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Theses and Dissertations Theses and Dissertations
1-1-2007
A Study To Identify The Effects Of Community College Student Recruitment Marketing By Television On Prospective Students
Raymond Benjamin Denton
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A STUDY TO IDENTIFY THE EFFECTS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE
STUDENT RECRUITMENT MARKETING BY TELEVISION
ON PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
By
Raymond B. Denton
A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Mississippi State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Instructional Systems, Leadership and Workforce Development
Mississippi State, Mississippi
December 2007
A STUDY TO IDENTIFY THE EFFECTS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE
STUDENT RECRUITMENT MARKETING BY TELEVISION
ON PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
By
Raymond B. Denton
Approved:
______Connie M. Forde Mark Goodman Professor of Instructional Systems, Associate Professor Leadership & Workforce Development (Minor Professor) (Director of Dissertation)
______James Adams Vince McGrath Associate Professor of Instructional Professor of Curriculum & Instruction Systems, Leadership & Workforce (Committee Member) Development (Committee Member)
______Anthony A. Olinzock Jerry Mathews Professor of Instructional Systems, Graduate Coordinator Leadership & Workforce Development Instructional Systems, Leadership & (Committee Member) Workforce Development
______Richard Blackbourn Dean of the College of Education
Name: Raymond B. Denton
Date of Degree: December 14, 2007
Institution: Mississippi State University
Major Field: Technology and Education
Major Professor: Dr. Connie M. Forde
Title of Study: A STUDY TO IDENTIFY THE EFFECTS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT RECRUITMENT MARKETING BY TELEVISION ON PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
Pages of Study: 130
Candidate for Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
The purpose of this study was to compare and to evaluate the television market segmentation suggested in Massey's 1997 study, to investigate the viewing habits of those potential community college students, and to look for the message that called them to action. Segmentation specifically refers to the difference in preferred call to action messages between directed students, late-adopters and drifters. The demographics that make-up the college in this study (Meridian Community College) was of particular interest in determining the suggested segmentation.
Research questions put forward in this study were:
1. What are the descriptive profiles of the respondents?
2. Is there a significant difference between late adopters and directed students in preferred messages for a call to action?
3. Is there a significant difference in the television viewing habits between the late- adopters and the directed students?
4. Is there a significant amount of non-goal oriented students (drifters) to be considered in this study?
Freshmen from 1000 level courses at Meridian Community College (MCC) were asked to fill out survey questionnaires. The survey included questions concerning demographics, “call-to-action” (to investigate MCC) preferences, media preferences and habits, and perceived goals.
The descriptive profiles of Meridian Community College were found to be similar to those of the State of Mississippi and the City of Meridian. The division between directed students and late-adapters participating in this study were found to be near equal, as were their viewing habits. Data from the study indicated an equal opportunity for exposure to
MCC television advertisements by both groups.
There was no statistically significant number of non-goal orientated students (drifters) found in the data analyzed from the survey. The “drifter” element of Massey’s 1997 study was not included in the final tabulations of this research.
Television advertisement was listed more often than any other single activity as a preferred message for taking further interest in MCC. Although television was listed more often than any other activity, the impact of a positive reference by family and friends was the leading influence.
DEDICATION
I respectfully dedicate this work to my family. My parents, Pete and Helen
Denton, encouraged and supported me through all my educational endeavors. My wife,
Rhonda, whose understanding I could always count on. Also to my sister, Cathy, and brother, Bob, who have always stood by me.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to express my gratitude to several people who have encouraged and supported me through my graduate program. These individuals have made the difference in my successful completion of this work.
I extend my sincere appreciation to Dr. Connie Forde for her unwavering support as my committee chair and dissertation director. I also have the deepest appreciation for the guidance and encouragement from my entire committee. Dr. Mark
Goodman, Dr. James Adams, Dr. Vince McGrath, Dr. Jerry Mathews and Dr. Anthony
Olinzock all contributed greatly in helping me complete this work in a professional manner.
I also must express my gratitude to Billy Beal, Caroline Beeland, Mary
Culpepper, Rita McClure and Dr. Ed Snodgrass for support in completing this dissertation. In addition, I thank Eddie Holladay for his gracious support.
Finally, I extend praise to my Lord, Jesus Christ, for blessing me in my faith with all my endeavors.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION...... ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...... iii
LIST OF TABLES...... vii
LIST OF FIGURES ...... viii
CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION...... 1
Problem Statement ...... 4 Purpose...... 5 Research Questions...... 6 Need for the Study ...... 6 Limitations ...... 8 Definition of Terms ...... 9
II. LITERATURE REVIEW ...... 12
Marketing History ...... 12 Community College Marketing History ...... 13 Television Marketing...... 17 Campaign Plan...... 19 Measurement ...... 20 Source-Credibility ...... 22 Target Audience ...... 22 Philosophy...... 23 College Choice Process...... 26 Discrete Target Audience ...... 27 Target Audience Research ...... 30 Meridian, Mississippi Community Profile ...... 31 Meridian Community College (MCC) Institutional Profile...... 33 Summary...... 34
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III. METHODOLOGY ...... 36
Research Design...... 36 Population ...... 38 Instrument ...... 42 Survey Questionnaire...... 43 Validity and Reliability...... 44 Validity ...... 44 Reliability...... 44 Ethical Issues ...... 45 Procedures...... 46 Research Questions...... 47
IV. DATA ANALYSIS...... 50
Research Question One...... 53 Research Question Two ...... 55 Research Question Three ...... 64 Research Question Four...... 67
V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...... 70
Summary...... 70 Conclusions...... 75 Recommendations...... 81
BIBLIOGRAPHY...... 82
APPENDIX
A. MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI TELEVISION/RADIO ...... 89
B. MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI POPULATION ...... 93
C. MERIDIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE ENROLLMENT
DEMOGRAPHICS...... 96
D. MCC LOGOS ...... 99
E. MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT MAP ...... 101
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F. MCC INTEREST SURVEY (SURVEY INSTRUMENT) ...... 103
G. PANEL OF EXPERTS ...... 110
H. LETTER TO EXPERTS REQUESTING SURVEY REVIEW AND SUGGESTIONS ...... 112
I. CERTIFICATION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS IN EDUCATION TRAINING ...... 114
J. MERIDIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH APPROVAL ...... 116
K. MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY IRB RESEARCH APPROVAL ...... 118
L. MCC 1000 LEVEL COURSES/SPRING 2007...... 120
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE
2.1 Lauderdale County Enrollment ...... 32
3.1 Meridian Community College Fall 2005 Semester Report...... 39
3.2 Meridian Community College IPEDS Enrollment by Race and Gender Full Time Students, Fall 2005 ...... 40
3.3 Meridian Community College IPEDS Enrollment by Race and Gender Part Time Students, Fall 2005 ...... 41
3.4 Pilot Study Call to Action Coefficients ...... 45
4.1 Number of Directed Students and Late-Adopters...... 55
4.2 Interest Factors...... 56
4.3 Directed Students vs. Late-Adopters on Preferred Message ...... 57
4.4 Directed Students vs. Late-Adopters on TV Viewing Time...... 65
4.5 Independent Samples t-test for Equality of Means...... 68
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LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE
4.1 Slogan Most Closely Related to MCC...... 63
4.2 Television Viewing Time ...... 66
4.3 Type of Program Most Watched...... 66
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The community college system has had a challenge to form an identity and educate the public in terms of its mission, its similarities and its differences from other secondary schools and colleges. In fact, Gleazer (1994), president emeritus of the
American Association of Community Colleges, said in the foreword to America’s
Community Colleges: The First Century, “We [community colleges] are not well understood” (p. vii), and he is correct. At one time, community colleges retained an undeserved reputation of being a school of last resort for those who cannot attend a four- year university for one reason or another (Lum, 2004). Richard C. Richardson, Jr., as cited in Eaton (1988), described the perception of community colleges as centers for leisure-time activity, social-welfare institutions, or places for under-prepared learners, but not as educational institutions providing opportunities with excellence. During the past few decades, community colleges have struggled to change their image. Marketing plans and public relations campaigns seek to change the public perception of community colleges nationwide (Cohen & Brawer, 1996). This is not a new concept or activity for educational institutions. In an article presented in the College and University Journal over 35 years ago, Cutlip (1970) tells of American colleges, both public and
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private, which have turned to advertising, publicity, lobbying, fund raising, and student recruitment activities.
Many colleges and universities have discovered that to remain competitive, they have to take appropriate steps to create and carry out a successful marketing plan.
Aggressive marketing campaigns represent a significant increase in budget. The amount of money that institutions of higher learning spend on recruitment and enrollment has been increasing (Wolff & Bryant, 1999). The increase in spending has led to the need for strategic marketing founded upon research-based best practices for marketing educational institutions. Best practices require strategic planning. Strategic planning relies on developing a clear institutional mission, supporting goals and objectives, a sound strategy, and appropriate implementation (Kotler, 1999; Kotler & Fox, 1995).
Marketing is grounded in the premise that people have needs and wants. The concept of marketing comes into existence when people decide to satisfy these needs and wants through exchange. Marketing is in fact a central concept to exchange. When marketing is applied properly, “both parties to the exchange see themselves better off after the exchange” (Kotler & Fox, 1995, p. 6). In educational exchange, the target audience is seeking an increase in their intellectual capital assets by investing time, energy and money in an educational program to increase their future earnings. They are hoping that this investment will develop a rate of return that will increase their potential earnings (Becker, 1975). As part of this educational exchange, the school offers courses and training programs designed to meet the wishes and needs of the students. Continuous
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successful exchanges require research into the target audience, their wishes, needs and
preferred method of communication. These exchanges also require strategic planning.
Until recently, marketing plans and public relations campaigns were a foreign
concept for many institutions of higher learning, not just community colleges. Kotler and
Fox (1995), authors of Strategic Marketing for Educational Institutions, write, “Many
educational institutions assumed that the value of education was obvious and that those
who valued education would make their way to the school doors to enroll” (p. 11). In
recent years however, this situation has changed. Students no longer seek out colleges
that fit their needs. Now colleges seek the student. Colleges and universities find
themselves in the position of competing for reputation and student enrollment. This shift
to market economics in education represents a social change that has impacted the way
people conceptualize education, students and schools. Students are transformed into
consumers and education transformed into a product (Kinzer, 1999). The end result is a
new focus for higher education.
Meridian Community College has experienced these image problems in differing
degrees over its seventy plus years of student recruitment. According to K. Thomas
(personal communication, January 19, 2007), Director of Marketing at MCC, this stigma
is going by the wayside as the college improves and expands image campaigns. K.
Thomas has been associated with MCC for over 12 years. She reports most faculty, staff
and administration have lost their reluctance toward recruitment advertising. In many cases, those who have shown past reluctance are now willing to participate in marketing efforts. 3
Problem Statement
Massey (1997) divided potential community college students into three categories based on her findings from a research report done for the Dallas County Community
College District. The demographics of the respondents identified these three distinct groups of prospective students. Her largest group of respondents was identified as
“directed students” or those who proceed directly from high school to college with a clear idea of their next educational step. Next, were the “late-adopters” who were defined as those students who do not proceed directly from high school to college. The remaining few fall into a category of “drifters.” Drifters are students who do not have a clear idea of what their education goal will be. Both the “directed students” and “late-adopters” are
considered goal-oriented students; “drifters” are not.
Meridian Community College must have a strategic marketing plan formed on
research-based data analysis. This study seeks to identify the factors that contribute to
the “call to action” presented by television advertising to Massey’s segmented groups of
potential community college students. This study specifically seeks to identify these
factors at Meridian Community College in the Meridian, Mississippi market. This is
done in an effort to build that researched-based plan that will lead MCC toward best
practice marketing.
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Purpose
The purpose of this study was to compare and to evaluate the television market
segmentation suggested in Massey's 1997 study, to investigate the viewing habits of those
potential community college students, and to look for the message that called them to
action. It was the intention of this research to probe the effectiveness of marketing and
public relations strategies based on the segmented audience in a particular small southeastern market (Meridian, MS).
The distinct market considered in this research is rich in electronic media having
14 television signals, both commercial and public broadcast, penetrating the area
(Appendix A). Radio has an even larger presence with some 40 signals reaching the market (Appendix A). While being rich in electronic media, the market data show a lower income level than that of the national average. According to the 2000 Census by the U. S. Census Bureau, the national median household income was $41,994. The same report shows the median household income for Meridian, Mississippi, at only $25,085.
The 2005 census report shows a modest increase in these income figures. This large variety of media outlets coupled with a limited amount of available budget for both colleges and perspective students, suggests a marketing challenge. One basic assumption underlying this research is that the segments of students applying to two-year colleges are different from one another. It is assumed that they have differing needs, motives and reasons for applying to school. If this is the case, the
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marketing messages they require could differ. These differences then would require
differing marketing techniques.
Research Questions
Based upon the theoretical foundation and research objectives above, the
following research questions were developed.
1. What are the descriptive profiles of the respondents?
2. Is there a significant difference between late-adopters and directed students in
preferred messages for a call to action?
3. Is there a significant difference in the television viewing habits between the late-
adopters and the directed students?
4. Is there a significant amount of non-goal oriented students (drifters) to be
considered in this study?
Need for the Study
Community colleges have not been exempt from recent trends in aggressive educational marketing. Yet, the community colleges have smaller advertising budgets
compared to their university counterparts and therefore have a particular need for
successful, budget-conscious advertising. Unlike four-year colleges and universities,
community colleges charge lower tuition rates and must rely more heavily on government
funding. Also unlike their four-year counterparts, community college students are divided more distinctly into three basic categories: directed students, late-adopters, and
6
drifters (Massey, 1997; Yang, 2006). Directed students include those who apply directly from high school; late-adopters are those who wait and apply much later in adulthood; and, drifters are those who apply to community college with no clear outcome in mind.
Broadcast television marketing is a powerful medium according to current research (Blair & Kuse, 2004). “Television advertising continues to result in at least a
50% variation in market-share changes. The quality of ads also shows a strong relationship to market response” (Blair & Kuse, p. 74). Issues related to television marketing are covered more thoroughly in the literature review section. The diversity of these community college students mentioned in the previous paragraph, combined with the powerful nature of broadcast television marketing in increasing market share suggests that each of Massey's (1997) suggested market segments may respond more positively to different types of marketing.
Despite the acknowledged need for marketing efforts to stay competitive in higher education, there remains difficulties that institutions of higher learning experience when attempting to market themselves. A tremendous resistance to marketing institutions of higher learning continues to exist. According to Jungenheimer (1995), colleges and universities plan poorly, face a strong resistance to marketing, lack experience, and fail to develop a marketing plan. Members of the faculty have a negative reaction to the idea of advertising as too commercial and not suitable for a college or university (Jungenheimer,
1995). Furthermore, administrators often resist advertising due to the cost and difficulty associated with measuring the results. Research completed by the North Carolina
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Community College System found that a lack of systematic evaluation made it very difficult to improve the promotional methods (Watts, 2002). Also, there is little research regarding marketing the schools in the U.S. with the exception of a few dissertations
(Drysdale, 2001). Additional research into this area can only benefit community colleges with information that may make institutional marketing more effective, efficient and more acceptable.
It is unknown if the market segmentation unique to community colleges makes a significant difference in the effectiveness of television broadcast marketing of the community college. Also lacking in current theory is whether television broadcast marketing of a community college to a segmented market would allow community colleges to remain competitive with four-year colleges and universities in attracting directed students while simultaneously recruiting and retaining non-traditional students.
This research provides insight into market segmentation and broadcast television effectiveness to better design student recruitment and retention efforts. The research focused on several broad areas, including the communication process, exchange theory, market segmentation, broadcast television marketing, and the college-choice process.
Limitations
The selection of participants in this study was limited to those enrolled in freshman level courses. This sample was chosen to give a better representation of the reasons new students attend community college. Massey (1997) divided community college students into three groups. Those directed students who attend directly from high
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school, those late-adopters who attend college after being in the workforce and those
drifters who seem to have no set goal but rather move from major to major. The first two categories are considered goal oriented, and this study was limited to those students. The research showed “drifters” at MCC to be statistically insignificant.
