department of music campaign proposal

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

SITUATION ANALYSIS ………….. .4

Analyzing the Or gani za tion ……5

Exte rnal Env ironmen t………….. .7

RECOMMENDATI ONS…………..……1 0

Goal ……………….………………….…. 10

Obje cti ve ……….…………………..…10

Stra teg y………. ….……………….. . . .10

Key Publ i c……. . . .……………………. 11

Ta ct ic. .…………. ………………………. 13

S teps for Page Cr ea tion…….1 4

S teps for Cre ating Even ts….17

Uploading Medi a…….……….. .2 0

EVA LUATI ON…. ………….………….. .21

CONSULTAN TS……………………. …. .22

As students of the

University of Wisconsin—La

Crosse, we are dedicated to

excellence. We believe our

proposal wil l improve

recruitment strategies for

the Music Department

significantly.

After much brainstorming,

we are excited to share the

most cost and time efficient

recruitment method, and

we’re sure the department

wil l be excited as well.

Throughout this proposal ,

we targeted recruitment

effort toward high school

juniors and seniors, and our

proposal fits their interests.

The pages that follow

provide an in-depth

exploration of our vision.

R E C R U I T M E N T P R O P O S A L

Department of Music University of Wisconsin—La Crosse

Meredith Brown, Kelsie Bolz, Brittany Ballweg, & Adam Smith CST 360 : SEC TION 001

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Music Department at UW-L takes pride in the

ensembles and the students participating in its

programs. Unfortunately, Haixia Lan and Walter

Elder, in their Academic Program Review of the

Music Department, suggest that problems with

communication within the department make it

difficult to focus on the issue of recruitment, one

of the main goals of the department. When the

department learns to work together as one, it is

more likely to gain more students. This unified

group with clearly defined goals shows exactly

what this department has to offer incoming

students.

According to an interview with Dr. Balfany, the

UW-L Music Department has a recruitment

committee which only meets when it is absolutely

necessary. The department also uses techniques

such as sending letters to state honors ensemble

participants and placing posters in schools

throughout the state. However, not all prospective

students are being reached due to the lack of

funding.

CST 360 : SEC TION 001 2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The increasing competition around the area makes

recruitment efforts difficult with such places as

Viterbo University, Luther College, UW-Eau Claire,

and UW-Whitewater.

Since there is a lack of monetary resources within

the department, it is wise to develop an effective

campaign with minimal cost. Creating a Facebook

page is an effective way to reach all prospective

Music Department students. The person

designated to create the page must first make sure

the department creates an account. Once this is

finished, following the directions to creating a page

is quite simple. After the page has been created, it

is then possible to invite students to join the

group, notify students of upcoming events, and

incorporate pictures and videos of happenings

within the department. Another effective tool is

the discussion board. By using this device, it is easy

for prospective students to ask questions or find

out more about specific ensembles. In

examination, Facebook is an effective tool the

Music Department should utilize.

UW- L M USIC

3

SITUATION ANALYSIS

The Music Department seeks to recruit musically

talented individuals for its ensembles. According to

Academic Program Assistant Christine Reed, the

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Music Department

has 549 student participants. This includes 92 majors

and 36 minors. The Music Department prides itself in

its ensemble participation. In an interview, Dr. Balfany

expressed how the 15+ ensemble opportunities

surpass the percentage of opportunities found in

schools three times the size of UW-L. Because of the

great number of ensemble opportunities, ensemble

participation and recruitment is essential. New

participants are continuously needed to keep the

program running. Despite this, there are major

discrepancies within the department that prevent it

from reaching its recruitment goals. For instance, Lan

and Elder expressed concerns about the relatively few

numbers of full professors for the size of the

department. They went on to discuss the need for

clearly defined, long-term expectations for

recruitment. Through improved recruitment, the Music

Department will improve the degree of excellence it

hopes to achieve. In essence, Dr. Balfany states that

the Music Department hopes to recruit 20 new

students per year.


SITUATION ANALYSIS

Analyzing the Organization

UW-L’s Music Department strives for excellence in

performance and learning. It strives for high ensemble

participation and one-on-one interaction with faculty.

During the podcast discussion with Dr. Balfany, the

organizational leadership is very happy with the

performance aspect of the ensembles; however, it is

not happy with the recruitment for ensemble

participants. During an interview with Dr. Balfany, he

mentioned how the Music Department has a

Recruitment Committee which meets on an as-needed-

basis. There are five full-time faculty members on the

committee. Current recruitment activities include: a

letter to every high school state honors ensemble

participant, and posters in all Wisconsin, Twin Cities,

and Northern Illinois high schools.

