Plus, UMass Dartmouth names new CMO. Plus, EdUp Experience talks MarCom and Enrollment. Plus, more on that Morning Consult research.
Issue 3
Athletics as MarCom Enrollment Tool
It’s an open question. But the important part may be that it is a question — can a robust athletics program boost enrollment? Is competitive sport a marketing engine?
At the AMA Higher Education symposium in November, there were a few presentations on this point precisely.
Recently, University Herald took a look at this issue.
From their coverage:
Over the past 15 years, Adrian College has added over 30 sports teams, ranging from mainstream options like wrestling and ice hockey to unique offerings such as synchronized ice skating, bass fishing, and even varsity cornhole. The result? A remarkable turnaround in enrollment, more than doubling over the years, with approximately 70 percent of the student body now being athletes.
Adrian’s success mirrors a broader trend across the United States, where small private colleges are increasingly turning to athletics to attract students, enhance their regional profile, and counter financial challenges.
UMass Dartmouth Names First Marketing Director
According to an announcement from the school, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth has named Sam Mead as its first CMO.
The announcement says he will:
lead the University’s Enrollment Marketing efforts
Podcast Interview: Brian Schmisek, Provost & VP of Development & Marketing, University of Saint Mary of the Lake
Our friends at the incredible podcast, EdUp Experience, have an interview episode with Brian Schmisek, Provost & VP of Development & Marketing at University of Saint Mary of the Lake — a private, Catholic school in Illinois.
It’s always good to hear marketing and communications from diverse views, viewpoints.
If you’re not familiar with EdUp Experience, they are worth a follow and a review. They have done nearly 800 episodes now with an incredible array of higher education thinkers and leaders. This is their main site.
More on the Morning Consult Research
In the last issue, we touched on some good work from survey and analysis firm Morning Consult.
I went deeper into their research in a recent article for Forbes. My piece is headlined:
American Colleges Don’t Have A Trust Problem, They Have A Partisan Political Problem
One bit from the article that’s worth sharing and repeating:
It’s not that confidence in colleges and universities is down. It’s that confidence and trust in all institutions is down, across the board. In fact, contrary to the popular wisdom on this, colleges and universities are the most trusted institutions in the country.
