Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

3-1981

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Educational Administration and Supervision

Major Professor

Dewey H. Stollar

Committee Members

Ken McCullough, George Everett, George Harris

Abstract

The purpose of this study was three-fold: (a) to determine the levels and types of marketing currently utilized in selected American community, junior, and technical colleges; (b) to analyze the relationship of the levels and types of marketing to enrollment fluctuation, and (c) to analyze the perceived or researched evaluation of community, junior, and technical college marketing. As an additional part of the study, a marketing model (which may be useful, after testing, in providing a base for a systematic marketing process at community colleges) was developed.

The survey population consisted of 138 community, junior, and technical colleges with enrollments of 4,000 to 7,000 as listed in the 1980 Community, Junior, and Technical College Directory. Acceptable completed questionnaires were received from 72 percent of the institutions in the survey population.

An analysis of the data revealed that no significant relationship could be established between past or expected enrollment change and selected marketing variables (scope of the marketing plan, segmentation of target audiences, and size of the marketing budget). In addition, no significant difference was found in enrollment change related to researched or perceived evaluation of marketing plans. Segmentation of marketing plans was determined to be the best predictor of enrollment change.

This study explored the level and types of marketing at the selected colleges. The majority of the responding institutions (82 percent) reported the use of a comprehensive marketing plan, but less than one-half reported the use of research to determine the effectiveness of marketing activities. The majority of the respondents indicated that their perceived evaluation of marketing was only "somewhat effective."

Of the institutions reporting segmented marketing plans, the target audience at which the greatest percentage of marketing effort was aimed was the traditional college-age student. The most frequently used marketing activities were high school visits, mass mailings, campus tours, and public service announcements, with more than 90 percent of the institutions reporting usage. Other activities utilized by more than 70 percent of the respondents included paid newspaper advertisements, speakers' bureaus, recruitment packages for special programs, business/industry mailings, civic club programs, and tabloids or newspaper inserts. The largest portion of the marketing budget at the responding institutions was allocated to publications.

The following recommendations were made: community, junior, and technical colleges should (a) closely monitor their service areas through the use of needs assessment studies in order to accurately plan for enrollment change; (b) continue to use marketing activities as one means of positively affecting enrollments; (c) develop written guidelines to ensure that promotional activities remain ethical; (d) consolidate their total marketing budgets for analysis of cost effectiveness; (e) make provision for researched evaluation as part of the comprehensive marketing plan; and, (f) develop and use a marketing model to provide parameters for a systematic marketing process.

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