Undergraduate and Graduate Market Study in the Southern Maine Region

Proposal

University of Southern Maine

February 28, 2011

February 28, 2011 To: Dr. Susan Campbell Chief Student Success Officer University of Southern Maine

On behalf of EducationDynamics, I am pleased to submit this proposal to measure market demand for undergraduate and graduate programs on behalf of the University of Southern Maine. In response to your RFP, I believe we have been able to identify and propose several studies that can provide the action recommendations you seek to expand undergraduate and graduate enrollments in current programs as well as to address new market opportunities.

Based on market studies we have conducted recently on behalf of other institutions seeking to enhance graduate offerings, we can assure you that market demand among prospective undergraduate and graduate students remains strong and growing. Many more providers of higher education have entered the undergraduate and graduate market assertively and the competition, thus, for an institution such as the University of Southern Maine has become more intense. We believe that the University is in a very good position to capture a larger share of the market with the data and advice our research offers.

As you will see from our history of work with hundreds of colleges and universities (many within your region, such as Southern New Hampshire University, Northeastern University, Western New England College, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and Salve Regina University), our organization is not new higher education market research.

Our track record speaks for itself. But, even more importantly, our extensive background enables us to build on our past experiences, on tried and proven analysis techniques, and on our unique ability to apply what we know about various market segments to the needs and priorities of the University of Southern Maine.

Let me assure you that if EducationDynamics is chosen to conduct the market analysis described in this proposal, I will personally commit my own time and effort to the design, execution, and reporting of this important project.

Sincerely,

Carol B. Aslanian Senior Vice President, Market Research and Advisory Services

5 Marine View Plaza Suite 212, Hoboken, NJ 07030 T: 201-377-3332● F: 201-277-3096 ● E: [email protected] http://adultstudents.educationdynamics.com Table of Contents

Introduction - 1

Adult Student Market Analysis Studies

Study 1: Demographic Mapping of the Service Area - 4 Study 2: Interviews with Individual Undergraduate - 7 Adult Students Study 3: Interviews with Individual Graduate Students - 9 Study 4: Analysis of Competitors - 11 Study 5: Interviews with Organizations and Employers - 13 Study 6: Institutional Audit - 15

Market Analysis Methodology - 16

Data Collection and Sample Management - 17

Work Plan - 19

Study Budget - 20

References - 21

Staffing - 22

Past Clients - 25

Competitive Advantages of Working With Education - 29 Dynamics Introduction

Undergraduate and graduate student market studies are conducted by EducationDynamics for colleges and universities through well-proven market analysis services. Studies are designed to examine the demand for undergraduate and graduate study, as well as professional development programs, among actual or prospective individual adult students living in selected geographical areas served by client colleges. For the University of Southern Maine, the geographical area to be examined will encompass an area in the Southern Maine region designated by University staff. EducationDynamics staff has extensive experiences in assessing institutional programs and services aimed at adult and nontraditional students for enhancement and development direction.

The procedures used by our staff gather the data college administrators need to make informed decisions for expanding programs attractive to adult students and for improving the policies and practices of operational units serving adult students. The assessment activities on which our proposed study is based emanate from years of development begun at the College Board, and continued at Aslanian Group, under the direction of Carol B. Aslanian. It was established in direct response to requests from college leadership, admissions officers, deans of undergraduate and graduate study, and directors of continuing education programs for empirical evidence regarding demand for postsecondary and graduate education among adults.

The fundamental and basic approach that underpins our market research method is demand analysis. That is, our studies do not focus on need and interest among prospective adult students who have not enrolled but rather on hard data gathered from adult students who have enrolled and have demonstrated that they are ready, willing, and able to enroll in college study. Traditionally, needs assessments of adult learning dealing with interest or need yield results that grossly overestimate what adults will actually do. To overcome the problems of needs assessments, we use a demand theory approach that encompasses three important factors that characterize an adult learner: need, motivation, and financial resources. (A full description of need vs. demand analysis is presented later in this proposal.)

Finally, we have worked with a number of public and private institutions in recent years which may aid in our work with the University of Southern Maine. These include Southern New Hampshire University, Northeastern University, Alvernia College, Lebanon Valley College, Oakland University, New York University- School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and the University of Dayton. (See references.)

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EducationDynamics is higher education's leading marketing company, and the only organization that delivers products and services with a proven track record for helping higher education institutions find, enroll and retain students.

Market Research and Advisory Services (MRAS) conducts adult student and online student market demand studies, institutional audits, program and marketing reviews, and seminars and workshops for colleges and universities. MRAS is led by Carol Aslanian, who has had more than 25 years of experience in serving colleges nationwide, first at the College Board, and then at Aslanian Group.

Our market studies assist institutions in identifying the most current educational demands of adult students, online students, as well as employers in any region selected for analysis by our client colleges. Studies can also include surveys of recent inquirers and applicants who did not enroll, current students, early leavers, alumni and other groups of interest.

Findings and recommendations provide actionable steps you can take to improve undergraduate, graduate and noncredit programs and marketing efforts as well as shape institutional priorities to better match the demands of adult and/or online students.

MRAS market analyses have helped hundreds of institutions to determine:

Which programs are needed by which audiences—where, when and how How to best compete with existing and new providers in the region and nationwide Image perception and enhancement among key constituents How to better serve the educational needs of businesses and other organizations New locations for offering instruction The right mix of classroom, hybrid, and online courses to meet market demand How much accelerated learning and other advancements are needed to meet student preferences How to maximize visibility and attractiveness through strategic marketing and effective promotion How to maximize outreach through print and online media

Institutional audits and program reviews are also available to institutions seeking advice from experts in their fields on how to better maximize their outreach to adult and online students. Further, we conduct nationwide seminars and customized on-campus workshops for staff in the areas of adult learning, the

2 | P a g e marketing and recruiting of adult students, and innovative trends in higher education.