Mass media are changing very rapidly in today’s society. The fact that this study focused upon television, while including the other media to a lesser extent, may be considered a limitation. Random sampling of freshman students was utilized; thus, this study can be cautiously generalized to other student populations. One additional possible limitation was response bias. As has been suggested by Kerlinger (1986), there is always the possibility that participants could show respondent bias due to the self-reporting
nature of the survey.
Definition of Terms
This dissertation used terminology in a slightly different way than is standard.
Those terms which require alternative definition are listed below.
Advertising: A method of bringing the product to the mind of the potential
consumer by the use of the mass media and pre-selling it (Smith, 1996).
Best Practice: “a documented method of operating behavior that yields a higher
level of performance (ROI) than other operating behaviors” (Blair & Kuse, 2004, p. 77).
ROI means return on investment.
Call to Action: At its core, direct response advertising is a marketing message that
incorporates a call to action. While usually thought of in terms of television advertising,
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direct response advertising can actually be a part of just about any marketing media from
direct mail to billboards, print advertisements and online ads (Kawas, 2001
MarketingPower.com Inc. http://www.marketingpower.com/content1026.php)
Consumer Behavior Theory: Assumes that consumers choose a school based upon the images they have developed of the varying schools (Baharun, 2003).
Directed Students: Proceed directly from high school to college and have a clear
idea of what will be their next educational step (Massey, 1997).
DMA: (designated marketing areas): the Nielsen Station Index lists Two-hundred
twelve areas in the United States. Market rank is based on signal coverage population
(Nielsen Media Research, 2006).
Drifters: Do not have a clear idea of what will be their next educational step after
their current college enrollment (Massey, 1997).
IPEDS: Integrated Post Education Data System.
http://surveys.nces.ed.gov/IPEDS/Index.aspx
Late-Adopters: Do not proceed directly from high school to college (Massey,
1997).
Market: “An identifiable and describable group of current or potential students
(e.g., students enrolled at feeder community colleges)” (Swann & Henderson, 1998,
p. 108).
Market Plan: “A document that describes an institution's current enrollment and
targeted goals as well as how that college/university intends to change or maintain its
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market position to achieve its measurable enrollment goals” (Swann & Henderson, 1998, p. 108).
Non-traditional Student: A late-adopter or student who does not follow the traditional route of entering college directly after high school (Massey, 1997).
Permission Marketing: In the case of community college marketing, an approach to selling services in which a prospective student explicitly agrees in advance to receive marketing information (Godin, 2007).
Traditional Student: A directed student who proceeds directly to college from high school with a clear idea of the next educational step (Massey, 1997).
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CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
The review of literature relates to marketing in general and the marketing of
educational institutions to prospective students in specific. An abundance of material
was available concerning recruitment of students. As the focus narrowed to recruitment
with electronic media as the marketing medium, the literature available also narrowed.
Much of the literature that centered on recruitment through the use of electronic media
did include marketing with television.
The review also included material relating to the demographics of Meridian,
Mississippi, and Meridian Community College (MCC). The recruitment of students for
MCC through the use of television advertising in the Meridian, Mississippi, market was the specific focus. The chapter included sections on marketing, television marketing,
community college marketing, Meridian, Mississippi, and Meridian Community College.
Marketing History
The study of marketing has a long history. As far back as 1930, Copeland
presented a casebook dealing with industrial marketing. Then, in 1934, Frederick
published a textbook to be used in teaching industrial marketing. According to Reid and
Plank (2004), academic research on the subject was sparse until 1972 when Industrial
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Marketing Management, a peer-referenced journal designed specifically for the purpose, was introduced. About this same time (1974) a series of articles appeared in Advertising
Age entitled “The Positioning Age Cometh.” Positioning (developing a campaign that your average customer can relate to) became an instant hit and an industry buzzword among marketing people (Ries & Ries, 2002).
Because of the history of marketing with political involvement and power, some marketing has a bad reputation. Marketing is often publicly equated with manipulation, propaganda, and persuasion. This bad reputation leads many to conclude that marketing is
“dishonest, distasteful, deceitful, exploitative, and inherently objectionable” (Drysdale,
2001, p. 2). The reputation may lead some to think there are no ethics in the business and field of marketing. In the field of education, an additional resistance to marketing may exist as the mores in the field are not inherently compatible with the idea of marketing
(Drysdale).
Community College Marketing History
American community colleges celebrated 100 years of accomplishment in 2001
(American Association of Community Colleges, 2001). One effective marketing tool is to know the history of community colleges in the U.S. and disseminate this. Because community colleges have historically represented the democratic idea of an equal opportunity for access to all, this history may be more likely to reach the target population.
Open admission combined with the remedial courses designed to develop the necessary
13
skills and competencies provides any able student who desires an education with the opportunity to obtain one (American Association of Community Colleges).
Fram (1973), in a presentation to the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Higher Education, originally discussed the idea of using the philosophy of marketing in higher education student recruitment. This philosophy starts from a position that the needs of the consumer are paramount. Everything flows from their needs. Institutions of higher learning must look at education as a product that has value. Fram also suggested that marketing for higher education become an area of research. He believed that this research should include the factors that have an effect on student college choice.
Since the 1990’s, recruitment marketing efforts have changed with the changes in society. “Although institutional recruiting still includes the staples of direct mail, visits to high schools, college fairs and campus visits, colleges and universities have adopted more sophisticated marketing and recruiting strategies. New marketing media and techniques such as CD-ROMs, electronic mail distributions, permission marketing and the World
Wide Web altered the way colleges and universities communicate with prospective students” (Kinzie et al., 2004, p. 33). Colleges have increased their use of campus viewbooks, college ranking guidebooks, videos, computer software programs, visits to schools, Internet searches, video teleconferences, virtual tours, the use of other guidebooks, and private counselors (Kinzie et al.).
In 1992, Simmons and Laczniak published an article discussing the use of marketing principles in higher education. They further discussed strategic marketing as an idea whose time has come in higher education stating, “The key issue is the degree to 14
which a university accepts a marketing frame of mind.” Simmons and Laczniak (1992, p. 4) also suggest, “Many strategists conclude that there are three ways to compete in an environment characterized by intense competition.” The different strategies include cost, differentiation, and focus. Differentiation is a marketing technique used to emphasize what may be considered special attributes of the college. Attributes may include specialty programs, a favorable location or the availability of financial aid. Focus is the technique used to attract a specific student. A law school, medical school, or management school are examples of institutions that may want to market using focus. Cost is the usual strategy used in community college marketing.
Dennis (1998) reports that just the attempts to introduce marketing ideas into higher education recruitment troubled many faculty members. Some people saw and, in fact, still view marketing as inappropriate for educational institutions. These discussions regarding the usefulness of marketing principles to influence college choice have taken place for at least 20 years. In a study of community college presidents only a year later, Fuchcar
(1999) found many colleges were ready to expand marketing efforts. His study found the most common objectives of community college marketing were to increase the student enrollment and to improve the college image in the community. Moreover, to do this,
Vice-President of Network Strategy at Lycos, Inc. Bo Peabody believes, it is important to show a potential customer what they are actually getting rather than just letting them wait and guess. He tell us that if you let them guess, they will usually guess wrong (Baker et al.,
2004).
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Many marketing efforts have increased. Schools are visiting more high schools within and outside of their locale. Schools are participating more in college fairs.
Furthermore, schools are also turning to the Internet and even telemarketing to market themselves (Breland, 2002).
The literature would indicate that the community colleges’ history with the media in general and television in particular, has concerns involving the difficulty of presenting their mission and identity effectively to their local audience. Although, the same literature points toward television as being among the key players in development of district-wide and nation-wide campaigns (Hastings, 2000). Schaefer (2006, cited in Martinez, 2006, p.
6) tells us “Each positive message about a community college helps all community colleges. No matter what college is telling their story, national awareness is good for all of us as a whole.”
Community colleges have been viewed as municipal services with no real urgency to keep up in the marketplace. The lack of urgency led to a less competitive attitude in the past. It was not necessary to increase the colleges’ visibility through the media and marketing was not a priority (Martinez, 2006). Community colleges were sending a scattered message with the division of labor in marketing overly decentralized (Sefl &
Snell, 2003). These long held attitudes have been forced to change. There is less state funding for community colleges. The decrease in funding led to budget shortfalls and hard decisions concerning increased tuition. There has also been increased competition from for-profit and on-line colleges and universities (Martinez, 2006).
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The increase in competition creates a necessity for the community colleges to get a positive message out to a large audience. The ultimate goal of the message is to “ensure that community colleges’ public constituents are aware of programs, services, and educational opportunities available at their local campus” (Hastings, 2000, p. 5). In addition, to get this message out, television is playing an active role in helping these institutions advertise services to a diverse market (Hastings).
Television Marketing
Defining television program exposure is a complex issue related to the growth in technology and the difficulty of mathematically computing the number of exposures in the medium as well as others (Leckenby, 1987). “In order to process television messages, television viewers must encode the information contained in the message, retrieve already stored information from long term memory in order to make sense of the incoming message, and store the new information in long term memory” (Lang et al., 2000, p. 94).
The memory effect happens automatically according to television content and the way the message is structured. This also occurs according to the viewer’s personal interests, needs, objectives, and ambitions. Advertisers have no control over the viewer’s personal interests. They can alter the content and structure of the message making it more likely the viewer will pay attention (Lang et al., 2000). For attention to develop, the viewers must have needs, objectives, and ambitions that drive them to attend to any particular message. Even so, a viewer’s attention will range between various states of attending during any television watching episode (Lang et al.).
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People may see a television commercial when it is on or, unlike with the print media, they may do other things, including leaving the room (Duncan, 2002). Not paying strict attention to program interruptions has become easier since the development of VCRs, remote controls, TIVO and the Internet. Kent (2002) states that most advertisers make the assessment to advertise based upon the demographic data related to each television show, day and time. According to Kent, advertisers should also explore the question, are they watching the advertisements?
Lindenmann (2003) reports that evaluating the effectiveness of television advertising can include “asking people after the advertising whether they recall the ads they saw and retain the message. Do they remember the topics of the ads, the concepts that were presented and the messages they heard?” (p. 15).
The memory of what people see on television is very low according to research.
Low memory retention is due to the relationship between exposure and attention. It is also associated with the relationship between attention and memory (Lang et al., 2000). Often, research-based television advertising techniques improve the effectiveness of the advertising. Advertisers can change the strategic and executional content elements. These research-based variables include promises, appeals, comparisons, tone, atmosphere, structure, format, and the timing of various elements. Repetition of television advertising also works. In fact, continuous airing shows greater results than short term airing.
Advertising versus no advertising shows results. “94% of all advertisements have a positive impact on sales” (Blair & Kuse, 2004, p. 71).
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It is important to base the advertising upon a superior proposition which is a strong selling or value attribute (Blair & Kuse, 2004). The general public has difficulty remembering ads and associating the ads with the actual brand of the product advertised.
Research by Blair and Kuse (2004) suggests that this could be influenced by placing the brand name of the product at the beginning of the ad rather than later in the ad. The research into television advertising shows that the length of time until brand identification and product identification adversely affects the effectiveness of the ad (Baker et al., 2004).
For a college or university the actual brand would involve the name of the school.
Use the most persuasive advertisement initially, knowing that its ability to influence behavior is the greatest as the ad initially continues to air and then diminishes. Timing the change to another ad is important to continue to influence behavior (Blair & Kuse, 2004).
The closer in time to purchase or decision that the viewer sees an ad; the more likely they will purchase that product (Johnston, 1995). Thus, it would be helpful to place more ads closer to application deadlines.
Campaign Plan
Marketing campaigns begin with a plan. To create such a plan, a school must consider what Jerome McCarthy presented in The 4 Principles of Marketing (1960). The elements involved in a marketing campaign are: (1) product, (2) place, (3) price and (4) promotion. McCarthy believes that these four factors are interdependent and equal in importance. After these decisions are made, the school can create materials that are best for the target population. A good plan will also have a well developed picture of the outcomes desired. The outcomes will allow for evaluation research. “It is vital to build in a 19
mechanism for feedback so you can evaluate the communication strategy and modify it as needed. How did each target audience react to the message or technique?” (American
Association of Community Colleges, 2001, p. 13).
To develop a marketing plan, the college must ask the following questions: Who are we trying to reach? Why? What information do they need from us? For example, prospective students need to know what courses are offered. They also need to know how these courses will lead to future employment and transfer rates to four-year colleges. The college marketing team needs to know where potential students normally obtain the information that they need to make self enhancing decisions. What message do they need to hear from the school in order to attract them? What will be the most effective media?
What techniques will work for each of your target groups? (American Association of
Community Colleges, 2001).
Measurement
Marketing has been studied over a long period of time and its effects are still very difficult to measure. Influences that have a bearing on purchases or other product choices come into play that can make the usefulness of advertising complicated to interpret.
According to Rotzoll and Haefner (1996, p. 8), “It is difficult to determine advertising’s actual effects because of the quixotic nature of human thought and behavior.” Improving advertising requires business “intelligence, measurement, knowledge, models, tools, and best practice” (Blair & Kuse, 2004, p. 71).
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Lindenmann (2003b) writes that public relations research can take place for one or more of the seven following reasons.
To collect information that public relations professionals need to have and to know to do their jobs more effectively. To obtain benchmark data regarding the views of key target audience groups. To plan, develop, or possibly refine a public relations, public affairs or marketing communications program or activity. To track or monitor programs, activities or events that are or can be important to the institution. To evaluate the overall effectiveness of a particular public relations or public affairs program or activity, by measuring outputs and outcomes against a predetermined set of objectives. When facing a sudden and unexpected crisis, to put the issues involved into proper perspective through emergency monitoring or polling. When circumstances allow, to provide appropriate support in publicizing or promoting a specific program, activity or event (p. 1).
Advertisers want to know how many potential consumers are exposed to the advertisement. Exposure can measure the effectiveness of their advertising (Leckenby,
1987). But it is not enough to simply know how many people saw the advertisement.
Measurement also requires knowing how many people paid attention to the ad, the image they have of the sender, the credibility they attribute to the sender, the memory they have of the ad, and whether it stimulated them to action.
Sefl and Snell (2003) define successful outcomes of marketing as increases in enrollments, endowments, outreach and community support. They recommend conducting consumer research into what the target audience actually needs from the school and what influences them. MCC uses the number of students who apply for admission as one of the measures of advertising results.
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Source-Credibility
According to Ries and Ries (2002), advertising has no credibility because it is the self-serving voice of a company anxious to make a sale. Source-credibility, however, is not about advertising as a field. Instead, it measures the effectiveness of the messenger in the delivery of the message. Severin and Tankard (2001) describe source-credibility research which was conducted by Hovland and Weiss in 1951 when they studied entertainer Kate
Smith’s appearance on a World War II radio program to sell war bonds. She was enormously successful, and the research showed this was related to her perceived sincerity and trustworthiness.
Whitehead (1968) continued to research source-credibility and found the following four characteristics of the source will increase the likelihood that a message will be heard and remembered. These characteristics are trustworthiness, professionalism or competence, dynamism, and objectivity. According to Severin and Tankard (2001), this source- credibility diminishes with repeated messages. Repeating the message too often means that this repeat advertising using well-known individuals could actually reduce the desired effect.
Target Audience
Whether the potential consumers choose to purchase the product being offered depends upon how well the message is sent to them in a form and format they can receive and digest. This message reception involves a thorough understanding of the target audience characteristics, the appropriate media, communication styles, and message styles
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(Smith, 1996). Important factors in a marketing plan to consider are age, ethnic background, geographic location, sex, income levels, transportation habits, and race
(Smith, 1996). Reynolds (1965) pronounced that "different people will have different images of the same product; the number of people with a particular image is always a percentage and not the total population" (p. 75).
Creating advertising messages requires an idea that meets the needs of the target population. Thus, it is important to know who they are, what they want and what they need.
The message must be “clear, direct, and personal. It must address a concern, fear or aspiration and have a direct connection to people’s lives” (American Association of
Community Colleges, 2001, p. 15),
Philosophy
Marketing has a philosophy known as the “marketing concept.” This philosophy places the customer and the satisfaction of his or her needs, at the focal point of all business activities. This philosophy involves matching the product to the wants and needs of the consumer. The matching then makes both parties successful and happy. Such a matching of wants with product involves finding out what people want and then focusing the resources and planning toward these goals and desires (Drysdale, 2001).
