June. “Understandable uncertainty continues as colleges and universities begin to announce an “intent” to open in the fall, replete with caveats. The definition of “open” remains flexible. No early word yet on May 1 enrollment deposits from the majority of schools that did not extend until June 1. Those reports should start soon.” Those sentences […]
University of Sheffield threads the Home Page Needle: Branding + Top Task Priority Colleges and universities find it near impossible to resist the temptation to use the home page to broadcast brand messages. Most visitors, including potential students, do not have seeing/reading brand messages as a Top Task when they arrive at a home page… […]
Home Page features Top Task for Potential Students at Grand Valley: “Advance Your Career” As long as we’ve run “top task” research at colleges and universities, two words always highlight the tiny group of tasks that’s most important to potential students: “advance my career” and “career advancement.” Those words are magnets… when potential students see […]
New York University boosts recruitment connections with 16 “Ask Me Anything” students on Instagram Now that it is not possible for potential new students to visit campuses they might enroll at social media connections (and digital markeitng in general) have assumed a new importance in enrollment planning. NYU takes an important social media step with […]
Boston University Outlines COVID-19 Recovery Issues & Plans, including possible delayed campus opening until January 2021 Just about every crisis management expert recommends getting as far out in front of a critical issue as possible with honest public communication. But the world is replete with examples of organizations that favor happy talk (or no talk […]
April. Not the happy month we were expecting. The April newsletter focuses on the impacts and adjustments from the coronavirus plague. None of us can claim to truly foresee what awaits us. Flexibility is more needed now than ever. Hoping everyone will find something helpful below. Most of all, stay safe. No travel required for […]
University of Idaho Creates 17 Videos Inspired by Likely Coronavirus Closing The coronavirus crisis is forcing colleges and universities everywhere to produce new online content to support ongoing student recruitment activities. As for regular recruitment efforts, videos play an important role in that effort. And that new content has to be produced within far shorter […]
2 Elements Stand Out on University of Virginia, Sacred Heart Coronavirus Pages Every college and university has a special website page to keep everyone connected to the school updated on the impact of coronavirus on activities from classrooms to commencement. In searching through about 20 of those sites, two elements at UVA and Sacred Heart […]
Student Video Stories & More from Drexel University Research tells us the college-bound high school students are interested in viewing video stories from students who attend the colleges and universities they are exploring for possible entry. Not “PR” videos, of course. Videos that seem to convey the real feelings of real students. The “PR” vs. […]
Hello in March. Any day now the southern Michigan snow will vanish. Spring is upon us. So far, the coronavirus is not. Join 810+ higher education professionals on the Top Tasks: Higher Education Website Content group at LinkedIn. Check my last post to see higher education’s best task-oriented alumni relations site. Request membership at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8478858. No travel required […]
5 Questions Elon University Asks on “Student Conduct Form” Recruiting more transfer students is a priority at some colleges and universities and less so at others. Some offer early/preliminary evaluations of prior credit, most do not. A very few tell visitors to the transfer admission page how many transfer students are already enrolled. Even fewer […]
Academic Program Search Dominates National University Home Page Two “top task” areas dominate for potential students seeking to enroll at a college or university and visiting websites as they start to explore: (1) academic program information and (2) cost information. National University gives pride of place on the home page to academic programs with a […]