Strategic Planning

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• Strategic Planning
• Student Recruitment Counseling
• Market Research
• Market Assessment
• Institutional Data Analysis
• Environmental Scanning
• Public Relations Counseling
• Strategic Public Relations Services

• Guaranteed Visibility
• Institutional Identity Programs
• Financial Aid Counseling
• Direct Mail
• Telesreening/Telerecruiting
• Print Communications
• Customized Web Communications

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• The Private College 2015
• Trends, Challenges, Opportunities
• and
• How to Live with Them
• George Dehne
• Christopher Small
• GDA Integrated Services

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Our Objectives

• What issues relate to the market position of
  Private colleges?
• How are private colleges positioned to meet the
  educational and career preparation needs of the
  21st Century?
• What are the opportunities for private colleges?

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Size doesnt seem to matter

• 6 of 10 graduating seniors cannot estimate the
  undergraduate enrollment at their own enrolling
  college.
• Only 1 of 10 college-bound seniors said small
  classes was essential in their choice of a
  college.

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Grad assistants are a good thing??

• 9 of 10 college-bound seniors said they prefer a
  college that has both undergraduate and graduate
  programs
• to a college with only undergraduates.
• About 50 of college-bound students preferred a
  college where graduate students assist with
  teaching
• over a college where only fulltime faculty
  teach.

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• More than 8 of 10 college-bound students prefer a
  college that has an excellent major in their
  field of interest
• over a college that has many major fields
  from which to choose
• Nearly 9 of 10 college-bound students prefer an
  urban or suburban setting for their college
• over a small town or rural setting.
• About 1 of 10 college-bound students say gaining
  a liberal arts education is essential in their
  choice of a college

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Students Changed Objectives

• 79 of freshmen in 1970 had as important
  personal objective of developing a
  meaningful philosophy of life.
• 75 of freshmen in 2006 said their primary
  objective was being very well off
  financially.

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Perceived Advantages ofLarge Universities

• More challenging and/or rigorous
• Better for career preparation
• Better for graduate/professional preparation
• Offers stronger majors
• More options for majors
• More courses in major
• Perceived as more fun
• Greater diversity of students

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• How are private colleges positioned to meet
• the educational and
• career preparation needs
• of the 21st Century?

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The Small College Advantages

• Personal Attention
• Opportunity to participate in life of the college
• Easier to personalize your education
• Concern for the development of the whole person

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What Millennials Want from College

• To study with positive people
• To be challenged
• To be treated respectfully
• To learn new knowledge and skills
• To live and work in friendly environments
• To have flexible schedules
• To be recognized and/or rewarded
• To have fun

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What skills are important to students?Extremely
Very Important
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Important skills to Students (cont)
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Employers Graduate Preparedness
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Whats a Private College to Do?

• Making Trends Workfor Your College

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Not Obviously Related Trends

• Urban-Orientation
• The Ever Bigger Movement
• The Experience Economy
• Disney
• Rainforest Café
• REI Sports

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Most Important Facilities During Visit
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Are students using online tools to connect with
other students?

• Redefining what is a friend
• Connecting with students in the US - 23
• Connecting with students around the world - 17
• Online friends
• 44 connect with 20 online friends monthly
• Never met 34 of those friends

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Not Their Parents Liberal Arts

• Demand for agile workers is growing
• Technological change requires greater
  adaptability
• Work relationships will see more flux
• New management model
• Move from managing, directing and controlling.
• To negotiating, coordinating, and facilitating

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New Commission on the Skills of the American
Workforce 2007

• Knowing more about the world
• Thinking outside the box
• Becoming smarter about new sources of information
• Develop good people skills

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Which 21st Century Skills Are Most Important?

• Speak Up for Students, Teachers Parents 2007
• Parents
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Work ethic
• Teachers
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Technology skills
• Students
• Tied Critical thinking
• Technology skills

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How do students want to learn science?

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Whats a Small College to Do?

• Link small classes and personal attention to
  challenge.
• Use flexibility to demonstrate strong major
  fields.
• Think of residential life as an educational
  advantage.
• Prove development of the whole person.
• Prove career preparation.
• Become a leader in the new liberal arts.
• Be intentional

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The Private College of 2015

• The National Few (Amherst, Williams, Carleton,
  Swarthmore, Pomona)
• The Truly Distinctive (Hampshire, Colorado
  College, Sarah Lawrence)
• The Adaptable (urban, majority adults, often more
  commuter than residential)
• The Endangered (rural, under 2000 students,
  generic offerings, under endowed )
• The Hybrid (Some distinctions in majors,
  opportunities, out-of-class experience)

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Hybrid Colleges

• Hendrix College
• The Odyssey Program
• William Jewell College (MO)
• ACT In General Education as major field
• Jamestown College (ND)
• Comprehensive Advising Program (CAP)
• Converse College (SC)
• Creating a Creativity Culture
• Midwestern University
• College of Healthcare, Fitness and Sciences

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What Makes A Successful Hybrid?

• A nucleus of idea(s) that already exist(s) on
  campus
• An idea that is organic to the institution
• A distinctive, if not unique, idea
• Research tested to ensure the idea will attract
  enough interest among desirable students
• A basic foundation in reality but with room to
  grow (not all smoke mirrors)
• An institutional commitment to success
• A comprehensive rollout plan to introduce the
  concept to key audiences.
• Repeat

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Presidents Role

• Leave your own paradigms/assumptions at your own
  desk
• Recognize all learning in and out-of-class, on
  and off-campus
• Include your students in planning and decisions
• Expect to take uncomfortable risks
• Insist on thinking outside the box

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• THANK YOU
• GDA Integrated Services
• George Dehne
• Christopher Small
• www.gdais.com
• george_at_dehne.com
• topher_at_dehne.com