Council for Christian Colleges & Universities

1. Council for Christian Colleges & Universities Session I: Hallmark Themes February 6, 2001 Maguire Associates, Inc. www.maguireassoc.com

2. Goals of the Project • Determine how families define value • Provide the CCCU with “big picture” themes • Develop strategies for promoting under-appreciated yet cherished elements of the CCCU’s mission • Uncover profiles of target audiences • Gain a longitudinal perspective (1986 vs. 2000)

3. Prospects Inquirers/ Admitted Parents Students (Matriculants/ Non - Matriculants) Desired 500 Inq/ 800 - 900 400 N 150 Par Method Mail Pre - mail/ Mail Phone Sampling 8200 NRCCUA 5000 10,000 CCCU National CCCU Member Member Admitted Inquiry Pool Student Poo l Timing Initial 5000 (Interviewing Full sample Mailed June 6; June 28 to mailed nd 2 3200 July 26) July 18 Mailed July 5 Actual N 559 514/205 (540/343) Research Audiences

4. Hallmark Themes for CCCU

5. “A Synergy of Scholarship, Faith, and Character.”

6. Hallmark Themes • Academic Quality: A high-quality education in a secular world. • Christian-centered Community: A close-knit, Christian community that emphasizes character development and spiritual growth. • Future Orientation: Preparation for life as well as a living. • Financial Investment: The value proposition.

7. Academic Quality • Theme: A high-quality education in a secular world. • Introduces the Christian focus • Positions against public and private secular competitors • Acknowledges concerns about invasion of voiceless/faceless world • Can convey freedom of intellectual inquiry • Sets foundation for integration of faith and learning

9. Academic Quality

10. Academic Quality Council Recommendations: • Lead the signature and tag line statements with reference to scholarship. • Voice the Council’s commitment to providing academic quality. • Drop the term “liberal arts” from the generic description of Christian colleges and universities.

11. Academic Quality Member Institution Recommendations: • Tackle perceptions that CCCU institutions may lack intellectual depth. Issues: • Intellectual freedom • Rigidity • Academic rigor • Present best case for academic quality at the outset. • Provide evidence of quality throughout the recruitment cycle.

12. Academic Quality Member Institution Recommendations: • Develop the concept of integrating faith and learning over time. • Emphasize faculty commitment to the development of the whole person: • Use faculty voices • Attend to intellectual, social, spiritual dimensions

13. Academic Quality Member Institution Recommendations: • Develop appreciation for the value of a Christian faculty. • Profile faculty, students, and alumni (multi-dimensional). • Post their honors and achievements. • Use high-profile alumni quotations and testimonials.

14. Christian-centered Community • Theme: A close-knit, Christian community that emphasizes character development and spiritual growth. • Highlights character development • Distinguishes spiritual growth opportunities • Enhances appreciation for value • Develops understanding of integration of faith and living

15. Christian-centered Community • Students have a narrow vision of a Christian campus environment at the beginning of the college search process. • Christian-related variables impact upon students’ decisions throughout the admissions funnel.

18. Christian-centered Community • Families are paying attention to character development: • “Values” and “morals” (throughout process) • “Christian atmosphere” (from inquiry stage)

19. Christian-centered Community • Students are thinking about Christian communities compartmentally: • Social lives • Religious life • Community service/service learning

20. Christian-centered Community Member Recommendations: • Align personal growth with spiritual development to define and distinguish Christian communities. • Develop Christian fellowship and its impact on all aspects of student life. • Illustrate ways that students work together in Christian and community service activities.

21. Christian-centered Community Member Recommendations: • Draw attention to the intimacy of the campus community. • Help students to appreciate the full scope of on- and off-campus programs available.

22. Christian-centered Community Member Recommendations: • Create a multi-dimensional perspective of student life: • Quality of other students • Social and religious traditions • Best examples of a typical day • Evidence of social life with a sense of social responsibility • Opportunities for fun and community service on and off campus

23. Christian-centered Community Member Recommendations: • Increase emphasis on social life and all its dimensions as students approach their enrollment decision. • Teach students to think of CCCU campuses as a “home base” rather than a “home away from home.” • Monitor the effectiveness of the campus visit with a goal to achieve top ratings.

