Program Goals and Marketing Techniques

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• Program Goals and Marketing Techniques

Worcester State College- Jon P. McCarter
Framingham State College- Deborah
Moschella Bridgewater State College- Dan Cooley  
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Agenda

• How to market your program to your faculty/staff
• How to market the program to parents and
  students.
• Marketing techniques
• Best way to get out information

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Worcester State College

• Laptop Program Goals and Marketing

Jon P. McCarterCenter for Online
LearningWorcester State College
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Program Goals

• Increase technology usage
• Eliminate the Digital Divide
• Shift resource concentration
• Enrich the classroom experience
• Increase student employment opportunities

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Promoting the Program

• Web site
• Brochures
• Flyers
• Face-to-face presentations
• Faculty promotion

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Web Site

• Program description and goals
• Acquisition information
• Minimum specifications
• Support materials
• Resource materials
• Contact information

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Brochures and Flyers

• Brochure
• Program description
• Program goals
• Contact information
• Support information
• Recommended laptop
• Flyers
• Provided by laptop supplier

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Face-to-Face Presentations

• Parent Orientations
• Program description
• Program benefits
• Recommended laptop
• Question and answer period
• Student Orientations
• Requirement reasons
• Accessing campus resources
• Acquiring help

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Faculty Promotion

• Information sessions
• Workshops
• Using the laptop in the classroom
• Pedagogical application
• Software applications
• Resources
• Online discourse
• Strong support resources

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Framingham State CollegeLaptop Program Goals
and Marketing Techniques
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Program Goals

• Infusion of technology throughout curriculum
• Integration of technology-rich tools and
  resources into the curriculum
• Allows instructors to expand and deepen the
  learning experiences of their students
• Any time/any where access to campus network and
  Web-based resources
• Fluency in information technology as it applies
  to majors and future professions

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Marketing to faculty

• Faculty involved in the pilot promote the program
  by participating in
• professional development days
• teaching circles
• using technology in the classroom
• Students now request of faculty that they use
  technology in many of their courses
• Academic Technology offers training sessions and
  one on one support for faculty

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Information to students and their families

• Acceptance Letter
• Website
• Accepted Students Day
• Orientation
• Mailings
• Blackboard

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Acceptance letter

• first formal introduction to FSCs laptop program
  
• includes a line that states that with the
  admittance to Framingham State College, students
  are required to bring a wireless laptop
• included with the letter is a brochure with
  details on the Colleges laptop computer
  requirements is included from the Admissions
  Office

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Accepted Students Day

• In April
• Informational table staffed by ITS members
• presentation on the laptop as a requirement

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Orientation in June

• Meet with both parents and students separately
• Have recommended laptop and some recommended
  accessories available for families to look at the
  laptop sales and information desk
• ITS staff are available for any questions and
  support.
• Usually there is a member of the vendor sales or
  technical support team available
• Make purchasing available at the table or in the
  lab with a member of the FSC ITS staff

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Student- Orientation

• Students, during orientation, go to a laptop
  presentation to find out more in-depth
  information about the requirements and the
  recommended laptop.
• Receive a packet of information
• Laptop information
• Information on computing at FSC
• Minimum specifications
• Is your computer ready for the network (how to
  prepare your laptop for FSCs network)
• Visit the laptop sales and information desk
• Students meet with the Academic Technology
  Department
• Receive their accounts (network, portal,
  Blackboard, e-mail)
• Log into all their accounts and familiarize
  themselves with each one.

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Parent orientation

• Meet with parents to discuss the laptop
  requirement
• What they need to buy
• What information students received that morning
  (info. Packet)
• Distribute information flyers to parents
• Why purchase the campus standard as opposed to
  anything else out there
• Academic basis for laptops
• Question and answer
• Parents visit the laptop sales and information
  desk
• Can talk one on one with an ITS staff member or
  vendor
• Can view the recommended laptop and accessories.

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Follow up on Blackboard during the summer

• Question and answer forum specifically for
  laptops and technology questions
• Post reminders on student and parent blackboard
  site
• about when and what to buy a laptop
• how to get support
• where to ask questions during the process of
  purchasing
• if your laptop qualifies as meeting minim. specs
• Information is posted on how to keep your laptop
  clean and working
• There are postings on what to expect when you get
  to campus, how to get your laptop ready for the
  network and registering your machine for the
  network.

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Program Goals

• 100 Participation for the In-Program Purchases
• Academic Involvement
• 24/7 Access to Academic Resources
• Provide High Quality Technical Support
• Campus Standardization
• Increase Faculty and Student Communication

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Marketing Techniques

• Advertise With Pamphlets, Email, Campus Tours,
  Admissions
• Compare Recommended Notebook With Other Models to
  Show Support and Benefits
• Orientation
• Parent Student Presentations
• Provided On-Site Ordering
• Q A Sessions With IT Staff Dell Reps

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How and Where?

• Identify Faculty to Lead the Laptop Initiative
• Create Faculty Support Center (TTC)
• Faculty Notebook Sessions (TTC)
• Offer Laptop Over Desktop for Faculty
• Grant Money for Development of Classes Taught
  With Notebooks
• Advertise Support Program
• Work With Vendors to Showcase at Campus Events
• Coordinate With Financial Aid for Hardship
  Situations