Swann and Henderson (1998) explain that the increasingly competitive experience of colleges has altered the focus of admissions from counseling into research and marketing. In the higher education marketing concept, the value of the exchange offered to potential students would become the focus of all the activities of the school. Schools would
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assess what the target audience wants and needs. The assessment would allow colleges to access the necessary information for attracting students and planning appropriate programs.
Then, the courses, extracurricular activities, library, fields of study, degrees offered and even the remedial courses offered would be geared to the needs of potential students. An important face of this is the need to develop an awareness of the public’s perception of the college and its competitor colleges. This is positioning which involves both “identifying and comparing an institution’s characteristics with its competitors” (p. 97).
Recruitment involves planning, research, marketing, prospecting and recruitment of students (Romero, 2002). It is possible that a redesign of the marketing and enrollment management approaches would assist both the potential students and the college. The idea would be to match the university to the needs of the potential students (Louisiana Technical
College, 2005). “Community college faculty and administrators should be aware of enrollment shifts, changing admissions standards, and fluctuating age, gender composition, and racial and ethnic identities of students” (Bryant, 2001, p. 77).
Marketing a school does differ from marketing a product in a variety of ways. First, the goods offered by the school are not easily seen. These goods are intangible. Public relations programs have to find a way to make education real and observable by providing something tangible the public can hold on to. Education is both a product and an experience that takes place in time with others. Marketing then will involve examining the place, time, and way. Unlike goods, a service such as education is an individualized experience. Products are standardized; services are variable. Due to this quality, marketing an education product involves customizing the experience to some degree. Furthermore, 24
education is perishable and not contained. The potential student must understand how education perishes as it becomes outdated and requires continuous study. Marketing education with this quality in mind would involve finding ways for students to keep their product.
The characteristics of a school are both similar and different to the business world.
Differences involve a greater emphasis upon ethics, public opinion, and moral issues. This emphasis can seriously impact marketing strategy (Drysdale, 2001). Furthermore, it is more difficult to evaluate education as if it were a product than it is to evaluate consumer goods.
Educational consumers (parents and students) cannot examine the education offered by a school in the same manner as another product. Secondly, it is difficult to see the education product at the time of learning. It is even more difficult to evaluate the value of the education purchased. Results may not be seen until many years later. Another difference between education and other consumer products is that education involves personal interaction. The interaction is ongoing while the product of the educational process is taking place. An ongoing process with reoccurring payment each semester leaves some customers pondering whether a certificate or degree is what they are buying or if it is the knowledge they receive. In an article written for the National Center for Public Policy and
Higher Education, Miller (2006) says it should be the skills and knowledge behind the degree that counts. These interactions complicate consumer expectations and, in turn, college marketing.
Marketing with these limitations in mind involves the perception of service, quality and the ability to distinguish the school from others. It also involves both external 25
marketing [to the consumer] and internal marketing [to the staff] to motivate them to provide quality service (Drysdale, 2001).
College marketing is different from business marketing in another very significant manner. This difference involves all the variables linked to the marketing plan. Kotler and
Fox (1995) have expanded upon the 4 P’s for marketing to 7 P’s for academic institutions.
These include “programs, price, place (location and delivery systems), promotion
(including advertising, public relations, personal contact, and other activities), processes, physical facilities, and people” (Kotler & Fox, 1995, p. 186). The 7 P’s make up the marketing mix for the college strategic marketing plan. The facilitation of the particular plan will dictate which elements are emphasized in the total mix.
College Choice Process
The Chapman Model (1984) for college choice is based upon the assumption that an interface between student personal variables and outside influences determines the student’s choice. Personal variables can be socioeconomic status, aptitude, educational ambitions, and academic successes. Outside influences may include their parents and friends, the cost, location and programs of the college as well as the college marketing program.
Baharun (2003) conducted research in order to examine the importance that university students attach to selecting variables when choosing a university to attend.
Schools have an intangible produce. This leads to the use of a basic marketing formula:
“(1) a tightly defined target market; (2) a clear benefit concept; (3) a highly focused service
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production system; and (4) a clear service image” (p. 43). This situation becomes complicated by the diversity of programs in an educational institution. Thus, these can conflict. Today, students send out more college applications in an attempt to increase the likelihood that they will be accepted into college. They also begin this process earlier, usually by the beginning of their junior year (Kinzie et al., 2004).
Discrete Target Audience
“The composition of the community college student body is unique compared to other institutions of higher education” (Bryant, 2001, p. 78). Identifying the target market is based upon actual demographics such as location, age, ethnicity, sex, income and marital status. “Target marketing makes sense when we can identify common interests and preferences, and then respond in valued ways to identifiable groups of people” (Kotler &
Fox, 1995, p. 213). “Recent shifts in student composition have shaped and will shape community college missions and policies. Community college faculty and administrators should be aware of enrollment shifts, changing admissions standards, and fluctuating age, gender composition, and racial and ethnic identities of students” (Bryant, 2001, p. 77).
At the time of this research, 1,127 community colleges were operating in the United
States. These colleges were educating almost half of all the undergraduate students attending institutions of higher learning. This count resulted in 11.6 million students. “The average student age is 29, 16% are over 40 and 50% work full-time” (American
Association of Community Colleges, 2001, p. 10).
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Historically, more women, nontraditional students, nontraditional ages, minorities, and part-time students were the target population for community colleges. Some predict that this will change in the future to more traditional students (Bryant, 2001; Phillippe &
Patton, 2000). Almost half of these students were attending college for the first time. More than half of these students were taking courses for college credit. More female full-time students than male full-time students attend. Approximately one-half of the Black,
Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander and Native American students attending college attended a community college. Their average age of 29 years old was older than the population of four-year colleges. Approximately one-third of all students attending community college received some type of financial aid. Community colleges have many workforce education and training programs. Programs included welfare-to-work courses. In fact, a total of 65% of graduating healthcare trainees attended community colleges (Phillippe & Patton, 2000).
Recent research shows that almost 67% of community college students had a definite objective. For example, as their goal, a certificate, a degree or transfer credit to a four-year college. Unlike other institutions of higher learning, more community college students worked full time and had families. They also were more likely to come from a variety of socioeconomic family circumstances and different races (Phillippe & Patton,
2000). Students who selected a local two-year college did so because the college is close to home, costs less than a four-year college and offered transfer credits (Massey, 1997).
American community college students were more likely than students at four-year institutions to attempt to balance family responsibilities along with a source of income
(Phillippe & Patton, 2000). Community college students also were more likely than 28
attendees at four-year colleges to have an educational history that was not sufficient to succeed in college. Community college students came from a wide variety of economic and racial backgrounds. These backgrounds sometimes included a primary schooling experience that was less than adequate for college preparation (Watts, 2002). The open door admissions policies of the community colleges provided an opportunity for these learners.
Cohen and Brawer (1996) suggested that “students attend community colleges for numerous reasons: to better themselves financially, to obtain job entry skills, to upgrade job skills, to fulfill a personal interest, or to take classes that will transfer to senior institutions.”
These authors indicate that the common belief is that community college students are practical and not interested in learning for its own sake. Yet Cohen and Brawer, as cited in
Bryant (2001),argue that “students in all types of institutions use education for practical purposes.”
Northern Virginia Community College (1998) conducted a telephone survey regarding the varying media accessed by potential students. While 75% of those surveyed read a newspaper regularly, almost all (95%) watched television. “57% of the respondents said they did most of their television viewing at night (7 p.m. to 11 p.m. EST.). An additional 27% said they did most of their television viewing in the evening (5 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST)” (Northern Virginia Community College, 1998, p. 2). Students reported that they primarily watched the major networks and a few cable channels such as ESPN and
CNN.
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Target Audience Reach
According to Kotler and Fox (1995), identifying who people are, will allow the marketing plan to better identify those marketing opportunities that fit the target audience.
Using demographics will help design a better marketing campaign that will reach the target audience (Watts, 2002).
When the marketing plan can be refined to better match the target audience, it is important to understand the most efficient and cost effective method for successfully communicating with students. Rendon (2000) maintains that “community colleges ought to view themselves as unique institutions functioning for the purpose of providing access to a wide range of students” (Bryant, 2001, p. 77). Watts (2002) recommended that promotional efforts be based upon research-based strategies that have been proven to reach the target audience; counselors. Both high-school and college counselors had an influence on where students choose to attend college.
Prospective college students need information for adequate decision making.
Offering more information about college options that include two-year colleges provide the high school student with the necessary information to make good choices (Louisiana
Technical College, 2005). Thus, the recruitment process could be viewed as an effort to provide enough information. Ideally, the recruitment activities will all lead the target audience to develop a mental image of the prospective college (Braxton, 1979).
Educational marketing tries to separate the school in the public mind from all the schools that are the competition. This competition could have been local or it could have included at least 3,000 others nationwide. The end goal is to attract the student to that 30
school resulting with the student’s application, acceptance, and eventual enrollment
(Anderson, 1994). The more the targeted audience formed a favorable image, the more likely they were to choose the school. Thus, a school that was working to increase enrollment would have as one of its goals the development of a favorable image in the minds of the targeted audience (Baharun, 2003).
Meridian, Mississippi Community Profile
Meridian, Mississippi is a city in Lauderdale County, with a population of 39,968 people in the year 2000. The population was split almost 50-50 between women and men.
The average age was 34. The racial demographics were split nearly evenly between the black citizens and the white citizens. Other races combined made up less than 20% of the racial mix: American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific
Islander, and Hispanic or Latino (Appendix B). Sixty-three percent lived in families. The average household was between two and three people. Slightly less than 25% of the households were headed by unmarried women. About half of the people in Meridian owned their own homes while the other half were renting (US Census 2000, Meridian, Mississippi,
Statistics and Demographics). Median income levels for a household were between
$25,085 and $31,062. Almost one-fourth of the families lived below the poverty line (U.S.
Census, 2005). The higher education achievements of the population were close to the national averages. In 2005 the U. S. Census Bureau reported 20.02% of the population of
Meridian and Lauderdale County were enrolled in higher education. At the same time, the
U.S. Census Bureau showed the U.S. average to be 22.8% (Table 2.1).
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As stated earlier, Meridian Mississippi is rich in electronic media, having 14 television signals, both commercial and public broadcast, penetrating the area (Appendix
A). Radio has an even larger presence with some 40 signals reaching the market
(Appendix A). Meridian ranks 184th in the 212 United States DMA’s (designated marketing areas) listed by the Nielsen Station Index (Nielsen, 2006). Market rank is based on signal coverage population.
Table 2.1 . Lauderdale County Enrollment
Lauderdale County - Meridian, MS School Enrollment College 20.02%
Mississippi School Enrollment College 19.4%
United States School Enrollment College 22.8%
Market ranks change as area population changes. In 2005, New Orleans, Louisiana ranked as the 43rd largest market in the country. Based on population decrease after hurricane Katrina, New Orleans moved to the 54th slot. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a popular destination for hurricane Katrina evacuees, moved up three slots from 96th to 93rd (Nielsen,
2006). The Meridian DMA (designated marketing area) population has remained near the same level for the past few years, which has kept the market ranking unchanged.
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Meridian Community College (MCC) Institutional Profile
Most of the students who attend MCC live in Meridian and Lauderdale County.
Being a city campus, these students may be sold on the idea of staying close to home when they go off to college. About 40% of the student body comes from rural county areas and, as shown in previously cited research, these students need a message that makes them comfortable. The primary niche market was the non-traditional student. This student was female and an average age of 28 (Appendix C). MCC is an established institution in a crowded marketplace. The campaign positioning statement is “Stay Close, Go Far.” The goal is a unique marketing concept that should be recognizable to every prospective student as well as the community. The hallmark of the campaign is a prominent architectural feature of Meridian Community
College. This feature is the mosaic tiles that have been located across the front of Ivy Hall since 1962 (Appendix D).
The two community colleges that are identified as primary competitors are East
Mississippi Community College and East Central Community College. Mississippi’s community colleges have strict recruiting districts. MCC is unique in that the recruiting district is Lauderdale County that Meridian shares with East Mississippi Community
College. MCC is the only Mississippi community college named for a city. All other community colleges in the state include multi-county districts (Appendix E).
The marketing mission for MCC is to present the college to the community in the best light possible. The marketing campaign was developed over a period of about four
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years. The first promotional message was “So Close, But We Can Take You So Far.” This was later replaced with the shortened version “Stay Close, Go Far” (Appendix D). The theme has been placed on orientation materials and specialty items a well as in print and broadcast advertising. The campaign is still evolving.
The impact of the current marketing campaign is described as follows. For three straight years there have been over 4,000 students in enrollment at MCC (Meridian
Community College Enrollment Count Records). Last year, MCC had the largest
December graduating class in school history with over 200 students graduating. The college also had the largest May graduating class in school history with over 400 students graduating. Meridian ranked number one in the state for student GPA upon transfer to a four-year college. In addition, according to the MCC 2005 Fall-Semester End Report, the college had a 94% graduation rate for student athletes.
Summary
Current and long-standing literature supports the idea of marketing in higher education. Some may still resist the concept of having to market education as a commodity to be sold. Yet, in today’s marketplace, marketing defines itself as something we must embrace to stay viable. If one institution markets itself to perspective students, others must consider the erosion of the potential market. Trout and Ries (2005) defined marketing as simply war between competitors. The AMA’s definition is an organizational function and a set process for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for
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managing customer relationships in ways to benefit the organization and its stakeholders
(American Marketing Association, 2006).
Norris tells us that if it does not facilitate a sale, then it is not marketing (Norris,
2006). Institutions of higher learning in general and community colleges in particular must do exactly that to stay viable. Student recruitment and retention are paramount. Without students, schools have no importance.
The purpose of this study was to compare and to evaluate the television market segmentation suggested in Massey's 1997 study, to investigate the viewing habits of those potential community college students, and to look for the message that called them to action. It was the intention of this research to probe the effectiveness of marketing and public relations strategies based on the segmented audience in a particular small southeastern market (Meridian, MS).
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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
The purpose of this study was to compare and to evaluate the television market
segmentation suggested in Massey's 1997 study, to investigate the viewing habits of these
potential community college students, and to look for the message that will call them to
action. It was the intention of this research to probe the effectiveness of marketing and
public relations strategies based on the segmented audience in a particular small southeastern market (Meridian, MS).
This study is applied research and is intended to investigate the specific practical challenges related to educational marketing for Meridian Community College. The research is intended to be used strategically by MCC to further its marketing program and market position. It is hoped that the findings can be generalized to other educational institutions in similar settings.
Research Design
The design selected for this investigation was a causal comparative research design. Since the promotional material has already had an effect on the students’ decision to further investigate enrollment at MCC, this design was chosen to study the possible influence of these variables (the promotional materials). It would have been
difficult, if not impossible, to manipulate experimentally a potential student to take an
interest in enrollment at MCC before the actual occurrence of the interest. Instead, it
36
seemed to be more statistically sound to survey a significant portion of those students
who had already made a conscious decision to enroll at MCC. This research proposed to collect necessary data for the causal comparative design by surveying selected freshmen students at MCC to recall what effect different promotional material had on their decisions.
In this study, it was important to know the audience. The students were also asked to submit demographic information to help determine audience segments.
Information was analyzed in determining differences that motivate different student segments. This information may be of particular interest in future television promotional planning by MCC. Age, gender and ethnic groups follow the general guidelines for
Nielsen Station Index Media Research. Nielsen Media Research is considered to be the
industry leader in television audience measurement for U.S. markets. Neilsen clams to
“paint a rich picture of the American audience” (Nielsen Media Research, July 2006
p. 1).
According to Gall, Borg and Gall (1996), the cause and effect relationships the
researcher wants to study are not accessible through manipulation. In this instance, the
causal comparative design was incorporated since dependent variables had already
happened and experimental manipulation was not necessary. This study attempted to
investigate the effects of these variables, the promotional television material in particular,
on the decision-making process of students who actually decided to enroll at MCC.
Freshmen at MCC were asked to rank the promotional material as to the perceived
influence of these variables on their decision to choose MCC. The degree of influence
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indicated by the student on the survey scale was used to analyze the variables. The
dependent variable was the student call to action (decision to further investigate MCC).
The demographic information was recorded to help analyze how different
segments of the audience were influenced in different ways. It was hoped this
information would be beneficial to the college in future allocation and placement of
advertising budget. Some questions were added to the survey at the request of the MCC
administration.
