Student-View© Report July, 2012.

Student-View© Report July, 2012

Executive Summary Eastern Michigan’s market position held relatively steady in the past year with a slight relative gain in perception offset by a small relative decline in awareness. The University enjoys its highest market position scores among students with ACT scores of 17 or less, black students, and students from Wayne County. In each of these areas, EMU is ranked 4th or 5th among benchmark institutions. Eastern Michigan has a small advantage over its competitors in tuition and financial aid, but is otherwise disadvantaged, particularly in academic strength, campus safety, and setting. These disadvantages, along with a perceived lack of majors, are also cited by students as key barriers to consideration of Eastern Michigan. Thirty nine percent of students consider attending Eastern Michigan and 12% actually apply. The University is ranked 4th in consideration and 6th in application rates. The University’s overall communication effectiveness score of 1.98 (0-4 scale) lags a national benchmark average by modest amount. Key recommendations for improving communications include not only increasing the overall volume of communications, but also addressing issues associated with academic strength, campus safety, etc. 2 2

Survey Overview

Survey Methodology Online survey of Michigan high school seniors
Conducted in January - April, 2012 Incentives included several random drawing scholarships Promoted through mailing to high school guidance counselors and scholarship search sites Responses were generally reflective of the student demographics 1,377 total responses from 223 high schools in Michigan Distribution generally matched population distribution. Some sample biases include: Females comprise about 69% of responses Estimated mean combined ACT scores about 24, somewhat higher than the average national- and Michigan score Margins of error Margins of error for overall awareness and perception are approximately +/- 2-4% at a 90% confidence level Margins of error for segmented data vary by type of segmentation A Margin of Error bar is shown on slides to provide a visual reference

Survey Response Distribution
ZIP Code Each pin represents a ZIP code from which at least one response was received. Many ZIP codes had multiple responses.

Market Size Analysis

College Selection Factors
How important are the following factors when choosing a college? Students in Michigan, as well as across the U.S., continue to rate five key attributes as most important when choosing a college or university. The biggest change from 2011 was a jump in the importance score for residential facilities. Academic strength also rose in importance while job opportunities decreased slightly in importance. Very Unimportant Somewhat Unimportant Neutral Somewhat Important Very Important

30-, 60-, 120- and 180 minutes around Ypsilanti, MI
Drive Zones 30-, 60-, 120- and 180 minutes around Ypsilanti, MI

Market Size Distance Preference
What distance from home do you prefer college to be? Thirty two percent of students have no preference regarding the distance between home and college. These students from throughout Michigan should find Eastern Michigan University to be an acceptable distance from home. A 60 minute drive zone around Ypsilanti includes about one half of the Detroit and Flint metro areas and all of several secondary metro areas. Approximately 10-18% of students from this zone would prefer the distance to Eastern Michigan. A broader 120 minute drive zone includes the remainder of the Detroit and Flint metro areas as well as portions of the Lansing and Grand Rapids metro areas. Twenty one percent of students in this zone would prefer the distance to Eastern Michigan University. Beyond the 120 minute zone are the rest of the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo metro areas, several secondary metro areas, and largely rural areas. Seven to twelve percent of students in this region prefer the distance to Eastern Michigan.

College Size Preference
Market Size College Size Preference What size school do you prefer to attend? Forty five percent of students have no college size preference and would find Eastern Michigan University to be acceptable. Another 20% of students would like to attend a college such as EMU that has more than 10,000 students.

Market Size Religious Preference
What religious affiliation do you prefer? Fifty two percent of students have no preference regarding a college’s religious affiliation. These students would be comfortable attending EMU. Another 20% of students prefer a secular university such as Eastern Michigan University. The number of students who prefer a secular institution fell in the past year.

Market Size Setting Preference What college setting do you prefer?
Twenty nine percent of Michigan students prefer an urban university such as Eastern Michigan. Another 47% of students have no preference and would find EMU’s location to be acceptable. This percentage has increased in the past year.

Market Size Tuition Expectation
What do you expect to pay ANNUALLY for college tuition? Consider only the published tuition rate not including any form of financial aid that you may receive. EMU’s published tuition is $7,616. (US News, 2012). Nine percent of students expect to pay $5,000 – 10,000 per year and another 9% have no expectation. These students would find Eastern Michigan’s tuition acceptable. Seventy eight percent of all students expect to pay more than $10,000 per year and would find EMU’s tuition preferable. This percentage has increased in the past year.

