SimpsonScarborough, in partnership with The Chronicle, is conducting a survey of U.S. faculty and administrators; it went live today! The purpose of the study is to explore the motivations and barriers to faculty and administrators taking positions of at least a year at colleges and universities outside the United States.

Tons of faculty take very short-term positions at universities abroad; 3 weeks here, a semester there. But, significantly fewer actually invest in the school and take a 1, 2 or 3 year appointment. Even though institutions in Germany, Hong Kong, the UAE, and Australia (to name just a few), are offering huge pay packages, unique research opportunities, assistance with spousal employment and other major benefits.

It's going to be so interesting to see what is really behind the resistance to taking longer term international appointments. Is it that such opportunities do little to gain the respect of peers here in the states? Is it concern over safety, education for children, or academic freedom? Is it simply that people don't want to leave their family and friends for that long?

The findings will be published all over The Chronicle and shared here on our blog.....check back in November!

-Elizabeth Scarborough

Click here to follow me on Twitter

I just read this article about the University of Nevada cutting its free campus email... It left me wondering about the implications of such a decision. The University estimated that only about 20% of students actually used their campus email, so I can understand that it would seem like a good place to cut costs... The problem I see is that it is already so difficult to keep in touch with students, I am worried about closing down that line of communication. If there is no campus email system it is crucial for the school to keep up to date email addresses for all of the students. That sounds like alot of work to me! I also have to be a little selfish and think as a researcher... if everyone goes this route, what will happen to my online survey response rates???

--Meredith

We exhibited at NACAC in Baltimore last week and had the worst booth location in the entire convention center. There were over 200 vendors and thousands of attendees. We HAD to find a way to stand out. Enter our buzz marketing idea.

Buzz marketing is all about getting other people to spread the word about your product or organization. Our strategy revolved around a cake....yes, a cake! Think "The Cake Boss" and "Ace of Cakes."

Thanks to our baker, Stephanie Baker (yes....that really IS her name), our booth featured a cake in the shape of a college campus. There were three building surrounding a quad which bore a slight resemblance to my alma mater, Bucknell.

It drew more people to our booth than we could have ever expected. Tons of people took pictures and some stopped to challenge us, "That is not REALLY a cake!" We even found someone on the other side of the exhibit hall showing pictures to others. Many came to the booth and said, "I heard you have the best cake over here!" Buzz marketing in full effect.

The best conversations allowed us to introduce our company, reconnect with old friends, and increase the overall awareness of our company's brand.....that we work hard and play hard and always have fun.

300 pieces of cake were cut and consumed. And, with each bite SimpsonScarborough's visibility was increased. Mission accomplished.

-Dana Edwards

Well, Meredith convinced me that "people" will be interested to hear what I have to say as I travel to colleges and universities around the country. So, I am officially on Twitter.  You can follow me by clicking here. My fascinating life and inner-most thoughts are now on display for all to see....or read. Here's hoping I don't bore you to death! 

-Elizabeth Scarborough

I just love this story coming out of Bunker Hill Community College in Boston. The College's enrollment is up 23% over last year. At almost any other college or university I know, the faculty would be up in arms (pun intended) over the over-crowding and increased course loads this would create. What did the faculty at BHCC do? They offered to teach courses in the middle of the night!! The program, called Burning the Midnight Oil, currently includes two courses that run from 11:45pm to 2:30am. This is yet another example of the innovative minds and dedicated educators that are associated with our nation's community colleges. It explains why half of our country's college bound students choose to enroll at community colleges. They just may end up winning the battle and the war!

-Elizabeth Scarborough

Wright State University's Office of Communications and Marketing seeks applicants for Associate Vice President for Communications and Marketing. The successful candidate is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive strategic and operating plan for the Communications and Marketing Office at Wright State University. This position will be responsible for creating a systematic way to communicate across the university and integrate the many messages emanating from the University to its members and constituents.

The Associate Vice President will provide institutional leadership in managing the strategic shift to a market-oriented approach to enrollment, programming, customer/community service and institutional image. The successful candidate will also develop effective results-oriented marketing strategies/programs to support student enrollment and retention, the University's strategic plan, and ongoing comprehensive fundraising campaigns. The Communications and Marketing office is component of the Advancement Division and will work closely with the Alumni Relations and Development teams. The position reports to the Vice President for Advancement.

Requirements for applicants include a bachelor's degree; MBA or Master's degree in a closely related field or a terminal degree preferred, 10 or more years of senior-level Communications and/or Marketing management experience at the college or university level, including leading the development and execution of a comprehensive strategic plan for a large, diverse organization. Applicants must also have demonstrated success designing, building and leading a key function within the Communications arena - including hiring, mentoring and developing associates.  

Please visit the following web address in order to get a comprehensive job description or to make a formal application.  https://jobs.wright.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=51049  For first consideration, applications are to be received by September 14, 2009.

Wright State University is an EEO/AA Employer

August 12, 2009, marked the first meeting of the Forum for Higher Education Marketing, in Washington DC. Tom Hayes, SimpsonScarborough Vice-President and Partner, hosted the meeting and CASE was kind enough to lend meeting space. 

The Forum is a think tank presently made up of seventeen individuals from across higher education's marketing/communications spectrum. While the final charge of the group has yet to be determined, Tom sees the Forum as an opportunity for peers and colleagues to come together to discuss strategic issues and new developments within the field and to advance cause of higher education in the marketplace.

Tom is quick to point out that the Forum is joint effort comprised of an "amazing group of people." While Tom served as the hos for the first meeting, other members of the group will take turns hosting future collaborations. The next meeting will be held in Boston on the Saturday, November 14^th, directly preceding the 2009 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education.

Besides Tom, the members include (in alphabetical order): Carol Aslanian, EducationDynamics; Marc Camille, Loyola College in Maryland; Greg Carroll, Furman University; Terry Flannery, American University; Ty Glasgow, BigBad; Bob Johnson, Bob Johnson Consulting; David Kalsbeeck, DePaul University; Sandra King, Bentley College; Lisa Lapin, Stanford University; Larry Lauer, Texas Christian University; John Lawlor, The Lawlor Group; Robert Massa, Lafayette College; Robert Moore, Lipman Hearne; Bob Sevier, Stamats; Ed Sevilla, Harvard University, and Michael Stoner from mStoner.

According to those in attendance, the first meeting was a huge success with one individual stating "I thought it was one of the best professional experiences I've had in the field." The group is moving forward with a number of initiatives that the Forum will announce in the coming months.

Stay tuned!

SimpsonScarborough discussed with David Wheeler, Managing Editor, Chronicle International at The Chronicle of Higher Education, the research project they are conducting in partnership with SimpsonScarborough.  

It is not at all surprising that the value of a liberal arts education is currently under scrutiny. Are students willing to pursue a liberal arts degree considering our current economic climate? Do students--in the 21^st century--appreciate the value of reading great works of literature, history, and art as part of their liberal arts education? The liberal arts debate is far from over. If you don't believe me, check out the article, An Education Debate for the Books, which appeared in the August 27^th edition of The Washington Post. Here's one quote from the article that does a nice job of summing up the current challenges facing our liberal arts institutions: "Liberal arts colleges have had to defend the marketability of a philosophy major for as long as competing public and private institutions have offered degrees in engineering and business, often at a lower cost. But never, perhaps, have families weighed the value of a liberal education more carefully than in the 2009-10 admissions cycle, which found the nation mired in its worst recession since the 1930s."

-Jeff Papa