1. Ad Tracking, Brand Equity Research & … Your Honors Program?
William Ashton, Renny Eapen
& Erzulie Mars
York College Honors Program
City University of New York
National Colligate Honors Council
Developing in Honors Session
San Antonio, TX
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Briefly introduce yourselves

2. Today’s Goals
To describe our activities of promoting campus awareness of our honors program
To describe the planning and execution of a marketing research study to answer the following questions:
What do students think of our honors program?
What was the effectiveness of promotional activities?
Vica’s part

3. Setting Founded 1966 Current Campus 1986
Commuter campus located in Jamaica, Queens
Full-time students: 6,727
Approximately 40% of classes taught by adjuncts
Most of our marketing efforts are to reach students in lower level courses – which are taught by adjuncts; some of whom are out of the know about the HP

4. Diverse 38% - 25 years old or older 40% - not US citizens
14% undocumented,
22% permanent resident
White, non-hispanic 4%
Black, non-hispanic 47%
Hispanic %
Asian 9%

5. York College Honors Program
Young: founded in 2001
Faculty initiative with little support from Academic Affairs
2-year curriculum
Typically: 12 students in the program with 4 students per year completing the program
Don’t be thrown by a reaction here: Our program is very, very small compared to most.

6. 2007 Promotional Activities
Honors Club – student club open to all students; presents honors programs & events
Class visitors – HP student workers visit fresh-person and sophomore levels courses; 10 min. presentation on HP
Describe – briefly – the clubs at York
Describe – more fully – what you would do during class visits

7. Honors Club Events More on the Psychology of Evil
Dr Michael Flynn, HP mentor
3 Honors Program students
35 non-Honors students

8. Honors Club Events Held in the under-construction HP lounge
Dr Aegina Barnes gave introduction & lead discussion
Attendance
3 Faculty members
3 non-Honors students
4 Honors Program students

9. Marketing Research – Brand Equity Research
Consumer’s evaluation of and associations with the brand
awareness (recall and recognition)
Students in York College Honors Program participate in special classes just for Honors.
Off-campus cultural activities
Thesis to graduate
Faculty mentor
Study lounge
brand image (the overall associations that the brand has).
I think that the York College Honors Program/Club is an important program for York College to have.
increases the status of York College's public image
encourages high academic standards for all at York College
Renny’s part

10. Brand Equity Research
brand image (the overall associations that the brand has).
Choose all that are advantages/disadvantages
Helps on application for graduate school
Helps students transfer to other colleges
Helps on job application
Students have cultural experiences
Students have research experiences
Students have internship experiences
Students get laptops
Improve career opportunities
Students use honors lounge
Students take special honors classes
Students works with faculty mentor
Students will write a thesis
Classes with only other honor students
Extra-curricular activities
Special scholarships for other honors students
Special recognition
Financial aid for other honors students
Scholarships for honors students
Extra classes to take
Only nerds are in the program
Greater/more responsibilities
Lack of recognition for efforts
Lack of appreciation for efforts
Higher academic expectations
You don’t have to read all of the advantages/disadvantages – just a few examples

11. Marketing Research – Ad Tracking
Brand and advertising awareness
I recall a professor talking to my class about the York College Honors Program/Club
I recall an honors student visiting my class and talking about the York College Honors Program/ Club
Please list the names of programs at York College for academically gifted students.
I have heard of the York College Honors Program/Club
The York College college-wide program which requires special course work and an honors thesis to graduate.
To enter the York College Honors Program a student needs a GPA (grade point average) of ____ or higher.
To enter the York College Honors Program a student must have fewer than how many credits?

12. Data Collection Timeline
Early Spring Semester - Wave 1 data collection
Mid Spring Semester – Honors Club and Class Visitor programs begin
Late Spring Semester – Wave 2
Early Autumn Semester – Wave 3
Data is collected via an online survey which is part of the Behavioral & Social Sciences Research Pool program.
Each semester approximately 20% of the York student population is registered in classes which require research pool participation.

13. Data Analysis Effectiveness of Honors Club
Wave 1 vs. Wave 2 vs. Wave 3
Effectiveness of Class Visitors
Class visitors spoke to selected research pool class; Wave 2-visited vs. Wave 2-not visited

14. Preliminary Findings – Brand Equity
York Programs for the Academically Gifted
“None” 59%
Left answer blank 25%
Honors Program 4%
Deans List 4%
Merit Scholars 2%
Less than 1%
Seek Program
National Society for Leaders
Thurgood Marshall Scholarship
Student Support Services
Mentoring Program
York Scholars
Research Program
This isn’t good. 84% of York students don’t know of any programs for gifted students at York. This speaks to the students’ perceptions of York College. Also, negative to the HP only 4% of students know of us.

15. Preliminary Findings – Brand Equity
Top 5 Advantages
Helps on application to graduate school (64%)
Improve career opportunities (54%)
Special scholarships for honor students (52%)
Special Recognition (50%)
Helps students transfer to other colleges (48%)
Top 5 Disadvantages
Extra classes to take (40%)
Honors courses cost extra money to take (38%)
No scholarship or financial help (22%)
Lack of recognition for efforts (19%)
Lack of appreciation for efforts (19%)
There are no special scholarships for the honors students
Helps students transfer to other colleges is a dangerous advantage – perception that good students wish to leave York.
Honors courses do not cost extra money

16. Preliminary Findings – Brand Equity
Attitudes (1-7 scale; e.g. 7=increases standards for all)
Important 5.1
Status 5.1
Standards for all 4.9

17. Preliminary Findings – Ad Tracking
Professor talked about Honors Program in class
never %
once %
a few times 7%
often %
Our main avenue to reach lower level students – their professor talking about the HP in class – mostly doesn’t happen