Consolidated Market Opportunity
The consolidated market opportunity examines all student preferences, showing the percentage of students who find Eastern Michigan to be acceptable or preferred on all key variables. The University is acceptable or preferred on all attributes by just 13-17% of students. This is essentially unchanged in the past year. All Students Tuition Screen Size Screen Setting Screen Religious Preference Screen Distance Screen

Awareness and Favorability
Overall Ratings

Awareness Distribution
Awareness levels among students who have heard of Eastern Michigan University Among students who have heard of Eastern Michigan University, 33% are somewhat- or very unfamiliar with the University, while 48% are familiar to some degree. In addition to students who have heard of Eastern Michigan, some students indicated that they had not heard of the University at all. The percentage of students who have not heard of EMU, the school’s Invisibility Index©, is approximately 13%. Very Unfamiliar Somewhat Unfamiliar Neutral Somewhat Familiar Very Familiar

Index Calculation Awareness Index is the average of all survey respondents’ familiarity levels Numeric assignments for awareness Very Unfamiliar = 0 Somewhat Unfamiliar = 1 Neutral = 2 Somewhat Familiar = 3 Very Familiar = 4 Perception Index is the average of all survey respondents’ perception ratings Numeric assignments for perception Very Unfavorable = 0 Somewhat Unfavorable = 1 Somewhat Favorable = 3 Very Favorable = 4

Awareness Index After gaining ground in 2011, EMU essentially held steady in awareness in Most other institutions registered higher awareness, however, and gained ground versus EMU. Very Unfamiliar Somewhat Unfamiliar Neutral Somewhat Familiar Very Familiar Margin of Error

Perception Distribution
Perception levels among students who have heard of Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan received somewhat or very unfavorable scores from 26% of students and somewhat or very favorable scores from 40%. It’s important to note that overall favorability encompasses more than just academic strength. Respondents were prompted to consider all attributes of each college, including tuition cost, facilities, campus safety, academic strength, social life, and other factors important to them. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable

Perception Index Eastern Michigan’s perception score rose slightly in the past year from 2.12 to EMU gained ground versus a majority of competitors, but remains in a tight cluster with SVSU, UM-Dearborn, Ferris State, and UM – Flint. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable Margin of Error

College Position Matrix
Eastern Michigan’s position is mostly unchanged in the past year, with a small relative weakening in awareness and a slight relative gain in perception. The University did move closer to the best-fit line in the past year, nearly closing the gap in favorable perception. Favorability Awareness

Market Position Index Michigan Top 15
Eastern Michigan is ranked 9th in overall market position in Michigan for the third consecutive year. ** Market Position = Awareness X Perception

Extra-Curricular Activities
23 23

Extra-Curricular Activities
Which activities, interests, and hobbies would you like to pursue in college? Study abroad and sports, including watching college sports events, intramurals, and individual sports/exercise, remain the most popular activities that students would like to pursue in college. Study abroad has increased 9% in the past 2 years, the biggest increase of any activity. Interest in fraternities or sororities has held steady at 31% or 32%. 24

Basic Segmentation

Awareness Index Gender
Awareness of the University remains highly similar among male and female students. Very Unfamiliar Somewhat Unfamiliar Neutral Somewhat Familiar Very Familiar Margin of Error

Perception Index Gender
Perceptions of Eastern Michigan do not differ notably by gender. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable Margin of Error

Market Position Matrix Gender
The University’s position does not differ significantly by gender. This is highly consistent with prior year findings. Favorability Awareness

Awareness Index Race The University’s strong awareness among black students increased even further in the past year. During that time, awareness fell among white, Asian, and especially Hispanic students. Very Unfamiliar Somewhat Unfamiliar Neutral Somewhat Familiar Very Familiar

Perception Index Race Perceptions of EMU improved among white, Hispanic, and black students, but fell among Asian students. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable

Market Position Matrix Race
Eastern Michigan’s historically stronger position among black students strengthened even further in the past year. Favorability Awareness

Geography The following geographic regions were selected by Student Insights for use in subsequent segmentation analysis. Macomb Oakland North/UP Wayne Central East West South East

