Influencing Reputation: Do Your Efforts Reach and Engage Academic Peers?

Is it possible for a college or university to positively shape its image and reputation among academic peers? The majority of respondents to a nationwide survey of presidents, provosts, and admissions deans conducted by Stevens Institute of Technology and SimpsonScarborough said yes — and identified marketing and communications efforts as playing a key role.

Through over 400 completed surveys and 40 follow-up interviews, we uncovered what has the strongest positive impact on their perceptions and which communication methods are most compelling or desired. For example, the following were cited as having the strongest impact on an institution's academic reputation:

• The quality of faculty demonstrated through faculty accomplishments, individual reputation and classroom/student experience
• Academic focus, program offerings, and institutional metrics, such as rankings and selectivity of incoming students
• An institution’s visibility, as well as the types of organizations with which it develops strategic partnerships   
• Quality of current students and alumni success

The content of and manner in which you communicate about your institution, faculty members, students, and graduates requires constant management. And, the relationships that members of your campus community have with their counterparts across higher ed is a tangible asset. If you aren't investing in these activities, you're not maximizing your marketing opportunities. 

Want to know more? Edward Stukane, Vice President of Communications & Marketing, will share how Stevens Institute of Technology used the findings of this study to understand their competitive strengths, challenges, and opportunities, as well as strategically inform their communications plan and marketing messages developed for academic peers and other target audiences at the 2015 Symposium for Higher Education Marketing during Track 5 on Monday, November 16 from 11:15am-12:00pm.