Ian will be speaking on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals (AISAP) Strategic Enrollment Management Summit in Houston, Texas. As part of their continuing Leadership Summits, Ian will lead participants through the essential components of building a strategic enrollment management plan. Join us on the dialogue by following the Twitter hashtag #AISAPSEM over the next two days.
Why Advertising Doesn't Build Enrollment
Among one of the greatest fallacies regarding marketing for independent schools and colleges is the concept that advertising increases enrollment. Research and experience tells us that it just doesn't work that way. Here's why.
Advertising is a form of indirect marketing. Most advertising falls in the category "interruptive" marketing. This means the message is designed to interrupt a consumer activity to pay attention to new message through advertising medium. The problem with interruptive marketing is simply the consumers don't make choices about such important things as education due to a marketing message. It is highly unlikely the consumer will change their orientation about educational philosophy based upon an interruptive marketing message. Research tells us that most consumers pay very close attention to what other people say in regards to educational choices and word-of-mouth marketing is the most prominent way in which their choices become shaped.
So, does advertising playing important role in the overall marketing scheme of the school or college? Sure, but predominantly to raise awareness and visibility, not in terms of building enrollment. Stick with direct marketing choices or word-of-mouth or viral efforts in order to shape enrollment and demand.
Confusing Strategy with Planning
We often find that "strategy" and "planning" are referred to as the same activity by clients and colleagues. Perhaps it is because we often refer to "strategic planning" as an activity that most schools and colleges undertake every few years. The reality is that they are very different exercises.
- Strategy is making tough choices to inspire a preferred future.
- Planning is the intentional sequencing of those choices.
- Strategic Planning is the process of identifying both strategic and writing the plan.
And, leadership is required to pull off both all three exercises.
Don't confuse activity with meaning. Strategy precedes the plan. And, if you write a plan without a cogent strategy, than it is not likely to create a better tomorrow for the organization.
The truth is most schools and colleges fail in the area of making the tough decisions to inspire a preferred future. They focus on collaboration, inclusion, and participation of internal stakeholders, but fail to see that the real opportunities available to them are going to take courage. Interestingly, most of the tough choices come from external environments, which is why it is often hard for organizations to act upon them.
Extraordinary Evening with KUZA
KUZA, the Portland-based non-profit dedicated to transforming Uganda through education, held an extraordinary gala Saturday night in the Pearl District at Castaway. Nearly 300 people attended the evening, learning about Africa, Uganda, and using education as a tool of social change. Our own Ian Symmonds keynoted the event on "Why Africa, and Why KUZA", while executive director Sara Reamy made the case for the organization. Long-standing KOIN-TV anchor Mike Donahue played emcee, leading the magical evening. KUZA has been one of several Just Cause client efforts over the past several years. For more information, please check out KUZA online.
Selecting Neckties - Subjectivity and Logo Design
NOTE: ISA is keenly interested in all things strategy, which includes creative concepts and communication. Here, our creative partner Robert Rytter outlines how - and how not - to create a graphic identity that lasts.
"I was thinking we needed something more like the Nike logo."
"Can we see that design in periwinkle blue? That's my favorite color."
"My wife says this design looks too European for an American school."
These are actual comments made during the presentations of new logos for schools to steering committees. Even though we have a tried and tested process to keep our clients focused on the established design criteria and the audience to whom we are targeting our efforts – we still occassionally need to reel some back and simply say " Now let's review the design criteria and please remember our target audience is not your wife."
A visual identity project is a challenge for design firm and institution, but it can be a wonderful exercise, revealing much about the school's history and culture - and setting the stage for the next phase of an institution's life. As Will Rogers once said, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." And these visual identities are the very first impression a prospect experiences – in all media.
So here are a couple of the steps we take to avoid finding ourselves selecting a necktie for someone in the Board room instead of creating a meaningful and lasting icon to represent the school:
1) Determine any established equity you may have in the current system. These are those components which cannot be changed - such as school colors, the original school seal, the mascot.