The Music Department lacks inter-faculty

communication. Lan and Elder state, “The self-study

and the Dean’s letter both mention departmental

collegiality and internal communications are less than

ideal.” Faculty cannot work on tasks such as

recruitment easily if the communication is divided.

UW- L M USIC

5

SITUATION ANALYSIS

Analyzing the Organization Cont.

UW-L also lacks the necessary funding to reach all

prospective students. “There is a diminishing pool of

those majoring in music,” said Dr. Balfany. This is due to

the fact that scholarships are not readily available to

numerous amounts of students and the economic

instability of today. Despite the economy, UW-L has a

low tuition cost and a high academic standard. Corey

Sjoquist attributes this to the high ACT scores and

relatively low acceptance rates of incoming freshman.


Current Recruitment Activities

-Committee meets on an as-needed basis

-Letters to all high school state honors

ensemble participants

-Posters in all Wisconsin, Twin Cities, and

Northern Illinois high schools

SITUATION ANALYSIS

External Environments

The department’s main competitors, Luther College

and Viterbo University, have very successful

recruitment methods. There is competition within the

UW-system as well; both UW-Eau Claire and UW-

Whitewater are comparably sized universities. All

schools sponsor flourishing summer programs to

attract prospective students. Luther hosts five Dorian

Festivals and two music camps each year. Since 1861,

over 90,000 high school students attended these

prestigious camps. According to its Web site, Viterbo

plans three summer workshops and is planning to host

a new summer program called “The Complete Singer”

in the summer of 2010. This program will be used to

attract new voice students to the Viterbo campus. The

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire offers summer

programs within their department and includes a one-

week music camp for percussionists and musical

theatre. The Music Department at the University of

Wisconsin-Whitewater hosts a number of summer

music camps for students of all ages. These events are

under the direction of Music Department faculty and

administered through the UW-Whitewater Office of

Continuing Education.

UW- L M USIC

7

SITUATION ANALYSIS

External Environments Cont.

Compare these to the one UW-L summer program,

Vocal Jazz Camp. This does not include any winter

festivals or activities. These recruitment initiatives

could potentially take a toll on the number of recruited

music students at UW-L.

Other colleges have staff for recruitment and/or

publicity initiatives. According to its Web site, Luther

College has a staff of six for recruitment and PR issues.

Two specialize in marketing and coordination, and one

works specifically to coordinate summer recruitment

programs. Others on staff perform administrative tasks

such as secretarial work. UW-Eau Claire has at least

one music staff member for university programs, which

may include summer camps and recruitment

initiatives. The Viterbo arts program has one full time

publicity staff member as well. UW-L lacks the full-time

staff members needed to support these initiatives.

Instead, UW-L’s professors take it upon themselves to

be PR agents. Upon discussion with Dr. Balfany, he

explained that his publicity efforts go toward writing

press releases for Jazz Ensemble performances. In

terms of physical appearance, UW-L’s facilities do not

match those of any of these schools.


SITUATION ANALYSIS

External Environments Cont.

Viterbo has a large, aesthetically pleasing concert hall

in which the university ensembles, and community

ensembles, like the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra,

perform. Luther College has many large performance

halls: Center for the Faith, Life Main Hall, and the

Jenson-Noble Hall of Music. Eau Claire has a 600-seat

Gantner Concert Hall, along with a 200-seat recital hall.

In contrast, Whitewater has a 1,300 seat Irvin L. Young

Auditorium for their performances. The notably small

size of Annett Recital Hall forces UW-L music

ensembles to perform in the Cartwright Center, which

is neither aesthetically or acoustically pleasing.

Viterbo University boasts about graduate admittance in

the top music schools. Currently, Viterbo is the only

university in the region to produce Opera productions,

despite UW-L’s efforts to do the same. Luther College

is considered a music powerhouse-one having great

drive, energy, and ability according to the Merriam-

Webster Dictionary. To illustrate this, The Decorah

Newspapers reported that the Twin Cities Public

Television won a regional Emmy award for “Best

Special Event Coverage” of the 2008 PBS national

television program “Christmas at Luther-Night of Glory,

Dawn of Peace.”

Tuition

Comparisons

Luther: $32,140*

Viterbo: $19,670*

UW-L: $7,500*

*Tuition per year

from Admissions

Offices

UW- L M USIC

9

RECOMMENDATIONS

Goal

The goal of the proposal is to increase UW-L music

ensemble participation by fall 2010.