Population
In August 2005, 4,160 students were enrolled in MCC (Elliott, 2005). By the end
of the semester 3,433 students were enrolled at the college. The decline was attributed to
circumstances such as natural attrition and academic suspension. Of those students, 1,481
were full-time students between the ages of 18-21 and 1,042 students were full-time and over age 22. Part-time students included 212 between the ages of 18 and 21 and 698 students age 22 and over (Table 3.1).
Of 2,493 full-time students registered at the end of the semester (MCC, 2005
IPEDS enrollment by race/ethnicity and gender for full-time students report, Table 3.2),
1,025 were black, non-Hispanic and 1,310 white, non-Hispanic. There were 70 who were identified as American Indian/Alaska Native, 16 Hispanic, and 12 Asian/Pacific Islander.
There were 86 reported as race/ethnicity unknown. Males accounted for about 30% at
745 students while 1739, or about 70% were female. Of 910 part-time students reported
(MCC, 2005 IPEDS enrollment for part-time students report, Table 3.3), 327 were black,
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non-Hispanic and 517 were white, non-Hispanic. Other categories included 17 American
Indian/Alaskan Native, 5 Asian, and 23 with race/ethnicity unknown. These numbers showed 31% male and 69% female students, a close reflection of the full-time count.
Both full-time and part-time figures were near those of the Mississippi state average for both total population and educational institutions (U. S. Census, 2005).
Table 3.1
Meridian Community College Fall 2005 Semester Report
Beginning Enrollment 4161 100%
Semester End Enrollment 3,433 83% (of the original 4,161 students)
Full Time (18-21 years of age) 1481 43% (of the retained 3,433 students)
Full Time (22 & older) 1042 31% (of the retained 3,433 students)
Part Time (18-21 years of age) 212 6% (of the retained 3,433 students)
Part Time (22 & older) 689 20% (of the retained 3,433 students)
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Table 3.2
Meridian Community College IPEDS Enrollment by Race and Gender Full Time Students, Fall 2005
Race/ethnicity Totals
Men Non Resident Alien 1 Black, Non Hispanic 239 American Indian/ Alaska Native 35 Asian/Pacific Islander 4 Hispanic 7 White, Non Hispanic 445 Race/ethnicity unknown 23 Total Men 754 30%
Women Non Resident Alien 3 Black, Non Hispanic 786 American Indian/Alaska Native 5 Asian/Pacific Islander 8 Hispanic 9 White, Non Hispanic 865 Race/ethnicity unknown 63 Total Men 1,769 70% Total Men + Women 2493 100%
MCC had a population of 3,329 students at the time of the survey (MCC
Enrollment Count, January 2007). The study of students enrolled in freshman-level
classes used sampling with a goal of surveying a statistically significant number of
freshmen students currently attending MCC 1000 level classes. The assumption was
made that there are significant differences between directed students and late-adopters.
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Table 3.3
Meridian Community College IPEDS Enrollment by Race and Gender Part Time Students, Fall 2005
Race/ethnicity Totals Men Non Resident Alien 0 Black, Non Hispanic 77 American Indian/ Alaska Native 7 Asian/Pacific Islander 0 Hispanic 9 White, Non Hispanic 176 Race/ethnicity unknown 12 Total Men 281 31% Women Non Resident Alien 1 Black, Non Hispanic 250 American Indian/Alaska Native 10 Asian/Pacific Islander 5 Hispanic 6 White, Non Hispanic 341 Race/ethnicity unknown 16 Total Men 629 69% Total Men + Women 910 100%
This sample method was used because there was an equal opportunity to include
all segments that were to be covered in the research. The primary variables in
determining the population subgroups were age and freshman status. Late-adopters were
naturally older than the directed students. It was also more likely that late-adopters
would enroll in evening classes rather than day classes to accommodate a work schedule.
Demographic data indicate that most of the younger students are in the day classes while
most of the older students are in evening classes. To receive a representative sample,
both day students and evening students were surveyed. While it was not assumed that all 41
students during the day are directed students or that all evening students are late-adopters, previous MCC records indicated a high percentage of each would fit the profile.
Instrument
The instrument used was a self-administered questionnaire survey (Appendix F).
Surveys are often utilized in public relations research to assess the judgments, viewpoints, outlooks and values of the target audience (Polit & Hungler, 1999). Surveys of this type allow for flexibility and self-reported information. Self-reported information is dependent upon the willingness of the respondent to self-reveal. Prior to compiling the survey, the researcher received approval from the Institutional Review Board at MSU
(Appendix I).
The survey questioned students about the MCC advertising they had viewed.
Other questions referred to demographic information needed to determine traditional and non-traditional student differences. Demographic questions follow the general guidelines for Nielsen Station Index Media Research (Nielsen Media Research, July 2006). Some of the questions within the survey were provided for the purpose of collecting information for Meridian Community College and were included at the request of the college administration. All responses have been considered in the total evaluation of the survey.
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Survey Questionnaire
The written survey questionnaire (Appendix F) consisted of several undivided
sections. First, questions one through seven assess general demographics. Age, gender,
racial/ethnic group, marital status and student level (freshman or not) were included here.
Question three was designed to keep a single student from submitting multiple responses to the questionnaire.
Second, students were directed to answer questions concerning the “call to action” to attend MCC. Questions e8 through 14 asked the respondents to reveal and rate items that may have acted as a trigger for them to investigate and pursue enrollment at MCC.
Question 14 consisted of 15 activities used to promote interest in the college. The students were asked to rate these activities on a five-point scale ranging from “very positive” to “very negative.”
The third section of the questionnaire dealt with the students’ television viewing habits. Questions 17, 18 and 19 asked the target group about specific viewing times,
amounts and program types. Questions 20 and 21 were included at the request of the
MCC administration and had to do with personal computer ownership and internet usage.
The last question asked the student to choose one of four slogans MCC has used in recent recruiting campaigns. The slogan they were to choose was the one that they most closely related to MCC. There was also a place provided for a response of those not familiar with any MCC slogan. After the last question, a space was provided for any comments or suggestions directed toward MCC marketing efforts.
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Validity and Reliability
Validity
In an effort to achieve the high standard of validity desired, the survey instrument
was submitted to a panel of experts (Appendix G) in the field of communications,
marketing, and audience analysis. A letter of explanation (Appendix H) accompanied the
survey. The panel made suggestions for improvement in internal consistency and
accuracy. Suggestions included the addition of “Campus event”, “Campus fair”, and
“Campus tour” to the list of promotional activities. These suggestions were incorporated
into the survey (Appendix F) and were used in this study.
After the suggestions were incorporated and the pilot research reviewed by the
SME’s (subject matter experts), the survey would appear to have face validity and more
importantly, content validity. Anastasi (1988) warns that face validity implies only that
the test “looks valid” to those who may have evaluated it (p. 144). Content validity relies
on the expertise of the SME’s. The theory behind content validity is that the experts in
the field will be aware of nuances in the construct that may elude the layperson
(Rymarchyk, 2003).
Reliability
The instrument was pilot tested for reliability by administering it to 60 non-target
students. The students selected for the pilot study were enrolled in sophomore level classes including both day and evening sections. Analysis of data collected through the pilot test yielded information needed for the full research study. The pilot test provided
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evidence that the full study would be well-served by the incorporation a self-administered
survey as the data collection instrument. The reliability coefficient for call to action in the survey was .8568 using SPSS software (Table 3.4)
Table 3.4
Pilot Survey Call to Action Coefficients
Reliability Coefficients N of Cases 60.0 Alpha .8568
Ethical Issues
The study was reviewed and validated by Mississippi State University
Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research (Appendix
K) and permission was obtained from Meridian Community College (Appendix J). All
participants were informed that their participation was voluntary and that their response
was totally anonymous. No minors participated in the survey. Question one prohibited
minors from participation (Appendix F). The survey instrument involved no ethical,
physical or emotional threats to participants.
The surveys were treated as confidential documents. They were kept in a locked
cabinet and a password protected computer file. No names were listed on the survey and
none were entered into the computer. The results were manually entered into the
computer software program for analysis.
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Procedures
The survey was administered to the sample participants in their classrooms. For
comfort and ease, all students in the freshman classroom (not just the selected sample)
were administered the survey. However, those who are not part of the target group were
not scored and counted. Those not counted included continuing students re-taking
freshman courses. Survey question 15 answers this question. It was purposely placed later in the survey so as not to be misleading. Others not counted included those under 18 years old (question one), those not currently enroll as a freshman and those who had already completed the survey in another class.
Surveys were distributed in each of the college's departments (and administered to
both day and evening classes). One survey was provided for each student in attendance
for each day class and one survey was provided for each student in attendance in each
evening class selected. Most departments offer multiple sections of the same course. In
these cases, the section with largest number of students enrolled was requested for
survey. There were courses that are not often provided at both day and evening times. In
such cases, the largest introductory class was counted towards the total. As stated, if the
college offers more than one introductory class for any course number during the day or
evening, the course with the largest numbers of attendees was chosen (Appendix L).
Introductory courses were defined as those with course numbers in the 1000 level.
Introductory courses were chosen as a target because of the high numbers of new students
that are frequently in these introductory classes.
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The data was collected with the survey instrument directly from the students in
the classroom. The primary researcher was in each classroom as the access control measure to human subjects. The primary researcher read the same set of instructions in an effort to reduce any bias. There was a 15-minute window for the students to complete the survey at the end of which all questionnaires were collected and placed in a provided envelope. The primary researcher sealed the envelope and returned it to a locked file cabinet. To further the confidentiality and anonymous nature of this survey, the surveys were not coded prior to administration although each was mechanically numbered after administration. This number was for SPSS entry and was in no way connected to any personal information from any participant. The statistical tests included an analysis of
variance, a t-test of mean differences and a calculation of multiple-regression. Multiple
regression data for the practice of parceling out a segment of the sample (“drifters”) was
used. Directed-students and late-adaptors were the particular groups of interest. It was
determined that the drifters were not of a significant number. Therefore, that results of this separate multiple regression test were not included. Research utilized common statistical software, SPSS (version 11).
Research Questions
The following research questions were examined through conducting the cited survey and accompanying analysis.
1. What are the descriptive profiles of the respondents? Questions 1-6, 9, and 12 give descriptive profiles. Questions 1 and 12 show the independent variable (directed
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student, late-adopter or drifter). Question 2 determines whether the student is currently
enrolled as a freshman at MCC and is therefore part of the target group. Question 3
eliminates duplicate reports. Questions 4, 5 and 6 look at general demographics while
question 9 attempts to determine ambitions. Simple measures of central tendency and
measures of variability were used.
2. Is there a significant difference between late-adopters and directed students in
preferred messages for a call to action? Questions 7-8, 11 and 19 assess call to action.
An independent t-test was conducted on these “call to action” (dependent variable)
responses to evaluate whether there was a difference based on student status (independent variable). Although correlation does not mean causation, linear regression can be used to assess the contributions from the independent variables to dependent variable.
Correlation gave a prediction of what may call students to action but did not prove causation.
3. Is there a significant difference in the television viewing habits between the late- adopters and the directed students? Questions 11 and 14 - 16 address viewing habits of students. Viewing habits of the groups of students were non-mutually exclusive and had joint probabilities. Causal-comparative research was part of the design in this study.
Here, a comparison of means and a t-test were utilized.
4. Is there a significant amount of non-goal oriented students (drifters) to be considered in this study? Questions 1, 6-7, and 12 reveal information to place the respondent into one of the three categories. The data showed all students completing surveys to have identified some target goal. Since none of the nor-goal oriented students
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or “drifters” were identified from the survey information, it was not necessary to consider that group in this study.
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CHAPTER IV
DATA ANALYSIS
The instrument used to collect the primary data for this study was a self- administered questionnaire survey that was made available to all freshman students attending selected 1000 level classes at Meridian Community College during the 2007
Spring semester. The surveys were distributed during both day and evening classes to ensure the widest possible participation, as well as making sure that both directed students and late-adopters were included. They were handled in the manner set forth in
Chapter III, with no complications or incidents being encountered that interfered with their completion and collection.
The total student population at MCC during the semester in which the survey was conducted was 3,329, with 1,482 of those being freshmen (42.8%). A representation of the freshman class had the opportunity to participate in the survey with a total of 454 unique surveys that fit the guidelines of this research actually completed and tallied. This representation includes all 1000 level courses. The fact that just over 30% of the freshman class participated is not seen as a problem for the accuracy of the data. In fact, according to Professor Krosnick, of Stanford University, trying to achieve the highest response rate might not be as critical as researchers previously assumed. For example, he cites a University of Michigan study which found no relationship between response rates
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and accuracy. Ironically, the study found that lower response rates actually increased the balance of respondents of different gender, age, income and education level (Ball, 2007).
Prior to the distribution of the primary research instrument, a pilot study was conducted as a small scale model for the full research study. The pilot study included 60 participants from a similar but different, target group (MCC non-freshman students) as the full research study. The pilot study was instrumental in preparing for potential complications or errors that may have arisen during the full research study, as well as ensuring that the questions were clear and would provide the desired results. It was possible to establish that accurate and reliable data could be collected. As King et al.
(2001) stated “The purpose of a pilot study is not so much to test research hypotheses, but rather to test protocols, data collection instruments, sample recruitment strategies, and other aspects of a study in preparation for a larger study” (p. 307).
The theoretical foundation and research objectives for this study led to the development of the following research questions:
1. What are the descriptive profiles of the respondents? Questions 1-6 give
descriptive profiles. Questions 1 and 15 show the independent variable (directed
student, late-adopter or drifter). Simple measures of central tendency and
measures of variability were used.
2. Is there a significant difference between late-adopters and directed students in
preferred messages for a call to action? Questions 10, 11, 14 and 22 assess call to
action. An independent t-test was conducted on these “call to action” (dependent
variable) responses to evaluate whether there was a difference based on student
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status (independent variable). Although correlation does not constitute causation,
linear regression can be used to assess the contributions from the independent
variables to individual dependent variables. Correlation gives a prediction of what
may call students to action but will not prove causation.
3. Is there a significant difference in the television viewing habits between the late-
adopters and the directed students? Questions 14 and 17-19 address viewing
habits of students. Viewing habits of the groups of students are non-mutually
exclusive and have joint probabilities. Causal-comparative research is part of the
design in this study. Here, a comparison of means and a t-test were utilized. Also
include was multiple linear regression due to the number of predictors.
4. Is there a significant amount of non-goal oriented students to be considered in this
study? Questions 1, 9, 15 and 16 reveal information to place the respondent into
one of the three categories. To find if it was necessary to accurately predict the
viewing habits of goal oriented students independent of non-goal oriented
students, statistical significance tests were evaluated both including and excluding
the non-goal oriented sub-group.
One basic assumption underlying this research is that the segments of students
applying to two-year colleges are different from one another, including the fact that they
have differing needs, motives and reasons for applying to school. If this is the case, the
marketing messages they require and the placement of the message content, could differ and these differences then would require differing marketing techniques. The research
questions will be discussed one at a time, with an analysis of what the data revealed in
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relation to each, as well as whether or not the assumptions that were formed at the beginning of this study are accurate.
Research Question One
Regarding the initial demographic details that addresses question number one, the
454 freshman students consisted of the following groups. A total of 355, or 78.2%, were between 18 and 24 years of age, which is by far the largest age group represented; 70
(15.4%) were between 25-39 years old; another 21 were between 40-54 and 8 were over
55 years of age. All the respondents were newly enrolled freshmen at MCC and none had previously completed the survey in another class. The gender breakdown of the students was: male 133 (29.3%) and female 321 (70.7%). The racial/ethnic makeup of the students was: 220 African American (48.5%); 202 Caucasian (44.5%); with the remaining students selecting one of the other groups listed. Finally, 360 (79.3%) of the respondents were single, 63 married (13.9%), 24 divorced (5.3%) and 7 reporting as widowed (1.5%). The demographic makeup of the student population at MCC appears to mirror that of the city of Meridian, Mississippi itself (Appendix B).
