Penn State Mont Alto2008-2013 Strategic Plan Update for Goal 6

David Adams, Holly Cieri, Staci Grimes

Goal 6: Position the campus effectively in our increasingly competitive environments and actively promote our strengths.

Objectives

• Increase awareness by promoting the excellent, unique, high-value educational experience offered by Penn State Mont Alto (CPP, DCE, DEM)

• Promote Penn State Mont Alto as a multi-faceted, environmentally-aware campus through initiatives centered around sustainability (CPP, DCE, DEM)

Strategies/Tactics• Establish an Enrollment Management Advisory Committee composed of representatives from each program area,

students, and selected staff members to develop a strategic marketing plan by January 2009.• This committee was formed and completed a 5 year Marketing plan lead by the Office of Marketing and Public Relations in

2010. With turn-over the committee has dissolved and has not been reconvened

• Develop an out-of-state recruitment plan targeted to selected geographical areas.• A plan was established to recruit students in MD, DC, WV, VA as well as NJ, NY. This led to the creation of a 10 month

recruiter position within the admission office

• Use advanced technology in the recruitment and marketing process.• The University actively uses Facebook and a bulk email delivery system in the recruitment and marketing process. • There is also a Mont Alto YouTube channel where videos are routinely placed• Mobile self-guided campus tour technology was purchased for Admissions but not used

• Develop summer programs for high school students focused on various disciplines.• Med-camp• Band Camp’s• Adventures in learning

• Implement follow-up surveys to all prospective students attending on-campus events seeking feedback on where they heard about us, effectiveness of the program, and suggestion for improvement.• All large Open House style events have an evaluation process

• Survey students about their experience at Mont Alto before they make the transition to University park or another campus to complete their 2+2 program

Strategies/Tactics• Survey students who are not returning to the University or who have declined the offer of admission

• Conduct and evaluate a “secret shopper” of competitor institutions evaluating services, programs, and overall experience during the recruitment process. Use this information to evaluate our own visitation programs and explore areas that may need improvement.• Not done

• Evaluate competing institution websites and assess areas where Mont Alto is stronger or may need

improvement.• On going and continual process although has been inconsistent until the hiring of a fulltime webmaster.

• Evaluate web statistics to include pages visited, referral pages, and time spent on the website.• In progress, the webmaster has created a database to assess where visitors to our website go, how long they surf our page

and from where they come from.

• Develop a “grassroots” network of Mont Alto alumni to market the campus, its programs, and the Penn State Mont Alto experience.• In progress, in cooperation with the Alumni and Development Office

• Establish a faculty-led campus committee, with the charge of developing a campus-wide commitment toward sustainability and recycling, and establish Penn State Mont Alto as a leader in sustainability initiatives across the University.• This was accomplished – The committee was formed and there was some success with recycling options and hydration

stations across campus

Metrics• Number of initiatives implemented by the Enrollment Management Advisory Committee

• No data available to assess this

• Year-to-year increases in the total number of direct applications from the service area• 2008 287• 2009 314• 2010 338• 2011 286• 2012 255• 2013 291

• Year-to-year increases in the “paid accepts” yield rate• 2008 55%• 2009 56%• 2010 57%• 2011 53%• 2012 51%• 2013 52%

Metrics• Number of new admits by program on an annual basis

• Only area showing consistency or growth in this area are the programs in allied health

• Number and percent of out-of-state students admitted from targeted geographic areas• 2008 335• 2009 335• 2010 296• 2011 316• 2012 271 • 2013 203 (retrenchment from more far reaching out of state recruitment)

• Number of students who are readmitted on an annual basis• No historical data

• Number of, and enrollment in, summer disciplinary conference/camps on an annual basis• ????

What have we done well?• Marketed Mont Alto through the use of traditional and social

media.• TV• Radio• News Paper• Facebook• YouTube• Video• Publications

• Survey of students attending large-scale visitation events on campus

• Marketing of the Mont Alto message and tradition to Alumni through “the Bridge” publication

What do we need to continue?• Continue to promote the “Penn State Experience” at Mont

Alto and emphasize what sets us apart as a campus.

• Promote and share press releases of everything of significance with local and regional media outlets.

• Explore new technologies that allow Mont Alto to promote, recruit and market itself.

• Aggressively secret-shop other institutions for best practices on their websites, social media, traditional media, and visitation programs.

What do we need to do better or do differently?

• Track data and keep historical data• Tie data to the strategic goals for ease of assessment• Continue to improve the website• Continue to expand the social media footprint of the college

through the use of Twitter, Pintrest, Tumblr, and other sites.• Assess the efforts and level of success for out of state

recruitment• Reinvigorate the Admissions Advisory Committee in some

fashion or develop a campus Marketing Committee to develop and implement the marketing initiatives of the campus.

Where might we need new efforts?• Need to focus our marketing and promotion on our goal of Mont Alto’s strengths

• Forestry• Allied Health• Value• The Penn State Experience on a small campus

• Explore new technology to recruit out of state and across the country without the use of manpower

• Develop and foster a stronger relationship with the local Mont Alto Community but tied to our expertise as higher education professionals and experts in our field’s

• Development of an Alumni Recruitment Network.

• Mont Alto specific publications and marketing that focus on our campus and advantages, not UP and the 2+2