Category: Blog

Differentiating Your Academic Programs

According to a survey of chief financial officers by The Chronicle of Higher Education, the financial crisis that has caused upheavals in other sectors hasn’t prompted radical changes in how most colleges operate (with a few big exceptions). This may be a sign that the full effect of the economic fallout has yet to hit home on many campuses, or that strong enrollments and stimulus funds have helped institutions in the short-term. But as stimulus funds are not recurring, it is especially vital that public institutions make substantive, long-term moves to ensure their sustainability. Many institutions are already engaged in budget scenario planning to prepare for that fallout, but that may not be enough. Given both continuing budget constraints and rising demand for higher education, this is the time to ensure your academic program mix is positioning your institution for future success. Don’t Lose Sight of the Mission Some institutions chase the latest demand at the expense of their mission, while others stick too closely to tradition, and miss critical new opportunities. The key to differentiating your academic programs is to find the right intersection between your institution’s mission and changing demand in the marketplace. Even if a particular program […]

Communicating Your Institution’s Value

The College Board’s recent Trends reports on college pricing and student aid have painted a not unexpected picture of rising college tuition coinciding with rising demand for student aid. In this financial climate, it becomes all the more critical for colleges and universities to communicate the value of their offerings clearly to financially concerned prospects and applicants. We asked Robert Massa, vice president for communications at Lafayette College, for some key strategies on how colleges can better convey to their audiences why they are worth the price, even as tuition continues to rise. Massa emphasizes the importance of developing a clear message that connects the cost of education, how the cost impacts price, and the specific value students are getting for that price. Connect Cost, Price, and Value In many cases the public is not aware of everything that adds to the cost of education — faculty salaries, the price of information technology, health insurance, facilities costs, specialized programs such as study abroad or majors with extensive fieldwork. “So first,” Massa advises, “convey the cost.” Second, clarify how cost affects pricing. For private institutions, more of the costs are passed on to the students through tuition; for publics, states are […]

Loading survey...