Objective

To increase participation of new students in the UW-L

Music Department by fall 2010 through creating an

awareness tool.

Strategy

Using electronic social networking sites to increase

awareness of the UWL Music Department to high

school students.


RECOMMENDATIONS

The Key Public

Our key public, Wisconsin high school music students,

is a vague category. In general, our campaign proposes

to target high school students participating in music

ensembles: band, orchestra, or choir members. The

campaign will focus on high school juniors and seniors.

This public was selected due to heightened awareness

and interest in prospective universities.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Public

Instruction, high school juniors and seniors are typically

16-19 years old. Many high school students live at

home and commute to a local high school. There are

71,785 seniors and 71,326 juniors in Wisconsin public

high schools. 6,072 seniors and 6,287 juniors enrolled

in Wisconsin private high schools in 2009. An academic

study supported by the Grammy Foundation found

that approximately 35.2% of students from small high

schools participate in music ensembles and 26.9% of

students from larger schools participate in the music

education programs. The Grammy Foundation is the

organization that hosts the Grammy awards each year

and supports many music education initiatives.

On This Page:

WI Public Schools

-71,785 Seniors

-71,326 Juniors

WI Private Schools

-6,072 Seniors

-6,287 Juniors

UW- L M USIC

11

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Key Public Cont.

The Grammy Foundation found music participation is

higher in schools with a higher socio-economic status.

Smaller schools have more band and choir

participation, and larger ones have more orchestra

participation. There are geographical differences as

well. Rural areas generally have stronger band

participation, and urban areas have more orchestra

participation. Suburban areas are prone to higher

choral participation.

According to the Grammy Foundation, students from

lower socio-economic statuses may not participate in

music ensembles due to cost of music equipment and

sheet music. David Nabb, in his document from the

UMI Microform, states that this trend is more dramatic

in instrumental participation, but is still apparent in

choral ensembles. Due to the socio-economic gap,

most high school music students are white. However,

the Grammy Foundation states that black students are

statistically more likely to participate in music

ensembles (42.2% of black students) than white

students (40.9%).


RECOMMENDATIONS

Tactic

The lives of today’s teens are constantly surrounded by

technology. According to The Pew Internet and

American Life Project, “The number of teenagers using

the internet grew 24% in the past four years and 87%

of those between the ages of 12 and 17 are online.”

ComScore, a digital marketing measurement service,

rated Facebook as the most accessed social networking

site. According to combined statistics by the U.S.

Census Bureau and media expert Nick Burcher, nearly

45% of 15-19 year olds have a Facebook account.

Further, Facebook Corporation states the typical user

spends more than 55 minutes a day on Facebook. The

site also allows for many publicity opportunities and

perspective student networking. This makes Facebook

the prime means to improve recruitment and

awareness.

Facebook gives the Music Department a way to reach

out to prospective students to better inform them on

the events taking place on campus, the ensembles in

which they are able to partake in, and …

UW- L M USIC

13

What Facebook can do for the Music Department

RECOMMENDATIONS

…finally meet people who would are able to answer

any questions about aspects of the music programs.

The most beneficial tactic for the UW-L Music

Department is to create Facebook page. The social

networking site was selected due to the startling

statistics mentioned earlier. Also, as an added bonus,

Facebook is a global site. Facebook can be used in a

number of ways to recruit more students from around

the world into the UW-L Music Department.

Step-by –Step Guide to Creating a Facebook Page

1. Go to www.facebook.com and click on ‘Create

New Facebook Page’ on the bottom of the

homepage.

2. Under the category section, choose the local

button and select ‘Education’ as the page type.

3. Continue down the page and choose the ‘Name

of Page.’ Continue by writing the preferred

page name. Potential names include

“University of Wisconsin—La Crosse

Department of Music” or “UW-L Music

Department.”

4. Choose security preferences at the end of the

first page.


What Facebook can do for the Music Department

RECOMMENDATIONS

A November 11, 2009 New York Times article further

discussed how many small businesses use Facebook

to find new customers and fan communities. The UW-

L Music Department will be able to find more

prospective students this way. In fact,

ComputerWorld.com stated that market shares of

selected businesses increased by 194% through

effective use of Facebook.

The New York Times suggests organizations ask family

and friends to become Facebook page fans. This

builds an acceptable crowd when the page officially

debuts. Pages also grow by word of mouth. With the

average Facebook user having 130 friends, imagine

how fast the word will fly.