The importance of accurate demographic information to any type of advertiser, and even more especially to the community colleges that are seeking to increase enrollment, was also clearly highlighted in Chapter II (the Literature Review). Kotler and
Fox (1995) indicated that through identifying groups of people, targeted marketing could become much more effective. Additionally, Bryant (2001) observed that “The composition of the community college student body is unique compared to other institutions of higher education” (p. 78). Bryant further reported that composition of the 53
community college student body would continue to shift, requiring action on the part of administrators to match the changes in “fluctuating age, gender composition, and racial and ethnic identities of students” (p. 77).
The results of the survey for the independent variable (directed student, late-
adopter or drifter) as it applies to the first research question, indicate that the 454
respondents were evenly divided in terms of directed students and late-adopters. In particular, 212 (46.7%) could be classified as students who enrolled at MCC immediately out of high school, while 242 (53.3%) could be called late-adopters (Table 4.1). This result could not have been directly obtained strictly from questions 1 and 15 on the survey, as those answers may give the incorrect impression. Additionally, this result (that more freshmen enrolled at this community college are late-adopters) would seem to be reasonable, as a community college would be a logical choice for those who have waited some time following high school graduation to further their education. This trend was also verified by information collected in the literature review, which indicated that the majority of community college students are considered ‘non traditional’. Finally, drifters appear to be under-represented by the fact that all of the freshmen students surveyed at MCC have a clear goal they could reference.
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Table 4.1
Number of Directed Students and Late-Adopters
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Directed 212 46.7 46.7 46.7 Late- 242 53.3 53.3 100.0 Adopters Total 454 100.0 100.0
Research Question Two
Is there a significant difference between late-adopters and directed students in preferred messages for a call to action? As mentioned earlier in this chapter, survey questions 10, 11, 14 and, to a certain extent 22 help to address question two. When the t- test was conducted using SPSS software for the group statistics (directed students vs. late-adopters on preferred message), differences between the two groups in this regard were not clearly apparent (Table 4.2).
One point that was clearly noted from the survey results is the fact that a large segment of freshman students at MCC, according to the answers to question 10, became interested in attending MCC due to both friends (n=183 or 40.3%) and family (n=231 or
50.8%). The next highest result was ‘other’ (128 or 28.2%), while television commercials
(n=84 or 18.5%) and MCC recruiters (n=83 or 18.3%) were well represented (Table 4.3).
This question was not as detailed as question 14, which gave students many more options from which to select, although that question does focus more specifically on the type of
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‘promotional activity’ that influenced a student’s interest in MCC. Specifically, what
motivated the friends and family of students to suggest MCC as an option? The same types of questions that make up much of this study could now apply to these individuals, but there is no way to know what might have been the trigger, or call to action, for a friend or family member to suggest attendance at MCC to the potential student. The fact that family and friends exert a significant amount of influence on those who decided to enroll at MCC brings up an issue that is beyond the scope of this research. Undoubtedly, they were influenced by some factor, whether they were a former student themselves or were familiar with the numerous advertising campaigns that the school engages in over the course of any given year. This would certainly be another interesting and valuable area for future research.
Table 4.2
Interest Factors
Frequency Percent Friends 183 40 Family 231 50.8 MCC Recruiters 83 18.3 Radio Advertisements 22 .05
TV Advertisements 84 18.5
Newspaper Advertisements 9 .02 Other 128 28.2 Total 740
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Table 4.3
Directed Students vs. Late-Adopters on Preferred Message
Group Statistics Status N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean Paper 1.00 212 2.72 .704 .048 2.00 242 2.62 .731 .047 Radio 1.00 212 2.37 .759 .052 2.00 242 2.45 .804 .052 TV 1.00 212 2.06 .803 .055 2.00 242 2.14 .942 .061 Internet 1.00 212 2.20 .821 .056 2.00 242 2.39 .883 .057 Recruiter 1.00 212 2.32 .902 .062 2.00 242 2.76 .791 .051 Faculty 1.00 212 2.52 .805 .055 2.00 242 2.68 .821 .053 Counselor 1.00 212 2.45 .839 .058 2.00 242 2.61 .824 .053 Mail 1.00 212 2.28 .781 .054 2.00 242 2.70 .736 .047 Catalog 1.00 212 2.15 .872 .060 2.00 242 2.27 .834 .054 Viewbook 1.00 212 2.53 .757 .052 2.00 242 2.83 .593 .038 Event 1.00 212 2.37 .853 .059 2.00 242 2.74 .742 .048 Fair 1.00 212 2.39 .833 .057 2.00 242 2.73 .746 .048 Tour 1.00 212 2.09 .852 .059 2.00 242 2.72 .701 .045 Athletic 1.00 212 2.41 .852 .059 2.00 242 2.82 .636 .041 Other 1.00 211 2.73 .689 .047 2.00 242 2.77 .679 .044
1.00 = Directed Student 2.00 = Late-Adopter
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Referring back to Table 4.2 (Directed vs. Late-Adopters on Preferred Message), which details the responses to question 14, some distinct similarities are visible in terms of preferred messages, while there are some differences as well. For instance, when asked to check which promotional activity influenced them to take further interest in MCC
(from positive to negative), both groups most often selected ‘television commercials’ (X¯
= 2.06 for directed students and 2.14 for late-adopters showing a statistical insignificance). However, the standard deviation for the late-adopters on this question was higher than the directed students (.942 to .803), indicating a slightly higher agreement among directed students that television commercials were a positive influence.
The ability of television commercials to be effective was also highlighted in Chapter II
(Blair & Kuse, 2004, p. 71). For example, it was noted that repetition of television advertising works in many cases. In fact, continuous airing shows greater results than short term airing and advertising versus no advertising shows results. “Ninety-four percent of all advertisements have a positive impact on sales” (Blair & Kuse, 2004, p. 71). Or, in the case of this study, a positive impact on student enrollment at MCC.
However, other selections indicate a much stronger disparity between the two groups, such as the selection of ‘campus tour’ at a very high rate for the directed students
(X¯ =2.09), which would be expected from students that are preparing to graduate from high school. By contrast, the late-adopters considered a campus tour as nearly no influence at all (X¯ =2.72). This also makes sense from the standpoint that people who have been graduated from high school for a period of time would seem to be much less likely to tour a local college campus, whereas such tours are set up in many cases for
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current high school students. The literature review also mentioned this factor, noting that
colleges are visiting more high schools within and outside of their locale, and
participating more in college fairs (Breland et al., 2002).
Similarly, directed students selected ‘campus event’ and ‘campus fair’ at a slightly higher rate than the late-adopters did, with means of 2.37 and 2.39 respectfully.
Late-adopters were just as consistent in not viewing these events as influential as were directed students on there decision making process, with means of 2.73 and 2.74 for these options. Older students are less likely to be exposed to these events, as they are more commonly associated with current high school students. Also, and for the same reason, directed students were more influenced by attendance at an athletic event than the late- adopters (X¯ =2.41 compared to 2.82).
Another area in which there was agreement between the two groups is in regards to the ‘college catalog’ as an influential factor in the decision making process. The late- adopters selected this activity more often than any other factor aside from television commercials (X¯ = 2.15), while directed students selected it nearly as often (X¯ = 2.27) as their number three selection in order of priority (behind only television commercials and campus tours). Late-adopters, as a group, are less likely to be exposed to some of the activities that high school students routinely attend, such as the campus fairs, activities and sporting events previously mentioned. Therefore, using a catalog to compare potential colleges makes sense, since it would lay out most of the pertinent information needed in a concise format.
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One activity that registered low for both groups as an influential factor in the decision to attend MCC was newspaper advertisements. For the directed students, the mean was 2.72, while the late-adopters showed a mean of 2.62, in both cases indicating that these groups were very close to considering that they were not exposed to this activity. This result is interesting in light of what was indicated by research reported in the literature review. Specifically, Northern Virginia Community College (1998) conducted a telephone survey regarding the varying media accessed by potential students.
While 75% of those surveyed read a newspaper regularly, almost all (95%) watched television. Thus, the results for television watching confirm what this survey indicated, making television commercials the number one preferred message for both groups.
However, since 75% of students read the newspaper, it would seem that more would be influenced by advertising placed there. One possible reason for this apparent discrepancy could be that, while people do read the newspaper regularly, they select not to read the advertisements. However, that is beyond the scope of this study to determine with any degree of certainty.
Not surprisingly, in this current age of widespread technology and the increasing use of the Internet, as a preferred message that influenced their decision to attend MCC, both groups selected ‘Internet’ quite often with a mean of 2.20 for directed students and
2.39 for the late-adopters. At the same time, it was also observed that 111 selected that they were ‘not exposed to this activity’, and the standard deviation was fairly high for both groups as well, being .821 for the former and .883 for the latter. This could indicate that those who used the Internet were very favorably influenced by it, possibly even using
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it as a basis for research into community colleges, and those that rarely if ever access the
Internet never viewed anything related to MCC.
A promotional activity that exemplified a large gap between the directed students and late-adopters was the selection by the former of ‘viewbook’ as a preferred message that served as a call to action. While the mean for directed students was 2.53 and that of the late-adopters was 2.83 (not on the surface an extremely large gap), the real difference came with the standard deviation, which was .757 for directed students but only .593 for the late-adopters. This by far the lowest standard deviation observed from the analysis of the survey. In other words, a majority of late-adopters had no exposure to the college viewbook and that varied little among respondents from that group. In reality, a college viewbook is simply an advertising brochure for the college and many potential older students are aware of that fact. While it may make the college appear very attractive, it contains little of substance and does not provide the same level of detailed listing of faculty and specific courses that come from the college catalog. Thus, the fact that students fresh from high school find it more useful than older students appears to be noteworthy.
It was interesting to observe that, while directed students were more motivated by a campus recruiter than were late-adopters (X¯ = 2.32 to 2.76), late-adopters were more likely to be influenced by counselors than directed students were (X¯ = 2.61 for directed students to 2.45 for late-adopters). This would seem to make sense, considering the status of each group. New high school graduates would have undoubtedly been exposed to visits from college recruiters in the local area. On the other hand, recruiters would have
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little reason to visit members of the community on the hope that they may be interested in
attending the local community college. Thus, the late-adopters would have little or no
exposure to recruiters. However, that same group would likely seek out advice from the
staff at the local community college in order to assist them in deciding on course
selection as well as other matters. The survey results seem to confirm that, at least for the
sample.
One result of the survey is considered very important concerning the ability of a community college to market itself, and the “call to action” for potential students. The survey indicated that the current slogan being utilized by MCC is very closely related to the college. That slogan, ‘Stay Close, Go Far’, was by far the most recognized slogan for
MCC, with 53% of respondents selecting it and the closest competing slogan being selected by only 15.9% of participating students (Figure 4.1). It has been well established, through both the primary research for this study and the literature review, that one of the main requirements for potential students at community colleges is its close location to students’ homes. Thus, this slogan seems to have been very well accepted and succinctly states that MCC provides the ability to stay close to home while obtaining a quality education. The more closely this slogan is associated with MCC’s television commercials the greater the call to action would seem to be.
The research supports what was previously believed and reported regarding both the demographic makeup of the student population of MCC and potential students’ desire to stay close to home. As the earlier chapters of this study indicated, most of the students
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Figure 4.1
Slogan Most Closely Related to MCC who attend MCC live in Meridian and Lauderdale County. Being a city campus, these students may be sold on the idea of staying close to home when they go off to college. In fact, the majority (nearly 60%) of freshman students at MCC travel less than 20 miles to campus. About 40% of the student body comes from rural county areas and, as shown in previously cited research, these students need a message that makes them comfortable.
The primary niche market is the non-traditional student – specifically, female and an average age of 28 (Appendix C). Females outnumbered males according to the survey data by more than two to one.
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Research Question Three
Is there a significant difference in the television viewing habits between the late- adopters and the directed students? Meridian Mississippi, as mentioned in Chapter II, has
14 television signals, both commercial and public broadcast, as well as 40 radio signals that serve the area (Appendix A). As already covered in question two, both the directed students as well as the late-adopters agreed that television commercials were preferred messages. An analysis of the results of question 17 on the survey, regarding the time spent watching television per day, indicates very little difference between the two groups
(Table 4.4). In fact, as the table shows, the mean was 2.42 for directed students and 2.26 for late-adopters, with little difference in the standard deviation between the groups. The average viewing time for both groups was found to be between 2 and 4 hours per day.
While there was significant variation between individual viewing time as some students watch television over five hours per day while others watch one hour or less, directed students watch only slightly more than do late-adopters. Thus, the largest segment of respondents to the survey from both groups (39.4%) typically spend 2-3 hours a day watching television, while another 21% watch only one hour or less. The remaining
39.6% watch over 3 hours per day.
Additionally, 47.5% of late-adopters view 2 to 3 hours of television a day, while 27% view one hour or less. Directed students appear to watch slightly more television. One of the difficulties with determining what these numbers really mean is that, in reality, the students that only watch one hour of television per day may actually be more motivated by the commercials they see than those who watch for five hours. Thus, using hours of
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Table 4.4
Directed Students vs. Late-Adopters on TV Viewing Time
Group Statistics
Std. Error Status N Mean Std. Deviation Mean TV Time 1.00 212 2.42 1.207 .083 2.00 242 2.26 1.206 .078
Independent Samples Test
Levene's Test for Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means 95% Confidence Interval of the Mean Std. Error Difference F Sig. t df Sig. (2-tailed) Difference Difference Lower Upper TVTime Equal variances .360 .549 1.405 452 .161 .16 .114 -.064 .383 assumed Equal variances 1.405 444.045 .161 .16 .114 -.064 .383 not assumed
television viewing as a measurement may not be as accurate as hoped. Perhaps a more detailed question should be added to the next survey that asked specifically about MCC related commercials. Hours spent viewing television by both groups can be seen more clearly in Figures 4.2 and 4.3.
There was little difference between the two groups when examined from the standpoint of the types of programs that each most often watched. For example, 60% of all respondents selected ‘entertainment’ as the type of programming that they most often viewed. There was almost no difference seen between the directed students and late- adopters in this area. In fact, the only significant difference at all that was found is that the late-adopters were three times as likely to watch news programs as were the directed students (Figure 4.3). Therefore, it seems clear from these results, that both of the target
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Figure 4.2 Television Viewing Time
Figure 4.3 Type of Programming Most Watched
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groups are exposed to television at an almost equal rate per day, with only slight variations in programming watched. To answer research question number three: while there are some differences between the two groups, it is difficult to classify them as
‘important.’
It should also be noted that, following the completion of the Independent Samples
Test (t- Test for Equality of Means), the results of the survey for four of the promotional activities that were listed in question 14 had a 2-tailed significance of greater than .05, thus calling into question their statistical significance. These four were newspaper advertisement, radio commercials, television commercials and the catalog (Table 4.5).
While it is believed that the results of the survey concerning these four specific activities are useful for the purpose and design of this study, it is acknowledged that they are not statistically significant. A need for further study is indicated here and is planned for the
Spring 2008 semester by MCC.
Research Question Four
Is there a significant amount of non-goal oriented students to be considered in this study?
From survey question number one, it can be determined only that the freshman class of
MCC during the semester that the survey was conducted varied in age from 18 to over 55. Knowing a student’s age alone does not provide enough information to determine whether or not that individual is goal oriented. In fact, it may well be that the older students have much stronger and well thought out goals than those who have recently graduated from high school.
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Table 4.5
Independent Samples t-test for Equality of Means
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It was necessary to look deeper into the survey questions to find this information.
For example, question 9 asks the student what their main reason for attending MCC was.
The three respondents who selected ‘to be with friends’ could be classified as non-goal oriented students, if they had not listed other desired outcomes in other parts of the survey. All of the other responses to that question indicated some type of goal at work.
Questions 15 and 16 also provide some information, but it is more in line with identifying whether or not a student was a directed student or late-adopter than whether or not they were without goals. With this in mind, there is no evidence from the survey results that would indicate that they were distorted in any way by a large number of non-goal oriented participants.
As stated in Chapter II, the Chapman Model (1984) for college choice, which has now been in use for over 20 years, is based upon the assumption that an interface between student personal variables and outside influences determines the student’s choice. Personal variables can be socioeconomic status, aptitude, educational ambitions, and academic successes. Outside influences may include parents and friends, the cost, location and programs of the college as well as the college marketing program. This was also indicated by the survey results, as all of these factors were mentioned to one extent or another by the students who participated. The data collected has already been of great benefit to MCC and will hopefully be to other researchers in this area.
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CHAPTER V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The purpose of this study was to compare and to evaluate the Meridian,
Mississippi, television market segmentation as suggested in Massey’s 1997 study, which was conducted at the Dallas County Texas Community College District. Similar to what
Massey, as well as subsequent researchers, has attempted to accomplish, this study investigated the viewing habits of community college students enrolled as freshmen at
Meridian Community College, in Meridian, Mississippi. Specifically, the research sought to look for the message that called them to action and that action was to investigate attending MCC. This research was able to probe the effectiveness of marketing and public relations strategies dealing with the preferred “call to action” message through television advertising based on the segmented audience in Meridian, Mississippi.
Summary
Massey (1997) discovered that the most significant amount of influence regarding where a student would attend college came from parents (n=77%) and friends (n=54%).
The two categories are not mutually exclusive and can total over 100%. The trend was found to be true in our research based on the survey results, which indicated that family
(n=50.8%) and friends (n=40.3%) were also major factors in a call to action to attend
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MCC. Although these two studies were conducted ten years apart, a strong connection
between family and friends appears in both.
The focus of this research however, is on the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of
television commercials in motivating potential students to attend a local community
college, specifically MCC. Previously conducted research has firmly established the fact
that broadcast television marketing is a powerful medium. A study by Blair and Kuse
(2004) observed, “Television advertising continues to result in at least a 50% variation in market-share changes. The quality of ads also shows a strong relationship to market response” (p. 74). Therefore, it was considered important to discover whether the diversity of these community college students, combined with the powerful nature of broadcast television marketing, served as a call to action, or if students would respond more positively to different types of marketing.
One of the goals of the research was to determine if the market segmentation unique to community colleges makes a significant difference in the effectiveness of television broadcast marketing of the community college. As noted in the previous chapter, television commercials were listed as the most influential activity that created a call to action for the freshman class of MCC during the semester that the survey was conducted. Further, while family and friends were considered the primary source of influence, it is possible that television commercials focusing on MCC had some impact on their desire to recommend MCC.
Additionally, while 15 options that addressed promotional activities were given as possible selections in question 14, both directed students and late-adopters picked
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television commercials at nearly the same rate. Little difference between the two groups was observed when it came to the time spent viewing television (and therefore the potential number of commercials). Although this data seems to indicate that there is very little difference between these two segments of the market that MCC seeks to target by its advertising and marketing programs, further examination of the survey answers indicate there is more to be revealed.
The data from the survey in fact indicates that there are several areas of distinct difference between what may appeal to a directed student and a late-adopter. This is a key point to understand in light of the purpose of this research. Moreover, that key point was to look for the message that called the prospective students to action and enroll at MCC.
The fact that both late-adopters as well as directed students are receptive to television commercials that show the advantages of MCC should be encouraging to those administrators that are responsible for marketing the community college. While the target markets may respond to different specific messages (a factor that will need further research), the purchase of television commercials should undoubtedly continue to be included in future marketing plans.
A study conducted by Baker et al. (2004) and discussed in the literature review, indicated that the research into television advertising shows that the length of time until brand identification and product identification adversely affects the effectiveness of the ad. For a college or university the actual brand would involve the name of the school. A community college’s, such as MCC, attempts at making the school well known to the potential students is a time consuming and time sensitive process. Television
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commercials must be used in such a way that the message is transmitted successfully while not alienating the potential students because of being inundated with constant repetition. Identification placement is a consideration when developing the strategic marketing plan.
As marketing becomes more and more important, advertising media are becoming more and more fragmented. In most regions of the country, there has been a proliferation of new television and radio channels, niche magazines, and websites, and this is also observed in the Meridian, Mississippi area. Audiences are more and more scattered over many different media, which poses a challenge to MCC as when to only utilize television as the focus of its marketing efforts. Consequently, it may be increasingly difficult for
MCC to reach a mass audience by means of a simple media plan. On the contrary, the fact that more targeted media are used by the public, makes it easier to reach a more involved and interested audience, and to aim for a behavioral response through focused marketing techniques.
It is important to understand the differences between various types of television marketing. For instance, reactions to a direct response television ad may be massive and instantaneous. Within minutes the call center should be capable of handling numerous incoming calls. Therefore, the marketing team is very easily able to identify a success or failure when it comes to that type of television commercial. However, the commercials that would be typically run by a community college, such as MCC, will air over a period of time without any instant ability on the part of the staff at MCC to interpret whether or not those commercials have achieved their purpose. Through data collected by research
73
such as this, community colleges are able to interpret the effects of their marketing
campaigns much more readily. The fact that data now exists that identifies students as
considering television commercials sponsored by MCC as a call to action to enroll at the
college is an encouraging sign. The evaluation of the data should also lead to better
placement, and improved composition of commercials.
Television is just one of the available technologies that MCC can use to market its
view of the college to potential students. At the same time, an emerging technology like
digital interactive television holds in it the promise of fundamental changes in people’s
media use. Whether or not such technology would be potentially feasible for use by MCC
staff remains to be seen. However, there is no doubt that all these evolutions are
challenges for the marketing communications manager who can benefit from integrating
new media into the college’s marketing communication strategies. This manager will also
have to cope with the typical characteristics, opportunities, and pitfalls of new media and
the way in which potential customers use them.
Research (Phillippe & Patton, 2000) that was discussed in the literature review
indicated that almost 67% of community college students have a definite objective. For
example, as their goal, a certificate, a degree or transfer credit to a four-year college. In
the case of this research, however, that number was closer to 99%, according to the
survey results. This may indicate that MCC has been able to successfully market itself in
such a way as to attract those students with serious goals for the future. In addition, as previously discussed, unlike universities, more community college students work full time and have families. These facts were also supported by the research, as many
74
participating students are married, have established jobs, have been in the military or
otherwise are established in the community.
When considering the types of activities that serve as a call to action to the
directed students and the late-adopters, this research has provided some definitive
answers, at least about the sample that was used for this survey. Beyond the aspect of
television commercials, which was the primary focus of this study, MCC staff should be
able to use much of the data that has been collected. One of the most obvious conclusions
that can be reached based on the data collected is that both late-adopters and directed
students value the information that MCC provided through its college catalog. This
should provide an incentive for the staff at MCC to continue to focus on this aspect of the
marketing considerations since it has obviously proven to be effective. The fact that this one activity can provide a call to action for both of the target groups can not be
underestimated. The dependence on the college catalog provides support for cross-
promotion such as using “pick up your free MCC college catalog” as a tag line in
broadcast commercials.
Conclusions
It was clearly shown from the survey data that activities that are more closely
related to high school students and recent high school graduates, such as career fairs,
campus events, athletic events, tours and college recruiters, are more often calls to action
for the directed students than a late-adopter. This simply means that MCC staff should
continue to focus these types of activities on what would appeal to a high school student
more than a non-traditional student. 75
At the same time, other features that would appeal to the late-adopter and serve as
a call to action for that group must be a topic of discussion by the MCC marketing team.
Interestingly, the survey results indicated that, following the location of the
campus (which was by far listed as the most important factor for all students types on
survey question 11), the next most important element for students on this question was
the availability of a particular program of study (Appendix F). This factor is no doubt of
great importance to the late-adopters, since they have specific goals and reasons for
selecting attendance at a community college. It has long been the practice of the MCC
faculty and staff to stay aware of both the needs of the area employers and those of the
students the college serves. Armed with a more detailed knowledge of the types of
classes that late-adopters are looking for, marketers at MCC could include choices of high interest into all advertising efforts including television commercials. The MCC
Workforce Development Division’s mission is to develop courses that teach the skills needed by the area industry. Television commercials promoting available training for upgrading skills that lead to better jobs are an immediate call to action for late-adaptors.
An area that MCC marketers must investigate is the lack of effectiveness of
newspaper advertisements. As revealed by the survey data, this activity was not viewed
as a significant source of influence or call to action to either directed students or late-
adopters. This is actually puzzling, considering the number of previous studies that
indicated the popularity of newspaper reading across a wide section of the public.
The Internet is another area that marketers from MCC must continue to focus on
and expand where possible. Both target groups revealed through this research that they
76
were very receptive to information received through the Internet related to their call to action by MCC. As shown by Kinzie et al. (2004) in the literature review, such marketing techniques include not only an Internet search for potential community colleges, but also computer software that is provided by colleges and available to potential students. While many students who participated in the survey indicated that they were not exposed to the
Internet, the majority of these were from the older students who took part. At the same time, ‘Internet’ was selected as a positive influence by more students than any single activity other than television commercials.
As indicated by the survey, the majority of freshman students who took part in the study were late-adopters. This agrees with what was previously established in the literature review; that college students, and in particular community college students, are increasingly becoming more non-traditional than was the case in previous decades. These educational gains have developed in spite of increasing tuition and expenses. Part-time students at community colleges accounted for much of this growth and the age of the student population has increased as many have returned to complete degrees or seek additional education. In addition, more women than ever before are enrolling in community colleges. This fact was shown in the research, which revealed that nearly
64% of student participants were female. The staff of MCC continually directs more attention, effort and expense in its attempts to market the college to late-adopters and female students but not to the detriment of other potential student segments.
While this research was focused on Meridian Community College, the broad study’s real focus is on television marketing. Kotler et al. (1994) defined marketing as “a
77
social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need
and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others” (p.5).
Obviously, the most important aspect of the job of a marketer is to first identify what is needed by the prospect. This applies in the area of marketing community colleges to students just as it does for marketing a particular brand of car. As in all marketing, the staff at MCC must be educated as to what potential students are looking for in a community college. Especially since it has been shown that there are different segments that must be targeted, MCC has to continue to apply the basic marketing concepts that has brought it the success it has enjoyed to this point.
Several very important points made earlier in this study related to what the college marketing team should know. These points form a large part of the rationale of
how this research was structured as well as the basis for many of the survey questions. In
particular, it was noted that the marketing team should know where potential students
normally obtain the information that they need to make self-enhancing decisions.
Additionally, what message do they need to hear from the school in order to attract them?
What will be the most effective media? Additionally, what techniques will work for each
of the target groups? (American Association of Community Colleges, 2001).
This process, and its goals, was followed closely throughout the course of this
research, and valuable results were obtained. The staff at MCC has come a long way
since its earliest attempts at marketing. According to K. Thomas, Director of Marketing
at MCC, the college has been successful in improving and expanding its image
78
campaigns (personal communication, January 19, 2007). The results are well documented in many of the data collected in the survey.
This study has confirmed the original ideas which proposed that the increase in marketing-spending on the part of community colleges has led to the need for strategic marketing founded upon research-based best practices for marketing educational institutions. Undoubtedly, the research just completed will prove to be helpful to MCC in the on-going process of identifying these best practices. The practices require strategic planning, which relies on developing a clear institutional mission, supporting goals and objectives, a sound strategy, and appropriate implementation (Kotler, 1999; Kotler &
Fox, 1995).
The successful marketing campaign for MCC, as highlighted in the introductory comments of this study, must be marked by an increase in enrollment as well as an increased satisfaction with the classes and studies provided by the faculty members. Only through successful strategic planning can a marketing team hope to reach their stated goals. In the case of MCC, data shows the college has been able to attract the type of demographics that would be hoped for from a good marketing campaign. As noted from the data collected through the survey, the demographic groups that were represented in the freshman class were typical of the community as a whole. Thus, the marketing efforts to this point have not overlooked or missed any large segment of the area. Continued diligence in this area should enforce future efforts of MCC staff in regards to marketing the college.
79
The fact that MCC has been successful in recruiting a wide variety of students from the local area is significant, especially in light of comments reported earlier in this study. For instance, the 2000 Census (U. S. Census Bureau) revealed that the national median household income was $41,994. However, the same report showed the median household income for Meridian, Mississippi at only $25,085. While the 2005 census report showed a slight increase in these income figures, the area is still on the lower side of the national average. The large variety of media outlets coupled with a limited amount of available budget for both colleges and perspective students in the Meridian Mississippi area, suggests a marketing challenge. Thus, the staff at MCC has done an admirable job under those circumstances. Armed with the data collected in this study, it is believed that future marketing efforts by MCC, including television commercials, will see improved results.
The following specific conclusions were apparent from evaluation of the data collected in the study:
1. “Call to action” by television advertising is effective for both directed students
and late-adopters.
2. Both groups (directed students and late-adopters) watch television at about the
same rate and therefore have an equal opportunity for exposure to advertisements.
3. Fragmentation of the market by additional media outlets makes it necessary to
know better the audience demographics and viewing habits.
4. New technology presents a recurring marketing challenge.
80
5. According to this study, MCC has a higher than average number of goal-oriented
students.
6. MCC television advertising can take advantage of a promotional tie with the
college catalog.
Recommendations
Based on this research study, the recommendations listed below are suggested for further consideration in future study:
1. Future research of survey demographics should be analyzed to track market and
enrollment trends.
2. Continued research in determining the “call to action” for both groups (directed
students and late-adopters) will be beneficial in the creation of future strategic
marketing plans.
3. Continued study of the viewing habits of both student segments should be considered
in tracking the marketing differences.
4. Further research in to why MCC has no measurable number of students that may be
considered “drifters” is recommended.
5. Future study of MCC television marketing should include emerging television
technologies.
81
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APPENDIX A
MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI TELEVISION/RADIO
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Meridian, Mississippi Television
LOCAL TELEVISION
3 9W WDVZ-CA|r.WVUA-CA-7 ind. (news) - Greensboro (Marengo) AL US
11 316kW WTOK ABC - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US
14 661kW WMAW|r.WMPN-29 PBS/MPB - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US
19 1000kW WIIQ-DT|r.WBIQ-DT-53 PBS-APT - Demopolis (Marengo) AL US
24 724kW WMDN CBS - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US
25 11kW WJMY-LP|r.WVUA-CA-7 ind. (news) - Demopolis (Marengo) AL US
26 1000kW WMDN-DT ->CBS - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US
30 1580kW WGBC NBC - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US
31 4.9kW WGBC-DT NBC - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US. SD/4:3
41 1950kW WIIQ|r.WBIQ-10 PBS-APT - Demopolis (Marengo) AL US
44 880kW WMAW-DT|r.WMPN-DT-20 PBS/MPB - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US
47 10.1kW W47CG TBN - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US
49 852kW WTOK-DT ABC - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US
50 3.5kW W50BQ|r.WCBI-4 CBS - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US
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Meridian, MS Radio
AM RADIO 630 1kW/49W WJDB - Thomasville (Clarke) AL US. oldies 670 4.8kW/0W WYLS Gospel 670 - York (Sumter) AL US. black gospel 910 5/1kW WALT - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US. talk 1010 10/1kW WMOX - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US. news/talk 1100 1kW/0W WMYQ - Newton (Newton) MS US. silent 1230 1/1kW WRJX - Jackson (Clarke) AL US. black gospel 1290 1kW/91W WNBN - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US. black gospel 1390 5kW/101W WMER - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US. southern gospel 1400 790/790W WXAL - Demopolis (Marengo) AL US. black gospel 1450 1/1kW WFFX Fox - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US. sports 1490 1/1kW WHOC - Philadelphia (Neshoba) MS US... talk 1500 1kW/0W WQMS ESPN - Quitman (Clarke) MS US. sports 1570 3.2kW/0W WIZK - Bay Springs (Jasper) MS US. classic country FM RADIO WMAW|r.WMPN-91.3 NPR/MPB - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US. 88.1 100kW public/classical 89.7 10W W211BD Family R. - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US. religious 90.5 10W W213AV K-Love - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US. contemporary Christian 91.3 13W W217AQ CSN - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US. religious 91.9 62kW WMBV Moody - Dixons Mills (Marengo) AL US. religious 92.1 10W W221AL|r.WSLY-104.9 Jack FM - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US. adult hits 93.5 32kW WMLV Sam 93.5 - Butler (Choctaw) AL US. adult hits 94.5 30kW WHOD Dixie 94.5 - Jackson (Clarke) AL US. classic hits 95.1 26kW WJDQ Q95.1 - Marion (Lauderdale) MS US. CHR-pop 95.5 9.6kW WJDB CD Country 95.5 - Thomasville (Clarke) AL US. country 97.1 100kW WOKK - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US. country 97.9 8.7kW WYHL Hallelujah 97.9 - Newton (Newton) MS US. black gospel 98.5 100kW WINL Win 98.5 - Linden (Marengo) AL US. country 98.9 25kW WYKK K-Love - Quitman (Clarke) MS US. contemporary Christian 99.1 3.2kW WDGM - Greensboro (Marengo) AL US. oldies 99.3 50kW WHER Eagle 99 - Heidelburg (Jasper) MS US. classic country 101.3 100kW WYYW MISS 101.3 - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US. Country 102.1 920W WMMZ Z102 - Meridian (Lauderdale) MS US. blues 102.3 4.9kW WWSL - Philadelphia (Neshoba) MS US. ac 102.9 40kW WNPT Catfish Country 102.9 - Linden (Marengo) AL US. classic country WZKR Art of Great Music - Decatur (Newton) MS US. classic hits, blues, jazz, 103.3 4.8kW sports
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104.1 19kW WZKS Kiss 104.1 - Union (Newton) MS US. urban ac 104.9 50kW WSLY Jack FM - York (Sumpter) AL US. adult hits 105.7 50kW WJXM The Beat - Dekalb (Kemper) MS US. urban 106.5 11.5kW WZNJ Z106 - Demopolis (Marengo) AL US. oldies 106.9 2.3kW WKZB The Buzz - Stonewall (Clarke) MS US. active rock 107.7 6kW WPRN - Lisman (Choctaw) AL US. classic country
Source - TV markets are AC Nielsen's 2003 DMA (Designated Market Area) ranking
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APPENDIX B
MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI POPULATION
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Metro area: Meridian
MERIDIAN MS US
POPULATION
Number Number Number
Total population 39,968
Square miles (land) 45.12
Population per square mile 885.86 60.64 79.56
GENDER
Number Pct Pct Pct
Male 18,250 45.7 48.3 49.1
Female 21,718 54.3 51.7 50.9
AGE
Number Pct Pct Pct
15 or younger 9,023 22.6 22.5 21.4
16-24 5,814 14.5 15.7 13.9
25-44 10,645 26.6 28.4 30.2
45-64 7,889 19.7 21.4 22.0
65+ 6,597 16.5 12.1 12.4
Number Number Number
Average age (years) 37.03 35.37 36.22
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RACE AND ETHNICITY
Number Pct Pct Pct
White 17,580 44.0 61.4 75.1
Black or African American 21,729 54.4 36.3 12.3
American Indian and Alaska native 67 0.2 0.4 0.9
Asian 238 0.6 0.7 3.6
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 13 0.0 0.0 0.1
Some other race 112 0.3 0.5 5.5
Two or more races 229 0.6 0.7 2.4
Hispanic or Latino 433 1.1 1.4 12.5
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census; ePodunk
Note: Hispanic ethnicity is a separate data category from race. This number should not be added to race totals.
