Ever wonder how St. Michael's comes up with the messages projected to prospective students? Over the past several months, the College has put together an Image Development Initiative Committee to work towards making the school more attractive to its target market.
Developing a committee
The committee is composed of faculty, staff and one student. The school hired consulting company George Dehne and Associates to help with the program, says Anne Conaway Peters, head of the Image Development Initiative Committee and St. Michael's College marketing diractor.
“It is something that’s been talked about for a while on campus and its something we have wanted to do and we were able to secure some funding to do the initiative this year," Conaway Peters says. "Colleges like St. Michael’s are seeing what the future holds and it’s not all good. It’s a tremendous demographic shift happening right now. The number of college-bound students in New England, in particular, is decreasing over the next 10 years.”
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Anne Conaway Peters looks forward to the outcome of the "Big Idea."
(Photo by Megan Davin) |
The goal is to build an image for St. Michael’s that is valued in the marketplace and that differentiates us from our competitors, while still remaining true to the St.Michael’s mission, according to a “What’s the ‘Big Idea’” PowerPoint presentation.
The “Big Idea” is a way we can characterize the St. Michael’s experience so that it: capitalizes on our existing strengths, is attractive to prospective students and their parents, is true to our mission, and differentiates us from other small, Catholic, New England, residential colleges. A way to find our niche, Conaway Peters says.
The 15-person committee was formed last spring with members appointed by St. Michael’s President Jack Neuhauser. They looked at picking people from different areas of the campus, Conway Peters says.
What’s the “Big Idea?”
The first thing George Dehne and Associates did was thoroughly look at all of the school’s market research. In late August, he and two of his colleagues came to campus, sat down and interviewed 90 different people. Using all of that information he formed a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats) analysis. After completing a SWOT analysis of the college community, the committee came up with four “big ideas,” Conaway Peters says.
All four “Big Ideas” are outlined in the public folders file available through campus e-mail folders. Each “Big Idea” has strengths which are already happening on campus and areas where the school can improve and make changes, she says.
Big idea number one is, The Personal Living and Learning Experience. This idea points out the school's existing strengths with a 24/7 living and learning environment, Residential Life programs, and the ability for students to personalized their experiences. The option has opportunities to introduce a January or May intensive learning term, reward certain co-curricular activities, team advising, and creating more personal goals.
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Senior Joayn Fleury sits in a tree during an apple picking excursion she sponsored as a R.A.
(Photo by Megan Davin) |
Big idea number two is, Global Citizenship. This idea has strengths in language requirement for all students, 30 percent of students study abroad, MOVE, and minors in global studies, geography, and East Asian Studies. The opportunities are to introduce a January or May intensive learning term, require first-year students to go to Québec City, establish a intercultural residence hall, and develop a certificate of global citizenship.
Big idea number three is, championing both human and natural environment. This idea has strengths in the college setting in Vermont, focuses on sustainability and environment, the college's commitment to peace and justice, the Wilderness Program, and the attempts to bridge these strengths. The opportunities are in establishing St. Michael's center for the natural and human environments, and a research web site.
Big idea number four is, Social Impact Liberal Arts. The idea's strengths are in the Edmundite heritage of social justice, 70 percent participation in MOVE, fire and rescue, peace and justice, service learning opportunities . The opportunities lie in offering a series of non-credit workshops the tools to have a true impact on a single situation or society and create a center of civil discussion or discourse.
These “big ideas” are just that, ideas. And it is these ideas from which they committee is looking into and sharing with the St. Michael’s College community, Conaway Peters says.
What is to come
The committees next step is the quantitative step. In January, Dehne and Associates will go out and survey more people inside and outside the college, Conaway Peters says. Their goal is to find out which of the “big ideas” people find to be the most accurate.
“This pulled together people from some different areas,” says Jacki Murphy, a committee member from the St. Michael’s admissions office. “We want imput. I think the sooner people respond, the better.”
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Meredith Astles a junior, is the lone student on the committee. She will be studying abroad in the spring and hopes another student will step up to fill her shoes.
(Photo by Megan Davin) |
“It’s really important for students to be involved and know about the program," says junior Meredith Astles, a member on the committee. "I am the friendly reminder to who our target market is prospective students and their parents.”
There is a blog where people can go to share their opinions, Astles says. People can share what they like and don’t like or place their own ideas in there.
“The next piece is that George Dahne and Associates will go out and test those messages out for reaction. We look to incorporate the date into what we produce,” Murphy says. “My guess is that it will end up as a combination of a couple of them.”
The next part is to find out what the community wants to see and based on those results the collegemay have a new path to follow.
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