The Effective Use of External Advisory Councils

for Degree Program Development: The Nazareth College Experience

and Lessons LearnedPresented by:

Dr. Joseph DaBoll-Lavoie, Chairperson and Professor of EconomicsMr. Mark Weber, Director, MS IMC Program, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing

Mr. Gerard F. Zappia, Dean, School of Management

April 16, 2015

Program Advisory Recommendation

BS Information Technology Go

BS Finance Go

BS Wellness No Go

MS Human Resource Development Go

MS Human Resource Management Go

MS Real Estate No Go

MS Integrated Marketing Communications Go

A “go” does not guarantee success

Part I About Nazareth College & Situation Analysis

Part II Definition and Benefits of an External Advisory Council

Part III Creating, Managing and Maintaining a Council

Part IV Case Study – MS in Integrated Marketing Communications

Part I

About Nazareth College&

Situation Analysis

Rochester

About Rochester, New York – Metropolitan Area (9

counties)Item RMA USA

Population 1.1 million 319 million

Per Capita Income $ 27,563 $ 28,051

Median Household Income $ 53,155 $ 53,046

Median Family Income $ 67,052 $ 64,585

Median Home Price $ 128,200 $ 181,400

Percent Bachelor’s or Higher 32% 29%

Average Temperature 48.6 F 54.5 F

About Rochester, New York – Metropolitan Area (9 counties)

– Lost half of manufacturing jobs – past 15 years

– Growth sectors – education, health, leisure/hospitality, and financial

– Unemployment rate - 5.4% (January 2015)

About New York State

– A decline in NYSHG through 2019

About Nazareth

• Founded 1924 – Sisters of Saint Joseph

• Independent, comprehensive and co-ed since the 1970’s

• 60 undergraduate majors – graduate programs (M.S., M.S. Ed, and

DPT)

• 2057 FT and PT undergraduate students

• 758 FT and PT graduate students

• 175 FT faculty - 287 PT faculty

• 90% of students from New York State

Enrollment Trends per School/College:

• School of Education (negative growth rate)

• School of Health and Human Services (high growth grate)

• School of Management (low growth rate)

• College of Arts and Science (negative growth rate)

Each School/College is expected to develop a growth strategy

Growth Strategy - School of Management

• Maintain undergraduate enrollment (steady state)

• Increase graduate enrollment through new programs

– Serve underserved segments with significant demand

– Stay away - over-served and crowded segments (i.e. - the MBA)

Our Challenge

Developing Relevant Graduate Programs and Curriculum

“At the graduate level, there’s a

sharp disparity between what

business schools think we’re

providing to students and what

employers say they want.” Georgette Chapman Phillips, DeanCollege of Business and Economics

Lehigh University

Source: BizEd Magazine – January/February 2015

The Development of Graduate Programs and Curriculum

`

Program &Curriculum

Guidance from

Accrediting Body

Alumni Advice

Wild Guess

Magic

Intuition

Review Secondary

Data

Pray

Copy Other

Schools

What Most Schools Do (Our Observation)

Our Advice

• Do all of the above

• Add an “external advisory council” to the mix

Part II

Definition & Benefits External Advisory Council

External Advisory CouncilThe Nazareth College Definition

1. An “external” advisory council consists of thought leaders, experts and practitioners from the appropriate business sector.

2. The purpose is to provide an “outside-in” perspective to help assess the market need for an academic program.

3. Should a need be established, the council provides a current perspective that will help shape a realistic vision and mission along with a strategic and tactical direction for the program.

4. In addition, the council will help shape the student learning outcomes and curriculum based on the needs of potential employers.

Potential Benefits1. Relevant curriculum connected to the needs of business

2. Enhances program credibility

3. Accelerates Awareness of new program in business community

4. Sense of ownership by business community

5. Internship and employment opportunities

6. Potential benefactors

7. Expand your personal network

8. List of guest speakers

9. Potential adjunct faculty

10. Council membership will help promote the program

Part III

Creating, Building and Maintaining a Council

Building a Council1. Develop list of prospects

– Employers of past graduates

– Potential employers of proposed program graduates

– Key influencers and opinion leaders in the community

– Alumni working in the relevant field

– Recommendations from alumni working in the field

2. Recommended size – 8 to 12 (not likely to be perfectly representative)

3. Create a clear concise mission statement for the council (purpose)

4. Develop timeline and define time expectations for the council

5. Set meeting dates in advance – be willing to adjust based on preferences

6. Send a brief invitation letter from the Dean

7. Follow up phone call

Managing a Council

1. Council members want to “react” not “create”

2. Do not waste the membership’s time

– Clear and focused agenda

– Begin and end on time

– No meeting should be more than on hour

– Keep accurate minutes and send out for approval

3. Always explain what you do with their advice – not window

dressing

4. Explain the degree program approval process for college and state

5. Facilitate – say as little as possible - listen carefully

New Degree Program Development Sequential and Top-Down

1. Determine Market Need for Program

2. ProgramMission

3. Program Level SLOs

4. ProgramCurriculum

5. Program Delivery

Mode

NO NEED

NEED

START HERE

NOT HERE

Maintaining the Council

1. Celebrate the accomplishment

2. Send formal “thank you’ letter and cc: their boss (if appropriate)

3. Council should continue after program launch

4. Send out progress reports – status of the program

5. Council membership is dynamic (add/subtract)

6. Meet one to two times per year

7. Conduct at least one annual review

8. Ask Council for recommendations – new members

Part IV – Case Study

Developing the MS IMC

MS IMC Advisory Council Membership

Giamprini, Mike Vice President/GM - DAC Group

Gossin, Cheryl Vice President – Communications – Constellation Brands

Hadley, Mary Community Service Advocate, Operations Leader, Business Executive - Flower City Habitat for Humanity