2) Define and prioritize the primary image attributes of your school. (strong, traditional, progressive, nurturing, rigorous…whatever they may be )
Note: Number two needs to be hammered out in a closed room by key stakeholders who need to absolutely agree on the attributes and their order of priority, as this becomes the design criteria.
3) Review design candidates in full view of the design criteria. How well does each of the proposed designs communicate the image attributes you have established? Test the final candidates with students, parents, alumni. See the final design candidates in applications such as the website, stationery, print collateral, apparel and signage. Select and refine the design that most accurately communicates those image attributes and you will have a fine signature for your school.
Then put the new design on neckties in the school colors!
Here is a sample for at some of the most memorable of marks of ISA clients designed by Robert Rytter.
Headcount, FTE, or Net Tuition Revenue?
It is astonishing how many different ways private schools and colleges measure the general financial success of their recruitment and retention efforts. Many schools focus solely on the total number of students they have enrolled, while others are wise enough to think about the full time equivalent of their enrollment. Still others realize that financial success is all about meeting net tuition revenue goals.
How does your school measure and qualify financial success in enrollment? This is among one of many topics that we will be exploring at the AISAP Strategic Enrollment Management Summit in Houston in May. Ian will lead a two day workshop on the primary elements of strategic enrollment management. Check out the AISAP website for more information or to register.
ISA Mourns the Loss of Randy Tucker
The ISA team joins Girls Preparatory School, Battle Ground Academy, Chattanooga, and the independent school community in mourning the loss of headmaster and educator Randy Tucker. A long friend and supporter of our firm, ISA had collaborated on several projects with Randy through his leadership at GPS and are slated to work with his current school, Battle Ground Academy. Our prayers and thoughts are with the entire Tucker family and the independent school community in Tennessee.
Battle Ground Academy Selects ISA
Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee, has selected ISA for research and strategic planning services. Our work with the school will commence this summer.
Battle Ground Academy has been serving the Franklin and greater Middle Tennessee community for almost 125 years. Each division of BGA has its own culture, yet each contributes to the mission of preparing students to grow intellectually, morally, creatively, and physically. Underlying this mission's goals are a strong commitment to tradition and a constant desire for innovation and appropriate change.
Battle Ground Academy offers strong academics, high expectations founded on an Honor Code that straddles all three divisions, growing arts programs, and a great history of athletic competition and physical education.
SAIS and ISANNE Heads Retreats
I just finished facilitating and speaking at two heads retreats in spectacular settings this past week. The SAIS Heads Leadership Retreat featured heads from 35 SAIS schools focusing on the topic of leadership growth, models, and transformational leadership. Hosted for a two days in Charleston, it was an excellent dialogue on leadership trends in independent education today. Later in the week, I had the opportunity to speak at the ISANNE Heads and Admission Conference in Woodstock, Vermont. Roughly 80 heads of school and admission directors attended our session on strategic enrollment management. The files from SAIS are here and from ISANNE are here.
Just Cause Call for Proposals
ISA is pleased to announce our annual call for proposals for services for prospective Just Cause clients for the 2014-15 academic year. Just Cause is our campaign to change the conversation about poverty by elevating education as an instrument of social change. The Just Cause campaign has two essential purposes:
- We seek to increase access to quality education for distressed children by changing the conversation about poverty.
- We partner with one organization each year to help them achieve their access mission by providing pro bono strategic services to them.
We take on one research and strategy consulting project per year under the Just Cause campaign, for which we receive many inquiries for services. These are typically pro bono or reduced fee consulting projects assisting educational organizations that serve distressed populations of children or youth.
Prospective clients should make inquiry to our firm during the academic year. The selection process is competitive as we are seeking organizations that most closely fit the mission of Just Cause. We typically select the organization with which we will partner during the summer months, and our projects commence in the fall each year.
Applications must be submitted in writing to ISA no later than June 30th. Decisions will be determined by July 20th.
"Grit" and Generational Faddishness
I am fascinated by the current vogue conversation about the need to insert "grit" into our lexicon of core competencies that we aspire of our current graduates of independent schools and colleges. I'm not in disagreement with the concept; I just find it fascinating that some people perceive this is a new concept.
