Minutes of Faculty Senate - February 4, 1997

MINUTES UMKC FACULTY SENATE

February 4, 1997 (Approved 3/18/97)

3:00 PM Jean Braun called the meeting to order.

3:05 Minutes of January 21, 1997 were approved as written.

4:00 Discussion with the Chancellor:

Honorary doctorate issued by the Conservatory of music.

The Board of Curators accepted UMKC’s request to award the honorary doctorate to a nominee who is too ill to attend commencement. Dean Applebaum will travel to Chicago on February 28 and will deliver the diploma and a letter from the Chancellor. He will present it to her with an “open door” condition, that if she is able to attend commencement she would be welcomed to do so this spring. If she is unable to attend she may name a stand-in.

Presidential Succession:

The Curators has a slate of six finalist Presidential candidates. Interviews were conducted and the pool was reduced to four candidates. Appointments were made of faculty representatives (Curators’ Professors) to serve on the Presidential Succession Committee. Dr. Linda Voigts will not be available to serve on the UM Presidential Selection Committee as a UMKC representative. To maintain the balance of gender and subject areas on the committee the Faculty Senate recommended replacing Professor Voigts with Felicia Londre. There were 24 ayes, 1 opposed, no abstentions on this motion.

Mission Enhancement Process with CBHE

It is the University of Missouri system’s “turn” this year to be targeted for a mission enhancement process with CBHE. CBHE has guidelines that Jean Braun will get for the Senate to review. The mission enhancements process likely will cover four years instead of three years as it has done in the past. President Mel George will review with the Board of Curators and CBHE the five year plan that has just been completed. The UM system has already gone through the reallocation process. The CBHE will want a clear statement of mission in terms of what we do that no other university does in Missouri, and offerings that would not get done if we did not do them. We need to determine where the university stands in relation to other public AAUU institutions. The CBHE will want system-wide themes and a system-wide mission with an explanation of how UM will meet the mission and accomplish its goals.

UMKC Marketing initiatives: Barbara Smith, Larry Dietz

Barbara Smith: Barbara began her career as a journalist. She taught many years at all levels, including the university setting. She then used these combined skills to enter into public relations and communications. Public relations and communications serve an important function to UMKC in the following areas:
1. Media relations; university advancement. Communications plus involvement by the community leads to public commitment to the university.
2. Advertising and promotion
3. Student recruitment collaboration
4. Constituent relations
5 Community relations. 8,192 people meet monthly to act on some aspect of the
university. There are over 22,000 donors to the university.

In the years of 1963-1993, there was a “No marketing strategy” in place. Barbara called this the “Field of Dreams strategy” (i.e., build it and they will come). Perceptions were such that a real university does not need to advertise, smaller is better, and it costs too much. UMKC spent $8,000 per year on an advertising budget in the 1980’s. The current budget is $30,000 per year.

Advertising is extremely expensive. The Kansas City Star charges $141 per inch. A full page single ad would cost $20,000. Television costs about $30,000 for 100 spots. Radio costs approximately $8,000 for 100 spots.

MRI did a study of UMKC in 1979 and found that UMKC had no image at all. Thus begun a strategy of “backdoor marketing” that included improved publications and courting of the media and press. The Communications Department began publication of UMKC Inside and mailed it to variety of people outside the institution. Dr. Gary Widmar and Dr. Larry Dietz were awarded a grant to improve written materials which promote UMKC. Perspectives began production and was sent to legislators, community leaders, etc., and has a circulation of 80,000. The publication In Reach was created and sent to all students, past and present. UMKC became involved in NCAA basketball. This sport keeps our name in front of the public. UMKC has advertised in Times, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated. This type of national coverage gives us outside verification. There was no funding for a campus map. The Printing Plant donated paper and printing, and the Communications Department donated staff time to get a campus map produced. In 1989, the UKC Trustees funded a survey to see if perceptions of UMKC had improved. We ranked third after MU and KU and we tied with K State. It was found that individual schools were recognized rather than the whole university, the campus was rated as unfriendly, and there was dissonance between faculty/student perceptions of the university.

In 1994, the Chancellor approved the enrollment management plan that is communications based. Campus advertising increased and viewbooks were enhanced with financial aid information. There were new initiatives such as an information campaign that began last Sunday. A task force to revise the university logo has been formed. The Bloch School is involved in a national campaign. There is production underway on filming a television program that showcases the university. There is a myriad of electronic communications about UMKC now on Internet.