Hanson, Susan CMO – Partners and Napier

Infante, Peter President – Butler/Till

Martino, Ray Partner – Martino/Flynn

Murtha, Bill President – Roberts Communications

Prinzi, Jim Vice President – Marketing – Monro Muffler (Adjunct Professor – Nazareth College - School of Management)

Weber, Mark Professor of Marketing/International BusinessNazareth College – School of Management

Zappia, Jerry Dean - Nazareth College – School of Management

Zornow, Leslie Advertising and Brand Manager – ESL Federal Credit Union

Why – MS IMC at Nazareth?• Dean Zappia has a bias for marketing programs

• SOM Strategic Growth Strategy - student population growth will come from the adult learner and new graduate programs

• Market Shift - from generalist graduate programs to specialized graduate programs (Many MBA programs are struggling).

• Seeking Unmet Needs – unoccupied space in educational marketplace that aligns with Nazareth SOM abilities

• Very Good – BLS Occupational Outlook

Occupational Outlook (BLS)

“Employment of advertising and promotions managers is

expected to grow 13 percent from 2010 to 2020. Advertising,

promotions, and marketing will continue to be essential for

organizations as they look to maintain and expand their share of

the market.”

Source: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing-managers.htm

MS IMC Advisory Board Mission• Input into shaping the

direction of the MS degree in Marketing Communications (Marcom) including the vision and mission for the program.

• Provide input and perspective on Marcom Program activities, events, and curriculum

• Assistance in identifying the appropriate ways for the Marcom Program to contribute to the greater Rochester area and establish productive community partnerships

• Assistance in the identification and acquisition of resources that will allow the Marcom Program at Nazareth to achieve its vision and mission

TimelineBest Case Scenario

Aug ’13Present Draft 1

SLOs and Curriculum to

Marcom

Sept ’13Finalize

SLOs and Curriculum to

Marcom

Oct ’13Prepare Formal

Proposal

Present to SOM Faculty

Oct ’13Present to Curriculum Committee

Nov ’13Present to

College Faculty

Dec ’13Vote by

College Faculty

Feb ‘14Present to Trustees

Feb ‘14Send Proposal to

NYSED

March/April ‘14NYSED Approval

August ‘14Program Begins

MS IMC Program Mission

The M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications is

designed to facilitate and enhance the career and

professional development for those currently

working in marketing communications and to

provide in depth study and training for individuals

aspiring to enter the field.

NOTE: What we do - Who we serve – Short and sweet.

MS IMC Program SLOsStudents will develop and demonstrate: 1. The ability to identify important issues, develop the appropriate marketing strategy, and devise

an implementation plan to accomplish goals

2. The conceptual, written and oral communication skills to effectively develop and communicate ideas to the appropriate audiences

3. The ability to assess the validity and value of internal and external research and its application to communication design and strategy

4. An understanding of campaign management and the collaboration between the internal and external environment

5. A multicultural perspective of the internal and external factors that impact consumer needs, perceptions, attitudes and decision making in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer audiences.

6. An understanding of the role of marketing communications/promotion tools as an integrated element of the marketing plan and the appropriate application.

MS IMC Curriculum - Evolution

32

Original Program Curriculum(Based on pareto of 20 IMC programs)

1. Business Research Methods and Analytics

2. Integrated Marketing Communications

3. Advertising and Media Strategy

4. Public Relations and Social Media Strategy

5. Marketing Concepts and Strategy

6. Global Consumer Behavior

7. Project Management

8. Capstone Course/Project

9. Elective10. Elective11. Elective

Revised Program Curriculum(Based on recommendations of IMC Advisory Board)

MKT 507

MKT 547

MKT 549

MKT 551

MKT 553

MKT 559

MKT 561

MKT 600

1. Marketing Concepts & Strategy

2. Marketing Research & Analytics

3. Global Buyer Behavior

4. Persuasive Communications

5. Leading Innovation

6. Primary Media

7. Emerging Media

8. Marketing Communications Program Management

9. Elective10. Elective11. Elective

Parting Comments

1. Be prepared to accept constructive feedback

2. Excellent meeting organization and facilitation skill is critical

3. Keep the council focused - one issue at a time

4. Listen carefully

5. Follow up and response is critical

6. All group communication does not need to be face-to-face

7. Do not pull them into the weeds (i.e. – course syllabi)

8. Continue relationship after program is launched

Thank You