Community College at a Crossroads

1. Community College at a Crossroads Staying True While Serving New Audiences

2. Chattanooga State Community College • Founded 1965 • Rooted in its technical school heritage • Technical Certificates, GEDs, Associate Degrees • From Diesel Mechanics to Nursing to pre-Education • Dominates its ‘trading area” • 13,000 students

3. “community’ college means ... • Open admissions • Serving diverse audiences • High School grads • Adults • Business community • Affordable • Convenient • Accredited • State funded

4. The Situation

5. Tremendous growth

6. growth Driven by... • Weak economy • Adults retooling, seeking new skills • Families looking for more affordable path to college degree • Strong programs and new partnerships • Volkswagen Academy • Nursing and Allied Health • Two Plus Two • E-learning BA degree

7. State Changes Funding FORMULA • Pre-2010: Funding based on number enrolled • Strategy: Attract more students • Open ‘front door’

8. State Changes Funding FORMULA • 2010 and beyond: Funding based on number who graduate • Strategy: Attract, retain, and graduate more students

9. Chatt State at a crossroads: growthMust be targeted • “Growth must be targeted to specific segments, not just overall”. • Dr. Jim Catanzaro, President, October, 2010.

10. Crossroads – Need answers before moving on The strategic challenges defined the questions • Tremendous growth • Some programs at capacity • Nursing, health-related • New programs working • New funding formula: retention • Who? • How? • What? • Why?

11. The Research Approach

12. objectives • Assess overall awareness, attitudes and perceptions among constituent groups about Chattanooga State • Explore the decision-making process • Explore the strengths and weaknesses of its communications • Advertising • Website • Learn about the e-learning program • Dig into the root causes of retention

13. We identified all constituencies • Prospects: • HS • Adults Online Prospects High School Counselors Current Students Online Current Online Drop-outs Graduates

14. WE organized Them into Related Groups • Prospects: • HS • Adults High School Counselors Online Prospects Current Students Current Online Online Drop-outs Graduates

15. We Selected a methodology to Match the groups Focus Groups Online Bulletin Board 1-on-1’s • Prospects: • HS • Adults Online Prospects High School Counselors Online Drop-outs Current Students Current Online Graduates

16. The Qualitative Informedthe Quantitative QUAL QUANT Questionnaire D-Guide

17. Key Findings

18. Personification exercise ““If Chatt State were a retail chain, it would be most like _________”

19. Chatt State Delivers on What Matters

20. Chatt State has many positive brand equities • Jobs and careers • Hands-on learning • Faculty: • Cares • Real world experience • Mentors • Good reputation in the community • Networking

21. ‘Brand’ Chatt State has some liabilities • “The 13th Grade” • Crowded • Parking • Lenient admissions • Too easy classes • Faculty • Registration, Financial Aid – not working • Low status • Advisor program

22. Awareness of programs with growth potential was low High Health (Nursing) Business; Sciences Growth Potential Low High Awareness

23. The advertising campaign was approaching wearout • High awareness • “Cheesy,”“not real” • Confusion around the“Ask Joe” phrase • Ads with call-to-action work

24. The website scored high marks • Well-received • Prospective students want the facts - quickly • Challenge: lots of info • Opportunities to improve e-mail functionality • Some helpful features had low awareness

25. research confirms barriers to retention: “Life gets in the way.” • Work • Family • Financial issues • Course work overload

26. THERE ARE many Resources to help retain students... • Caring, helpful, engaged professors • Study resources: • Reading lab • Math lab • Tutoring • Advisors ... BUT THEY HAVE LOW UTILIZATION

27. E-learning driven by convenience and flexibility • Convenience and flexibility drive online enrollment • Organized self-starters more likely to succeed • Certain subjects better-suited for online • E-learning would benefit from a stand alone, consumer-focused website

28. E-learning’s growth potential is among current students • Current students highly satisfied with online classes • Non-Chatt State online students not really interested in Chatt State

29. What’s Next?

30. insights driving a new planning process

31. insights driving a new strategic plan • Promote programs with low awareness, capacity, and potential for growth • Engineering Technology • Sciences • 2 Plus 2 program: Center for Education & Human Services

32. The “Ask Joe” campaign gets new messages • ‘Ask Joe’ messages to communicate many positive brand equities, such as: • Real life success stories of graduates • Affordability • Distinguished faculty • Hands-on learning, small classes • Accreditation

33. “Ask Joe” messages tailored to specific audiences High School “2 Yrs. and get a job” High School “2 Yrs. and get a job” High School “Prepare for Bachelors Degree”

34. Communications will utilize more diverse media • Explore new media • Social media • Public relations: ‘free media”

35. Student retention requires new approaches • New strategies: • Increase awareness of resources • Improve effectiveness of resources • Blue sky: • Identify at-risk students early on • Develop new resources for at-risk students

36. Through the Crossroads with a new approach Old New • Little data • Broad target and messages • Enrollment • Nursing, Health Related • Data • Targeted messages • Retention • Sciences, Engineering

37. Thank You