The idea of creating students who are industrious, persistent, and hard-working has always been a character value of aspiring youth in the Western world. Yes, I think most generational research would point to a falling off or slowing of this value among young people today. However, it is not a new concept, just a refocusing of a felt need on a clear gap.
It simply points to the faddish nature of American education. We tend to think some concepts, such as 21st Century skills, experiential learning, innovation, or grit and perseverance are new concepts. They are not. They are simply a refocusing of the current status quo on what is missing or faltering in our systems. And, that is best practice.
Francis W. Parker School Selects ISA
Francis W. Parker School of Chicago, Illinois has selected ISA to complete research and strategic planning efforts for the school. We will begin our work with the school this month and complete processes in the early fall.
Parker was founded in 1901 on the commitment of partnership between parents and the school, between teachers and students and between student and student. Since then, a Parker education has stood for excellence in learning, character and citizenship. With the great word being “responsibility,” Parker students thrive on active participation generated by reflective critical thinking, creative problem solving and courageous, clear action.
Position Opportunity - Crossroads School, Santa Monica, CA
Crossroads School, located in Santa Monica CA, seeks a highly motivated professional to serve as the school's Director of Enrollment Management. The Director will provide the school’s broad strategic leadership of enrollment planning, and will serve as the point of integration for recruitment, admissions, financial aid, information management, reenrollment, and retention functions of the school. The Director will be reporting to the Head of School.
Crossroads was founded upon five basic commitments: to academic excellence; to the arts; to the greater community; to the development of a student population of social, economic, and racial diversity; and to the development of each student’s physical well being and full human potential. The School provides a unique K-12 program built on a progressive, developmental model of education with many of its programs on the cutting edge of education. The school is dedicated to helping young people make bold and valuable decisions with their lives while acting as a force for positive social change.
From its beginning in 1971, Crossroads provided a new approach to education and was dedicated to diversity and to involvement in the community. It was founded as a non-denominational, coeducational college preparatory day school. Crossroad’s ongoing commitment to the greater community and to a robust financial aid fund has made it possible for the school to be racially, economically, geographically and culturally inclusive. While Crossroads has strong academic programs in all disciplines, the school is renowned for its programs in the sciences, in the arts, and in human development.
Crossroads is a highly selective institution, and operates in an environment of considerably high application volume. The high degree of demand for the school affords Crossroads the ability shape enrollment with truly exceptional students with a range and depth of interests, talents, and diversity.
The Director of Enrollment Management will serve as the chief enrollment officer for Crossroads School. The Director will serve as the chief point of integration in all strategic areas of enrollment management functions. This position is essential in executing the strategic development of an advanced, integrated enrollment unit. The Director will play a key role in articulating the strategic enrollment management philosophy of the school and collaborating with other departments in its proper execution.
Preferred requirements for this position include at least five years of enrollment management experience in an independent educational setting, a demonstrated ability to grow sustainable enrollment and market demand, and strong knowledge and skills associated with the strategic principles of enrollment management. The ideal candidate will possess an advanced degree and demonstrated skills and experiences in marketing communications targeted toward enrollment and demand generation.
The ideal candidate will have broad based experience in all aspects of enrollment management, be able to look outside the box to address market issues, and be able to thrive in a collegial collaborative environment.
Crossroads School seeks candidates who will enhance the Philosophy of Inclusivity and Awareness articulated in its Diversity Statement.
Compensation will be competitive and commensurate with training and experience.
The Director of Enrollment Management will be supported by an admission staff and play a collaborating role on the advancement, marketing, academic, and financial operations teams.
Interested candidates should submit a resume and letter of application immediately. Applications will be reviewed until the position has been filled.
Questions regarding the search will only be accepted by Kelly Laboe at Ian Symmonds & Associates, www.iansymmonds.com or 888.334.6078.
Just Cause - Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
Ian was the keynote speaker for Odyssey 2014 at the Chattanooga Convention Center on behalf of ISA's Just Cause client Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy. His topic? Education as a tool of social transformation. Watch the short video here, which was also aired on PBS.
