College Student Value Proposition
Students at Community Care College in Tulsa, OK, use iPads in the Classroom
Editor at Large of the Chronicle of Higher Education, Jeffrey Selingo, suggests in his recent article, “Colleges Must Prepare for a Buyer’s Market,” several questions that parents and potential students should (will?) be asking when shopping for college, from…”What is the return on investment?” to “How tech-savvy is the institution?”
Because of the endless number of substitutes satisfying the educational needs of students; is your college prepared to answer these critical questions and engage with prospects or would you rather regurgitate the same old stuff about campus dress code, tenured faculty, and price per copy?
Based upon current psychographical characteristics of our own student population and the online “pre-shopping” phase of consumer behavior–researching brands, reading reviews, watching videos, and asking questions–I suggest reviewing Mr. Selingo’s questions along along with the following:
1. What are the “in-field” job placement statistics?
2. Who are the top ten employers that are hiring your graduates?
3. How influential is your faculty and what are faculty members’ Klout scores?
4. Are your college’s infrastructure and wireless capabilities able to handle BYOD?
5. What is your cohort default rate?
6. If industry credentials are required, what are the pass rates and how do those compare to other colleges?
7. How does the college stay on top of in-demand career field trends?
Check out Mr. Selingo’s stimulating article at: http://chronicle.com/article/Colleges-Must-Prepare-for-a/138383/