Dr. Larry Dietz: Enrollment management. This is a tremendous team effort that is directly related to budget. Student fees are the second largest source of funds that provide the operating costs which supports the university. A consulting firm was hired to analyze UMKC’s marketing strategies. Below is a summary of what is included in Noel Levitz services.
Noel Levitz Products and Programs:
1. Academic market position analysis and image identification
2. Financial aid effectiveness analysis and historical analysis
3. Financial aid leverage analysis
4. Student satisfaction inventory (SSI) survey (why are not they attending UMKC?)
5. Customer service audit and training
6. EMAS software

UMKC Products and programs
1. Non-maltriculant survey. Our goal is to get back to the peak enrollment of 12,000 students that we had in 1987. Our low point was at about 9,500 students and our first goal was to recapture the 2,500 students we lost from 1987 onward until we began the enrollment management program in 1994.
2. Expansion of Supplemental instruction (SI) & Video Supplemental Instruction (VSI)
3. Task Forces

Evaluation, Communications and marketing, customer service, scholarship

review (private scholarship study, institutional scholarship analysis, university

scholarship committee)

Student recruitment and marketing strategies
1. EMAS -- (Enrollment management action system), generates reports.

Communication flows: begins with an inquiry, then the applicant process,

admission process, and finally to an enrollee. This is a “funnel approach” to

enrollment. Marketing helps generate the correct clientele we are trying to attract.

UMKC now has one of the best academic retention systems in the country!
2. High school and community college visitations
3. Campus visit program - Students run UMKC Welcome Center
4. Publication review and improvements
5. Faculty involvement
6. Curriculum reform -- pre-health services, business & management, undecided are the first 3 choices of a major area of study for enrolling undergraduates.

Top Ten very effective marketing recruiting strategies
1. Hosting campus visit days
2. High school visits in primary markets
3. Awarding no-need scholarships/grants
4. Promotional publications
5. College day/night programs
6. Using current students for recruitment
7. Visits to community colleges
8. Use of faculty in recruiting
9. Providing toll-free telephone number
10. Hosting group area meetings

Future considerations for UMKC
1. Scholarship support and leveraging
2. Further curricular review and reform.
3. Strategic planning
4. Continued Enhancement of enrollment management plan & increased marketing

Six messages we need to get out:
1. UMKC is one of nation’s most beautiful urban campuses
2. UMKC is an Entrepreneurial university
3. UMKC is academically outstanding
4. UMKC is a national cradle for arts
5. UMKC offers innovative health science programs
6. UMKC has an urban advantage

Enrollment enhancement has resulted in going from a 6% decrease in enrollment figures in 1993 to a 1% increase percent in 1994.

This presentation does not represent any action on part of the Senate. It was gratiously provided as an informational tool for the senators.

Discussion after the presentation centered around faculty/staff perceptions of the university. Not only is marketing outside the university important, it is also important internally to the faculty and staff who work for the university. Suggestions for stimulating employee moral included more scholarships be made available for faculty and staff. Also, extending the tuition reduction benefit to spouse and children would be greatly appreciated. Dr. Querry mentioned that this might be accomplished by taking money "off the top" of the general operating budget or slightly reducing the percentage of an annual increase in faculty and staff raises to support a tuition benefit. The Senate was interested in this type of benefit being funded by Central Administration rather than being taken from the salary pool or general operating budget.

Present: Greg Arling, Valerie Blanco, Jean Braun, Jane Carl, Les Chafetz, Julie Cheslik, Robert Cleary, Ray Coveney, Rafael Espejo-Saavedra, Alfred Esser, William Frederickson, Barbara Glesner-Fines, Rich Hamilton, David Harris, Joseph Hughey, Kathy Loncar, Janet McKinney, Ed Mills, John Rapley, Jan Russell, David Schwarzer, Khosrow Sohraby, Nancy Stancel, Hans Uffelmann, Jakob Waterborg

Excused: Jane Carl, Steve Krantz, James McKinley, Dennis Pyszczynski

Absent:, Jerry Place, Gary Pettett, David Yourtee

Respectfully Submitted,

Nancy D. Stancel

Secretary, Faculty Senate