Awareness Index Geography
Awareness of the University is highest in the South East region and Wayne County, and much lower in the western and northern portions of the state. This is consistent with prior year data. Very Unfamiliar Somewhat Unfamiliar Neutral Somewhat Familiar Very Familiar Margin of Error

Perception Index Geography
Perceptions continue to be most favorable in Wayne County, and less favorable in the western and northern regions. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable Margin of Error

Market Position Matrix Geography
As in prior years, the University’s position is strongest in Wayne County. In fact, after a slight dip last year, EMU’s position in Wayne County improved notably in Although the University is relatively weak in the northern and western regions of the state, it did makes solid gains in both in the past year. Favorability Awareness

Awareness Index ACT Scores
Awareness of EMU is notably higher among students with ACT scores of 17 or less. Very Unfamiliar Somewhat Unfamiliar Neutral Somewhat Familiar Very Familiar Margin of Error

Perception Index ACT Scores
Perceptions continue to be more favorable among students who earned 20 or less on the ACT test. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable Margin of Error

Market Position Matrix ACT Scores
Eastern Michigan’s strong position among students with ACT scores of 17 or less strengthened even further in The University’s market position was otherwise largely stable in the past year, except for notably higher awareness and more favorable perceptions among students with ACT scores of 30 or higher. Favorability Awareness

Awareness Index Family Income
Awareness is relatively similar at all income levels. Very Unfamiliar Somewhat Unfamiliar Neutral Somewhat Familiar Very Familiar Margin of Error

Perception Index Family Income
Perception is somewhat less favorable among students from wealthier families. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable Margin of Error

Market Position Matrix Family Income
There continues to be little difference in the University’s position based on students’ family income. Although the differences are small, for the last two years there has been modest correlation with EMU’s enjoying a stronger position among students from less affluent families and a weaker position among students from higher earning families. Favorability Awareness

Awareness Index Intended Major
Awareness is largely similar, within the margins of error. Very Unfamiliar Somewhat Unfamiliar Neutral Somewhat Familiar Very Familiar Margin of Error

Perception Index Intended Major
Perceptions of the University are most favorable among students majoring in education, albeit by a small margin. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable Margin of Error

Market Position Matrix Intended Major
Eastern Michigan is strongest among education and nursing majors. Although these majors are stronger by only a small degree, this has been consistent for three consecutive years. Favorability Awareness

Awareness Index Parental Education
Awareness is slightly higher among students whose parents do not have a four-year degree. Very Unfamiliar Somewhat Unfamiliar Neutral Somewhat Familiar Very Familiar Margin of Error

Perception Index Parental Education
Perception are modestly correlated to parental education levels. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable Margin of Error

Market Position Matrix Parental Education
The 2012 results confirm a modest, but persistent relationship between market position and parental education. Specifically, EMU continues to have a slightly stronger position among students whose parents do not have a four-year degree and a weaker position among those with a four-year or graduate degree. Favorability Awareness

Top Segment Analysis New this year, the Top Segment Analysis summarizes the University’s strengths from the demographic segmentation. Eastern Michigan’s strongest segments are among students with ACT scores of 17 or less, black students, and students from Wayne County. In each of these segments, Eastern Michigan is ranked 4th or 5th among 12 benchmark institutions.

Market Position Transfer Students

Educational Intent Ten percent of students plan to first attend a two-year college and then transfer to earn a four-year degree. Three percent intend to enroll in a two-year college to earn an associate’s degree. This analysis likely underestimates that actual number of students who will attend community college, due to a moderate underweighting of students with lower ACT scores.

