in psychology. Grateful for this unexpected gift, Jesse asked if there was a way he could thank

the donors directly. The Financial Aid staff arranged a conference call, and Jesse and the Nuttalls had a fun 45-minute conversation. Grant shared stories about his Tech experiences, including his stint as a deputized Houghton Police officer, while Jesse excitedly told his supporters about the job he has lined up and will begin after graduating in December.

Grant and Maureen Nuttall

Student Affairs & Advancement • www.mtu.edu/student-affairs 5

Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half. So goes an oft-cited quote from nineteenth-century retailer John Wanamaker. There is no doubt that measuring a brand is not a simple process. However, one reliable method to gauge brand perception is to survey. Continuing surveys conducted in 2003 and again in 2008, this past spring we surveyed a variety of populations to gauge how the Michigan Tech brand resonates with people.

Using email surveys of prospective undergraduate and graduate students, current students, faculty, staff, and alumni, we used the market research firm SimpsonScarbough to help us conduct our survey and analyze our data. The following only scratches the surface of what we’ve learned.

Across all audiences, Michigan Tech is viewed as having strong academics, particularly in engineering. Current students

also highlight the job placement statistics and reputation of the University, while alumni, faculty, and staff note the quality of faculty as strengths.

Among our undergraduate prospective student populations, overall familiarity has decreased since 2008; in 2008, more undergraduate prospects (53 percent) were at least somewhat familiar with Michigan Tech than in 2014 (44 percent). This could be due to a larger number of bought names in our database (as opposed to students who actively contact us to be placed on a mailing list). However, of those who are familiar with the University, their depth of knowledge is stronger; in 2008, 14 percent were very familiar with Michigan Tech, compared to 19 percent in 2014.

Other findings include the following:

• Undergraduate prospects agree that Tech is known for placing graduates in good jobs, and the University prepares students to be successful.

• The quality of programs and the quality of faculty as educators and mentors are of greatest importance to graduate prospects as they select a college or university.

• Undergraduate prospects are most positively impacted by placement rates and starting salaries, while graduate prospects are most attracted to starting salaries and status as a premier research university.

The surveys helped us conclude that we should continue to emphasize these three areas: Michigan Tech as a premier research institution, the starting salaries of graduates, and how we prepare students to understand and develop solutions to complex problems.

The majority of current students indicate that the academic experience (72 percent undergraduate, 76 percent graduate) and the overall college experience (78 percent undergraduate, 74 percent graduate) at Michigan Tech is at least somewhat better than they expected. Compared to 2008, there is an upward trend of students saying the academic experience is better than they expected.

Enrollment, Marketing, and Communications will continue to analyze this rich data set to help fine-tune our outreach to prospective students, our colleagues, and the public.

—John Lehman

SimpsonScarborough Survey Overview

Benchmarking: Quality of Academic ExperienceCurrent students are slightly more likely to say the academic experience was much better than expected than in 2008.

11%

5%

32%

43%

10%

11%

3%

15%

50%

21%

6%

3%

19%

48%

24%

Don’t know

Much worse than expected

Somewhat worse than expected

Somewhat better than expected

Much better than expected2014

20082003

6 Student Affairs & Advancement Connection • Fall 2014

Profile of First-Year Students

Welcome Ian ReppNew Director of University Marketing and Communications

Canoes and creativity are two magnets that drew Ian Repp from his marketing agency job in Indianapolis to his new position as director

of University Marketing and Communications.

Repp, who started at Michigan Tech on Sept. 15, and his wife have canoes that they can’t wait to launch into the waters of the Keweenaw.

He was even more excited to join the team in University Marketing and Communications. “The creativity here is awesome,” he says.

Coming from nearly ten years in marketing, Repp is looking forward to his new role. “I want to be involved in something that can make a long-term difference,” he explains.

Repp was raised in Muncie, Indiana, where his father is vice president of information technology at Ball State University. He finds the college-town environment familiar and appealing.

Repp earned a bachelor’s degree at Ball State, then went to Los Angeles to study at the UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting. He worked as a screenwriter for Sony Pictures, then did marketing for a PBS affiliate at Ball State.

Repp has conducted marketing campaigns for the Indiana Pacers, the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers, and the Indiana Economic Development Council.

He and his wife, J. R., have two children, Cale, 4, and Crosby, 1, and two beagle-spaniels, Goose and Pepper.

1,19

9ne

w f

irst

yea

r st

uden

ts r

egis

tere

d School of Businessand Economics

College ofEngineering

School of ForestResources and

Environmental Science

College ofSciences and Arts

School ofTechnology

ACT Composite Average27.0ACT Math Average27.6ACT English Average26.2AverageHigh School GPA3.69High SchoolRanking Percentile77.6

26.3%Female

73.7%Male

839

120

59 47

International students from six countries.Domestic students from twenty-nine states.

-

Student Affairs & Advancement • www.mtu.edu/student-affairs 7

Eli Vlaisavljevich ’10, former Huskies hockey student-athlete, was the WCHA Outstanding

Student-Athlete of the Year in 2010 and a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award

in 2009–10. He’s currently a doctoral student in biomedical engineering at the University of

Michigan with plans to finish his PhD in summer 2015. In addition to his research on using

high-pressure ultrasound technology to non-invasively kill cancer cells, Vlaisavljevich has

authored four books—three novels and a self-help title—that are available on Amazon.com.

Aijana Otunchieva ’05 played women’s tennis at Tech from 2001 to 2005, earning All-GLIAC accolades four

times and finishing as the Midwest Region Singles Runner-Up in 2002. Her husband, Chris Zellner ’05, was also a

four-time All-GLIAC pick for the men’s tennis team from 2001 to 2005. The two married in 2005 and relocated to Cleveland, Ohio. Aijana currently works as a finance

business partner at Rockwell Automation. Chris has held several positions in the engineering field since leaving Tech.

He is currently a program manager for Carlisle Brake and Friction. The two continue to play competitive tennis, even

pairing together to win a mixed doubles tournament.

Alex Kowalski ’01 starred on the football field at Tech from 1997 to 2000. He earned the Jack McAvoy Award as GLIAC football’s outstanding leader in 2000. The quarterback was also the GLIAC Offensive Back of the Year that season. Kowalski is now the owner and CEO of Performance Manufacturing in Little Chute, Wisconsin. He’s also the president and owner of Alta Exchange Group, a real estate investment firm. The St. Louis, Michigan, native is set to be inducted into the Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame in November.

Mark Malekoff ’08 played defense for the Michigan Tech hockey team from 2004 to 2008, before graduating with a degree in finance. He now runs four oil and gas services companies back in his hometown of Grande Prairie, Alberta—as president of Nakoda Energy Services, business development manager for Rise Energy Services, owner of TriTech Safety and Training Inc., and owner of TriTech Energy Services Inc.

Michigan Tech Student-Athlete Alumni: Where Are They Now?

With so much talk about social media, you might be asking yourself: should my division or department have a Facebook or Twitter account?

A social media presence can be a great way to communicate and connect with your audience—if you go into it with the right expectations and goals. So, is your team ready to go social? Here are a few questions you should ask yourself.

• Do we have the time? Learning about your audience, growing fans, maintaining a rich

content calendar, and responding to messages and tweets takes more time than most people think. Plan to spend a minimum of one hour a day for a Facebook page, more for an active Twitter account.

• Do we have the content? Successful social media pages employ a mix of different media: photos, videos, links, announcements, “news you can use”-style posts, and more. If you have limited shareable info, another tool—such as a blog—might be a better choice.

• What are our goals? It’s the single most important factor in creating a social account, and it’s the piece most often missed. Having clear goals will help you build the right audience, post the best content, and successfully fill a void in your communications plan.

Are you thinking about going social? Email me at kwsokol@mtu.edu for additional tips, advice, and best practices.

—Kara Sokol

Calendar of Events

Office of Student Affairs and AdvancementAdministration Building906-487-2465

Fall SemesterRaeanne Madison Presentation Friday, November 7Midyear Commencement Saturday, December 20

Spring SemesterDaymond Glenn Presentation Monday, January 19Winter Carnival Wednesday, February 4–Saturday, February 7Preview Day Saturday, March 21Mariahadessa Tallie Reads Poetry Friday, April 3Spring Fling Friday, April 17Spring Commencement Saturday, May 2

View the full schedule of University events: www.mtu.edu/calendar

Should Your Department Go Social?