24. Future Orientation • Theme: Preparation for life as well as a living. • Addresses interest in careers • Advances concept of development of whole person • Provides foundation for moral and spiritual lifestyle • Raises the bar for definition of success

25. Future Orientation • Students are focused on graduate school, their first job, and their careers. • Top of the list of priorities are: • “Preparation for future careers” • “Employment opportunities after graduation”

26. Future Orientation • Parents also give substantial weight to practical outcomes: • “Employment opportunities after graduation” • “Preparation for careers” • Career preparation is tightly linked to value in students’ and parents’ minds.

29. Future Orientation Member Recommendations: • Provide ample information throughout the recruitment process about practical outcomes. • Lists of first jobs received • Graduate school acceptances • Lists of recruiters to the campus each year

30. Future Orientation Member Recommendations: • Demonstrate how students get “real world” experiences while still enrolled. • Continue to convey successes in preparing graduates for leading responsible, socially conscious lives.

31. Financial Investment • Theme: The value proposition. • Create a succinct statement • Fold in essential elements of first three hallmark statements • Write to parent audience • Connect to cost discussions at all times

32. Financial Investment • Meaning of worth: • “Good education” • “Employable at graduation” • “Preparation for life” • “Christian atmosphere” • “Quality of major”

33. Financial Investment • Value of a Christian college and university: • Overall, the mean ratings fall within acceptable limits. • Prospects have a moderate sense of the value. (6.76) • Non-matriculant ratings are low. (7.61)

34. Financial Investment • Educational experiences adding the most value across all four prospective student groups are: • “Students are encouraged to form their own view of the world and are prepared to achieve success in their chosen field, while engaging society with Christian principles and ideas.” • “There is a commitment to continue the Christian values of families and to foster individual spiritual growth.” • “Christian morals and character development are central to the educational process.”

35. Financial Investment • Parents are especially impressed with: • “There is a commitment to continue the Christian values of families and to foster individual spiritual growth.” • “Students are encouraged to form their own view of the world and are prepared to achieve success in their chosen field while engaging society with Christian principles and ideas.” • “There is a firm commitment to the integration of Christian faith and learning.”

38. Financial Investment • All student audiences think about money issues predominantly in terms of sticker price. • Integrated definition of educational value for prospects: • Closely tied with the importance of preparation for future careers and character development

39. Financial Investment • Integrated definition for inquirers: • Preparation for future careers • Character development • Exposure to different cultures on campus and in study abroad programs

40. Financial Investment • Integrated definition for accepted students: • Career opportunities • Preparation for graduate school • Academic reputation • Academic facilities • Quality of faculty • Quality of major • Character development

41. Financial Investment Council Recommendations: • Write a value proposition that augments the signature statement. • Talk about value in terms of investments in preparation for future careers and character development.

42. Financial Investment Council Recommendations: • Use the following messages to communicate value most effectively to prospects: • “Students are encouraged to form their own view of the world and are prepared to achieve success in their chosen field while engaging society with Christian principles and ideas.” • “Christian morals and character development are central to the educational process.”

43. Financial Investment Member Recommendations: • Appeal to parents with the following messages: • “There is a commitment to continue the Christian values of families and to foster individual spiritual growth.” • Students are encouraged to form their own view of the world and are prepared to achieve success in their chosen field while engaging society with Christian principles and ideas.” • “There is a firm commitment to the integration of Christian faith and learning.”

44. Financial Investment Member Recommendations: • Communicate the valued-added benefits of a Christian education throughout the recruitment process. • Increase families’ understanding of the concept of net cost. • Bring technological systems to the financial aid process. • Investigate multivariate modeling designed to increase the cost-efficiency of financial aid packages.

45. Conclusion “The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.” Harry Lauder