Project GraduateProject GraduateSue Patrick, Sue Patrick,

Director of Communications & OutreachDirector of Communications & Outreach

February 5, 2008February 5, 2008

Kentucky will Double the Number of college graduates in the state by 2020.

THE GOAL

1. Raise high school graduation rates.

2. Increase the number of GED graduates and transition more to college.

3. Enroll more first-time students in KCTCS and transfer them to 4-year programs.

4. Increase the number of Kentuckians going to and completing college.

5. Attract college-educated workers to the state and create new jobs for them.

THE FIVE STRATEGIES:

DOUBLE THE NUMBERS IN ACTION: THE 2006-08 COLLEGE ACCESS INITIATIVE

• Target audiences aligned with Double the Numbers strategies

• $800,000 from the 2006 Kentucky General Assembly to conduct a second phase of the Go Higher campaign

• More than $1 million in matching funds from campaign partners

The 2020 TARGET:• Increase the number of adults in college 3.6 percent to 4.5

percent.

The TARGET AUDIENCE:• 500,000+ KY adults (25 & over) have some college, but no

bachelor’s degree

• 233,000 KY adults (25 – 40) have attended Kentucky’s public institutions, and left without a bachelor’s degree.

• More than 11,000 of these students have 90+ credit hours.

KENTUCKY’S ADULTS WITH SOME COLLEGE MARKET

Production-oriented marketplace

• Mass production

• Compliant consumers

• Homogenous marketplace

• Business-to-consumer

• Reign of mass media

• Market segments

MARKETING ORIENTATIONS

1950s 1980s 2000+

Consumer-driven, research based marketplace (data, data, data!)

• Customized products & services

• Informed consumers

• Diverse marketplace

• Customer-to-business

• Personalization

• Markets of one

• Branding

Industrial-age marketing Information-age marketing

INTEGRATED MARKETING MODEL

PROMOTION

• 23 percent are “very likely” to re-enroll in the future, most within 2 – 3 years. Career reasons are primary driver.

• The greatest barriers to entry are time and money, NOT the ability to fit in or do well in college.

• Prospective adult learners want –--financial aid programs for part-time

students.--college credit for work experience.--accelerated degree programs. --nursing, business and education programs.--online programs and classes at night during

the week.

• Most overestimate the cost of attending a public university.

• More than 91% have Internet access (80% home); 67% are online daily; 40% would first turn to the Web to find college information.

RESEARCH SUMMARY

• Create awareness

• Drive change in the system

• Expand online information

• Development of marketing plan

• Project Graduate

RESEARCH-DRIVEN OUTCOMES

PROJECT GRADUATE

• Modeled after University of New Mexico

• Collaborative effort-all public institutions participating *

• Council efforts– Direct and fund research– Provide creative– Fund printing and distribution of outreach

materials

Institutional Incentives• Campus response teams• Campus advocate to provide ‘high touch’• Reduced tuition or tuition assistance• Quick admits• Individual advising• Free applications• Degree summaries• Evening office hours for student services• Re-entry centers on campus

PROJECT GRADUATE

PROJECT GRADUATE

Outreach Efforts

• Initial personalized letter followed by two postcard

• www.projectgraduate.org

• Open houses / orientations

• Campus advocates for personal assistance

• Public service announcements

Development Partners

• Chief Academic Officers

• Enrollment Managers

• Public Relations Officers

• Continuing Education Officers

• Institutional Research Officers

PROJECT GRADUATE

Project Graduate Steering Committee

• Initial meeting May 18, 2007

• Eight meetings throughout Summer & Fall

• Direction, Scope and Messaging

• Creative review

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Steering Committee Outcomes

• Campus Action Plans

• Campus Advocates

• Target refinement

• Institutional incentives

• Policy concerns

• CPE’s role

PROJECT GRADUATE

Messages

• Career Transformation– Get ahead in your career– Change careers

• Finish what you started

• You can do it and we are here to help

PROJECT GRADUATE

PROJECT GRADUATE

Materials

• Letter template

• Postcard templates

• Central Web resource

• Rack card

• Broadcast media

Status• Launched the initiative November 26, 2007• More than 300 students have already contacted

institutions • 40+ already enrolled (Spring & Summer ‘08)• At least four students on-track to graduate in

Spring ‘08 • Most institutions have not officially begun

outreach efforts • Great media response

PROJECT GRADUATE

Next steps

• Marketing plan

• Involve independent institutions

• Evaluate our efforts

• Create URGENCY

PROJECT GRADUATE