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APPENDIX C
MERIDIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ENROLLMENT DEMOGRAPHICS
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APPENDIX D
MCC LOGOS
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100
APPENDIX E
MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT MAP
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102
APPENDIX F
MCC INTEREST SURVEY (SURVEY INSTRUMENT)
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Consent Form
Title of Study: A Study to Identify the Effects of Community College Student Recruitment Marketing by Television on Prospective Students
Study Site: Meridian Community College
Name of Researcher(s) & University affiliation: Ray B. Denton, Mississippi State University
What is the purpose of this research project? This project is part of a doctorial dissertation research study concerning the marketing of Meridian Community College to prospective students.
How will the research be conducted? If you decide to participate, you will have 15- minutes to fill out a survey form consisting of 20 questions and your additional comments should you have any.
Are there any risks or discomforts to me because of my participation? There are no known risks or discomforts.
Does participation in this research provide any benefits to others or myself? The college will benefit in knowing how to better serve students. Any benefit to yourself would be considered trivial.
Will this information be kept confidential? This survey is considered anonymous and all information will be kept confidential with no individual identification. (Please note that these records will be held by a state entity and therefore are subject to disclosure if required by law.”)
Who do I contact with research questions? If you should have any questions about this research project, please feel free to contact Ray B. Denton at (601)484-8785. For additional information regarding your rights as a research subject, please feel free to contact the MSU Regulatory Compliance Office at 662-325-5220.
What if I do not want to participate? Please understand that your participation is voluntary, your refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled, and you may discontinue your participation at any time without penalty or loss of benefits.
You will be given a copy of this form for your records.
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MCC Interest Survey
The attached survey is conducted as part of a study of the promotional activities for enrollment at Meridian Community College (MCC). The college will benefit through current and relevant information that may be used to better allocate advertising funds and placement. All responses will be used for research purposes only and will be kept strictly confidential. Please do not write your name or place any identifiable mark on this form. You may leave any question blank or withdraw from the survey at any time. All completed forms in this survey are considered anonymous. There will be a 15-minute lime limit for completing the survey. If you have any questions at any time concerning this survey or research project, you may contact: Ray Denton, Room 113 Todd Library, Meridian Community College (601) 484-8785.
Directions: Check or otherwise respond to each question. 1. Age Group ___Under 18 (Stop here and turn in your survey) ___18-24 ___25-39 ___40-54 ___55 +
2. Are you currently enrolled as a freshman at MCC? ___Yes ___No
3. Have you already completed this survey in another class? ___Yes (stop here and turn your survey) ___No (continue)
4. Gender ___Female ___Male
5. Racial/Ethnic Group ___African-American ___Caucasian ___American Indian or Alaskan Native ___Asian or Pacific Islander ___Hispanic ___Other 105
6. Marital Status ___Single ___Married ___Divorced ___Widowed
7. How far do you travel to attend classes at MCC? ___On-Campus Housing ___ Less than 1 mile ___ 1-5 miles ___6-20 miles ___21-40 miles ___ Over 40 miles
8. Which financial aid sources do you receive? (check all that apply) ___Scholarship ___Grant ___Work Study ___Military ___Student Loan ___MCC Tuition Guarantee ___Other ___None
9. What is your main reason for attending community college? (check one) ___Two-Year Associate/Occupational degree ___Transfer to a university ___Gain skills or certification for a new job or new position ___Satisfy personal educational interests ___Be with friends who are attending the college
10. How did you become interested in attending MCC? (check all that apply) ___Friends ___Family ___MCC recruiters ___Radio advertisements ___Television advertisements ___Newspaper advertisements ___Other (please specify) ______
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11. What factors influenced your choice to attending MCC? (check all that apply) ___Location if the campus ___Tuition or living expense ___Advice of an instructor or counselor ___ Reputation of MCC ___Size of MCC ___Fanatical aid available at MCC ___Friends ___ Parent’s advice ___Course availability ___MCC Athletics
12. Of the influences checked in question 11, which is your first choice?______
13. What is your major program of study? ___Specify______Undeclared
14. Please check each of the listed activities as to how you were influenced (from very positive to very negative) to investigate enrollment at Meridian Community College. Place a mark in the column that most closely represents the influence that item had on your choice to attend MCC.
How did each of these activities influence you? Very Positive Positive Not Exposed Negative Very Negative Activity Influence Influence To this activity Influence Influence Newspaper advertisement Radio commercial Television commercial Internet Recruiter Faculty member Counselor Direct mail College catalog Viewbook Campus event Career fair Campus tour Athletic event Other 107
15. Which one of the following most closely describes you? ___Just graduated from high school or GED ___Have been enrolled in another college ___Changing major ___Have been or still working ___Have been or still in the military ___Other______
16. Do you plan to continue at MCC next semester? ___Yes ___No
17. Estimate the amount of time you spend watching television each day. (check one) ___0 - 1 hour ___2 - 3 hours ___3 – 4 hours ___4 – 5 hours ___Over 5 hours
18. When are you most likely to watch television? (check one) ___Mornings ___Afternoons ___Evenings ___Late Night ___Weekends only
19. Which type of programming are you most likely to watch? (check one) ___Inspirational ___News ___Sports ___Entertainment ___Educational
20. Do you own a personal computer? ____Yes ____No
21. If so, do you have Internet access? ____Dial-up ____High-speed ____I do not have home Internet access.
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22. Which slogan would you most closely relate to Meridian Community College? (Check only 1 slogan) ____MCC THE-1 ____Stay Close, Go Far ____MCC, The Place to Be ____Experience the One ____I am not familiar with any MCC slogan.
23. Please make any comments or suggestions that you feel could be helpful in our marketing efforts to attract students to MCC. (use back of page if needed)
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APPENDIX G
PANEL OF EXPERTS
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Billy C. Beal
Director of Learning Resources
Meridian Community College
Susan Ross
Station Advertising Manager
WMDN Television
Kay Thomas
Director of Marketing
Meridian Community College
Sandra Clark
Marketing Management Technology Program Coordinator
Meridian Community College
Harvey Scarborough
Chief Operator
WGBC Television
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APPENDIX H
LETTER TO EXPERTS REQUESTING SURVEY
REVIEW AND SUGGESTIONS
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11451 Suqualena Road Meridian, MS 39305 September 1, 2006
(Expert’s Address Information)
Dear (Name),
This letter is to request your evaluation of the enclosed questionnaire. This is part of a research survey I will be using to collect data to evaluate the influence of television advertising on prospective students at Meridian Community College. I have selected you as a member of my panel of experts due to your extensive background in marketing and promotion and your knowledge of television advertising in particular.
This information will be used as both partial fulfillment of the requirement of my doctoral program at Mississippi State University and as a guide to better serve MCC in future recruitment efforts.
I would certainly appreciate your review and any input on this questionnaire. Please make any comments directly on the pages. A blank page is included for any longer comments or summary of your thoughts.
If you have any questions, please call me at (601) 484-8785 during weekdays or (601) 626-7123 during the evening or weekends. I will call you this week to see if you are willing to participate and arrange a time to pick up the questionnaire. If for any reason you feel that you do not wish to participate at this time, just let me know when I call.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Ray Denton
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APPENDIX I
CERTIFICATION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS IN EDUCATION TRAINING
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115
APPENDIX J
MERIDIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH APPROVAL
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117
APPENDIX K
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY IRB RESEARCH APPROVAL
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119
APPENDIX L
MCC 1000 LEVEL COURSES SPRING 2007
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(Classes requested for survey in bold print) A. SSBSECT_CRN B.SSBSECT_SUBJ_CODE C. SSBSECT_CRSE_NUMB D. SSBSECT_SEQ_NUMB E. COUNT(Student)
1 20001 ACC 187 20343 HIS 373 20657 CDT 1213 A 1173 G 1224 5A 18 38 3 2 20002 ACC 188 20344 HIS 374 20658 CDT 1213 B 1173 HS 1713 A 19 21 14 3 20004 ACC 189 20345 HIS 375 20664 CDT 1223 Z 1173 I 1214 Z 13 26 4 4 20005 ACC 190 20347 HIS 376 20665 CDT 1213 8A 1173 W 1314 Z 3 17 5 5 20006 ACC 191 20348 HIS 377 20666 CPT 1223 A 1173 Y 1214 A 14 32 5 6 20007 ACC 192 20349 HIS 378 20668 CNT 1223 B 1173 6 1654 A 9 20 9 7 20011 ART 193 20350 HIS 379 20671 WDT 1113 8B 1173 ZN 1314 A 15 20 8 8 20012 ART 194 20361 MAT 380 20672 WDT 1113 8A 1103 A 1414 A 23 15 7 9 20013 ART 195 20362 MAT 381 20683 CNT 1113 A 1103 B 1524 8A 22 19 6 10 20014 ART 196 20363 MAT 382 20684 GCT 1113 B 1103 C 1223 A 31 12 8 11 20015 ART 197 20364 MAT 383 20685 GCT 1113 C 1103 D 1233 A 31 12 8 12 20016 ART 198 20366 MAT 384 20686 GCT 1113 D 1103 Z 1143 A 28 8 8 13 20017 ART 199 20367 MAT 385 20694 HRT 1113 E 1103 8A 1521 A 25 10 11 14 20019 ART 200 20368 MAT 386 20695 HRT 1113 W 1203 A 1541 A 36 13 3 15 20020 ART 201 20370 MAT 387 20696 MMT 1113 Y 1203 C 1123 A 39 10 9 16 20021 ART 202 20372 MAT 388 20700 MMT 1113 YN 1203 E 1313 A 9 11 11 17 20022 ART 203 20373 MAT 389 20701 MMT 1113 Z 1203 F 1323 A 31 15 10 121
