Jun 26th 09 Posted by Becky Morehouse

Can’t Stop the Research

I know the story is getting old—doing more with less, or worse yet, doing nothing with less. Unfortunately, when budgets get tight the first things to go are often the things that are needed most. In this case, I’m talking about market research. You could effectively argue that research is needed more than ever to help better manage the uncertainty. When times are good, everyone seems to easily... read more

May 28th 09 Posted by Becky Morehouse

Student (as Customer) Research: Challenges & Remedies

Solid “customer” (current students are the primary customer in this scenario) research gets an institution engaged in listening and reacting to opinions, expectations, and concerns. Too many people believe that if you do not hear anything, satisfaction levels must be okay. This is not an assumption you can afford to make. Particularly when we know how critical student retention is in meeting... read more

May 5th 09 Posted by Becky Morehouse

7 Questions for Non-Matriculants

It’s that time of year again—and this year is going to be more interesting than most. While some schools may know the size and composition of this fall’s class earlier than others, it’s not too late to begin finding out what, if anything, you could have done differently, better, more often, etc. with the ones that got away. Yes, we’re on the cusp of non-matriculant survey season.... read more

Apr 2nd 09 Posted by Becky Morehouse

Best Practices—Research Study Checklist

It doesn’t matter if you’re doing one study or a dozen, spending $5,000 or $50,000-solid marketing research requires thoughtful preparation. To help lay the groundwork for your next project, I’ve outlined some of the most critical questions you should be asking: Have you isolated the most important question(s)? And, are you gathering the information in several places? Try to keep... read more

Mar 14th 09 Posted by Becky Morehouse

Tips for Conducting Research in Tough Times

So, do you think it’s impossible to afford and conduct market research in this economic climate? If you’re among the lucky who have a budget and are prepared to use it, by all means do so. If your budget is small or nonexistent, don’t despair. There are things you can do on a shoestring-but only if you are willing to take the time (a different resource than money, but a resource nonetheless). Here... read more

Apr 19th 08 Posted by Becky Morehouse

Silent No More Find Out Why They Didn’t Choose You

Yes, of course you do when it comes to the ones that got away. Nonmatriculating students are one of the most important audiences for college and university admissions operations. You’ve made the investment to get them this far in the recruitment process, and for whatever reason (more oftenreasons) they have elected to pass on your institution for another. Too frequently, these students slip away... read more