Achieving the National Agenda: Making Outreach Measurable

1. Tim Copeland Managing Partner, DemandEngine Lesley Snyder Director of Program Development and Marketing UNC Charlotte Achieving the National Agenda: Making Outreach Measurable October 2010

2. "When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind.“ Lord Kelvin

3. Agenda • State of professional and continuing education • How are PCE units measuring outreach today • Five strategies to make outreach measurable

4. What does outreach mean to you? Your challenges?

5. What we see • Many units are doing well, while others are struggling to recover • Competitive environment and the need to do more with less • Lack of measurement outside of financial metrics • Blinded by the light of ‘shiny objects’ • Lack of comprehensive enrollment marketing plans to coordinate the organization • Little focus on the top of the enrollment funnel • Failure to communicate with prospects/students/customers in a sustained manner – the relationship as an asset

6. “Strategies are intellectually simple; their execution is not." Author Larry Bossidy

7. Agenda • State of professional and continuing education • How are PCE units measuring outreach today • Five strategies to make outreach measurable

8. Survey Methodology • Deans and directors from over 700 institutions were invited to participate by email • Institutions targeted by ACHE and UPCEA memberships • An online survey was conducted in September 2010 • Respondents were offered the survey results, a copy of the ACHE presentation, and a copy of a forthcoming paper • In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that the practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the finding of opinion polls. Other possible sources of error in polls are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. These other potential sources of error include question wording, question ordering, and non-response. As with all survey research, it is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors without an experimental control group.

9. Survey respondents profile

10. Survey respondents profile

11. 4 potential categories • Other metrics? • “Scholarship” • Student learning hours • Student learning outcomes • Passing rates – learning assessments • Course go/no go decisions

12. Perceptions of PCE value

13. Targets by revenue & headcount

14. Do you report on these metrics?

15. Inhibiting factors

16. Other factors? • “Taking the time to discipline ourselves to measure and report consistently” • “Lack of staff to do the tracking determining consistent definitions” • “No tradition, but this is changing” • “Lean staff, over worked, just no time for this even though it is important” • “Lack of personnel and processes to track this information workload -- not time to measure and report” • “Becomes last priority in an extremely busy environment “ • “The main issue is staff not having the knowledge to utilize our complex data system and the systems ability to produce timely relevant reports” • “There is little formal call for this data, thus it is not formally reported on” • “We track sporadically and informally. tracking students after graduation • “Lack of office staff “ • “We are in the process of restructuring that will allow personnel to be assigned to using the technology purchased by the University and/or by our School”

17. Agenda • State of professional and continuing education • How are PCE units measuring outreach today • Five strategies to make outreach measurable

18. 1. Baseline what you know

19. Start with the lifeblood of enrollment • New student/business funnel • Demand for program areas • Sources • Timeframes • Year-over-year and year-to-date • Returning student/ business funnel • Persistence toward the end-game • Identify the gaps of information • Compare with macro data

20. Funnel • If you would like more information on applying the enrollment funnel to continuing higher education, pick up a copy of Introducing the Enrollment Funnel: A Valuable Tool for Professional and Continuing Education Outreach Source: DemandEngine

21. 2. Identify metrics that matter

22. The metrics pyramid Develop metrics carefully as measurement for measurement’s sakes can lead you well-informed to Nowheresville. Source: DemandEngine

23. 3. Set targets

24. The art and science of targets • Targets are stakes in the sand • Baseline information for targets is good … potential is better • Match resources to support potential

25. 4. In the world of strategy and measurement, don’t under estimate the people part

26. Barriers to Strategy Execution People Barrier “No measurement” Vision Barrier “No understanding” Management Barrier “No discussion” Resource Barrier “No budget” People and strategy failures It’s estimated that only 10 % of organizations execute their strategy.

27. 5. Construct and USE a scorecard

28. Scorecard fundamentals • A scorecard represents carefully selected set of quantifiable measures derived from strategy. • A dashboard is a collection of performance indicators that represent point-in-time measurements valued by the institution. • Scorecards are unique to YOUR strategy

29. A scorecard example

30. What this means • You can’t manage what you don’t measure • Reverse engineer your desired goals and objectives • The enrollment funnel – prospective students and returning students is an invaluable tool • Scorecards are carefully selected measures that bring your strategy to life

31. Conclusion Five Strategies • Baseline • Identify metrics that matter • Set targets • Don’t underestimate the ‘people’ part • Construct and use a scorecard If you would like a copy of these slides and the upcoming report, please leave your business card. Tim Copeland Managing Partner Email tim.copeland@demandengine.com Phone 912-354-8007 Web www.demandengine.com Blog www.enrollmentmarketing.org Twitter www.twitter.com/tim_copeland

32. About DemandEngine DemandEngine is a CRM consulting and interactive marketing services company dedicated to higher education. Combining talent, strategy and technology, we help colleges and universities transform their enrollment marketing practices and capabilities, develop sound plans and assist in the execution of interactive strategies to achieve defined objectives. Our clients appreciate the value of our strategy-first approach. Our experience includes working with enrollment points ranging from traditional undergraduates to adult learners. With the experience of serving over 200 colleges and universities across the country, we are equipped to respond to the nuances of enrollment management and marketing across your campus. Our client list includes Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide,Georgia Institute of Technology Distance Learning and Professional Education, Harvard University Extension School and Graduate School of Education, Luther Rice Seminary & University, New York University TischSchool of the Arts, UC-Riverside Extension, University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School of Communication University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, University of Vermont Continuing Education, and the University of Washington Center for Distance and Professional Education.