18 20023 ART 204 20374 MAT 390 20702 MMT 1323 A 1203 G 1721 A 11 14 9 19 20024 ART 205 20375 MAT 391 20703 MMT 1443 A 1203 H 1741 A 15 8 7 20 20029 BIO 206 20377 MAT 392 20704 MMT 1111 AL 1203 J 1000 A 31 13 7 21 20030 BIO 207 20378 MAT 393 20705 MMT 1114 8A 1203 K 1000 B 4 9 4 22 20031 BIO 208 20382 MAT 394 20706 MMT 1113 A 1203 Z 1613 Z 58 17 14 23 20032 BIO 209 20384 MAT 395 20707 MMT 1121 AL 1203 8A 1643 Z 21 6 16 24 20033 BIO 210 20385 MAT 396 20708 COV 1121 BL 1233 A 1225 A 29 15 17 25 20034 BIO 211 20386 MAT 397 20709 COV 1121 CL 1233 B 1436 A 15 13 17 26 20035 BIO 212 20387 MAT 398 20710 COV 1121 DL 1233 C 1632 A 23 13 17 27 20036 BIO 213 20388 MAT 399 20711 COV 1121 EL 1233 D 1532 A 12 14 17 28 20037 BIO 214 20389 MAT 400 20712 COV 1121 FL 1233 E 1722 A 13 17 17 29 20038 BIO 215 20390 MAT 401 20713 COV 1121 GL 1233 F 1122 Z 9 11 17 30 20040 BIO 216 20391 MAT 402 20714 COV 1123 A 1233 G 1245 Z 54 12 17 31 20041 BIO 217 20392 MAT 403 20718 CAV 1123 B 1233 H 1132 A 74 8 16 32 20042 BIO 218 20393 MAT 404 20719 CAV 1124 Z 1233 I 1317 A 28 5 16 33 20043 BIO 219 20394 MAT 405 20720 CAV 1124 8A 1233 J 1514 A 6 10 16 34 20044 BIO 220 20396 MAT 406 20721 CAV 1141 AL 1233 Y 1920 A 18 6 16 35 20046 BIO 221 20397 MAT 407 20722 CAV 1143 P 1233 Z 1123 A 18 6 16 36 20047 BIO 222 20398 MAT 408 20723 DDT 1613 A 1233 8A 1114 A 34 11 4 37 20048 BIO 223 20399 MAT 409 20724 DDT 1613 TV 1233 ZN 1133 A 22 3 2 122
38 20049 BIO 224 20400 MAT 410 20725 DDT 1613 8A 1233 6 1213 A 14 9 3 39 20084 BAD 225 20401 MAT 411 20726 DDT 1113 A 1313 A 1313 A 9 18 8 40 20092 CHE 226 20402 MAT 412 20727 DDT 1111 AL 1313 D 1323 A 13 24 4 41 20095 CHE 227 20403 MAT 413 20728 DDT 1113 A 1313 E 1920 A 12 21 3 42 20096 CHE 228 20404 MAT 414 20729 DDT 1214 8A 1313 HS1 1940 A 1 25 9 43 20097 CHE 229 20406 MAT 415 20734 EET 1214 YN 1313 H 1114 A 23 24 3 44 20098 CHE 230 20407 MAT 416 20735 EET 1221 AL 1313 I 1123 A 12 10 11 45 20099 CHE 231 20408 MAT 417 20736 EET 1221 BL 1313 HS2 1214 A 8 28 3 46 20100 CHE 232 20409 MAT 418 20737 EET 1223 A 1313 HS3 1314 A 20 23 16 47 20101 CHE 233 20410 MAT 419 20738 EET 1224 8A 1313 Y 1324 A 9 11 18 48 20105 CSC 234 20411 MAT 420 20740 EET 1113 A 1313 Z 1920 A 20 22 11 49 20106 CSC 235 20412 MAT 421 20741 EET 1113 8A 1313 8A 1940 A 23 11 10 50 20107 CSC 236 20413 MAT 422 20744 ROT 1123 8A 1313 6 1113 A 17 12 5 51 20109 CSC 237 20414 MAT 423 20746 TCT 1123 A 1323 A 1920 A 25 30 4 52 20110 CSC 238 20415 MAT 424 20747 TCT 1123 B 1323 B 1940 A 18 29 4 53 20111 CSC 239 20417 MAT 425 20751 HLT 1123 C 1323 Z 1121 A 20 7 4 54 20112 CSC 240 20418 MAT 426 20752 HLT 1123 D 1323 8A 1124 A 20 4 5 55 20113 CSC 241 20419 MAT 427 20753 HLT 1123 E 1333 8A 1133 A 18 8 6 56 20114 CSC 242 20420 MAT 428 20754 HLT 1123 F 1513 A 1313 A 21 28 4 57 20116 CSC 243 20422 MAT 429 20758 IMM 1123 Y 1513 8A 1215 A 6 2 13 123
58 20117 CSC 244 20423 MAT 430 20759 IMM 1123 Z 1513 Z 1920 A 17 12 13 59 20118 CRJ 245 20424 MAT 431 20760 WBL 1313 A 1613 A 1921 A 31 19 5 60 20119 CRJ 246 20427 MAT 432 20761 WBL 1313 8A 1623 A 1922 A 2 13 18 61 20133 EDU 247 20429 MAT 433 20762 WBL 1423 B 1723 8A 1923 A 17 10 23 62 20134 EDU 248 20430 MAT 434 20766 HCA 1423 C 1733 A 1118 A 15 17 9 63 20135 EDU 249 20432 MAT 435 20767 HCA 1423 D 1743 A 1118 B 30 25 11 64 20136 EDU 250 20437 MFL 436 20768 MST 1423 E 1223 BI 1127 A 27 15 5 65 20137 EDU 251 20441 MFL 437 20769 MST 1423 F 1223 C 1613 A 16 17 5 66 20138 EDU 252 20442 MFL 438 20770 MST 1423 G 1223 Z 1423 A 15 14 4 67 20139 EDU 253 20443 MFL 439 20771 MST 1423 H 1213 YN 1921 A 23 22 5 68 20140 EDU 254 20444 MFL 440 20775 MST 1423 I 1223 ZN 1941 A 9 20 2 69 20141 EDU 255 20447 MUA 441 20776 MST 1423 Y 1272 A 1127 AV 19 3 5 70 20142 EDU 256 20448 MUA 442 20777 MST 1423 Z 1282 A 1613 AV 13 4 5 71 20143 EDU 257 20449 MUA 443 20778 MST 1423 8A 1472 A 1423 AV 29 1 5 72 20144 EDU 258 20450 MUA 444 20779 MST 1423 6 1482 A 1921 AV 19 1 5 73 20146 EDU 259 20451 MUA 445 20783 MST 1911 A 1572 A 1941 AV 33 1 1 74 20158 ENG 260 20452 MUA 446 20784 PNV 1103 A 1582 A 1113 A 11 2 19 75 20159 ENG 261 20453 MUA 447 20785 PNV 1103 B 1772 A 1213 A 14 2 16 76 20160 ENG 262 20454 MUA 448 20786 PNV 1103 C 1782 A 1312 A 11 1 27 77 20162 ENG 263 20455 MUA 449 20787 PNV 1113 6 1872 A 1412 A 11 1 19 124
78 20163 ENG 264 20469 MUO 450 20788 PNV 1113 8A 1111 A 1425 A 25 3 19 79 20164 ENG 265 20475 MUO 451 20789 PNV 1113 8B 1151 B 1434 A 6 3 19 80 20165 ENG 266 20476 MUO 452 20790 PNV 1113 A 1152 A 1911 A 20 3 19 81 20166 ENG 267 20477 MUO 453 20791 PNV 1113 B 1171 A 1513 A 18 2 17 82 20167 ENG 268 20478 MUO 454 20792 PNV 1113 C 1181 A 1615 A 12 1 17 83 20168 ENG 269 20479 MUO 455 20793 PNV 1113 D 1211 A 1624 A 14 5 15 84 20169 ENG 270 20480 MUO 456 20794 PNV 1113 E 1221 A 1633 A 20 24 14 85 20170 ENG 271 20482 MUO 457 20795 PNV 1113 F 1242 B 1644 A 16 1 14 86 20171 ENG 272 20483 MUO 458 20796 PNV 1113 G 1252 A 1921 A 7 7 14 87 20172 ENG 273 20484 MUO 459 20797 NUR 1113 H 1252 B 1100 A 18 5 104 88 20173 ENG 274 20485 MUO 460 20798 NUR 1113 I 1341 A 1103 4A 28 2 7 89 20174 ENG 275 20486 MUO 461 20799 NUR 1113 J 1351 A 1109 A 18 1 44 90 20175 ENG 276 20489 MUS 462 20800 NUR 1113 K 1113 8A 1109 B 10 18 30 91 20176 ENG 277 20490 MUS 463 20803 NUR 1113 L 1113 A 1109 E 15 29 30 92 20177 ENG 278 20491 MUS 464 20804 NUR 1113 M 1113 B 1200 A 20 24 85 93 20178 ENG 279 20493 MUS 465 20805 NUR 1113 N 1133 A 1210 A 13 11 28 94 20179 ENG 280 20494 MUS 466 20806 NUR 1113 O 1224 A 1210 B 9 4 27 95 20181 ENG 281 20498 PHI 467 20807 NUR 1113 YN 1133 Z 1210 C 5 15 30 96 20182 ENG 282 20510 PSC 468 20827 AHT 1113 Z 1113 A 1113 Z 16 45 14 97 20183 ENG 283 20511 PSC 469 20828 AHT 1123 5 1113 B 1113 Y 13 33 15 125
98 20184 ENG 284 20513 PSC 470 20829 AHT 1123 6 1113 Y 1113 8A 16 18 16 99 20185 ENG 285 20514 PSC 471 20830 DAT 1123 8A 1113 8A 1323 A 11 12 6 100 20187 ENG 286 20516 PSY 472 20831 DAT 1123 B 1513 A 1423 A 14 26 6 101 20188 ENG 287 20517 PSY 473 20832 DAT 1123 C 1513 B 1612 A 21 45 6 102 20189 ENG 288 20518 PSY 474 20833 DAT 1123 D 1513 C 1714 A 17 34 6 103 20190 ENG 289 20519 PSY 475 20834 DAT 1123 E 1513 D 1522 A 23 29 3 104 20191 ENG 290 20520 PSY 476 20835 DAT 1123 F 1513 E 1522 B 29 30 3 105 20192 ENG 291 20521 PSY 477 20836 DAT 1123 G 1513 F 1815 A 23 31 6 106 20193 ENG 292 20522 PSY 478 20837 DHT 1123 H 1513 G 1415 A 32 14 11 107 20194 ENG 293 20523 PSY 479 20838 DHT 1123 I 1513 H 1513 A 17 18 11 108 20195 ENG 294 20525 PSY 480 20839 DHT 1123 J 1513 6 1222 A 17 14 11 109 20196 ENG 295 20526 PSY 481 20840 DHT 1123 K 1513 5 1232 A 9 9 11 110 20197 ENG 296 20527 PSY 482 20841 DHT 1123 L 1513 Y 1921 A 9 10 11 111 20198 ENG 297 20528 PSY 483 20846 CNT 1123 M 1513 Z 1121 A 23 24 7 112 20199 ENG 298 20529 PSY 484 20848 WDT 1123 N 1513 8A 1121 A 16 21 6 113 20200 ENG 299 20530 PSY 485 20850 HIT 1123 O 1513 8B 1413 A 19 15 7 114 20201 ENG 300 20532 PSY 486 20851 HIT 1123 P 1513 YN 1323 A 23 6 7 115 20203 ENG 301 20533 REA 487 20859 HIT 1123 ZN 1203 A 1920 A 4 22 7 116 20204 ENG 302 20534 REA 488 20861 MLT 1123 Z 1203 B 1413 A 15 19 11 117 20206 ENG 303 20535 REA 489 20862 MLT 1203 6 1203 C 1523 A 13 6 10 126
118 20207 ENG 304 20537 SOC 490 20863 MLT 1203 A 1113 A 1921 A 21 6 11 119 20208 ENG 305 20538 SOC 491 20867 PTA 1203 B 1113 B 1213 A 12 22 13 120 20209 ENG 306 20539 SOC 492 20868 PTA 1203 C 1113 C 1314 A 14 17 13 121 20210 ENG 307 20556 SOC 493 20869 PTA 1203 D 1223 A 1921 A 11 16 13 122 20211 ENG 308 20557 SPT 494 20878 RGT 1203 E 1113 6 1921 A 18 17 19 123 20212 ENG 309 20558 SPT 495 20879 RGT 1203 F 1113 8A 1123 A 15 16 19 124 20213 ENG 310 20559 SPT 496 20880 RGT 1203 G 1113 8B 1423 A 7 16 19 125 20215 ENG 311 20560 SPT 497 20881 RGT 1203 Z 1113 A 1523 A 9 13 19 126 20227 GEO 312 20561 SPT 498 20882 RGT 1123 8A 1113 B 1613 A 15 16 19 127 20229 GEO 313 20562 SPT 499 20884 RCT 1123 A 1113 C 1516 A 27 22 10 128 20230 GEO 314 20563 SPT 500 20886 RCT 1123 B 1113 D 1424 A 29 24 10 129 20232 GEO 315 20564 SPT 501 20890 RCT 1123 Y 1113 E 1021 A 13 24 10 130 20233 HPR 316 20565 SPT 502 20891 SUT 1103 A 1113 F 1528 A 12 25 11 131 20234 HPR 317 20566 SPT 503 20892 SUT 1141 A 1113 G 1518 A 20 22 11 132 20235 HPR 318 20567 SPT 504 20893 SUT 1141 B 1113 H 1921 A 8 24 11 133 20236 HPR 319 20568 SPT 505 20894 DTV 1141 C 1113 I 1114 A 10 19 1 134 20237 HPR 320 20569 SPT 506 20895 DTV 1141 D 1113 J 1124 A 5 24 1 135 20238 HPR 321 20570 SPT 507 20896 DTV 1141 E 1113 K 1114 C 6 25 2 136 20239 HPR 322 20571 SPT 508 20897 DTV 1141 F 1113 L 1124 C 7 11 2 137 20240 HPR 323 20572 SPT 509 20902 EMT 1141 G 1113 M 1114 Z 6 22 10 127
138 20241 HPR 324 20573 SPT 510 20904 FFT 1141 H 1113 N 1113 R 4 18 3 139 20242 HPR 325 20574 SPT 511 20905 FFT 1141 I 1113 O 1123 X 3 18 2 140 20243 HPR 326 20575 SPT 512 20906 FFT 1141 J 1113 P 1123 R 7 20 1 141 20244 HPR 327 20576 SPT 513 20907 FFT 1213 8A 1113 Q 1213 X 22 17 2 142 20245 HPR 328 20578 SPT 514 20910 FFT 1213 A 1113 ZN 1223 R 16 8 3 143 20246 HPR 329 20579 SPT 515 20932 FFT 1213 B 1203 A 1613 R 34 19 2 144 20247 HPR 330 20580 SPT 516 20944 FFT 1213 6 1203 B 1813 X 20 22 2 145 20249 HPR 331 20583 SPT 517 20952 ECT 1313 8A 1233 A 1113 X 15 7 3 146 20251 HPR 332 20584 SPT 518 20953 ECT 1531 A 1241 A 1113 R 5 24 3 147 20252 HPR 333 20585 SPT 519 20954 ECT 1531 B 1251 A 1123 X 17 1 2 148 20254 HPR 334 20593 BCT 520 20955 ECT 1531 Z 1133 A 1123 R 5 8 2 149 20257 HPR 335 20594 BCT 521 20956 ECT 1541 A 1213 A 1213 X 3 8 5 150 20259 HPR 336 20595 BCT 522 20957 ECT 1541 Z 1223 A 1213 R 4 8 1 151 20260 HPR 337 20600 IDT 523 20958 ECT 1561 A 1163 Z 1223 X 12 6 2 152 20261 HPR 338 20601 IDT 524 20959 ECT 1561 B 1173 Z 1223 R 16 3 2 153 20262 HPR 339 20602 BOT 525 20974 ECT 1561 C 1013 A 1613 X 16 2 1 154 20263 HPR 340 20604 BOT 526 20992 COV 1561 D 1123 5A 1426 Z 15 3 17 155 20264 HPR 341 20606 BOT 527 20995 SOC 1561 E 1123 A 1521 A 8 8 13 156 20265 HPR 342 20607 BOT 528 21011 BIO 1561 F 1123 AV 1111 BL 9 2 19 157 20267 HPR 343 20608 BOT 529 21012 HPR 1561 H 1133 5A 1531 Y 15 7 11 128
158 20268 HPR 344 20609 BOT 530 21013 HPR 1561 I 1133 5AV 1541 Y 73 1 1 159 20269 HPR 345 20610 BOT 531 21014 HPR 1561 J 1113 A 1532 C 2 10 12 160 20272 HPR 346 20611 BOT 532 21018 COM 1561 M 1113 AV 1009 A 3 4 6 161 20273 HPR 347 20612 BOT 533 21019 MAT 1561 N 1143 A 1723 Z 3 8 11 162 20274 HPR 348 20613 BOT 534 21020 DTV 1561 O 1143 AV 1114 Z 2 1 4 163 20275 HPR 349 20614 BOT 535 21021 DTV 1561 P 1143 B 1124 Z 1 8 4 164 20276 HPR 350 20615 BOT 536 21022 DTV 1561 Q 1143 BV 1114 Y 8 4 4 165 20277 HPR 351 20616 BOT 537 21023 DTV 1561 R 1221 A 1124 Y 2 33 4 166 20280 HPR 352 20617 BOT 538 21025 HIS 1571 A 1221 AV 1613 9A 20 6 2 167 20281 HPR 353 20619 BOT 539 21027 MAT 1571 B 1313 8A 1733 9A 10 5 4 168 20283 HPR 354 20621 BOT 540 21033 CRJ 1571 D 1313 A 1323 9A 29 10 2 169 20284 HPR 355 20622 BOT 541 21034 CRJ 1571 E 1313 AV 1363 9A 22 2 2 170 20286 HPR 356 20623 BOT 542 21035 MAT 1581 A 1313 Z 1743 9A 15 15 4 171 20287 HPR 357 20625 BOT 543 21044 EDU 1581 B 1413 A 1423 8B 23 14 17 172 20288 HPR 358 20626 BOT 544 21045 MAT 1581 C 1413 AV 1313 HS4 13 3 13 173 20291 HPR 359 20627 BOT 545 21046 MMT 1592 A 1433 8A 1123 9A 19 3 1 174 20292 HPR 360 20628 BOT 546 21047 MMT 1593 8A 1433 A 1313 9A 19 11 1 175 20329 HIS 361 20629 BOT 547 21049 MAT 1163 A 1513 5A 1733 B 28 9 12 176 20331 HIS 362 20630 BOT 548 21050 BOT 1163 W 1613 8A 1002 A 17 6 8 177 20332 HIS 363 20631 BOT 549 21051 SPT 1163 YN 1623 8A 1113 9A 25 3 1 129
178 20333 HIS 364 20632 BOT 550 21055 BOT 1163 8A 1623 5A 1113 9A 14 10 2 179 20334 HIS 365 20633 BOT 551 21056 BOT 1163 8B 1713 8A 1213 9A 12 6 2 180 20335 HIS 366 20635 BOT 552 21057 BOT 1173 8A 1713 A 1133 9A 16 11 2 181 20337 HIS 367 20636 BOT 553 21060 ACC 1173 A 1713 AV 1223 9A 11 2 1 182 20338 HIS 368 20637 BOT 554 21061 WDT 1173 B 1813 A 1123 A 17 12 3 183 20339 HIS 369 20638 BOT 555 21062 ENG 1173 C 1813 AV 1123 Y 33 7 16 184 20340 HIS 370 20651 MAT 556 21065 CPT 1173 D 1313 B 1353 X 34 19 1 185 20341 HIS 371 20652 MAT 557 21066 CHE 1173 E 1313 C 1213 YN 38 30 1 186 20342 HIS 372 20656 CDT 558 21072 DTV 1173 F 1224 A 1114 G 19 13 2 559 21073 DTV 1124 G 2
130