The University of Southern Maine

The six studies proposed will produce the findings, observations, and recommendations to lead the University of Southern Maine’s three campuses in better matching institutional supply to learner demands. The focus on adults as students is not new to higher education, or to the University, but the competition for this population grows steadily each day, through expanded ground campuses among the competition and through online instruction.

The University must better understand market preferences in order to build programs, services, and marketing that work for working adults. In short, what we will propose, based on hard empirical data, will position the University of Maine as the premier institution in service to adults throughout the state of Maine.

Specifically, we will take the steps and methodology necessary to:

Profile the demographics and learning patterns of recent adult students, the cohort best to forecast what succeeding cohorts will want. These learning patterns include the focus or areas of study, desired formats, preferred locations, preferred schedules and services, and marketing techniques.

Most important, the data will recommend strategies for the University that will, in fact, grow enrollments among adults. Specifically, we will discuss and propose messaging, channels of communication, frequency of contact, and effective ways to convert inquirers to enrollments.

Our data will also be instrumental to practices that will help retain these adults through graduation. In recent surveys in two states on adults with some college credit but no degree, we learned much we can share about what it takes to reenroll these populations which total in the hundreds of thousands in Maine.

Finally, our ultimate goal is to increase the University market share of returning adult students to undergraduate and graduate programs and to propose ways to create tighter links to business and industry. We will also reflect on noncredit professional development programs in need as well.

At the conclusion of our report, we will discuss a three-year marketing and business plan built speparately for undergraduate, graduate, and noncredits prospective students.

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Adult Student Market Analysis Adult Student Market Analysis

STUDY 1: Demographic Mapping of the Service Area

Past research has firmly established the demographic characteristics of adults who are most likely to undertake college study. This study uses data provided by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the American Community Survey, and the National Center for Education Statistics to select those attributes of adults known to predict college study (such as age, gender, previous education level, family income, military status, and so forth), combines those attributes in an optimum arrangement, and computes the latent learning potential of adults living in areas selected by the University of Southern Maine. Proceeding census tract by census tract, STUDY 1 estimates the probability that adults in each tract will enroll in college.

Mapping where high potential adults reside within the institutions’s service area will guide the University of Southern Maine in the most cost effective ways of attracting and serving adults by helping the college in:

Selecting census tracts in which to focus recruitment activities Tailoring direct mail marketing to selected census tracts in high potential areas Maximizing promotional resources by pinpointing target audience Identifying optimal locations for the establishment of new sites

STUDY 1 produces actual maps of the University of Southern Maine’s service area, shading each separate census tract (to pinpoint high, medium high, medium low, and low demand for learning) to show the likelihood that adults living in that tract will take college courses.

The information is also reported in a series of statistical tables displaying these data:

Number of households in each census tract Number of adults 25 and older living in each census tract Probability that the adults in each census tract will undertake college study Number of adults predicted to enroll in college courses from each census tract

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The location of each census tract by county, city, town, or village

The following two maps, prepared for this proposal, depict the possible 50 or 100-mile radius that the planning committee can select for the geography of our analysis. The maps highlight the three campuses of USM – Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston.

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STUDY 2: Interviews with Individual Undergraduate Adults

Adults who have recently been, or are currently, in the undergraduate learning market can give the most realistic and reliable description of what adult students demand. Interviewing a cross-section of such adults produces a template of their preferences that the University of Southern Maine can lay over its current programs and practices to see where they match—or mismatch—the market. The result is an unparalleled set of data for decisions about how to attract, serve, and retain more adult students.

Methods

This study systematically screens thousands of households in the University of Southern Maine’s service area to find hundreds of adults active in the undergraduate learning market: adults who have demanded to learn rather than adults who may need to learn, but have not.

For the University of Southern Maine, interviews will be conducted with undergraduate adult students who have these characteristics:

have engaged in undergraduate study within the past five years were 25 years of age or older—when study occurred

Staff will work with officials from the University of Southern Maine to construct a survey instrument specifically tailored to areas of interest to the University. Interview will consist of questions on topics related to policy areas important to the University, such as:

1. In what fields should the University of Southern Maine offer undergraduate degrees, certificates, licenses, and courses for adults? 2. What motivates adults to return to higher education and how can this information influence the ways in which the University attracts such students? How can this information be built into marketing messages and tactics? 3. When should the University of Southern Maine schedule its courses for undergraduate adults? 4. At which locations should the University of Southern Maine offer courses for undergraduate adults? 5. What should the University of Southern Maine charge adults for undergraduate courses?

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6. What distance learning instructional methods should the University of Southern Maine use to provide courses for undergraduate adult students? 7. What services should the University of Southern Maine offer and how (face-to-face, telephone, online) to attract adult students? 8. What University of Southern Maine features should be promoted to attract adult undergraduate students? 9. What media should the University of Southern Maine use to advertise to undergraduate adult students? 10. What should the University of Southern Maine do to expand its visibility and attractiveness among prospective undergraduate adult students? 11. How should the University of Southern Maine maximize 2 plus 2 opportunities with area community colleges to attract undergraduate adult students? 12. What are adult students perceptions of the University of Maine and its programs? 13. ... and others to be nominated by the University of Southern Maine staff.

In addition, we will interview each respondent for their recent noncredit participation as well as expected noncredit participation. We will collect the extent of noncredit activity among the population, detailing what they learned, from what types of providers, in what format, and at what cost.