Washington Federation of Independent Schools Selects ISA
The Washington Federation of Independent Schools has selected ISA for research and strategic planning purposes. Our work will commence this spring and continue through the academic year next year. The Washington Federation of Independent Schools exists to strengthen education for the students of Washington Sate as the advocate for and voice of independent schools.
Culture, Context, and Change - The Three C's of Planning
While I am not a big fan of alliteration, nor silly memory devices, I have found some are very useful to keeping core principles in mind as we think strategically about organizations. Where would we be without Peter Drucker's Four P's of Marketing, right? As I think about strategic planning for schools, colleges, universities, and non-profits, my experience tells me that there are three "levers" or controls that are key to the planning process. Understanding and reading them right is everything.
- Culture - Culture eats strategy for breakfast, as Drucker said. And, he was right. Understanding the good, bad, and otherwise of an organization's culture is everything. This is getting down deep on the "inside" of a school or college and finding out why it behaves the way it does, and what it's underlying issues reveal. "Getting the culture" is key, and you can only do it by immersing yourself in it.
- Context - Reading the tea leaves of the outside world is really as important as anything else in the planning process. While schools and colleges love to "navel gaze" in their deeply satisfying ways through accreditation self-studies, the outside world is moving at warp speed and industry is innovating and changing. Reading the context of any school or college gives us an understanding of their relevancy to the future.
- Change - Ah, the dreaded "change" word. At the end of the day, all great organizations understand the answer to two critical questions: how much do we need to change to be successful, and what is our capacity to enact that level of change? Getting the change quotient right is both art and science and can make or break a process. Read it wrong and you are out of business.
Culture. Context. Change. These are the three most important levers to optimize when planning. Using good data and research that informs the answer to all three is the best best to make sure that you are hitting them head on. And, making sure that you have sorted all of the issues out with all three ensures that you are balanced in your approach to planning. Try it on for size and see if this recipe sticks in your head. It might not be the Four P's, but helpful nonetheless.
Kingswood Oxford Leadership Institute
The Third Annual Kingswood Oxford Leadership Institute for Educators of Color will take place from June 15 to 18 on the West Hartford campus of KO. A long time client of ISA, Kingswood Oxford and head of school Dennis Bisgaard remain committed to this important mission of training educational leadership. Application deadline is April 1 and more information can be found by downloading the conference information bulletin here.
Register Now for SAIS Heads Leadership Retreat
Leadership can be complicated. Myriad factors play into becoming an effective leader and learning to adapt to those around you. The 2014 SAIS Heads Leadership Retreat focuses on these aspects of leadership and breaks down the obstacles to remaining informed and connected as leaders. Ian will be leading attendees through activities and conversations on diverse topics related to addressing the needs of those around us. Don't miss this excellent opportunity to be inspired by great leaders across the region and the nation. You can register here.
Strategic Planning at St. Andrew's
Just twenty months ago, St. Andrew's Priory, the beloved all girls school founded by Queen Emma in Honolulu, began a strategic planning process. Today, the school stands with a bold strategic plan for the future, featuring a brand reposition, new program roll outs, an energized and revitalized stakeholder base, and new initiatives in strategic enrollment management. This has been a coordinated effort utilizing the range of ISA services, from research to planning to creative to enrollment planning. I was on campus yesterday to continue the hard work of implementing our plan with the board of trustees and continue to marvel at the transformation in process just started twenty months ago.
The Harley School Selects ISA for Research and Planning
The Harley School in Rochester, New York has selected ISA for research and strategic planning services. Our work will commence in March and complete in December. Founded in 1917, The Harley School is a nationally-recognized independent school in Rochester, N.Y. offering a college preparatory program for approximately 500 students in Nursery through Grade 12. A rigorous academics and exceptional fine arts curriculum are coupled with unique offerings (e.g., empathy education, glass making, boat building, organic farming), a commitment to community service, and a nurturing environment for students. The result is a diverse, globally-attuned student body ready for the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow.