Jul 31st 09 Posted by Becky Morehouse

Banning the Boring Research Presentation

When it comes to presenting research findings, “pretty good” isn’t enough. Whether we like it or not, the quality of the research is often judged by the quality of its delivery. The best way to make sure the findings have their fullest impact is to deliver presentations that are engaging and that actually provide meaningful, relevant insights to decision-makers. The most common problems with... read more

Jul 27th 09 Posted by Eric Sickler

Communicating with Admitted Freshmen

Stamats’ SUMMER TeensTALK® findings are in and, as you might expect, there are some real surprises. The full report will be unveiled at our Strategic Integrated Marketing Conference in Chicago on July 27-30. I also plan to devote my next several blog posts to sharing the data with you. In an effort to provide the higher ed marketing industry with real-time recruitment marketing counsel and insight,... read more

Jul 24th 09 Posted by Bob Sevier

Assessing College Vulnerability

In June 2009, Chronicle Research Services released a compelling report: The College of 2020: Students. It is an overview of student and marketplace trends that will have a dramatic impact on colleges. The report includes data for traditional, adult, and international students. The report is available for purchase from Chronicle Research Services. While all these data are valuable, it is the report’s... read more

Jul 20th 09 Posted by Brenda Harms

The Future of Higher Education – Adult Students

One of the most common complaints I hear from professionals working with adult students is that their institutions do not value them or the role they play within the structure of the college or university.  If you find yourself feeling this way, I encourage you to read the document put out by the Chronicle Research Services, “The College of 2020: Students.”  This document looks into the future... read more

Jul 17th 09 Posted by Fritz McDonald

Ten Ways Social Media Can Help Summer Melt

Summer melt—that dreaded dead zone in the recruiting cycle is upon us once again. It’s that time of year when institutions witness a sudden drop-off in students who have enrolled. Prospective students change their minds for reasons too numerous to count, and in this economy they have more reasons than ever. From the top ranking elites to everybody else, colleges and universities are struggling... read more

Jul 13th 09 Posted by Becky Morehouse

Happy Respondents = More Efficient Fieldwork

While gaining the attention and interest of a survey respondent is a huge challenge today, it is also becoming increasingly difficult to maintain their attention through to the bitter end. With phone surveys, a talented interviewer can stave off hang-ups, but what’s to keep an online (Web-based) respondent from dumping the survey and returning to e-mail or Facebook? Here are some ways to improve... read more

Jul 10th 09 Posted by Eric Sickler

New President? New Priorities.

It’s official. We live in a twitter world. All of us. Whether or not we use the social media marvel known as “twitter.” Slowly but surely, we’re all being squeezed toward communicating in short bursts of carefully chosen words. If you’re a text-message user, or if you “tweet” on twitter, you must confine your blasts to 140 characters (including spaces). Likewise, if you’re being interviewed... read more

Jul 6th 09 Posted by Brenda Harms

Adult Student Best Practices – Leading the Way for 2020

A very interesting document came across my e-mail this week, one which I freely admit I haven’t gotten completely through at this point but am anxious to finish.  It appears that the Chronicle Research Services three-part series has started off with a wonderful report about the changes in college students by 2020.  What has intrigued me about the document thus far is that it highlights the issues... read more

Jul 2nd 09 Posted by Bob Sevier

What is a Vision?

Because the purpose of a strategic plan is to help a college or university achieve its vision, it is important to have a clear sense of what a vision is. According to Burt Nanus, a vision is a “realistic, credible, and attractive future” shared by members of an organization. Visions are not about the past or what you hold sacred (that’s pretty much the domain of the mission statement). Rather,... read more