We employ experienced telephone interviewers who ask a set of questions in a conversation scripted for depth and speed. At the end of the interviews, EducationDynamics compiles and analyzes the responses.

Reports

The report submitted for this study is written around straightforward, non- technical tables that can be used easily by the University of Southern Maine staff to make the decisions necessary to advance its service to the adult undergraduate student market. The information contained in this report will illuminate the following patterns and preferences of adult study:

1. Patterns of recent and current adult study, including these: o ―Market shares‖ of nearby colleges o Full-time vs. part-time study o Degree vs. nondegree study o Subject fields of study

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o Competitive ratings of nearby colleges

2. Preferences for future study, including these: o Provider o Advertising o Field of Study o Cost o Schedule o Location o Distance Learning

Based on the data collected in this study, our staff will also craft a set of action recommendations on how the University of Southern Maine can best position itself to serve the adult undergraduate student market.

STUDY 3: Interviews with Individual Graduate Students

Individuals who are already in the graduate learning market can give the most realistic and reliable description of what graduate students want. Interviewing a cross-section of such graduate students produces a template of their preferences that the University of Southern Maine can lay over its current programs and practices to see where they match—or mismatch—the market. The result is an unparalleled set of data for decisions about how to attract, serve, and retain more graduate students.

Methods

This study systematically screens thousands of households in the University of Southern Maine’s service area by telephone to find hundreds of people active in the graduate-level learning market: adults who have demanded to learn rather than adults who may need to learn, but have not.

For the University of Southern Maine, telephone interviews will be conducted with individuals who have engaged in graduate-level study within the past five years.

Staff will work with officials from the University of Southern Maine to construct a survey instrument specifically tailored to areas of interest to the University of Southern Maine. Interview will consist of questions on topics related to policy areas important to the University of Southern Maine, such as:

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1. In what fields should the University of Southern Maine offer graduate degrees, certificates, licenses, and courses? 2. What motivates adults to return to higher education and how can this information influence the ways in which the University attracts such students? How can this information be built into marketing messages and tactics? 3. When should the University of Southern Maine schedule its courses for graduate students? 4. At which locations should the University of Southern Maine offer courses for graduate adults, through satellite campuses? 5. What should the University of Southern Maine charge graduate students for graduate courses? 6. What distance learning instructional methods should the University of Southern Maine use to provide courses for graduate students? 7. What services should the University of Southern Maine offer and how (face-to-face, telephone, online) to attract graduate students? 8. What the University of Southern Maine features should be promoted to attract graduate students? 9. What media should the University of Southern Maine use to advertise to graduate students? 10. What should the University of Southern Maine do to expand its visibility and attractiveness among prospective graduate students? 11. What are adult students perceptions of the University of Maine and its programs? 12. ... and others to be nominated by the University of Southern Maine staff.

Reports

The report submitted for this study is written around straightforward, non- technical tables that can be used easily by the University of Southern Maine staff to make the decisions necessary to advance its service to the graduate student market. The information contained in this report will illuminate the following patterns and preferences graduate study:

1. Patterns of recent and current adult study, including these: o ―Market shares‖ of nearby colleges

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o Full-time vs. part-time study o Degree vs. nondegree study o Subject fields of study o Competitive ratings of nearby colleges

2. Preferences for future study, including these: o Provider o Advertising o Field of Study o Cost o Schedule o Location o Distance Learning

Based on the data collected in this study, our staff will also craft a set of action recommendations on how the University of Southern Maine can best position itself to serve the graduate student market.

STUDY 4: Analysis of Competitors

The offerings of other colleges and universities providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs are essential for the University of Southern Maine to understand as it seeks to position itself to attract a greater share of the undergraduate and graduate market. What these competitor institutions offer at the undergraduate and graduate levels, how they offer it, at what cost, with what services available, and with what requirements will fundamentally impact how the University of Southern Maine differentiates itself in today’s crowded higher education market.

The offerings of these competitor institutions often reflect their own process of trial and error in defining a set of programs and services that resonate with the market. Thus, those programs provide a good point of reference for the University of Southern Maine to use in advancing its own programs and services to better meet the demands of busy working professionals seeking online undergraduate study. In short, gaining a better understanding of the institutions selected will give the University of Southern Maine a competitive advantage.

Equipped with such information, the University of Southern Maine can consider several strategies:

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Advance and improve its offerings and position in the market based on a full understanding of what its competitors are doing and how they are doing it, based on the information gained through this analysis. Duplicate what others offer, reasoning that there is unmet demand among adults not yet enrolled at colleges and/or that by better positioning itself can take some market share away from its competitors through enrolling some students who transfer from other colleges to the University of Southern Maine. Design new offerings of particular interest to the University of Southern Maine, reasoning that such programs (niche programs) that the University of Southern Maine has unique resources to create will differentiate it in the market. Coordinate offerings with other institutions, by, for example, collaborating with community colleges to offer upper-division programs that continue two-year programs in strategically selected areas of study.

Methods

EducationDynamics will select a set of institutions for analysis with staff at the University of Southern Maine that will be based on two criteria:

1) institutions that offer programs in the same areas as those in highest demand at the University of Southern Maine (nationally and/or in Southern Maine and the surrounding region), and, 2) institutions that offer programs in the broad employer/industry categories that are identified in STUDY 1 and STUDY 2 as those most essential for future growth of a knowledge- based economy.

EducationDynamics then examines the programs, services, costs, entrance requirements, policies and other practices of colleges and universities with which the University of Southern Maine competes for undergraduate and graduate students and that have a significant share of the undergraduate and graduate market reasoning that those colleges that attract the largest number of students have the most to teach about how to operate in a competitive market.

We then use information (in print and online) and other publicly available data from those institutions, college websites, and secret shopping searching for information on their adult undergraduate and graduate

12 | P a g e offerings. The descriptors include enrollments, programs, locations, class hours, and so forth.

Reports

This analysis submits a description of the current supply of adult undergraduate and graduate programs in all of the other colleges and universities examined, showing what they offer and how much of it, when they schedule their course, where they conduct their classes, and what they charge. Findings are reported in a number of ways: detailed profiles of each institution, summary charts and tables that detail the major points of comparisons among all the analyzed institutions, and a written analysis that profiles how the University of Southern Maine compares with its competitors in its programs and services available for undergraduate adult and graduate students.

These descriptions can then be compared both to what the University of Southern Maine itself offers as well as to the configuration of demand yielded by the studies of prospective students in STUDY 1 and STUDY 2 of this market analysis. The outcome is a display of how well the University of Southern Maine matches both supply and demand in the adult learning market—and that leads directly to recommendations for improving the University of Southern Maine’s supply.

STUDY 5: Interviews with Organizations and Employers

The education and training needs of regional employers are essential for the University of Southern Maine to understand as it seeks to expand its supply of adult-focused undergraduate and graduate programs. The specific attitudes of business and other organization executives in the area regarding the University of Southern Maine as a supplier of higher education and training are also essential for the College to assess and understand before it moves forward in the expansion of its adult-focused offerings and reorganization of its operations. Moreover, employers can also provide important data as to the types of skills and knowledge that will match employer needs – now and in the future.

Employers can also become college students themselves in the sense that they can contract with colleges and universities for instruction for their employees, clients, or members. Under such arrangements, while

13 | P a g e individual adult students will study, the organization decides who will study and what, when, where, how, and at what price they will learn. Gaining an understanding of these unmet needs, as well as the tuition reimbursement policies of these local employers will allow the University of Southern Maine to maximize regional businesses and other organizations as sources of future adult students.

Methods

This study will be carried out by conducting interviews with a sample of officials responsible for employee education and training among employers and other organizations in the service area of the University of Southern Maine. Our interviews gather information that allows the University to learn about the types of degrees, credentials, and courses most in demand among local employers as well as these employers’ attitudes about the University of Southern Maine as a provider of college- level study.

The data collected will also provide the University with intelligence on which organizations/employers would consider establishing working relations with the University of Southern Maine to provide programs directly to their employees. The data collected in this study will be useful to the University of Southern Maine in developing and expanding credit and noncredit programs specifically for individual employers as well as for shaping curriculum offerings and programs on campus. Finally, the study will profile the tuition reimbursement opportunities available to employees at the surveyed employers, providing vital information for the University to be able to most effectively leverage such policies among employees in need of education and training.

Reports

The University will receive a report detailing employers’ views regarding the University of Southern Maine, the highest demand subject areas among employers for degrees, other credentials and courses, and finally, information on the University’s positioning in the Southern Maine market. The report will also:

Identify those organizations/employers that want further contact with the University of Southern Maine in regard to services and cooperative arrangements Profile the employers’ tuition reimbursement plans and how employers can assist the University of Southern Maine in attracting employees to the University 14 | P a g e

Identify curriculum areas in demand among employers for their labor force, both in terms of what can be offered on site as well as on campus, including areas related to career and technical education and language programs

STUDY 6: Institutional Audit

Near the conclusion of the study described above, we will visit the three campuses of the University of Southern Maine to review current services, programs, and practices affecting adult undergraduate and graduate students and assess how current structures match the demands and preferences surfaced in our survey. This will assist us in writing action recommendations that will set a solid foundation for directions in the future.

Focus of the Audit

Depending on the individuals available for interviews, the areas of focus of the audit can include:

Administration 1. Organizational structure 2. Staffing Scope and nature of adult undergraduate and graduate programs 1. Degrees, courses, certificates 2. Schedules and locations 3. Course formats (classroom, hybrid, online) Recruitment and marketing strategies 1. Advertising materials and products 2. Tracking and follow-up of prospective adult undergraduate and graduate students Academic and student services 1. Availability of key academic services needed by adult undergraduate and graduate students 2. Availability of appropriate student services demanded by adult undergraduate and graduate students Retention procedures 1. Ongoing communication and support services 2. Tracking and follow-up of ―stop outs‖ and ―drop outs‖ Customer service

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Market Analysis Methodology

Demand Versus Need The fundamental and basic approach that underpins our market research is demand analysis. That is, our analysis procedures do not focus on need and interest among prospective adult students, but rather on hard data gathered from actual recent adult students on what, when, where, how, they studied.

Developing new recruiting strategies and programs for adults using needs assessment can be challenging. Needs assessments have proven inadequate because they do not examine market demand, tend to use projections of past enrollment growth, and rely on inadequate research techniques. Surveys of adult learning that focus on ―need‖ or ―interest‖ have yielded results that significantly overestimate what adults will actually do. This is most likely because needing or being interested in something does not automatically mean that an individual will actually do it. While many adults need more education, need alone rarely gets adults into a classroom or online.

To overcome the problems of needs assessments in the planning or refining of programs for adult students, we use demand theory which encompasses three important factors – motivation, financial resources, and need – that characterize actual recent adult learners.

Demand theory holds that in addition to need two other factors must be present among adults who want to purchase a college education (or anything else): motivation and financial resources. Among adults who enroll in college, motivation is most likely to occur when adults face a life transition, most often a career transition that calls for further credentials to enter, advance or change careers. Such changes often require more education. The availability of financial resources is also a key factor for adults who may have fewer supporting resources available to them (such as Federal and state financial aid) to pay for their education than do traditional age students.

Demand theory rank orders adult learners as likely to seek further education according to the combinations of motivation, finances, and need that they have. When need, motivation, and resources come together, adults ―demand‖ more education – these are the people that actually enroll in college-level study. The highest category of adults possesses all three factors; the next higher group is motivated and has resources; the third highest group is motivated and has need – they somehow will find the resources to go back to school; the group with motivation alone ranks fourth; the group with financial resources and need ranks fifth; the group with financial resources alone ranks sixth; and the group with need alone ranks last.

For these reasons, in our studies, we interview only those individuals who fall into category one of demand theory – those who have had the need, been motivated, and found the financial resources to enroll in college study. Such individuals best represent the next cohort of adult learners.

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Data Collection & Quota Management

Given the importance of telephone interviewing in collecting the data we require in the proposed studies, it is important to describe the quality control standards and procedures that will be used to collect respondent information.

We will collect survey data using the latest technologies integrated entirely in- house via our networked system of computer-assisted-telephone interviewing (CATI) stations. Our survey software allows us to monitor quotas based either on respondent answers within the survey or data provided in the call list, therefore tracking quotas without complication. Data for any question – multiple choice, open-ended, or rating – can also be cross-tabbed by these different quota groups to see responses separated by segment.

Sample Management

Our survey system tracks call results each time a telephone number is dialed. Households that are not reached are recycled into the system to be called at a later day or time. Typically in a study of this nature each number is dialed 3-5 times. When a household is reached, interviewers ask a series of screening questions to find qualified participants prior to entering data into the actual survey. Interviewers are experienced in multi-level screeners with multiple qualifications prior to survey administration. Additionally, Interviewers are skilled at turning refusals around to gain participation from qualified respondents.

Methods to Increase Participate Rates Interviewers are highly educated, well-trained, friendly, professional, and most importantly, persuasive enough to encourage most respondents to participate during the initial phone call. However, since this is not always possible, we’ve developed a system that works to maximize response rates using a combination of tactics, as described below:

Callback appointments - Our system schedules and tracks callbacks so that they appear to an interviewer at the appropriate time. Brief voice messages – We have found that many people want to participate in surveys that affect the region in which they live. Interviewers leave brief messages stating the purpose of the study, a callback number, and a study name to mention upon calling back. Extensive hours of operation – Trained interviewers are available to place and take calls Monday – Friday from 7am – 10pm MST and Saturday and Sunday from 10am – 10pm MST. Toll free call-back number to encourage incoming calls – We provide a toll-free callback number for potential respondents. Incentive – We send each respondent who completes the survey a $5 gift card.

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Quality Assurance

Over the years we have worked with our interview agency to implement quality assurance methods from project preparation and testing to final report delivery. As a standard practice, before any project is launched, the programming and set-up are checked multiple times by different managers to ensure that the sample is imported accurately, all skip patterns are working and that each question is collecting data correctly. Once in the field, managers have discrete monitoring capabilities in order to listen to interviewers and respondents during telephone surveys. This includes the capability of whispering suggestions to the interviewer unheard by the respondent. In addition, we consistently produce summary tables of collected data to identify potential problems whether in sampling, data summary, individual surveys, specific questions appearing to be misunderstood, or individual researcher error. Such errors are addressed and corrected immediately. We have a standard procedure of verifying approximately 15 percent of all surveys collected through respondent re- contact. The ultimate goal and result of this multi-layered quality control is to collect data that is clean, accurate, & promptly ready for client consumption.

Training The project managers at our interview agency conduct a thorough research orientation for each new employee, detailing the importance of good data collection, and methods to attain the highest quality interviews and recruits. This initial training not only provides essential market research background information, but also highlights the importance of each individual interviewer to the overall research process. Topics covered include: overcoming objections, polite telephone etiquette, probing and clarifying techniques, recording complete verbatim responses, and accurately entering ratings on scales and multiple choice options. Additionally, the importance of reading questions as written and repeating answers to avoid misinterpretation is highly stressed.

Each project then has its own training session which all team members must undergo before dialing a single phone number. In addition to in-depth survey training, prior to each project’s commencement, mock interviews are administered with all members of the research team. Daily meetings between managers and interviewers, as well as, continuous monitoring allow for constant feedback and further training as necessary to ensure successful results.

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Work Plan

The proposed set of studies can be completed approximately within 14-16 weeks of an initial planning meeting.

Timeline: EducationDynamics timeline commences with the planning meeting, which should be conducted as soon as possible after the signing of a memorandum of agreement.

Week 1: Planning Meeting. Staff prepares draft survey instruments prior to this meeting for review by the University’s planning team.

Week 2 – 3: Staff reviews and refines survey instruments.

Week 4: Staff programs survey instruments and initiates calls to prospective respondents and employers.

Week 4-12: Staff gathers data through phone interviews and other methods and conducts the on-site audit. The competitor analysis is carried out.

Week 12-16: Institutional audit is scheduled. Data are analyzed and a report is drafted.

Week 16: EducationDynamics presents report (findings and recommendations) to staff at the University of Southern Maine.

Note: Timeline is subject to change based on availability of University’s staff for required review of materials and other information/feedback needed to move forward.

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Budget

All costs associated with the University of Southern Maine study presented in this Study Plan are inclusive of all expenses associated with the project. We do not charge separately for travel or anything else.

Comprehensive Study $73,000 All components described in this proposal

Billing Schedule

EducationDynamics submits invoices to clients under the following model:

Upon signing contract: 50% 6 weeks after signing contract: 25 Upon presentation of final report: 25

EducationDynamics requires a significant portion of payment at the beginning of the project due to the fact that the majority of our expenses are payable at the beginning of a project, the largest portion being payment required ―up front‖ by our interview staff.

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References From Recent/Current Clients

Paul LeBlanc, President , Southern New Hampshire University 603.626.9100 ext: 9631 [email protected]

Martha Rush-Mueller, Vice President for Marketing and Communication, Southern New Hampshire University [email protected] (603) 645-9684

Kevin Currie, Executive Director- Online College of Professional Studies, Northeastern University [email protected] (617) 373-4289

Dean de la Motte, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Salve Regina University [email protected] (401) 847-6650 EXT: 2222

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STAFF

Carol B. Aslanian is Senior Vice President of Market Research and Advisory Services at EducationDynamics. Until July 2009, she was President of Aslanian Group, which for many years was the leading independent provider of enrollment management services, including community-wide market studies, assessments of online learning demand, institutional audits, development of education-employer partnerships for colleges and universities interested in serving the adult student market, and nationwide professional development conferences.

For more than 20 years, Carol Aslanian served as director of the Office of Adult Learning Services at the College Board in New York. She also served as the College Board’s Director of the Office of Community College Relations and assisted in enhancing the Board’s service to community colleges.

Ms. Aslanian is a national authority on the characteristics and learning patterns of adult students and has made hundreds of presentations to educational institutions, state agencies, and national associations, focusing on her major area of expertise – access to higher education for place-bound and time-bound students. She has engaged in various activities related to meeting the needs of learners and corporate partners, including those that helped colleges identify new locations, alternative scheduling, and online education instructional options. She has both designed market studies to assist colleges in enhancing their share of the adult student market as well as conducted onsite visits and consultations to analyze the current and potential status of institutions in meeting the demands of adult students and area employers. She has assisted hundreds of colleges, universities, state education agencies, regional consortia of colleges, multi-institutional centers, and chambers of commerce in developing programs that meet the needs of their constituencies, primarily working professional adult students and business and industry.

Ms. Aslanian has served as a member of the Nontraditional Students Report Board of Advisors. She is past chair of the Non-Traditional Markets Program Track of the American Marketing Associations Symposium on Marketing Higher Education. Ms. Aslanian is a past board member of Elderhostel, an organization that serves over 250,000 older Americans yearly in the design and operation of travel-study seminars. She is also past Chair and current member of the Advisory Council for the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University, a member of the Cornell University Council, and past president of the Cornell Association of Class Presidents. She is a board member of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, where she oversees the organization’s education programs worldwide.

She was selected by the National Council on Community Services and Continuing Education as the ―Person of the Year – Outside the Field‖, for her national contributions to the field of community service and continuing education. She received the Association for Continuing Higher Education ―Special Recognition Award for dedication and service in the field of continuing education‖. Ms. Aslanian was the recipient of the Helen Bull Vandervort Alumni Achievement Award and the President Frank Rhodes Alumni Exemplary Service Award at Cornell University.

Ms. Aslanian co-authored two landmark reports that described the causes and timing of adult learning – Americans in Transition: Life Changes as Reasons for Adult Learning – and the learning patterns of adult learners – How Americans in Transition Study for College

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Credit. Ms. Aslanian is a co-author of Higher Education in Partnership with Industry, focusing her writing on the development of contract education programs between colleges and employers. She applied her extensive knowledge of and experiences in program evaluation by serving as editor of Improving Education Evaluation Methods: Impact on Policy. In 2001, her nationwide study on adult students, Adult Students Today, was published by the College Board. This was followed in 2006 with the publication Trends in Adult Learning – A Snapshot, and in 2008 with Hindsight, Foresight, Insight: Understanding Adult Learning Trends to Predict Future Opportunities.

Ms. Aslanian received her degrees from Cornell University and Harvard University.

Scott Jeffe is Director of Market Research for EducationDynamics’ Market Research and Advisory Services. In this capacity, he is responsible for the management and coordination of all institutional market research studies, professional development seminars, national research projects on adult learning patterns and takes a leading role in division-related marketing. Prior to working with EducationDynamics, he was Managing Director of Aslanian Group – a market research organization with an exclusive focus on the adult student higher education market.

Scott has more than 15 years experience in project management in higher education market research, professional development and fund raising. He began his career at the College Board as Assistant Director of Public Relations, then Associate Director of Adult Learning Services and finally Acting Director of Higher Education Professional Development. Upon leaving the College Board, Scott was Director of Development at New York City’s Borough of Manhattan Community College and then Director of Development at Winston Preparatory School. Mr. Jeffe holds a BA in European History from St. Lawrence University and an MPA from the State University of New York at Albany.

Rex Jackson conducts operational programs and educational research and policy studies, applying statistical, demographic, and survey research methods to the evaluation of educational programs and policies at the elementary/secondary and higher education levels. He has worked with a variety of clients, including educational organizations, associations, and foundations, as well as state agencies. He is expert in analyzing the demographic characteristics of adults who are likely to take courses in the near future and matching those characteristics to adults residing in the service areas of client colleges. His work enhances our ability to pinpoint adults in a client colleges service area.

Jane Smalec is a Project Manager with Education Dynamics Market Research and Advisory Services. In this capacity, she is responsible for development and delivery of market research studies for selected clients. Jane’s higher education industry experience includes two years as Director of Consulting for Eduventures, six years as Chief Financial Officer at Kaplan University, and 2 years as the Chief Administrative Officer of Conversion Partners, a holding company for allied health career training schools.

Ms. Smalec brings a broad perspective on the critical success factors in the operations of higher education colleges and online universities, especially those servicing the working adult/non-traditional student population, and a strong working knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements. Ms. Smalec is the author of the Imagine America Foundation’s report on the role of career colleges in filling the demand for skilled workers in America.

A former strategic management consultant for McKinsey with over 30 years of business experience in technology and information-based industries as well as in education, Jane holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, an M.A. in econometrics from Manchester University, and a B.A. in economics from Liverpool University. Jane is currently a

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Steven Fischer is Research Associate for Market Research and Advisory Services. In this capacity, Steven is responsible for posting, monitoring, and preliminary analysis of client surveys. He also assists staff in every aspect of the roll out and execution of market research projects as well as EducationDynamics’ professional development seminars. Prior to coming to EducationDynamics, Steven was research assistant at Rutgers University Heldrich Center for Workforce Development. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Muhlenberg College and a Master’s in Political Science from Lehigh University.

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PAST CLIENTS

Alvernia College University Reading, Pennsylvania New Britain, Connecticut The Danish Agency for Study Abroad Ana G. Mendez Foundation Central Methodist University Copenhagen, Denmark Eastern University College Fayette, Missouri University of Turabo Dallas County Community Metropolitan University Clemson University College District Puerto Rico Clemson, South Carolina Dallas, Texas

Anne Arundel Community College Cleveland State University Daniel Webster College Arnold, Maryland Cleveland, Ohio Nashua, New Hampshire

Augsburg College Coast Community College District Davenport University Minneapolis, Minnesota Costa Mesa, California Grand Rapids, Michigan

Baldwin Wallace College College of Charleston Delaware State College Berea, Ohio Charleston, South Carolina Dover, Delaware

Ball State University College of Notre Dame of DeVry Institute of Technology Muncie, Indiana Maryland Atlanta, Georgia Baltimore, Maryland Belmont College Dominican College Nashville, Tennessee College of Saint Elizabeth Orangeburg, New York Morristown, New Jersey Bentley College Drake University Waltham, Massachusetts Colorado Christian University Des Moines, Iowa Denver, Colorado Berkeley College Drury University West Paterson, New Jersey Colorado Mountain College Springfield, Missouri Glenwood Springs, Colorado Bismarck State College Eastern Michigan University Bismarck, North Dakota Columbia College Ypsilanti, Michigan Columbia, Missouri Blackhawk College eCornell, Cornell University Moline, Illinois Columbus State Community Ithaca, NY College Bluefield College Columbus, Ohio Edgewood College Bluefield, Virginia Madison, Wisconsin Community College of Baltimore Brookdale Community College County Emerson College Lincroft, New Jersey Baltimore, Maryland Boston, Massachusetts

Brooklyn College (CUNY) Community College of Fairfield University Brooklyn, New York Philadelphia Fairfield, Connecticut Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Bryn Mawr College Fashion Institute of Technology Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Concordia University New York, New York River Forest, Illinois Caldwell College Fielding Graduate University Caldwell, New Jersey Contra Costa Community Santa Barbara, California College District California State University, Fresno Contra Costa, California Florida International University Fresno, California Miami, Florida County College of Morris Carthage College Randolph, New Jersey Fordham University Kenosha, Wisconsin New York, New York Cuyahoga Community College Cedar Crest College Cleveland, Ohio Allentown, Pennsylvania Franklin University Dakota County Technical College Columbus, Ohio Central Connecticut State Rosemount, Minnesota 25 | P a g e

Gannon University Luther Seminary Erie, Pennsylvania St. Paul Minnesota New York University School of Continuing and George Fox University Macomb Community College Professional Studies Newberg, Oregon Warren, Michigan New York, New York

George Mason University Maryville University Northeastern Minnesota Higher Fairfax, Virginia St. Louis, Missouri Education Consortium Arrowhead, Minnesota George Washington University Mercer University Washington, District of Columbia Atlanta, Georgia Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts Glassboro State College Messiah College Glassboro, New Jersey Grantham, Pennsylvania Oakland University Rochester, Michigan Greenville College Metropolitan Alliance of Greenville, Illinois Minnesota State Colleges & Oakton Community College Universities Des Plaines, Illinois Heidelberg College St. Paul, Minnesota Tiffin, Ohio Pace University Metropolitan College of New York New York, New York Herkimer County New York, New York Community College Prescott College Herkimer, New York Metropolitan Community College Prescott, Arizona Omaha, Nebraska Hinds Community College Rowan University Jackson, Mississippi Metropolitan State University Glassboro, New Jersey St. Paul, Minnesota Holy Family University Queens College Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Mills College Charlotte, North Carolina Oakland, California Hood College Queens College (CUNY) Frederick, Maryland Milwaukee School of Engineering Flushing, New York Milwaukee, Wisconsin Huntingdon College Quinnipiac University Montgomery, Alabama Minneapolis College of Art and Hartford, Connecticut Design Indiana University of Pennsylvania Minneapolis, Minnesota Randolph-Macon College Indiana, Pennsylvania Ashland, Virginia Minnesota Higher Education Iowa State University Coordinating Board Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Ames, Iowa Minneapolis, Minnesota Troy, New York

Jackson State University Minnesota State University – Rider University Jackson, Mississippi Mankato, Minnesota Lawrenceville, New Jersey

Jacksonville University Monmouth University Robert Morris University Jacksonville, Florida West Long Branch, New Jersey Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Kent State University Montgomery College Rochester Institute of Technology Kent, Ohio Rockville, Maryland Rochester, New York

LaGuardia Community College Moravian College Saint Mary’s College of California (CUNY) Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Moraga, California Long Island City, New York Mount Saint Mary College Salve Regina University Lakeland Community College Newburgh, New York Newport, Rhode Island Kirtland, Ohio New Hampshire Department San Diego State University Lesley University of Postsecondary Vocational- San Diego, California Cambridge, Massachusetts Technical Education Concord, New Hampshire Sarah Lawrence College Yonkers, New York Lipscomb University New Jersey Institute of Technology Nashville, Tennessee Newark, New Jersey South Dakota University Center Sioux Falls, South Dakota 26 | P a g e