Also, be sure to make the page unique. “The pages

that are most successful,” said Tim Kendall, the

director of monetization at Facebook, “are the ones

that really replicate the personality of the business.”

Also try to keep the content fresh. Status updates and

newsfeeds are a way to keep users coming back to

the page and keep them interested.

UW- L M USIC

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Step-by –Step Guide to Creating a Facebook Page Cont.

6. Click on the ‘Create Page’ button.

7. The following page asks for Facebook account

information.

a. If an account for the department already

exists, click this button and sign in. Once

signed into the account, you will be taken

directly to your new Facebook page.

b. If no account exists, click this button and

type in the email address as well as a

desired password to set up an account.

8. From here, click the ‘Edit Page’ button to have the

opportunity to change all of the settings within

the department’s new page.

When students are looking up any kind of information on

UW-L or the Music Department within Facebook, a link to

this page will appear and they can find the information

they are looking for. Students will be able to become

‘fans’ of the Music Department. Being a fan is a way for

students to easily access the page from their profile view.

Fans also receive group-wide messages sent by the page

administrator. Utilizing the fan-base is a simple way to

inform interested students about audition news,

potential events, and other information.


RECOMMENDATIONS

Another way to make sure students know about the page

is to click on the ‘Edit Page’ button once again. At the top

right had corner of the page there is a ‘Promote Your

Page’ button. This button allows the department to fill

out necessary information to create an advertisement for

the page. This is a wonderful way to promote the UW-L

Music Department and make sure it is available to any

person on Facebook. But be aware, this costs money.

Although advertisements have additional cost, buying

one may be a wise investment later on. The New York

Times article by Kermit Pattison states, “As you create an

ad, you can add demographic criteria and keywords and

see how many Facebook users fall into your target

audience and modify it accordingly to get the most bang

for your buck. Advertisers can elect to pay per impression

or per click, set maximum budgets and schedule the ad to

run on specific dates.”

Promoting Events on Facebook

One of the most important applications to learn how to

use will be the ‘Events’ feature, which allows people who

are a part of this Facebook page to gain more knowledge

about what types of activities, concerts, performances,

etc. are happening within the department. Increasing the

awareness of performances and events will increase the

number of students wishing to participate.

UW- L M USIC

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Events

1. Click ‘Edit’ button under Events to be directed to

a new page. On this page, type in the event name,

location of the event, and start/end time of the

event.

2. Next click ‘Create Event’ to be directed to an ‘Add

Details’ page. This page allows the department to

upload pictures, type a description of the event,

and ask Facebook users to attend the event.

When done, click ‘Save and Continue’.

3. The third step is inviting people to this specific

event. In order to invite Facebook users, click on

any important fans relevant to the purpose of the

event. Also, the department can invite people to

the event via email by simply typing email

addresses in the designated area. There is also an

option to add a personal message to the

invitation, but this is not always necessary. When

finished with this step, simply click the ‘Send

Invitations’ button.


RECOMMENDATIONS

Another feature that may be useful to add is the

discussion board.

1. To edit the discussion board, click ‘Edit’ at the

upper right hand corner under ‘Discussion

Boards’.

2. At the upper right corner, click the button,

‘Start New Topic’. There is an area to write

what the topic of this discussion board is, as

well as another area for explanation.

3. After filling these two areas out, click ‘Post

New Topic’.

The Discussion Board feature is beneficial in

discovering ways to make the department more

visible, reading any problems or questions students

may have, and also discussing upcoming events. In

regards to prospective students being a part of the

page, they can see what types of things go on within

the department, so they can decide if the UW-L Music

Department interests them.

Discussion Board

UW- L M USIC

19

RECOMMENDATIONS


Uploading Pictures and Video

A feature that is commonly used on Facebook pages are

the photo and video features. A November 19, 2009

Press Release from Nielsen Ratings found Facebook was

the third most popular internet site for online video

viewing. Facebook ranked after YouTube and Hulu. These

ratings show the popularity and wide-use of video

watching on Facebook. By clicking the ‘Edit’ button under

either the photo or video application, the department

can create a new album for pictures or add video. When

clicking on the ‘Create a New Album’ button, Facebook

asks for an album title, location, and description. After

clicking ‘Create Album,’ upload pictures. When in the

editing section of the video application click the ‘Upload

Video’ button in the top right hand corner.

