University Business - July 2008 - (Page 14)

BEHIND the NEWS Have camel, will travel: Goucher College (Md.) students are required to study abroad, with opportunities such as a three-week course in India. U B E T W E E N the L I N E S Building Brand Momentum: Strategies for Achieving Critical Mass By Robert A. Sevier Strategy Publishing (www.strategy publishing.com), 2008; 272 pp.; $39.95 Longtime UB readers are familiar with the concepts of integrated marketing and institutional branding, as espoused by marketing columnist Robert Sevier. A senior vice president at Stamats, he has written extensively on “the brand as promise,” that is, delivering on the expectations and ideals you want to portray to the public. In this new book, Sevier takes that concept to the next level. Building Brand Momentum builds on his earlier work to show how colleges and universities can sustain the brand momentum they’ve built for the long term, to the point where it becomes the very embodiment of the institution. Loaded with examples of successful branding campaigns from colleges and universities around the country, the book also includes interviews with marketing gurus Don Schultz and Jack Trout. —Tim Goral Wanted: American Students INTERNATIONAL HIGHER ED INSTITUTIONS ARE AS EAGER TO WEL come American students as we are to welcome theirs. A new Institute of International Education report, “Meeting America’s Global Education Challenge: Exploring Host Country Capacity for Increasing U.S. Study Abroad” (www.iie.org/studyabroadcapacity), shows American students are most in demand, followed by those from China, India, Canada, and Russia. That fact fits in nicely with our nation’s goal of increasing to 1 million the number of undergraduate students studying abroad annually within 10 years. The best place to accommodate these students is in long-term programs of at least a semester if not a full year, but American students have been more likely to go for programs of around eight weeks. “The trend toward short programs started in the past decade, as the numbers of U.S. students going abroad started increasing,” says Allan Goodman, president of IIE, adding that students used to tend to study a language and spend their junior year overseas. “It became less and less possible to just rely on students who were fluent in the language.” Today’s students also have very busy schedules, making it harder to get away. Still, study abroad numbers have been bolstered by an increased awareness of globalization and interest in China and other emerging countries. Goodman suggests switching to a freshman or sophomore year abroad model, which would accomplish the goals of getting more students overseas for longer. He points out that students attending competitive IHEs frequently bring a lot of Advanced Placement credits and their schedules aren’t as busy as juniors’ schedules tend to be. And if more faculty members have to chaperone the younger students, so much the better. Goodman points to the efforts of Goucher College (Md.), which has made study abroad mandatory, as proof that an institution doesn’t have to be wealthy to support that kind of experience. He also noted the recently ended program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Mass.) to provide students with free passports, adding that 70 percent of U.S. citizens don’t have a passport. Taking it a step further, Goodman suggests IHEs ditch student ID cards and start using passports instead. “It might save money and it would make a statement,” he says. “A passport is just as important an educational device as a computer.” —Ann McClure SOUND BITE ‘A lumni are certainly not just heavy users—they’re heavy engagers. —Charlie Melichar, Colgate University (N.Y.) spokesman, about the popularity of Colgate’s online alumni magazine. ‘ 14 | July 2008 universitybusiness.com http://www.strategypublishing.com http://www.strategypublishing.com http://www.iie.org/studyabroadcapacity http://universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - July 2008

University Business - July 2008
Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Behind the News
Viewpoint
Money Matters
Financial Aid
Human Resources
Students in Need, Schools at the Ready
Security Officers Speak Out
Advancement Goes Digital
A New Day for NASFAA
Sustainable Admissions
What's New
End Note

University Business - July 2008