University of Massachusetts Southeastern University State University of New York Boston, Massachusetts Lakeland, Florida at Farmingdale Southern Connecticut State Farmingdale, New York University of Missouri University Columbia, Missouri New Haven, Connecticut State University of New York University of Missouri Kansas City Southern New Hampshire at Potsdam Kansas City, Missouri University Potsdam, New York Manchester, New Hampshire State University of New York University of New Hampshire Southern New Hampshire at Stony Brook Manchester, New Hampshire University, Maine Center Stony Brook, New York Brunswick, Maine University of Pittsburgh Stonehill College Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Southside Planning Easton, Massachusetts District Commission University of Redlands South Hills, Virginia Suffolk University Redlands, California Boston, Massachusetts Southwest Texas State University University of Tennessee at Knoxville San Marcos, Texas Tennessee State University Knoxville, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee Southwestern College University of Toledo Chula Vista, California Trocaire College Toledo, Ohio Buffalo, New York Springfield Technical Community Upper Iowa University, Des Moines College Troy State University Des Moines, Iowa Springfield, Massachusetts Dothan, Alabama Upper Iowa University, Milwaukee Spring Hill College Tulane University Milwaukee, Wisconsin Mobile, Alabama New Orleans, Louisiana Upper Iowa University, Rockford Stephens College University Center at Tulsa Rockford, Illinois Columbia, Missouri Tulsa, Oklahoma Union Institute and University St. Catherine University University of Maryland, Cincinnati, Ohio St. Paul, Minnesota University College College Park, Maryland Ursuline College St. Francis College Cleveland, Ohio Brooklyn Heights, New York University of Baltimore Baltimore, Maryland St. John Fisher College (2) Rochester, New York Utica College of University of Central Florida Syracuse University Orlando, Florida Utica, New York St. John’s University Jamaica, New York University of Cincinnati Valencia Community College Cincinnati, Ohio Orlando, Florida St. Joseph’s College Brooklyn, New York University of Colorado – Denver Viterbo University Denver, Colorado La Crosse, Wisconsin St. Louis Community College St. Louis, Missouri University of Dayton Wentworth Institute of Technology Dayton, Ohio Boston, Massachusetts St. Xavier University Chicago, Illinois University of Evansville Evansville, Indiana State Institutions of Higher Learning Western Illinois University Jackson, Mississippi University of Illinois – Chicago Macomb, Illinois Chicago, Illinois State of Louisiana Board Western New England College of Regents University of Maine, Augusta Springfield, Massachusetts Baton Rouge, Louisiana Augusta, Maine Wheelock College State University of New York at Boston, Massachusetts Cortland Cortland, New York 27 | P a g e

William Rainey Harper Xavier University Widener University Community College Cincinnati, Ohio Chester, Pennsylvania Palatine, Illinois Youngstown State University Worcester Polytechnic Institute Youngstown, Ohio Waltham, Massachusetts

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Competitive Advantages of Working With EducationDynamics

There are a number of features that make market analysis services offered by former Aslanian Group staff distinctive.

1. Comprehensive Service: There is no other staff that offers a comprehensive market analysis of adult learning for colleges and universities with the option of adding special studies of particular interest to an individual institution, such as the development of corporate education partnerships.

Former Aslanian Group staff has procedures for analyzing both the supply and demand for adult learning in a given geographical area by surveying individual adults, organizations, employers, other educational providers, and the faculty and administration of the client college or university. Moreover, staff is able to supplement its adult studies by conducting special studies of other populations and by comparing data from multiple populations to reach broad conclusions to benefit the college or university in its marketing efforts.

Through a unique formula available only through assessment services provided by our staff, geographic locations of high, medium and low learning demand are mapped, identified and described.

2. Experience: No other staff has the 25+ years of experience in conducting community-wide market assessment services for colleges and universities with a special attention to adult learners.

For more than 20 years, while conducting community and market assessments at the College Board, Aslanian Group staff developed and tested a large number of questionnaire items and perfected instruments fundamental to a community and market assessment that would be extremely difficult and costly to replicate.

We use items in our questionnaires for adults, organizations, high school students, parents, faculty and staff which are unique. These items have been tested and validated over the past 20 years and are continually re-examined and improved.

No other staff has conducted both national studies as well as dozens of local studies for individual colleges, many of which have included an assessment of distance learning opportunities.

3. Unique Research Paradigm: Our staff uses the demand analysis paradigm to underpin all of its market research. Demand analysis posits that the best predictor of what adults will learn is what others have learned in the recent past. Demand analysis also looks for individuals and organizations that are ready, willing and able to learn rather than merely being in need or having an interest in learning/training. This is quite different from needs assessment – the other prevalent method of research. Needs analysis studies deal primarily with the needs of individuals, and often purposely remove the many barriers that may preclude a person from actually 29 | P a g e

enrolling in learning. While this type of work is informative, it will not be as instructive as the demand analysis offered by us.

4. Working Relationships with Clients: Market research services rendered by our staff require minimal assistance from the client, in that all design, technical, and reporting functions are carried out by our staff. College or university staff, however, make the final decisions as to the questions to be addressed, the samples to be drawn, and the instrumentation to be used.

Aslanian Group staff and other groups with which it partners for specific expertise have worked together over many years and, thus, possess unmatchable experience in designing and carrying out market studies.

Finally, no other market research organization serving the higher education market has worked with more clients (250+ colleges and universities) to meet the needs of adult learners than Aslanian Group.

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