Document text
Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 4, 2005 Southern Oregon University students make their way Thursday through the Hannon Library lobby. The university has focused on improving its marketing and outreach efforts to help boost enrollment amid criticisms of its efforts. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell EXTREME MAKEOVER SOU searches for a new marketing strategy; survey reveals discontent with current effort By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune ASHLAND — If Southern Oregon University hopes to boost still-sagging enrollment figures, officials there need to heed the frank advice of a critical review of the school’s public relations efforts, a study showed. SOU is not marketing to the right population and it is not positioned well to compete for students or faculty, according to a majority of administrators and advisers surveyed in an independent study by a New York consulting firm. Its marketing department is under-funded and under-staffed and the school lacks a coordinated communications plan. Meanwhile, current attempts at outreach fail to adequately involve students or the community, the report said. "The campaign is not there — we need an overarching campaign," wrote one critic in a key 2004 review released this week. Advertisement "Not one-off ads here and there, but a holistic campaign that includes an advertising campaign, aggressive PR outreach, media work and compelling marketing pieces that can drive new student recruitment." At the same time, SOU outreach needs to focus less on the amenities of Ashland and more on its connection to the rest of Southern Oregon. "Ashland-centric is perceived in the region as snobbish and uninterested in Medford, Grants Pass, etc.," a respondent wrote. And school officials need to be more realistic about how the public views the institution. "There is a perception gap between what SOU really is and what it intends to be ..." one critic wrote. "We are perceived as a state college acting like a community college ..." another said. The messages revealed in the report by Global Consulting Group Inc. were not lost on SOU leaders, who have seen enrollment drop by 9.6 percent over the past two years. "We’re not afraid of the truth," Provost Earl Potter said Thursday. In fact, in the 10 months since the survey was finished, SOU officials have taken several steps to implement many of its suggestions. Chief among those has been the decision to create a new, high-level position: associate vice president of marketing and public relations. About 50 people have applied for the post, which pays $70,000 to $85,000 annually, said Jacqueline Schad, vice president for institutional advancement. A final selection could be chosen by mid-November. At the same time, officials have installed an admissions representative in Portland. "It’s the first time we’ve ever had someone physically in Portland," said Mara Affre, admissions director. Declines in the number of students from the Portland area accounted for a big portion of the 3.6 percent drop in this year’s fall enrollment figures, Potter said. The dip to 4,977 students — the first time in a decade SOU enrollment fell below 5,000 — came a year after a 6.2 percent decline. Officials had estimated that SOU would see a 3 percent enrollment gain this year — 152 students — according to a draft report Potter sent to the chancellor’s office. "It was my best guess at the time," Potter said. "Frankly, it was optimistic." The marketing analysis completed in December was funded in part by Bear Creek Corp. It was based on 27 interviews with SOU administrators, advisory board and foundation board members, as well as 19 written surveys. The information was gathered in 2003, and SOU has been focused on improving its marketing efforts since then. "There’s no question that this campus is in a continually evolving state of improvement," Schad said. More than three-quarters of respondents to the survey agreed that SOU is well-regarded as an institution of higher learning in Southern Oregon. However, only about two-thirds agreed that SOU is well-regarded in Oregon and only 12 percent felt the school was well- regarded in the nation. That low national standing reflects on the school’s regional perception, respondents said. But they added that improving the school’s effectiveness locally is essential to boosting SOU’s reputation in the nation. And they praised the commitment of Potter and SOU President Elisabeth Zinser to revamping communication efforts. "This president has done more to advance the name of SOU than any other president in the college’s history," a respondent wrote. The marketing survey is a pivotal tool for tackling the enrollment dilemma, Schad said. "I think how you present yourself to the world is always tied to how your customer base responds," she said. "We’re trying so hard to be a good institution for this community." A step in the wrong direction? Results from a survey of Southern Oregon University communications practices, conducted by the Global Consulting Group Inc. of New York: About 60 percent of respondents believe that SOU’s marketing and public relations is not headed in the right direction. About 69 percent of respondents don’t believe that SOU is marketing to the right populations. Almost half of respondents agree that SOU is not well positioned to compete for students. Almost 60 percent of respondents believe that SOU is not well positioned to compete for future faculty. About 77 percent of respondents agree that SOU is well regarded as an institution of higher education in the region. About 68 percent of respondents agree SOU is well regarded in Oregon. About 12 percent agreed that SOU is well regarded in the nation. More than 85 percent of respondents believe SOU’s marketing efforts do not adequately involve students. 100 percent of respondents believe SOU’s marketing efforts are not adequately involved in the community. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail EXTREME MAKEOVER ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Salvia Divinorum Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s