College Position Matrix Two-Year Transfer
Eastern Michigan’s relative market position among transfer students is similar to its position among students overall. Grand Valley State stands out for a relatively weaker position among transfer students. Favorability Awareness

Advanced Segmentation

Awareness Index Segmentation: Setting Preference
Awareness is similar regardless of students’ setting preferences. Very Unfamiliar Somewhat Unfamiliar Neutral Somewhat Familiar Very Familiar Margin of Error

Perception Index Segmentation: Setting Preference
Perceptions of Eastern Michigan do not differ significantly based on students’ setting preferences. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable Margin of Error

Market Position Matrix Segmentation: Setting Preference
Eastern Michigan’s market position is not highly differentiated based on students’ setting preferences. This suggests that EMU’s location in an urban setting in general is not an important evaluation faction. Nevertheless, the University’s specific location in a specific city (i.e. Ypsilanti) is definitely an important factor, as shown in attribute ratings and barriers later in this report. Favorability Awareness

Awareness Index Segmentation: Size Preference
Awareness is relatively similar in all size preference segments. Very Unfamiliar Somewhat Unfamiliar Neutral Somewhat Familiar Very Familiar Margin of Error

Perception Index Segmentation: Size Preference
Perceptions are slightly more favorable among students who prefer a university with fewer than 2,500 students, and less favorable among students who prefer a very large institution. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable Margin of Error

Market Position Matrix Segmentation: Size Preference
There is some difference in EMU’s market position, but no clear correlation based on size preferences. This suggests that the University’s size is either not well known, or more likely, not a primary evaluation factor. Favorability Awareness

Awareness Index Segmentation: Tuition Expectation
Awareness is highest among students who expect to pay less than $10K for tuition per year. Very Unfamiliar Somewhat Unfamiliar Neutral Somewhat Familiar Very Familiar Margin of Error

Perception Index Segmentation: Tuition Expectation
Perception scores are solidly higher among students who expect to pay less than $10K. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable Margin of Error

Market Position Matrix Segmentation: Tuition Expectation
Eastern Michigan’s position is notably stronger among students who expect to pay less than $10K per year for tuition. This indicates that the University’s tuition is a well-known and important decision factor. Favorability Awareness

Ratings and Competitive Comparison
Attribute Analysis Ratings and Competitive Comparison

Attribute Ratings Specific Eastern Michigan University Attributes
Availability of majors, tuition, financial aid, and distance are the most favorably rated EMU attributes. Campus safety, setting, residential facilities, study abroad, and academic strength are the lowest rated attributes. The highest and lowest rated attributes have been essentially unchanged in the past year. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable 2.35 Average Margin of Error

Attribute Ratings Eastern Michigan Rating vs. Benchmark Average
Tuition and financial aid are the sole significant advantages for EMU. Academic strength, campus safety, and campus appearance are the areas of greatest disadvantage. Disadvantage Advantage

Competitive Comparison
Eastern Michigan received equivalent scores to MSU in size and higher scores for tuition and financial aid. Otherwise, Eastern Michigan is strongly disadvantaged in all areas. 4 1 Margin of error

Central Michigan is equivalent or superior to Eastern Michigan in all areas. 4 1 Margin of error

Eastern Michigan lags UM – Ann Arbor in all areas except for tuition and financial aid. 4 1 Margin of error

Western Michigan enjoys a small advantage over Eastern Michigan in a majority of areas. 4 1 Margin of error

Eastern Michigan’s ratings are similar or slightly higher than UM – Flint’s ratings for all attributes, except for academic strength. 4 1 Margin of error

Eastern Michigan and UM – Dearborn have similar attribute profiles, although UM – Dearborn does have particularly solid advantages in campus safety and academic strength. 4 1 Margin of error

Grand Valley State has notably large advantages versus Eastern Michigan in nearly all areas. 4 1 Margin of error

Although Eastern Michigan and Wayne State each have areas of advantage and disadvantage, Wayne State enjoys an edge overall. 4 1 Margin of error

Eastern Michigan and Ferris State have similar profiles with Ferris State enjoying a modest edge in a slight majority of categories. 4 1 Margin of error

Descriptions

Consideration and Barriers

Consideration Distribution
Which best describes your level of consideration and application to the following colleges? (Simply skip any college which you did not seriously consider attending.) Thirty nine percent of students considered attending Eastern Michigan. Only 12% of students considered it seriously enough to actually apply. All Students Considered Applied 91

Consideration Levels Eastern Michigan is tied with Wayne State and Oakland University with a 39% consideration level. 92

Application Levels Eastern Michigan’s application rate of 12% is 6th among benchmark institutions. 93

Conversion Percentage Application to Consideration
This chart shows the “conversion rate” of students who apply as a percentage of those students who at least considered applying. Eastern Michigan’s conversion rate of 30% is in the bottom third of benchmark institutions. Conversion Percentage 94

Non-Applicant Analysis

Non-Applicant Analysis
This analysis examines the differences in perception of Eastern Michigan among students who did not consider attending and those who did. Not surprisingly, students who considered attending gave higher ratings across the board. 4 1 Margin of error

Non-Consideration Analysis Considered vs. Did Not Consider
This chart shows the actual rating differences between students who considered attending Eastern Michigan and those who did not. The four largest gaps are all related to the campus itself, including setting, appearance, residential facilities and campus safety.