The photo and video features enable both current and

prospective students as well as faculty and staff to share

the accomplishments of students. By sharing the success

of some of the ensembles, the department becomes far

more well-known and interests more students. The

Facebook page may encourage students to attend

performances and take part in the ensembles when

arriving on campus.

UW- L M USIC 21

Viterbo has already made a

Facebook group which has 105

members. The Viterbo Music

Department briefly described

the department and posted a

link to its website. The

Department currently has five

events posted, as well as contact

information for ticket sales. This

is just a basic example of how a

department may use a Facebook

page, and we encourage the

UW-L Music Department to

utilize other features such as

music, photos, and videos of

performances.

To judge the success of the project is to count the

number of high school students who join UW-L

ensembles. The department can use the performance

evaluation to see a change in the number of high school

students joining UW-L Music Ensembles. We reach our

goal by measuring the number of Facebook fans.

Evaluation

RECOMMENDATIONS & EVALUATION


Meredith Brown

I am a UW-L senior majoring in Communication Studies

and Vocal Music Performance with a minor in Spanish.

My connections with the music department are strong

and deep. I have working relationships with many Music

Department faculty members, and a keen awareness and

concern for the department’s welfare. In addition to

involvement in UW-L music program, I bring many

resources to the project as the Public Relations Intern for

the College of Liberal Studies. For five years, I have been

an active music student. My activities include

membership in: the UW-L Concert Choir, Choral Union,

Women’s Chorus, Chamber Choir, and voice lessons with

Dr. Terence Kelly. I also participated in opera workshops

with the UW-L Symphony Orchestra. My professional

experience contributes much knowledge and skills

needed to improve the Music Department’s recruitment.

With my experience at the School of Arts and

Communication, and active ties with the Music

Department, I believe I can make the Music

Department’s goals a reality.

CONSULTANT BACKGROUNDS


UW- L M USIC 23

Kelsie Bolz

I am exceptionally thrilled to be working on recruitment

efforts for the Music Department. I am a UW-L

sophomore majoring in Organizational and Professional

Communications and minoring in Spanish. As a vocalist in

the Concert Choir and past member of Women’s Chorus,

I have an emotional connection to the department, and I

know much about what the department offers. I am a

very organized individual and will do anything to meet

my goals. My leadership and scholastic background

becomes very important in these cases. In high school, I

worked as the assistant editor of the paper and was

Secretary of Concert Choir. I also lead groups like

Student Council and Spanish Club to program and

publicize events. Presently, I am the Residence Hall

Association Council Secretary, advisor to the Activities

and Relations Committee, and an Academic Resource

Mentor. In these positions, I plan programs and increase

student awareness of residence life on campus. My

knowledge of programming, organization, publicity, and

music make me a great practitioner for the recruitment

efforts of the Department of Music.



Adam Smith

I am very excited to help the UW-L Music Department as

Music has always been very important in my life. I played

percussion throughout high school and was elected to

the All-Conference band my senior year. My musical

experience taught me the importance of music for

students. I learned musicians must work together to be

successful. I am also a broadcast major, and I would like

to be a sports anchor or reporter someday. Therefore,

speaking in front of a group is not a problem for me. I

have taken numerous broadcasting classes that have

given me an understanding of the basics of media as well

as public speaking. I am also the Program Director for

UW-La Crosse’s station WMCM. This position has shown

me how important it is to work with others and make

sure what we are doing what is in the best interest of the

station. I have plenty of experience with Facebook as

well. I started my account a couple of years ago and have

seen many organizations raise awareness for their events

through Facebook. I am also a member of the WMCM-TV

group on Facebook which we use to promote the station.

With my knowledge in these areas, I feel I am an

excellent choice for this proposal.

Brittany Ballweg

I believe I will do a great job representing the proposal

our group created. We hope it improves the UW-L Music

Department’s recruitment efforts. I learned a number of

communication skills through my summer job working in

the office at a water park in Wisconsin Dells. I was in

charge of answering phones, dealing with customers, and

leading group ticket sales. All these duties were

necessary to make each day successful and to keep the

reputation of our business positive. I also took part in the

Symphonic Band my sophomore year at UW-L. Therefore,

I know about many aspects of the department. My

experience in the department as well as my many

communication skills will be an important addition to

help better this campaign.


UW- L M USIC 25

department of music campaign proposal

Documents

department wil

prospective students

incoming students

students of upcoming

recruitment strategies

recruitment committee

issue of recruitment

facebook page