Mary Gresch and Associates

Strategic Communications Consulting for Higher Education

March 8, 2010

Stakeholder Feedback and PositioningMarylhurst University

Goals for Today

Brief Review of Process Overview of Stakeholder Survey Results Overview of Positioning Development of Positioning Declaration

Brand = reputation

The concept you represent to your most influential stakeholders.

Brand promise

A promise of distinction that defines and directs an organization.

Brand marketing

A research- and relationship-based methodology for achieving measurable organizational goals by demonstrating to stakeholders (boards, alumni, public), consumers (students), investors (donors) evidence that the brand is keeping its promise.

What is required?

Leadership commitment

Five-step process

All parts of organization participate: integrated advancement

Continuous discipline, measurement, and tooling up

Brand development process1. Program analysis, assessment, and stakeholder

feedback

2. Development of positioning

3. Planning and organizational integration

4. Creative strategy development

5. Implementation and measurement

2010 Stakeholder SurveyTotal participants = 636

On-ground/online students = 209 Alumni = 137 Graduate students = 130 Undergraduate students = 101 Online only students = 97 Faculty = 79 Staff = 48 Prospective students = 34 Trustees = 16 Volunteers/community members = 10

2010 Stakeholder Survey636 responses from Feb. 1-10

Students, prospective students, alumni, faculty, staff, trustees, and community members

Top of Mind: All

Perceptions: Agree Strongly High-quality education

Small class sizes

Accommodates working professionals

All: Perceptions

Undergraduates: Perceptions

Graduate: Perceptions

Faculty: Perceptions

Staff: Perceptions

On-ground: Perceptions

Online: Perceptions

Prospective Students: Perceptions

Alumni: Perceptions

Community: Perceptions

Trustees: Perceptions

Most-cited descriptors•Personal•Adult-learner focused•Student-centered•High-quality•Relevant•Flexible•Small and small classes•Holistic•Social justice/ethics-based•Career advancement•Beautiful campus•Catholic

Most cited issues Academic quality not consistent across programs

Poor advising

Lack of clarity regarding relationship between business/MBA and liberal arts

Unknown in market/mixed perceptions of quality

Lack of clarity regarding what institution stands for

Reputation: very few comments and/or indicators of leadership or prestige.

On-ground: Top of Mind

Online: Top of Mind

Community: Top of Mind

All: Attributes

Undergraduates: Attributes

Graduate: Attributes

Faculty: Attributes

Staff: Attributes

On-ground: Attributes

Online: Attributes

Prospective Students: Attributes

Alumni: Attributes

Community: Attributes

Trustees: Attributes

Most cited:excellent/good

•Class size•Appearance of campus•Campus safety•Flexibility•Relevance to career•Quality of teaching, faculty•Online student services

•On-campus student services an issue•Prospective students “don’t know”

All: Benefits

Undergraduates: Benefits

Graduate students: Benefits

Faculty: Benefits

Staff: Benefits

On-ground: Benefits

Online: Benefits

Prospective Students: Benefits

Alumni: Benefits

Community: Benefits

Trustees: Benefits

Open-ended: Benefits

“The fact that the faculty is adjunct, to me, is more of a detriment than a value. The instructors get paid very little and those that do not work from the goodness of their hearts put in little effort. I find this especially true with the online courses I have taken through Marylhurst.”

“Prep for a career AND life goes hand in hand with scheduling that fits an adult lifestyle.”

“I agree about preparation for life, but disagree strongly about a guarantee of a good job or advancement.”

Positioning

Positioning Considerations “My fear is that Marylhurst is getting the reputation of a

diploma mill. Quick on-line programs that lead to a degree but limited knowledge and understanding. Moving into industrialized, mass-produced education.”

“When I was an undergrad at an area community college, I never heard of MU. It is difficult to say what MU stands for but it seems to be a community that embraces adult learners - I just wish I had become familiar with this prior to picking my university to transfer to.”

Positioning Considerations “Students who come here currently seem to be attracted by the

idea that we emphasize self-directed education. Incoming students seem to understand this as "There are no required courses and I can take whatever I want." This is a huge problem because they end up being disappointed and angry when they find out they have to take LAC 301 and other courses outside their major in order to meet LAC requirements.”

Positioning Considerations Marylhurst stands for offering nontraditional students an

alternative to traditional college or strictly Adult Degree Completion programs. But Marylhurst also has an active arts program that caters to younger students. And finally, Marylhurst offers wonderful transfer opportunities. My goal is that Marylhurst is the final stop (and the degree place) for students who've attended multiple schools in the past.

Positioning Considerations I believe it gets lumped in with all the other "adult" degree

program universities and that it's true credibility is in the school's Catholic heritage and history which may set it apart from the University of Phoenix's of the world.

I was a student at Marylhurst for three years and I never saw the school as being dedicated to service and justice. This survey also really focused on a Catholic foundation that I rarely, if ever, hear in class other than the requisite intro of each term. I'm all for service and justice, and would have liked to have seen that, but for what it's worth, if that's a core value of the school, it's not coming through (or at least didn't to me).

Positioning Considerations Comment a about "largest MBA program“: I don't think that is

something to boast about. It implies low admission standards, and degrades the reputation of the University, and the education quality. In higher education, bigger isn't better. Being select is better. I would rather see the University boast about tougher admission standards, comparable with the University of Portland for example. Prestige and reputation of the school are second only to the quality of the education in importance.

Positioning: What MU Stands For In the marketplace of higher education, Marylhurst stands for

the cottage industry, where care and craftsmanship in learning is more important than the consistent factory-made production of graduates.

Marylhurst stands for service: we are a community that exists to enact an alternative, safe and supportive environment for quality adult learning, towards development of the lifewide potentials of those who choose to participate in our programs.

Positioning: Stakeholders Marylhurst is a healing place where students are welcome to

reevaluate their life’s journey, invited to enter a community of compassionate caring people -dedicated educators -with a passion for empowerment through scholarship. At Marylhurst, the student is free to open their minds to new and eternal ideas, to nourish their spirit and to redirect their future. Marylhurst is not just an institution; it is a community which embraces the full development of persons.

Positioning: Stakeholders I was drawn to Marylhurst because they clearly respected the

value of the lifelong process of education, whether from college coursework or from life experience. At my previous schools, the goal was to just get through each class. Education here is collaborative and active, never directive, which inspires me to work harder at really learning. In fact, Marylhurst isn't "giving" me an education at all - it is helping me to educate myself.

Positioning: Stakeholders When I think of Marylhurst, I think of a high-quality of

education, small classes, and flexible scheduling. I'd like to think that the reputation of the school is very high. However, some professionals around the Portland area don't know what the university does or offers, and don't hold it in high regard, especially in the social science and psychology fields. They feel that Marylhurst "breaks the rules" and I agree, they do, but that's why so many people like it. There's a marketing issue here, and the school needs to get control of it.

Faculty and staff

Alumni

All students

Positioning Internal declaration of the position you want to hold

in the market of your principal audience.

Lead, aspire, differentiate, commit

Positioning Who are you?

Whom do you serve principally?

What do you offer most strongly, distinctively, even uniquely?

Why does it matter/make a difference?

Thank you!