Barrier Analysis If you did not seriously consider Eastern Michigan University, why not? Check all that apply. The most significant single barrier to consideration is low academic standards, which was cited by nearly 40% of students. A lack of intended majors, campus setting, and campus safety round out the top four, with each being cited by at least 20% of students.

Communication Priorities

Communication Gaps % of students able to rate Eastern Michigan on each attribute
More than 90% of students were able to rate Eastern Michigan on distance, size, and tuition, making these the best-known attributes. In contrast, fewer than 80% of students could rate the University’s residential facilities and job opportunities. The low scores for graduate school admissions and study abroad likely reflect the fact that only a portion of students are interested in these.

Awareness Challenge Zone Perception Challenge Zone
Communication Priority A key goal of college communications is to move attributes into the “ideal zone” where students not only have high awareness of an attribute, but also an advantage. Important attributes that are farthest removed from the ideal zone should be the highest priority. 1 Ideal Zone Students have high awareness and the attribute is an advantage Awareness Challenge Zone Students have low awareness but the attribute is an advantage Perception Challenge Zone Students have high awareness, but the attribute is a disadvantage. Trouble Zone Students have both low awareness and the attribute is a disadvantage. -1 50% 75% 100%

Communication Priority
Academic strength is a core communication priority for EMU based not only on the University’s competitive disadvantage, but also the number of students who view this as a barrier. Campus setting and safety as well as availability of majors are also high priority areas, since they are not only disadvantages, but also key barriers. Since all of these factors are relatively well-known, EMU faces the particular challenge of changing existing opinions. Advantage -.23 Average Disadvantage 50% 75% 100% 84% Average % of students rating

First Heard Analysis How did you first hear about Eastern Michigan University?
Personal contacts such as friends, family and school personnel are the predominant first-source of information. This is a highly common finding for both private and public institutions across the country. Among the University’s formal communications efforts, brochures/letters and information at high schools are the most frequent first sources of information for students.

Communication Effectiveness
104

Communications Effectiveness
How would you rate your overall interaction with Eastern Michigan University? (Please consider all forms of interaction including regular mail, , phone, college fairs, high school visits, campus tours, interviews, websites, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, Twitter and any other type of media.) Twenty four percent of respondents felt that their interactions with Eastern Michigan were favorable. A similar number, 27%, considered them to be unfavorable. While the question itself was meant to focus solely on EMU’s formal communications efforts, it seems that respondents interpreted it more broadly. For example, some students referred to the University’s safety and academic standards. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable 105

Communications Effectiveness
Eastern Michigan’s overall communication effectiveness score of 1.98 is lower than the benchmark score for approximately 30 public universities nationwide. Very Unfavorable Somewhat Unfavorable Neutral Somewhat Favorable Very Favorable 106

Recommendations Respondents were asked the following question:
Based on your experience with Eastern Michigan University specifically, how can they improve their interaction with students? (25 words or fewer) While the question was designed to identify ways to improve communications with students, the responses address not only communications, but also core University attributes. This is actually a positive development, since the recommendations deal with “how” the University communicates as well as “what” it communicates. Many comments focused on the need to improve the University’s academics and campus (eg. Setting, safety, appearance), particularly from students who didn’t consider attending EMU. A number of students identified the need for more communications overall, including advertising and outreach to high schools. 107

Recommendations 108

Recommendations 109

Recommendations 110

Recommendations 111

Recommendations 112

Recommendations 113

Recommendations 114

Recommendations 115

Recommendations 116

Recommendations 117

Recommendations 118

Thank you!

Student-View© Report July, 2012.

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Student-View© Report July, 2012."— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback

Log in

Auth with social network:

Student-View© Report July, 2012.

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Student-View© Report July, 2012."— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback