A Marketing Plan
for the
Master of Arts in Communication Studies
(MACS) Program
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Thesis Sp. Com. 1996
B864m c.2
Brocki, Vincent D.
A marketing plan for the
Master of Arts in
1996.

Vincent D. Brocki
Submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for a
Master of Arts in Communication Studies
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Terry Warburton

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Dr. Tim Thompson

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Table of Contents
Introduction

2

History of the MACS Program........
Overview...........................
Needs Assessment..............
Goals and Objectives..........
Fourth-Year Program Review
Initial Observations ............

6
6

Literature Review.......................................................................................
Overview.......................................................................................
The Marketing Framework..............................................................
Why Marketing Plans Fail ..............................................................
Recruitment Strategies for Non-Traditional Students .....................
Customer Service in Higher Education ...........................................
Target Audiences for Graduate Programs in Communication Studies
Summary .......................................................................................

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9
11
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14

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14
26
29
31
33
35

Method
Overview.......................................
The Survey Instrument/Mailing Lists
Data Collection/ Response.............

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37

Data Analysis
Question 1 .
Question 2 .
Question 3 .
Question 4 .
Question 5 .
Question 6 .
Question 7 .
Question 8 .
Question 9 .
Question 10
Question 11
Focus Group

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43
52
57

Marketing Plan

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Appendix

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39

62
64
66
68
70
75
77

78
81

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I. Introduction
Baseball is a sport that has long been touted as “America’s pastime,” a game that is not
only fun to watch and play, but also a reflection of the values that are inherent in the national
character. It is no surprise, therefore, that the movie industry has focused on this game in many
of its feature films. One of the most memorable was the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams,” in
which the character Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) hears a voice telling him to build a
baseball stadium in the middle of an Iowa cornfield. “If you build it, he will come,” the voice
tells Kinsella. The “he,” in this case, is Shoeless Joe Jackson, a member of the infamous 1919
Black Sox team that was accused of “throwing” the World Series. As the movie progresses, the
“he” also means the many baseball fans who come to baseball fields in order to share the
“dreams” of those who love the game The final scene in the movie is an aerial view of a large
stream of cars, headlights piercing endlessly into the night, making their way to the field of
dreams.
The notion that, “If you build it, he will come,” is also a metaphor for the attitude toward
marketing prevalent in many institutions of higher learning. The “he” in this case represents the
undergraduate and graduate students who come to schools in order to realize their own type of
dreams. Universities and colleges believe that the simple fact of their existence guarantees that
students will matriculate. There is also a “cultural” dimension to this attitude toward marketing.
Marketing is an anplied, or “hands-on” endeavor, and universities have traditionally seen their
function as “intellectual” rather than applied.
The “laissez-faire” approach to marketing in higher education may have worked in the

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“baby-boomer” e^a of the 1960s and 1970s when students were plentiful and the economy was
characterized by rapid growth and expansion, but those days are over. The population is aging.
Competition now exists not only for the funds necessary to keep a college or university in
operation, but also for the students needed to fill the classroom seats. And although private
schools are often the first to feel the brunt of these changing demographic/economic factors
because of cost, public institutions are not immune to the real world. Marketing in higher
education is no longer a luxury of small, liberal arts schools; it is becoming a fact of life for all
institutions of higher learning.
It is within this context of a “marketing perspective” that I want to examine the Master of
Arts in Communication Studies (MACS) program at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. The
“problem” is the current lack of a marketing plan for the program. Although documentation
does exist concerning the proposal to create the graduate program (1986-88), and a four-year
review of those objectives (1992), no systematic attempt has been made to create a marketing
framework for the graduate degree. The focus of this master’s thesis will be that marketing
framework.
An important element within that framework will be concrete strategies for marketing
and recruitment. Information obtained from data collection and analysis will be used to
“contrast” the perspectives of the target audiences (graduate students) with institutional
objectives. This information will also be used to forge some practical ways in which marketing
techniques can be implemented within the MACS program, keeping in mind the realities of
budgetary and time constraints.
It is time that some basic research was conducted on the reasons that students enter the

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graduate (MACS) program and identify the ways in which they were referred to the program in
the first place. It is time to look at the relevant environment in which the MACS program exists,
and how this environment may impact future growth and development. It is time that some basic
components of “positioning,” “service marketing,” and “customer service” were integrated into
the marketing framework — components that need not be costly in order to be effective.
As a way of bringing this about, a marketing plan for the MACS program will entail a
systematic effort. In terms of an outline for this thesis, the next section will look more closely at
the history of the MACS program and attempt to place the “need” for marketing and recruitment
within the context of the program itself Several important themes emerge out of this analysis as
a “backdrop” to data collection and analysis, as well as the marketing recommendations which
form the basis of the marketing plan. After the historical overview, a detailed literature review
will define the concept of “marketing” and look at some of the basic ideas that frame the
marketing effort, especially as it relates to higher education. Ideas such as “positioning,”
“service marketing,” “image marketing,” and “customer service” will be included in that
discussion.
Following the literature review, the methods section will outline the quantitative
dimensions of this thesis, including the survey instrument and the manner in which it was
administered to former and current students in the MACS program. Data analysis constitutes the
“largest” section in the thesis, as each variable in the survey is analyzed in light of its own
“significance,” as well as patterns of response observed in the cross-tabulation with other
variables in the survey. Some qualitative observations from a focus group are also included in
the data analysis.

MACS Marketing Plan
The information gathered from the survey will be used within a marketing plan offered as
part of this thesis. The plan will be structured as a series of “recommendations” that can either
“stand alone” or, it is hoped, implemented as part of a coordinated marketing framework. The
final section contains the references used as part of this thesis, as well as copies of the cover
letters and survey used in the study.
Although baseball and higher education seem worlds apart, the importance of marketing
to each of these worlds is becoming more apparent each day. As major league baseball
discovered after a disastrous strike that ended one season and shortened the next, fan support is
not a “given” and that aggressive marketing and an emphasis on “customer service” is needed to
bring people back to the ballpark. Institutions of higher learning are also discovering that there
is no “mythical” attraction to a particular graduate program or degree, and that marketing is a
necessity, not a luxury, in the economic times in which we live.
If we market it, they may come.

5

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II. History of the MACS Program
Overview
Since 1970, the Department of Speech and Communication Studies at Edinboro
University of Pennsylvania (EUP) has offered a variety of courses ranging from the general
study of the fundamentals of speech to specific concentration in areas of public
relations/advertising, organizational communication, and broadcast/electronic communications.
These courses have enabled undergraduates to pursue a wide array of personal and vocational
goals. In the early-to-mid-1980s, however, faculty in the department began to discuss the
possibility of exp . iding their efforts to include a Master of Arts degree program in
Communication Studies in order to “further develop critical professional and personal skills of
students at the graduate level to increase their marketability professionally” (Proposal, page 1).
Discussions between members of the EUP administration and the faculty of the Speech
and Communication Studies Department in 1985 resulted in efforts to systematically explore the
need for a graduate program in communication studies. Although the entire department took part
in formulating goals and objectives for the program, a graduate program committee was formed
in order to draft a proposal for consideration by the various levels of university review, as well as
the State System of Higher Education (SSHE). Members of this committee included Dr.
Kathleen Ansell, Dr. Mary Alice Dye, Dr. Bert Miller, Prof. Nelson Smith, and Dr. Robert
Wallace. The proposal drafted by this committee for the Master of Arts in Communication
Studies (MACS) degree was completed in November 1987, and SSHE granted approval the

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following Spring. Two courses were offered as part of the new program during the summer of
1988, and a full complement of courses began during the subsequent Fall term (Review, page 1).
Among the many consideration that were included in the initial proposal for the MACS
program, two areas are of special concern in the present effort to develop a marketing plan for
the program: needs assessment and specific goal and objectives. The rationale for creating the
MACS degree in the first place, as well as what hopefully would be achieved by students taking
part in the process, are important considerations for any marketing framework. It is also helpful
to look at some of the strengths and weaknesses identified in the fourth-year program review that
was submitted to the University in June 1992 as a backdrop for future marketing efforts.

Needs Assessment
The need for a graduate program in communication studies at EUP was based, in part, on
a number of national studies by researchers in the area of communication studies, along with
reports generated by professional organizations in public relations and business communication.
(Although specific studies are cited in the text of the proposal, a list of references was not
included in the proposal). All of the studies underscored the importance of communication skills
in the work environment, and focused particular attention on the growing need for advanced
education in areas of public relations within the public and private sector (Proposal, page. 3). In
addition to this general research, the graduate program committee paid special heed to workforce
analysis reports generated by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor in 1987 that forecasted a
significant shift from production to service-related positions in the Erie Metropolitan Service
Area (MSA). The committee reflected that, “as a number ofjobs in the market place change

MACS Marketing Plan
from production to service-related positions, the need for effective communication skills
becomes even more important,” (Proposal, page 3).
In addition to the changing nature of the employment opportunities in the Erie area, the
graduate program committee also cited a follow-up study of graduates from the Department of
Speech Communication at EUP conducted in the Fall of 1986. “The findings indicated that a
large percentage (93%) of the students who graduated since 1980 are still employed in the
communication-related fields for which they were trained. In addition, about one-fourth of the
graduates continued their education beyond the baccalaureate degree” (Proposal, page 4). It may
be important to note, however, that the copy of the MACS proposal reviewed for this thesis
research did not include a copy of this survey, nor was any specific mention made in the
proposal concerning the number of graduates surveyed, the type of survey conducted, degrees of
significance, and so on.
Another rationale for the proposed program at EUP was the fact that “individuals who
desire to continue their training in communication have no opportunities in northwestern
Pennsylvania, and minimal opportunities in western Pennsylvania” (Proposal, page 4). The
Master of Science in Communication program at Clarion University of Pennsylvania was
designed to develop competencies in areas of training and development specialties. The Master
of Education degree in Communications Media at Indiana University of Pennsylvania was
created specifically for students interested in educational communication, especially the design
and production of training, promotional and educational materials.
The proposal for the MACS degree that was submitted to the university for institutional
and system review in 1987 summarized the need for the program as follows:

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The proposed program will provide a new opportunity for relevant, low cost/high quality
graduate education for persons working in a variety of fields who are interested in
furthering their training and promotability. As previously reported, there are few
graduate programs in communications. None of these programs are sufficiently close to
the greater Erie area, and none focus on organizational communication issues. The
proposed program offers a high degree of program flexibility for the mid-career
individual who is interested in career enhancement or in a career change. Therefore, it is
anticipated that the MA in Communication Studies will significantly enhance educational
opportunities for persons residing in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth.
(Proposal, page 17)

Goals and Objectives
As part of the process to develop the MACS degree prior to the approval by SSHE in
1988, faculty in the department held extensive discussions concerning the specific goals and
objectives of the program. The graduate program committee also reviewed 55 graduate
communication programs throughout the United States in order to identify common elements of
program design and implementation. The committee then presented an outline of the proposed
master’s degree program in Communication Studies to an advisory board of selected
professionals from business, industry, and education settings in the greater Erie area. “The need
for a graduate-level communication program in the Erie area, and particularly the organizational
communication T.cus of the Edinboro University program, was strongly endorsed by this group”
(Proposal, page 4).

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After several more rounds of review within the department, along with review by

representatives from other academic departments at EUP and the Council of Deans, the
following program goals were established for the Master of Arts in Communication Studies:
■

To provide students with a methodological foundation for successful performance
in communicative and decision-making roles essential to the operation of human
enterprises and institutions of every description.

■

To provide a sound understanding of the diverse forms of communication and
information theory developed by scholars and reflective practitioners.

■

To enhance creative skills in the use of basic media communication of the written
word and one or more other forms of graphic, photographic, and electronic media.

■

To introduce students to the basic techniques of research and analysis in human
communication and to prepare them to design, carry out, and evaluate projects in
the communication field.

In addition to the overall goals for the MACS program, the graduate program committee
also identified a number of objectives for the core courses included in the degree requirements.
The purpose of the core courses was to ensure that all students in the MACS program were able
to:

Demonstrate a knowledge of communication theory
Develop an awareness of contemporary communication issues in current
organizational structures
Apply communication theory and strategies within organizational settings
Become proficient in the preparation and presentation of messages, both oral and
written
Develop effective leadership and management skills (i.e., interpersonal
communication, listening, conflict-resolution, problem-solving, etc.)
Become more effective in motivating and influencing others

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Apply communication theory and technology to message design by identifying
target audiences and their characteristics, gathering and organizing information,
developing strategies for message distribution, and evaluating the effectiveness of
those strategies.

Fourth-Year Program Review
As part ot the periodic assessment process that was outlined by the graduate program
committee when it drafted the MACS proposal in 1987, a fourth-year program review was
completed in June 1992 under the direction of Dr. Mary Alice Dye, the MACS program director
at the time. In addition to highlighting the processes and procedures used to create the MACS
degree, the review took a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the program from a number of
different perspectives such as program needs, curriculum considerations, faculty profiles, student
profiles, and assessment of program quality. Some of these observations hold particular
relevance for any marketing effort aimed at currently facilitating the goals and objectives of the
MACS program.

RECRUITMENT - In the section labeled “student profile” in the fourth-year review,
particular reference was made to the limited nature of recruitment activities designed to bring
students into the program. The review summed up this situation as follows:
Recruitment is limited and needs to be expanded. Currently, a few students learn about
the program at other institutions from materials supplied by the Graduate Office. Most of
the students learn about it from friends, co-workers, and faculty members. We send a
letter and poster to communication departments in a three-state area and place an
announcement in the Eastern States Communication Association convention program.

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Thus far, these methods have not been successful. (Review, page 6)
STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES - Among the strengths and weaknesses of the MACS program
outlined in the fourth-year program review, reference was again made to the fact that the
program is not marketed successfully within the region: “The program is not promoted
adequately. Strong candidates for the program and for assistantships frequently apply after the
deadline, thus weakening the pool of candidates” (Review, page 11). Perhaps as a result of this
limited marketing effort, there exists an “in-bred” situation in the MACS program in which a
preponderance of students are recent EUP graduates. As the review succinctly stated,
“Recruitment is limited and results in the acceptance of some marginal students and in the inbred quality of the student body created by a high percentage of EUP graduates” (Review, page
11).
In assessing the quality of the MACS program, the fourth-year review made mention of
the linkages that do exist between the program and area businesses by virtue of part-time
students who are employed throughout the region. “The program is beginning to establish a
good reputation with the professional community in the area in public relations, advertising,
business, industry, health care, and radio-television. Many of the part-time students are
professional practitioners in major corporations and speak highly of the program. Many of the
employers pay these student’s tuition” (Review, page 9). No mention is made, however, of any
systematic efforts to measure awareness of the MACS program as part of the review, nor was the
advisory board re-convened as part of the review process.

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Initial Observations
An examination of the initial proposal for the MACS program submitted for institutional
and system (SSHE) approval, and the fourth-year review completed as part of a periodic
assessment suggest a number important points that ought to be kept in mind when designing a
marketing plan for the program. These points include the following observations:
■

The proposed program was designed with the idea to attract “the mid-career
individual who is interested in career enhancement or in a career change.” The
extent to which the program has, or has not, been successful in attracting this type
of individual must be considered in the marketing recommendations put forward
as part of this study.
No mention was made of recruitment activities in the initial proposal for the
MACS program. Although the case was made that a need for the program existed
in the region, the issue of who is responsible for recruiting students into the
program (i.e., program director, department faculty, Office of Graduate Studies,
Public Relations Department) was not addressed in that document. The
assumption seems to have been that “if we create the program, they (the students)
will come.”
The fourth-year review is quite direct in its evaluation that initial recruitment
activities were “limited” in nature and needed to be expanded. The review is
equally direct in its judgment that this situation resulted in the acceptance of some
“marginal” students and lead to an “in-bred” quality of the student body.
Although the question of what “kind” of student is admitted into the program lies
outside the scope of this marketing plan, the question as to the percentage of
recent EUP graduates that constitute the student profile will be addressed.

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III. Literature Review
Overview
The literature review for the purposes of this thesis must, at one and the same time, be
both general and specific. The notion of "marketing" has generated a great degree of research
and scholarship, especially in the business arenas. A literature review for a marketing plan must
include a framework for "getting at" some of the general ideas of what marketing is, and how
one goes about creating a marketing plan. In that the MACS program is a "specific product or
service" within a "specific environment," there is also the need to narrow the literature review to
topics of specific relevance to marketing in higher education. Topics such as "recruitment
strategies" and developing a "customer service orientation" within an environment often
stereotyped for its lack of customer service are examples of specific areas of interest.
The purpose of this literature review, therefore, is a review of those ideas and
perspectives necessary to create a marketing plan for a graduate program in communication
studies.

The Marketing Framework
The concept of "marketing" is a broad area of concern that has generated considerable
research and thought in business and management, as well as related work in the area of
communication studies. Although one can approach the notion of "marketing in higher
education" from a variety of perspectives, there has been an effort within the marketing
discipline to categorize and apply relevant marketing concepts and tools to the specific

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environment of higher education. The work of Kotler and Fox (1985) is often cited as the
"foundation" for such an endeavor.
The authors divide the study of marketing as it applies to educational institutions into six
basic categories: "Understanding Marketing" explains the nature and relevance of marketing in
which a key connection is drawn between an institution and its constituencies. "Planning
Marketing" introduces a process for developing strategic and operational plans in the marketing
arena. "Understanding Markets" presents an approach to understanding constituencies as a way
of serving them better. "Establishing the Marketing Mix" indicates the ways an institution can
plan programs and services, as well as communicate those areas. "Applying Marketing" centers
• on two specific tasks — attracting students and providing reasons for them to remain, as well as
donor support. "Evaluating Marketing" presents guidelines for evaluating the effectiveness of
marketing programs (Kotler & Fox, p. xiv).
An important element in the enterprise is the definition of marketing provided by the
authors. Many people initially think of sales and promotion when they hear the word
"marketing," but the notions are not synonymous. The authors quote leading management
theorist Peter Drucker, who observes, "The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous"
(Kotler & Fox, p. 7). Rather than "selling," the concept of "exchange" is central to a notion of
what marketing is all about:
Marketing is the analysis, planning, implementation, and control of carefully formulated
programs designed to bring about voluntary exchange of values with target markets to
achieve institutional objectives. Marketing involves designing the institution's offerings
to meet the target markets' needs and desires, and using effective pricing, communication,

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and distribution to inform, motivate, and service the markets. (Kotler & Fox, p. 7)
Given this definition of marketing, it follows that a marketing orientation is centrally
focused on meeting the customer's wants and needs. This does not mean that the MACS
program, however, must ignore the goals identified in its planning process and pander to
whatever will "get people in the door." What it does mean is that the program must reaffirm why
it is that individuals are choosing to attend the program, and move from there to seek out
consumers who could benefit from MACS study and make the offerings as attractive as possible.
As Kotler and Fox suggest, the elements of marketing are primarily "an exchange of
values." The fact that people have specific needs, such as the need to get a graduate degree in
order to facilitate promotion at the work place, sets the stage for the marketing plan. "Marketing
exists when people decide to satisfy their needs and wants through exchange.... Exchange is
the act of obtaining a desired product or benefit from someone by offering something in return"
(Kotler & Fox, p. 21). From the notion of exchange flows the idea of identifying the relevant
publics (e.g., students, prospective students, administrators, local businesses, faculty) that create
the marketing arena. It also follows that the institution must address the question of "image" the sum of the beliefs, ideas and impressions that people have of the institution or program.
In order to effectively gauge the needs and wants of consumers, and prospective
consumers, the authors suggest a variety of research marketing techniques that institutions can
use to gather marketing information. It is critical, however, that the research objectives and
problem definition are clear before initiating a research study:
The first slep in research is to define the research objectives. The overall objective may
be to learn about a market, to determine the most attractive program to offer, or to

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measure the effect of a communications program. In any case, the problem guiding the
research must be clearly specified. If the problem statement is vague, if the wrong
problem is defined, or if the uses of the research are unclear, the research results may be
useless or even misleading. (Kotler & Fox, p. 56)
A specific research question can provide the basis for a carefully crafted research study
that can lead to meaningful data. By designing a suitable and carefully crafted instrument such
as a questionnaire, administering the instrument to a census of all current and former students,
and perhaps refining the initial results through focus groups, the research objectives for a
marketing plan for the MACS program could be met. As Kotler and Fox suggest, however,
defining the research objective is crucial to any marketing study.
After marketing research has been conducted, results can be used to formulate a
marketing strategy. According to the authors, "Marketing strategy is the selection of a target
market, the choice of a competitive position, and the development of an effective marketing mix
to reach and serve the chosen market" (Kotler & Fox, p. 132). Included in this strategy are areas
such as identifying opportunities for increased market penetration, analyzing the competition,
and the "four Ps" of marketing - product, price, place and promotion. The marketing mix
consists of the particular blend of these areas into a coherent plan aimed at certain objectives.
After the strategic marketing plan has been created, it is then possible to address topics
such as segmenting and selecting markets, communicating with publics and advertising specific
programs. A marketing strategy must also include a way to evaluate the efficacy of the
marketing plan and follow-up as changes in the marketplace occur.
Although Kotler and Fox provided a general foundation for marketing as it applies to

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higher education, numerous authors have attempted to “narrow the focus.” Brooks and
Hammons (1993) suggest that higher education has been misled in the past by using the
principles that govern the marketing of products, rather than the principles that govern the
marketing of services. “The difficulty with that approach, however, is that in the strict marketing
definition, higher education is a service, not a product” (Brooks & Hammons, p. 28).
According to the authors, there are four major features that distinguish services from
products, and consequently the way in which these areas are marketed. The main difference is
the “intangibility” of services in comparison to products:
A product can be physically examined by a potential buyer to determine that product’s
ability to deliver satisfaction. A service, on the other hand, cannot be handled, smelled,
felt, tried on, or test driven. A service is a promise to perform in the future and,
therefore, makes evaluation before the fact very difficult. (Brooks & Hammons, p. 28)
In that the “meaning of a graduate degree” cannot be readily displayed to prospective students,
the implications for a marketing plan are important. Marketing must stress tangible “cues” to the
service’s ability to provide satisfaction. “These cues include highlighting student testimonials,
carefully planned campus visits, emphasizing credentials of faculty and administrators, training
recruiters, maintaining the appearance of the campus, using endorsements of well-known persons
or agencies and involving faculty in recruiting” (Brooks & Hammons, p. 46). The plan, in other
words, must identify what the consumer is buying.
A second distinction between services and products is the notion that the service is
“consumed” at the moment it is “produced,” whereas products can be created and inventoried,
then sold to the consumer. This distinction is important because, “The consumer is unable to

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prejudge whether the service will provide satisfaction” (Brooks & Hammons, p. 32). A corollary
to this distinction is the notion that judging the satisfaction of services is a much more
“subjective” enterprise.
The final areas that distinguish services from products are “homogeneity” and
“perishability.” Homogeneity points to the realization that no two instances of a service will
ever be exactly the same, given the variability of human action required to produce the service.
Perishability points to the understanding that services cannot be inventoried, thus the customer
must either come to the service provider, or service facilities must be moved to the customer
(Brooks & Hammons, p. 32).
The implications of service features for services marketing can be organized into six
strategic planning components:
These are (1) customer-orientation, (2) the training provided to personnel (particularly
those having direct contact with the customer), (3) the amount of autonomy given to
customer-contact personnel, (4) the management of the evidence used by the potential
customer to assess the organization’s service, (5) control of the encounter between the
employee and the customer, and (6) the assessment of customer satisfaction. (Brooks &
Hammons, p. 32)
Of these six planning components, customer-orientation is the most important. “Successful
services marketing begins with a sincere desire to satisfy the customer. The term ‘customerorientation’ refers to the fact that every aspect and level of the company is geared toward
achieving that objective” (Brooks & Hammons, p. 33). Satisfaction is meeting or exceeding
customer expectations, and in order to accomplish that goal, expectations must be identified.

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Another aspect of this orientation is the need to select an individual or department responsible
for directing this customer-orientation, with the additional responsibility of holding all parts of
the organization accountable for this requirement. Unless someone directs the efforts, and
measures the results, customer-orientation will become a slogan without meaning.
Franczak and Cowles (1993) provide a contrast to the service marketing perspective by
viewing curriculum as a “product” rather than a “service.” They begin their analysis by
borrowing a very general notion from Czepiel (1992) that a product is “anything that can be
offered to a market to satisfy a want or need” (Franczak & Cowles, p. 143). With the product in
mind, an organization attempts to create value for its prospective customers, and thus it is the
product that forms the basis for any marketing endeavor. The curriculum of an institution of
higher learning is just such a product.
“As a product, the curriculum is designed with the needs of at least two markets in mind: •
the students who select courses, and the employers who want students to come into the work
place equipped with knowledge and skills from these courses” (Franczak & Cowles, p. 144).
These authors contend that while assessment programs examine student outcomes from a number
of different perspectives, the other market, employers, has received less attention from
administrators and educators responsible for curriculum design and implementation.
In implementing a research study of employers of marketing graduates in order to gauge
what the business community wants this product to “be,” however, the authors discovered a
dimension of “homogeneity” they did not anticipate. “Most organizations are looking for
individuals with good communication skills and exposure to the principles of marketing and
personal selling. Therefore, marketing departments should not tailor their offerings to

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specialized interests, at least not at the present time” (Franczak & Cowles, p. 156).
Apart from either the “service marketing” or “product marketing” approach to higher
education, Bonnici and Reddy (1993) offer an analysis of “positioning” as a framework for a
marketing plan. “Coined in the early 1970s, ‘positioning’ as a marketing function is the art and
science of fitting the product or service to one or more segments of the broad market in such a
way as to set it meaningfully apart from the competition” (Bonnici & Reddy, p. 108). What is
important to note is that “positioning” is basically a “perception” that occurs in the mind of the
consumer (student) relative to the degree program or course of study being offered. “The quality
of any academic course is meaningless if students’ perceptions of the course are ill-informed or
negative. A department which cannot manage its audience’s perceptions may experience
uncertainty and confusion in the way its students perceive it” (Bonnici & Reddy, p. 108).
Positioning, therefore, stresses a perceived advantage relative to the competition. The
way in which a department or program goes about building such a position requires a process of
“triangulation” that focuses on customer profiles, benefit analysis and competitor analysis
(Bonnici & Reddy, p. 110). The first element in the triangular marketing framework, customer
profiles, stresses a student-driven focus that pays attention to the needs of the market. The
emerging diversity of the student body, especially in regards to non-traditional students and
international students, are areas that must be considered when positioning an academic
department or program.
Benefit analysis suggests that “students pay their registration fees to buy benefits, not
services or service features.... An evening class becomes an opportunity for daytime workers to
secure a university degree and improve their chances of further advancement at work rather than

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merely a group of students taught between six and eight o’clock in the evening” (Bonnici &
Reddy, p. 112). Competitor analysis requires a careful study of who the competitors are, not just
outside of the educational institution, such as another college or university, but also “internal”
competitors such as other departments or degree programs who vie for the same prospective
students and resources.
The authors point out that positioning is not some sort of “mind game,” but a coherent
strategy that applies basic marketing principles to the educational scene. They conclude that:
Positioning ... leads to a better understanding of what students are looking for, and
offers them meaningful and rewarding courses. It extends attention beyond the service’s
features and into the service’s benefits as major contact points with the students. It forces
the marketing unit to watch the competition with respect in order to build a unique
identity into the program which sets it apart from the competition. Positioning impacts
the bottom line by attracting and serving more students. (Bonnici & Reddy, p. 116-117)
In addition to the elements of service marketing, product marketing and
positioning/triangulation as it relates to higher education, the notion of “image” has also received
some attention within the discipline. Although exactly what constitutes an image is difficult to
define, it general terms it means “the sum of beliefs, ideas, and impressions that a person has of
an object” (Kotler & Fox, p. 38). Many administrators and educators have a strong interest in
the image of their institution, department or degree program, in part, because the “image” may
be more influential than the actual reality in shaping customer attitude and response toward the
service or product.
Theus (1993) examined the idea that the reputation of a particular school or a department

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within that institution may be the most valuable asset to consider when putting together a
marketing strategy, as well as how reputations are built and how they may decay. The results of
her study suggest that both personal contact and mass-mediated influences are important
considerations when image is of concern:
Communication, thus, plays an important part in the life-cycle of organizations.
Perceptions of organizational competence or incompetence may be constructed and
communicated from first-hand experience, or may be engineered indirectly through
mediated means. As people move through time and space, they will make sense of their
own world and in the absence of interpersonal opportunities will use media as lenses
through which to view the world, structure it, communicate about it and make it more
meaningful. (Theus, p. 280-281)

In other words, interpersonal and mass-mediated influences are both vital when assessing the
“boundary-spanning activities of organizations attempting to survive within a system.”
On an interpersonal level, personal contact “packs a great deal of punch” in transforming
opinions about an educational institution. A personal visit almost always overrides any
information gleaned from secondhand sources. Thus, personal contact between the institution
and prospective students is extremely important. A marketing plan for higher education needs to
keep this in perspective when formulating strategy.
Although personal contact, referrals by trusted sources, and “the word on the street” are
all important considerations when image-sustaining or image-modifying activities are under
review, it is also important to consider the influence of mass media upon the idea of image.
Stories in the news media can be of equal importance to personal contact when prospective

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students are weighing options.
It must be emphasized, however, that “image” it not only difficult to define, it is also
difficult to change:
An institution’s present image is usually based on its past record. Therefore, an
institution cannot change its image through a quick change in public relations strategy.
Its image is a function of its deeds and its communications. A strong favorable image
comes about when the school performs well and generates real satisfaction, then lets
others know about its success. (Kotler & Fox, p. 38)
Service marketing, product marketing, positioning and image marketing are all areas that
have received attention within the larger notion of “marketing in higher education.” A
discussion of the literature, however, would not be complete with at least some mention of future
trends in the marketing discipline. These trends are inherently tied to the “explosion” of
information resources that is currently taking place on a global level, and the way in which these
resources are changing the way marketing is “done.” Although it will probably be a number of
years before these changes are experienced within the “local scene,” it is simply a matter of time
before they occur.
The primary development and change within the marketing discipline is the ability to use
computer technology and fiber-optic cables to narrow the target to the point where segmentation
is now becoming a thing of the past. In traditional approaches to marketing, “target marketing”
is the attempt to distinguish among different “parts” of the market and then tailor a plan to reach
those specific individuals. “The key step in target marketing is market segmentation, dividing a
market into distinct and meaningful groups of consumers which might merit separate programs

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and/or marketing mixes” (Kotler & Fox, p. 193).
Developments in the sphere of direct marketing, however, are changing the nature of the
“target.” The UPC code scanner that is commonplace in almost every supermarket these days is
not only a powerful tool for inventory control, it can also provide any retailer or distributor with
detailed knowledge of what is selling, and where it sells. Combining sales data with customer
addresses, however, refines the process even further. “The end game of this process will come
when businesses market to individuals rather than to consumer segments. Many industries are
moving as fast as they can toward that capability” (Francese, p. 63). Segmentation, from this
perspective, is a thing of the past. Direct marketing can target the likes and dislikes of an
individual consumer, rather than just the demographic/psychographic segments of which they are
apart.
Advances in technology and database systems will likewise change the very nature of the
marketing and public relations ventures. “Marketing and public relations have always had an
interesting relationship, and that relationship has been made even more important with advances
in new technologies and uses of databases. These advances have expanded the definition of
publics, and increased the ability to target messages to narrower and narrower ranges of publics”
(Petrison & Wang, p. 235). Marketing and public relations professionals can have direct access
to end users instead of using mass media techniques to communicate with whomever might be
listening. The messages can be tailored to very specific audiences, in many cases, to individual
consumers or customers. Technology can be used not only to create the message, it can bring it
inside the home as well.
From the perspective of marketing in higher education, the end result of this process is

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quite clear. Whereas the MACS program, for instance, has identified the “mid-career
professional” as a target group of prospective students, in years to come the technology will
enable marketing professionals to determine precisely who those specific individuals are in the
region, and take messages directly to them. Although that day may still be a few years away, the
technology to make it real is being put into place. In the future, marketing will become a
“relational” enterprise geared toward the specific wants and needs of potential consumers.
In some ways, therefore, marketing and public relations are coming full circle. Whereas
educational opportunities were once promoted on a personalized, small-scale basis before the
coming of mass-marketing techniques made available by the development of mass media,
particularly radio and television, technology today permits publics to be reached as persons.
Marketing and public relations are becoming a transactional process once again.

Why Marketing Plans Fail
The general framework provided by Kotler and Fox is an excellent guide for creating a
marketing strategy for institutions of higher learning. In addition to learning “what to do right,”
one can also approach the literature review from the perspective of “what to avoid doing wrong.”
Sevier (1994) identified some of the reasons that student recruitment efforts break down, and he
offered some advice on how to avoid those pitfalls.
“The biggest mistake most institutions make is to confuse marketing with promotion”
(Sevier, p. 49). The author cites the definition of marketing by Philip Kotler identified earlier in
this literature review as an important concept for any marketing endeavor:
This expanded definition of marketing is much more complex than simply renting a

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bigger billboard. Institutions that limit marketing to promotion remind me of someone
who tries to win a car race with a flat tire. Though the car may have a powerful engine,
less powerful cars running on four good tires will quickly overcome it. (Sevier, p. 49)
Another failure to be avoided when putting together a marketing plan is not
understanding your marketplace. “In the rush to begin marketing, institutions often neglect to
evaluate their current market position. It’s like plotting a course without knowing your starting
point” (Sevier, p. 51). According to the author, it is vital to undertake a systematic appraisal of
your assets, strategies, capabilities, environment, and the competition. “You must complete a
situational analysis to examine your internal and external strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats” (Sevier, p. 51).
The systematic appraisal identified by the author includes three key components. First,
an internal marketing audit should review how key internal audiences perceive the institution or
program. This audit can include a review of existing planning documents, market research and
data collection. Second, an audit of the external environment must be completed. This review
should include how key external audiences perceive the institution, along with demographic and
job trends. Third, a competition analysis should take a good look at the alternatives being
considered by your prospective students.
Marketing plans can also fail as a result of not developing marketing goals in order of
importance. “The best time to begin developing goals is during the latter stages of the situational
analysis. But to make sense of this Pandora’s box, you must set priorities so you can focus on
the most pressing issues first” (Sevier, p. 51). Part of the skill in setting priorities, however, is
balancing two tensions that exist in most educational institutions: the need to build a consensus

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and the need to act. “Consensus is important, but too much can be time-consuming. This is
especially true when internal and external audiences believe that they’re part of the approval
process” (Sevier, p. 52).
A final pitfall to be avoided is not evaluating your progress. “In the push to get things
done, sometimes the last thing you want to do is find out whether your marketing efforts are
working. But from a stewardship point of view, evaluating progress makes good sense” (Sevier,
p. 53). One of the ways to evaluate progress is to set quantifiable goals and a timetable in which
to measure them.
Sevier ends his listing of marketing mishaps by focusing on the fundamental need to gear
marketing efforts toward customer satisfaction:
In the end, you need to focus on your audience to succeed at marketing. You
need to know more about how your audiences think and compare. You need to
know more about their hopes, motivations and fears. And you need to know more
about how, why, and when they make decisions. (Sevier, p. 53)

Meabon, Kelley and Jackson (1994) provided an even more compelling analysis of why
marketing plans fail in the study they conducted of admitted student marketing research. A
survey response from 250 two-year public and private institutions of higher learning and fouryear public and private institutions of higher learning indicated that while over half (52.8%) of
all schools conducted some type of admitted student research, only 1.9% of the respondents
reported that the research was used in institutional planning. The most common uses for the
research were presentations to administrative groups, admissions staff and faculty.
The Meabon, Kelley and Jackson study suggests a very basic reason why marketing plans

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fail ~ they are not used in the planning process. While institutions of higher learning can be
very good at collecting data from the market and making presentations about what has been
collected, they appear to be quite reticent to actually put the information to work. Perhaps part
of the reason for this is because organizational constraints and the “politics” of the institutions
curtail any kind of marketing effort. For whatever reasons, it would appear from this survey that
colleges and universities are paying “lip service” to the notion of market research without
actually using the information as part of a market strategy.

Recruitment Strategies for Non-Traditional Students
The need to know how, why and when prospective students make decisions is an
important component of any marketing strategy. With respect to the marketing plan for the
MACS program at Edinboro University, it may be helpful to examine some of the reasons that
“non-traditional” students identify as reasons for being in school. Although the concept of the
non-traditional student is usually applied to undergraduates, some of the age and employment
characteristics often associated with non-traditional undergraduates seem to correspond to the
profile of students in graduate programs as well. Zamanou (1993) defined non-traditional
students as those students who work full-time and/or are older than the “traditional” college age
(18-24). She began her analysis with the realization that, “one needs to know the attitudes and
orientations of non-traditional students in order to develop successful recruitment strategies”
(Zamanou, p. 4). She cited a study by Hu (1985) that identified the following reasons that nontraditional students return to school: need academic credentials for career advancement; for
career change; life transitions; currently unemployed and need for future employment

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opportunity; for education sake; required for current employment; for expanding social activities
(Zamanou, p. 4).
Although much of the research is specific to the non-traditional student returning to the
undergraduate level of higher education, the author presents some interesting information that
may have a distinct applicability to a graduate program. For example, Zamanou referenced the
fact that “women over 35 are the fastest growing student group in college campuses” (p. 4). If
this fact also exists as the graduate level, it would be an important consideration when designing
a marketing strategy. Also, “non-traditional students collapsed the search and choice phases into
one step: deciding to return to college and deciding on a particular college at the same time”
(Zamanou, p. 5). If this is true at the graduate level, it would have a bearing on the timetable
built into a marketing plan.
In her consideration of the barriers to success of non-traditional students, Zamanou made
the following observations:
Institutional practices concerning course offerings may make little or no effort at
becoming flexible, i.e., there may be few attempts to systematically examine scheduling
and course cycles over time in order to provide availability for the part-time student.
Time limits on course or degree requirements are often a hindrance to the returning parttime student as are the schedules and the locations of the courses ... book stores and
some libraries are often open at hours scheduled for staff, rather than student,
convenience. (Zamanou, p. 6)

Universities need to address the needs of the important and critical constituencies. Right now,
procedures serve the needs of those who establish the procedures.

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As a way of summing up her analysis, the author reflected that, “Educational institutions
must learn to serve the students they do and could have, not continue in ways that served those
they once had” (Zamanou, p. 9). This learning process includes a comprehensive audit reflecting
the profile and present situation of non-traditional students, as well as a marketing plan that will
delineate the methods and resources needed to achieve the specific goals and objectives
identified in the planning process. “Non-traditional students, as a group, represent diversity in
life situations, goals, skill and styles of learning” (Zamanou, p. 9). A marketing plan in higher
education should attract those kinds of students.

Customer Service in Higher Education
If personal contact “packs a great deal of punch” in transforming opinions about an
educational institution, it suggests that consumers (students) appreciate the “personal” attention
commensurate with this approach to dealing with people. This notion is but a small part of a
much larger perspective called “quality customer service.” Sines and Duckworth (1994) argue
that educational institutions need to look at what businesses have been doing in the realm of
customer service and apply these principles to the educational environment.
The authors began their analysis with the observation that principles of Total Quality
Management (TQM) are an important development in the present business environment, and that
an important part of TQM is the notion of customer service. Educational institutions, however,
have not embraced the ideal of customer service:
Higher education lacks belief in the concept of customer service. Colleges and
universities must strive to treat their customers, the students, in the same way that

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commercial enterprises treat customers. Many students today have come to expect poor
service, and they only hope they don’t get hurt too badly. However, students are
increasingly seeking out those institutions offering them the treatment they believe they
deserve as paying customers. (Sines & Duckworth, p. 2)
Part of the problem is that universities concentrate solely on the quality of classroom
instruction and neglect other parts of the environment. “Universities spend a great deal of time
checking the quality of instruction, but spend very little- if any- time checking how well they
are doing in all the other aspects of dealing with the student” (Sines & Duckworth, p. 3). Given
the fact that educational institutions are businesses in competition with other schools for
students, this attitude must change.
“What does poor customer service cost? Retaining the students presently attending an
institution should be of primary concern to campus administrators. Many institutions of higher
education are suffering a retention problem” (Sines & Duckworth, p. 7). For example, when you
consider the amount of money in the form of tuition and fees that is “lost” to an institution when
a student leaves during the freshmen year because of a “bad experience,” retention is directly
related to revenue. And yet, educational institutions do not perceive this loss of revenue as
anything more than just the cost of doing business.
“Retention is important, and customer service is a major part of the solution to the
retention problem. Campus administrators cannot afford to overlook its importance” (Sines &
Duckworth, p. 7). From a marketing standpoint, customer service is not only a significant factor
is retention of students, it is also a factor in getting them to come to the college or university in
the first place.

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When prospective students inquire about an educational institution, or a specific program
within that school, are they simply sent form letters and catalogues? Or does a representative of
that institution offer to help answer any questions and assist in the admissions process? The
answer to this question can be significant. Marketing is not only about analysis, planning and
implementation of programs, but also about service as well.

Target Audiences for Graduate Programs in Communication Studies
A central focus of the marketing plan for the MACS program will be the assessment on
the part of former and current students about their reasons for attending the graduate program.
These reasons will be an important part of the recommendations made as part of the marketing
framework. While the research contained in this study will be specific to the MACS program
itself, it will be interesting to contrast the thesis research with other studies geared toward similar
goals.
Miller and Rose (1994) conducted a study of communications professionals in the South
Florida market to help measure what characteristics were determinate of interest in graduate
school. The authors used a self-administered mail survey to 822 advertising and public relations
professionals during the Spring of 1991 to measure this level of interest in additional training.
Three hundred and eight questionnaires were returned - a response rate of 37 percent.
The authors tested four hypotheses as part of the research study. The first hypothesis was
that “The primary motivation of both public relations and advertising professionals to seek
formal graduate education is economic” (Miller & Rose, p. 113). Surprisingly, the study
suggested that the primary reason employees were interested in graduate education was to keep

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current in the field as a way of benefitting the employer. The profile of those professionals who
were interested in formal education (as opposed to “informal” means such as seminars,
workshops, etc.,) was quite specific:
More than 75 percent of those wanting a degree had less than 5 years at the present
company.... This would suggest that employees see the attainment of a degree as a way
of securing their place in a company and in the profession. However, once an employee
is established within a company (more than 5 years), the security of experience and
comfort takes over and the perceived need for a degree is minimized. (Miller & Rose, p.
117)
The second hypothesis was that, “More women than men will be interested in seeking
formal graduate education” (Miller & Rose, p. 113). The large influx of women as
nontraditional students returning to school was the rationale for positing this hypothesis. The
hypothesis, however, was not supported by the results of the study:
While more women than men are interested in seeking graduate and continuing
education, there is no significant difference between genders in seeking formal
studies.... However, this should not be all that surprising. Research has shown that
women are more likely than men to be part-time students; most formal programs are
thought of as full-time. Since women have greater child and dependent care
responsibilities and fewer financial resources, any formal education program must
consider their specific needs. (Miller & Rose, p. 121)

The third hypothesis stated that African-Americans, Latinos, Asians and Native

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Americans (ALANA) would be more interested in seeking “formal” graduate education than in
other types of “informal” training such as workshops, seminars, and the like. “The results of this
study suggest that, yes, there is a greater level of interest, and more ALANA practitioners want
formal education rather than continuing education (Miller & Rose, pp. 121-122).
The fourth hypothesis that both public relations and advertising professionals will seek
training in eclectic-type courses was supported by the study. “Today’s practitioners are looking
for graduate education that will provide them with a mastery over communication skills, broadbased expertise in the social and behavioral sciences, specific expertise in the theories of
communication and persuasion, and broad knowledge of marketing, management, interpersonal
communications and research methods” (Miller & Rose, p. 122).
The authors question whether their results are indicative of other regions of the country,
or simply an artifact of the South Florida market. It will be interesting to contrast the results of
this study with the information obtained from a survey of former and current MACS students
with respect to their rationale for seeking formal (graduate) education in communication studies
at Edinboro University.
Summary
While the literature review has suggested a variety of different frameworks for creating a
marketing plan for the MACS program, a few themes developed from the literature need to be
reiterated as a form of summary:
Marketing frameworks are not necessarily exclusive -- Although perspectives
such as service marketing, product marketing, target marketing, and positioning
offer a wide array of planning options for a marketing effort, these perspectives

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must not be seen as necessarily “exclusive.” For example, the emphasis on
“competitor analysis” within positioning can be carried out along with a concern
for developing an “image” for the educational program or institution. In other
words, a marketing plan must not be seen as some type of ideological statement
about the discipline of marketing as a whole. What is important, however, is that
the marketing plan be a coherent and cohesive document aimed a specific goal
with results that can be measured.
Customer orientation is key ~ A dominant theme throughout the literature is the
need for any marketing plan to be “customer-driven.” That is to say that
marketing must be primarily concerned with the needs and wants of prospective
students (consumers) as an element of “exchange” between the educational
program and those in it. A corollary to the notion of “customer orientation” is the
idea of “customer service.” Any marketing plan must address the need to treat
every inquiry into the program as an important “resource.”
Marketing is planning, not promotion - The point of a marketing plan is not to
promise more than you can deliver, nor is it simply about filling seats in a
classroom or lecture hall. Marketing is as much about the mission/vision of the
individual department, program or educational institution as it is about the
individuals who choose to become a part of it. It requires some clear goals,
reasonable expectations, and a sense of identity and purpose. Marketing says as
much about what the institution wants from prospective students, as it does about
what the prospective students want in return. This process requires planning.

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IV. Method
Overview
The data for the marketing plan was generated by a mail questionnaire sent to all former
and current students in the MACS program during the Fall/Winter of 1995. The survey
attempted to get at a number of “key” areas in marketing research as it relates to higher
education: (1) the reasons why former and current students enrolled in a master’s program; (2)
the reasons why former and current students chose the MACS program at Edinboro University of
Pennsylvania; and (3) the ways in which students learned about the program and/or were
referred to it. In addition to these areas, a number of demographic and psychographic questions
were included in order to ascertain information such as gender, age, employment status, zip
code, part-time/full-time status, use of financial aid, fears about entering the program, elapsed
time between receiving a college degree and entrance into the MACS program, and whether the
MACS’ students attended EUP as undergraduates.
An assumption that was central to the marketing research conducted for this thesis was
that a connection exists between the attitudes and responses of former/current students, and the
reasons that would “prompt” prospective students to enroll in the program. Perhaps more
significant was the “profile” that emerged about former and current students, and the way in
which this profile contrasted with the “image” that the MACS program had of “itself.” Of
course, philosophers could argue that there is no “logical” connection between the past and the
future; the fact that a majority of individuals enrolled into a graduate program for a specific

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reason(s) does not “dictate” that others will do likewise. This objection, however, ignores the
rational motives that underlie many of our choices in life. While the past may not dictate the
future, it is a good predictor of it.
In addition to the quantitative data collected in the survey, a small focus group was
conducted in January 1996 at which time the initial data was presented to some former students
to get their feedback about its “meaning.” This qualitative dimension was intended to generate
some varied interpretations about the significance of the patterned responses obtained in the
survey.

The Survey Instrument/Mailing Lists
The survey (See appendix, p. 115) sent to all former and current students in the MACS
program was developed during the summer of 1995. The first question concerning the reason(s)
that students enrolled in a master’s program used some of the categories developed by Hu (1985)
in a study of non-traditional students. The third question concerning the specific reasons for
enrolling in a master’s program in communication studies at EUP, and the sixth question about
the apprehensions that students had prior to the program used some of the categories developed
by Bers & Smith (1992), along with the Hu study. The remaining eight questions that composed
the survey (11 questions total) were developed in consultation with faculty based on the
objective of obtaining a “profile” of former and current students, including demographic and
psychographic data concerning age, sex, employment status and zip code. The survey was
submitted to both Human Subjects Review and Institutional Review at EUP for approval. In that
the survey responses were both anonymous and voluntary, approval was obtained for the study

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without difficulty.
The mailing lists and labels for all former and current MACS students were “put
together” with the assistance of both the Office of Graduate Studies and the Computer Center at
EUP during September/October 1995. Although mailing lists and labels are generated (and
printed) by the Computer Center, it seemed that the initial sets of lists/labels generated by the
center were missing some students. Fortunately, the Office of Graduate Studies had requested a
complete listing of all former/current MACS students (along with their addresses) about nine
months previous to my request, so it was possible to cross-tabulate both sets of names/addresses
to ensure a complete listing. Why the center had deleted about fifteen “older” names from the
most recent list was never determined; perhaps it is because students have 5 years to complete
the MACS degree from the time they get their first graduate credits in the program, and some
students are now being dropped from the files because this time period has expired. It could also
involve some unresolved financial and/or administrative concerns.
All in all, a listing of the names and addresses of 231 former and current MACS students
were collected for the purposes of this marketing study. A decision was then made to delete the
names/addresses of 12 international (foreign) students now living back home (e.g., People’s
Republic of China, Pakistan) for two reasons; (1) the rationale(s) for pursuing a master’s degree
among international students may qualitatively differ from the “norm,” and (2) the logistical
process of getting the surveys back could prove time-consuming. The total, then, of all former
and current students included in the survey was 219.

Data Collection/ Response
A cover letter (See appendix, p. 113) was written explaining the nature of the survey in

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terms of its use within a marketing plan for the MACS program, as well as that responses were to
be kept confidential. Surveys were coded for tracking purposes, and this was also pointed out in
the cover letter. Along with the cover letter and survey, a return envelope with postage was
included for the convenience of the survey respondents. Of the 219 surveys sent through the
mail on October 30,1995, 94 responses were received by the end of November. A second
mailing with a different cover letter (See appendix, p, 114) was mailed to all non-respondents
(n=125) on December 7, 1995, and 41 more surveys were received by the end of January 1996.
Of the 125 surveys that were returned, 3 were eliminated from the pool because none of
the questions in the survey were answered. Each of these “empty” surveys contained a note
indicating that the person had been accepted into the MACS program, but had decided not to
attend (no classes/credits were involved). It seems that simply being accepted into the program
establishes one, at least in the Computer Center files, as a MACS student. A total, therefore, of
122 surveys from former and current students - a response rate of 56% - was included in this
study.
It should be pointed out that a few surveys had information “missing,” i.e., some of the
questions were left blank. For those questions where only one response was possible (e.g., age,
zip code, part-time/full-time status), the number/percentage of non-respondents is clearly
indicated in the data tables. Although the amount of “missing” information is small, these
surveys could have been eliminated from the study. It was decided, however, to include any and
all information that was offered by former and current students. In that the marketing plan for
the MACS program is not a “research hypothesis,” all of the responses add important “bits” of
data to the survey as a whole. By eliminating almost all of the information in a specific survey

MACS Marketing Plan
because the respondent could not remember the zip code of his or her legal (voting) address
when they enrolled in the MACS program would be to “weaken” the study. Given the strong
patterns that emerged out of the data, moreover, it can be argued that non-responses were an
insignificant factor in the study.

41

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V. Data Analysis

42

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Question 1.
What reason(s) contributed to your decision to pursue
a master’s degree in communication studies? (You
may check as many reasons as relevant.)

Reasons

Affirmative

Responses

Percent of
Total
72.1%

Career advancement
Training would benefit employer

13

10.7%

Job security

23

18.9%

Employer encouraged further studies

14

1 1.5%

Change careers

31

25.4%

Education sake

59

48.4%

Unemployed at time

22

18%

Social activities

5

4.1%

Degree needed for further study

19

15.6%

Other

27

IMA

Career Advancement: More than 72% of all respondents (n=88) selected the notion of “career
advancement” as a reason to pursue a master’s degree in communication studies. This concept,
it should be noted, generated the most affirmative responses of any single variable in the survey.
The strength of this belief is particularly evident when it is cross-tabulated with some of the
other variables in the survey. In terms of the age of students entering into the MACS program,
for instance, 77% of respondents 20-25 years old selected “career advancement”; 60% of
respondents 26-30; 61% of respondents 31-35, 89% of respondents 36-40; and 82% of those

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over 40 years of age. Pearson chi-square analysis, X 2 (4, N = 118) = 5.844, .1

suggests that age groups do not differ significantly. This analysis is in contrast to the Miller and
Rose study (1994) which suggested that “new” employees (often younger individuals) are more
likely to cite career advancement as a reason for pursuing a master’s degree in communication
studies. The survey of MACS students calls into question the results of the Miller and Rose
study as it pertains to “older” students.
Of those MACS students who were unemployed at the time they entered the program
(n=22), nearly 60% (n=13) selected career advancement as a reason for pursuing the MACS
degree. It would seem that career advancement even resonated with those individuals who, at
the time, did not have a career. Of course, if you do not have a career, “advancement” is sure to
come along. Anything is better than nothing.
While the idea of “career advancement” is itself a rather “nebulous” term, perhaps the
very nature of its “generic” value connects it to so many former and current MACS students.
Regardless of age, sex or employment status, the master’s degree is perceived as a benefit, as an
“advancement.” From the standpoint of a marketing plan that will address issues such as
“program benefits” within the larger framework of a marketing strategy, that is very significant
to note. To put it into the vernacular of the advertising industry, “career advancement” is a “hot
spot” or a “touchstone” that resonates with a majority of those who want a graduate degree in
communication studies.

Training would benefit employer: Slightly over 10% (n=13) of all respondents to the survey
checked the response that “training would benefit the employer” as a reason for pursuing a

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master’s degree. These responses, moreover, were distributed equally among categories such as
age and sex. What is interesting to note is that of the individuals who identified “job security” as
a reason for graduate school, only 30% (n=5) also thought the training would benefit the
employer. In line with this observation, cross tabulation with the variable “did you receive
financial aid from your employer” reveals that of the 67 respondents who received aid, only 13%
(n=9) also identified that training would benefit the employer. Given that the category of
“financial aid” also included graduate assistantships, however, this tendency is certainly not
clear-cut.
While it is perhaps imprudent to suggest a “meaning” for a variable that is infrequently
chosen in the survey, it may be important to keep in mind the following observation, especially
when it is coupled with other variables in the survey: to what extent is the decision to pursue a
MACS degree an “internal” or “external” decision? Where is the “locus of control” in the
decision-making process to attend the MACS program? The results from this variable would
suggest that the process is a personal choice motivated from within the prospective student, not
the result of external factors residing in areas such as employment.

Job security: Slightly less than 19% (n=23) of survey respondents identified “job security” as a
reason for pursuing a master’s degree. When cross-tabulated with the category of gender, this
variable is equally distributed: 18% of males and 19% of females selected the response. There is
also no “clustering” within any of the occupational categories listed in question 11. It is perhaps
interesting to note that less than 30% (n=5) of the respondents who identified “job security” as a
reason to pursue a master’s degree also identified the MACS program as having courses

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designed to meet the demands of the job market (question 3). This would suggest that “job
security” is not tied to any specific skills to be acquired in the MACS program, but to the
master’s degree in and of itself.
There is one other cross-tabulation, however, that produced an interesting result: job
security and age. Although the 36-40 year olds constituted the smallest number of those who
completed the survey (n=9), nearly 44% on that grouping (n=4) selected “job security” as one of
the reasons for graduate school in communication studies.
While there is a danger in extrapolating “reasons” from such a small group, the
connection does seem intriguing. One could well imagine that as individuals approached their
fortieth birthday, fears of corporate downsizing for mid-career professionals became real, and the
MACS degree was somehow seen as a response to that fear.

Employer encouraged further studies: This variable, which elicited an affirmative response
from 11.5% of respondents (n=14), was distributed equally among categories of age and sex, as
well as variables such as “time elapsed between receiving undergraduate degree and entering
MACS program.” Cross-tabulation produced no “clustering” with any specific occupational
category identified in the survey. It would seem that this variable is not tied to any demographic
classification, but is “situational” within the confines of certain work sites.
Although it may seem a bit surprising that this variable only elicited 14 affirmative
responses, perhaps it fits in with the notion suggested earlier of the personal or internal
motivation beneath the decision to attend graduate school, particularly for those individuals who
are in the 30+ age brackets. Employer encouragement is not as significant a factor as personal

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attitudes and perceptions.

Wanted to change careers: Slightly more than 25% of all survey respondents (n=31) identified
that part of the reason they wanted to pursue a master’s degree was in order to change careers.
This desire is evenly distributed among males and females. When this variable is cross-tabulated
with age categories, however, an expected trend emerges. Of those students who entered the
MACS program at 20-25 years of age, only 14% indicated a desire to change careers, perhaps in
part because these individuals are just beginning to create a professional career. For all other age
categories, slightly more than 30% of respondents selected this survey response. Although the
question remains as to the specific motivation beneath this desire to change careers, whether it is
a personal choice or dictated by the circumstances on the job, it still seems an important notion
to consider when putting together a marketing plan for the MACS program.
It is perhaps necessary to keep in mind that what constitutes a “career change” is not
clearly defined in this question. Is it a move from public relations into banking, or from an entry
level position in public relations into a more “senior” position? Although the specificity of the
survey does not “get at” that level of analysis, it does not mean that the idea of “career change”
in the survey cannot produce some interesting notions from a marketing perspective. For
example, there is a “mirror image” phenomena that occurs when “changing careers” is crosstabulated with the largest occupational category of respondents - “public relations/ marketing.”
Nearly 24% (n=7) of the 30 respondents who said they were employed in this kind of work also
expressed a desire to change careers as a reason for pursuing a master’s degree. Of course, there
is no way of determining from the survey if the individuals who now work in public

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relations/marketing got their job before or after enrolling in the MACS degree, but their response
rate mirrors the overall figure of 25.4% of all respondents to the survey, regardless of their
employment, who wanted to change careers. Although this “mirror image” may simply be a
statistical “coincidence”, it does suggest a program benefit associated with the graduate degree.
A master’s degree is perceived as an “important ingredient” by those who anticipate a career
change, whatever that change may be. Given the uncertain economic times in which we live,
that may be a “selling point” for potential students in the program.

Education sake: From a marketing perspective, the next variable under discussion must
certainly receive notice. A large percentage of survey respondents, 48.4 % (n=59), identified a
reason for pursuing a master’s degree in communication studies as being “for education sake.”
This reason was evenly distributed among males and females. When cross-tabulated with age
categories, over 60% (n=l 8) of students who entered the MACS program from 26-30 years of
age selected “for education sake”; nearly 65% (n=l 1) of students over the age of 40 also checked
this response. Even those students in the youngest age bracket, 20-25 years of age, selected this
variable 47% of the time. The other age categories, however, revealed much lower responses.
Of the 13 respondents 31-35 years of age, 23% (n=3) also selected “for education sake,” while
33% (n=3) of those 36-40 also selected the variable. While it is perhaps imprudent to define the
notion of “mid-career professional” strictly on age, it does seem interesting that those students
31-40 years old chose variables other than “education sake” as reasons for enrolling in the
MACS program.
Although the notion of “education sake” is a general term that could take upon a number

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of specific meanings, it is interesting to cross-tabulate this variable with other dimensions of the
survey that seemingly should “overlap.” For instance, question 3 asks respondents specifically
why they enrolled in the MACS program (as opposed to general reasons for wanting a master’s
degree). One of the possible responses is “the quality of the program.” Of those who selected
“education sake,” only 15% (n=7) also chose “program quality.” It would appear again that a
rationale for attending graduate school is defined in personal terms often apart from the “reality”
- perceived or otherwise - of the graduate program itself, at least in terms of those who
responded to this particular survey. Of course, it should be kept in mind that if there is no direct
competition, quality tends not to be very important in the selection process.

Unemployed at the time: Among survey respondents, 18% (n=22) indicated that unemployment
was a factor in their pursuing a master’s degree. This group of individuals was evenly
distributed between males and females (males=10, females=12). A cross-tabulation with age
categories revealed a fairly “even” distribution, with the exception of the 31-35 year olds, among
whom 30% (n=4) were unemployed at the time they decided to pursue a graduate degree. When
the “unemployed at time” variable is cross-tabulated with zip codes of survey respondents,
nearly 33% (n=7) of the unemployed resided in the Edinboro (16412) area. In that a significant
number of survey respondents indicated they attended EUP as undergraduates, it may well be the
case that these “unemployed” did not lose a job, but simply had not yet found one when they
enrolled in the MACS program.

Social activities: Only 4.1% (n=5) of those surveyed selected “social activities” as one of the

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reasons they pursued a graduate degree. Of the 5 former or current students who selected this
response, 4 attended Edinboro University as an undergraduate.

Degree needed for further study: Survey respondents who decided to pursue a master’s degree,
in part, because of a desire to engage in further graduate study after the master’s composed
15.6% (n=19) of the survey total. More than twice as many females (68%) than males (31%)
made up this group. When the variable was cross-tabulated with age categories, results tended to
follow “common sense” expectations. For instance, among the 17 survey respondents who were
over 40 years old when they entered the MACS program, only one (5%) indicated a desire to go
on for further graduate study. The highest percentage of respondents occurred within the 20-25
and 35-40 age groupings, both at 22%.
In that 85% of former and current students surveyed do not anticipate going on for
further graduate study after the master’s in communication studies is completed, the MACS
program can be considered a “terminal” degree for the majority of students. This information
may be important in identifying what the “program identity” is with respect to marketing
strategies.

Other: A total of 27 respondents supplied “other” responses to question 1 in the space provided
in the survey. While most of the “other” reasons are highly specific to the individual respondent
(e.g., “I had one year of swimming eligibility left), a number of reasons fall into the realm of
“personal goals.” For example, reasons include: “I wanted to see if I could do it,” “I simply
wanted a master’s degree,” “For self-respect,” “I’m interested in the study,” “I was bored and

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needed something to do,” “A personal goal,” “For the enjoyment of the experience.” These
reasons share a sense of personal motivation that lies beneath the desire to pursue a graduate
degree. Perhaps there is also the idea of “self-betterment” involved in the process of enrolling in
graduate studies. This, however, also points to a personal rationale as opposed to external
factors in decision-making.

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Question 2.
How did you find out about the MACS program? (You
may check as many reasons as relevant.)

Reasons

Affirmative

Responses

Percent of
Total

Attended EUR as an undergrad

57

46.7%

Knew someone in the program

31

25.4%

Read informational flyers/brochures

37

30.3%

Called the Office of Graduate Studies

49

40.2%

Other

26*

NA

*7 individuals (5.7%) indicated that they found out about the MACS program from a .
“friend”

Attended EUP as an undergraduate: Nearly 47% (n=57) of all respondents to the MACS
survey indicated that they attended Edinboro University as undergraduates. This figure is made
up of 44% males and 56% females, percentages that roughly approximate the overall figures for
gender distribution in the MACS program. When cross-tabulated with age categories, the results
indicate that over 50% (n=29) of those who attended EUP as undergrads entered the MACS
program between 20-25 years of age. Perhaps just as interesting is the cross-tabulation of
“attended EUP as an undergrad” with the variable “time elapsed between receiving undergrad
degree and entering MACS program.” Over 70% of those who attended EUP as undergrads also
entered the MACS program within 2 years of receiving the undergrad degree. To put these
variables into the perspective of the entire survey, of all the survey respondents (n=122), 33%

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(n=40) attended EUP as undergrads and entered the MACS program “immediately” (within 2
years) after graduation.
From a marketing standpoint, these results carry some significant implications. As
mentioned earlier in this thesis, the danger of “inbreeding” was pointed out in the fourth-year
review of the MACS program undertaken in 1992. Of course, it is impossible to determine from
the current study whether the percentage of EUP undergraduates has changed in the last four
years. From a policy standpoint, however, the MACS program and the Office of Graduate
Studies must decide whether the current profile is a “problem,” and if they choose to address it.
Given the significant representation of EUP undergrads in the MACS program, moreover, any
attempt to increase the number of non-EUP undergraduates in the MACS program would
necessitate some significant recruitment activities beyond the borough of Edinboro.

Knew someone in the program: A little more than 25% (n=31) of all survey respondents
indicated that they found out about the MACS program from someone they knew in the program.
It is perhaps not surprising that when this variable is cross-tabulated with “attended EUP as an
undergrad,” a frequency correlation results. Of those who knew someone in the MACS program,
nearly 60% (n=l 8) also attended EUP as undergraduates. It is probably the case that they knew
a “classmate” who graduated from EUP and entered the MACS program a year or two before
they did. Among survey respondents who did not attend EUP as undergraduates (n=65), 20%
(n=13) found out about the program, in part, from someone they knew in it.

Read informational flvers/brochures: Slightly more than 30% (n=37) of survey respondents

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found out about the MACS program, in part, by reading informational flyers and brochures.
What is interesting about this variable is its “uniformity.” The variable is almost uniformly
distributed across all age categories and gender. When cross-tabulated with zip codes of former
and current students, more “uniform” results are obtained. For instance, 23 students indicated
that the zip code of their legal (voting) residence when they entered the MACS program was
16412 — Edinboro. Of this number, about 30% (n=7) read informational flyers and brochures.
A total of 50 students had zip codes in the greater Erie area (including Girard and Fairview). Of
this number, about 30% (n=13) read informational flyers and brochures. In general, when the
results are looked at as a “whole,” students who had a voting residence outside of either Erie or
Edinboro showed a greater tendency to read the flyers and brochures about the MACS program,
probably because there was a greater need to do so.

Called the Office of Graduate Studies: A total of 40.2% (n=49) of survey respondents reported
that they found about the MACS program, in part, by calling the Office of Graduate Studies at
EUP. When this variable is cross-tabulated with gender, the results are surprising. Of those who
called the Graduate Office, 80% (n=39) were female, and 20% (n=10) were male. Although
there have been and currently are more females than males (about a 60% - 40% split) in the
MACS program, even within gender the results are significant. More than 53% of all female
students indicated that they called the office; about 20% of all male students reported that they
did the same.
Cross-tabulation with age categories also yields some interesting results. Distribution
among the age categories of 20-25,26-30, and 31-35 was fairly uniform; about 30% of

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respondents in each of these age groups called the Office of Graduate Studies. In the 36-40 age
bracket, however, 66% of those surveyed called the office, while more than 50% of those
students over 40 made a similar call.
It would appear from the survey that females and older prospective students used the
Office of Graduate Studies at EUP as a resource for finding out about the program. Males and
younger students called much less frequently. Common sense would suggest that as far as older
students are concerned, the time away from school would lead them to inquire about the MACS
program through formal channels. Also, older prospective students are probably more likely to
approach the situation more methodically. Younger students, to a significant degree, attended
EUP as undergraduates and had some familiarity with the program, especially faculty, through
their classes. Why more females than males call the office is probably better left to social
psychologists and critical theorists to surmise. From a marketing perspective, it is simply
important to note that males and younger students are presently more likely to use “informal”
channels in finding out about the MACS program. It also suggests the need to develop a phone
“script” or something similar for the Office of Graduate Studies in general, and the Department
of Speech and Communication Studies in particular, to use when prospective students call in
order to gather some information about graduate studies at EUP.

Other: A total of 26 survey respondents wrote a response in the “other” section of this question.
Written explanations included two significant “clusters” of explanations: 8 respondents indicated
they found out about the MACS program from a faculty member or administrator at EUP; 7
respondents indicated that they found out from a “friend.” These responses, for the most part,

MACS Marketing Plan
are not duplicated in the variable “knew someone in the program.” When all these individuals
are added together, about 35% of all survey respondents found out about the program, in part,
via “personal contact” with another individual. This “informal” channel can be used even more
effectively within a marketing strategy, as will be discussed later in this thesis.

56

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Question 3.
What reason(s) contributed to your decision to enroll
in the MACS program at Edinboro University? (You may
check as many reasons as relevant.)

Reasons

Affirmative
Responses

Percent of
Total

Reputation of professors

20

16.4%

Flexibility of course offerings

27

22.1%

Evening courses

65

53.3%

Ease of commute from work or home

62

50.8%

Quality of master’s program

19

15.6%

Low tuition

56

45.9%

Courses meet demands of job
market

17

13.9%

Student activities/socialization

3

2.5%

37 *

NA

Other

* 16 individuals (13.1 %) identified the fact that they were offered graduate
assistantships as a reason they enrolled in the MACS program.

Reputation of professors: Data from the survey showed that 16.4% (n=20) of all respondents
felt that the “reputation of the professors” was a contributing factor in their decision to enroll in
the MACS program. It is interesting to note that 75% (n=15) of these individuals also attended
EUP as undergraduates, and that 70% (n=14) were 20-25 years of age. It would seem that this
“reason” is largely confined to young students who had contact with the MACS faculty as
undergraduates at EUP. This area will be addressed in the marketing recommendations.

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Flexibility of course offerings: Slightly more than 22% (n=27) of survey respondents indicated
that “flexibility of course offerings” was a factor in their enrollment in the MACS program.
Although the term “flexibility” can mean different things, it may refer to the fact that students
can choose from a number of different offerings each semester. When cross-tabulated with other
variables in this question, a frequency correlation occurs between other “pragmatic” or
“practical” reasons. For example, of the 27 students who selected “flexibility of courses” as a
reason, 74% (n=20) also selected “evening courses”; 60% (n=16) also chose low tuition; and
44% (n=12) also indicated “ease of commute from work or home.” Given the strength of these
variables, especially “evening courses” and “ease of commute,” among all survey respondents,
this data needs to be highlighted in a marketing strategy for the MACS program.

Evening courses: More than 53% (n=65) of all those who completed the MACS survey
indicated that “evening courses” were a factor in their decision to enroll in the program. The
strength of this “reason,” moreover, is distributed across age categories. More than 40% of the
individuals in each age bracket listed this reason in their surveys. As one would also expect,
75% (n=36) of the respondents who attended the MACS program part-time (n=48) identified this
rationale as important. From a marketing perspective, evening courses are an important aspect
of the MACS program — a “program benefit.”

Ease of commute from home/work: A little more than 50% (n=62) of those who completed the
survey identified “ease of commute from home or work” as a reason for enrolling in the MACS
program. When cross-tabulated with gender, this rationale reveals some interesting results: 60%

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(n=44) of all the females who completed the survey selected this response, while only 36%
(n=l 8) of all the males did likewise. Given the fact that more former and current students in the
MACS program are female, this variable takes upon added significance. When cross-tabulated
with the variable in question 8 about concern with “job and/or family responsibilities,” a
connection can be discerned. More than 56% (n=32) of those who were apprehensive about the
MACS program because of “job and/or family” also selected the “ease of commute” as a reason
for enrolling in the program.

Quality of master’s program: Like the variable “reputation of professors” addressed earlier,
those who indicated that the “quality of the master’s program” was a reason for enrolling in the
MACS degree are (or were), for the most part, young students “immediately” out of college. A
little more than 15% (n=19) of all survey respondents selected the “quality of program”
response, and of this number, 63% (n=12) were 20-25 years of age, and 78% (n=15) had entered
the MACS program no more than 2 years out of college.

Low tuition: Nearly 46% (n=56) of all survey respondents identified “low tuition” as a
contributing factor in their decision to enroll in the MACS program. As expected, this reason is
tied to other “economic” variables in the survey. Of the 22 individuals who reported that they
were unemployed at the time they enrolled in the MACS degree, 60% (n=13) also selected “low
tuition” as an important factor. Of the 61 students who entered the graduate degree less than 2
years out of college, 44% (n=29) also indicated “low tuition” was important. For students who
have just graduated from college and, presumably, have college loans to repay, low tuition is

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probably an important consideration in their decision to attend graduate school.

Courses meet demands of job market: Less than 14% (n=17) of those surveyed chose “courses
designed to meet demands ofjob market” as a reason for enrolling in the MACS program. When
cross-tabulated with “unemployed at the time,” an interesting result occurs: of the 22 individuals
who indicated that they were unemployed when they entered the program, less than 10% (n=2)
thought the MACS degree was designed to “meet the demands of the job market.” When crosstabulated with age categories, no significant frequency correlation occurs except for the “over
40" group. Of the 17 survey respondents over 40 years of age who enrolled in the MACS
program, nearly 30% (n=5) thought the program design would meet the demands of the job
market. Perhaps it is the “older” students who can acknowledge the “applied dimension” of the
graduate degree. The argument can be made, however, that perhaps it is the degree itself, and
not the courses within the program, that is important in the job market.

Student activities/socialization: Only 2.5% (n=3) of survey respondents listed “socialization”
as a contributing factor in choosing the MACS program. All of these individuals attended EUP
as undergraduates and 2 out of the 3 were 20-25 years old when they entered the graduate
program.

Other: As referenced in the table of results listed above, 16 individuals--13.1% of all
respondents-identified the fact that they were offered graduate assistantships as a reason they
enrolled in the MACS program. It would appear from this question, and other indicators in the

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survey, that assistantships have been an important “source” of program participants in the past.
An interesting study would be to “track” those students admitted with assistantships (full-time or
half-time) versus the number of other students admitted into the program to gauge just how
important a “source” these assistantships have been. Speculation would suggest that they have
functioned as the primary marketing mechanism for the program - ensuring that a consistent
number of full-time students are enrolled in the program each semester. A complete review of
all the admissions numbers for the MACS program would have to be undertaken in order to
“test” this speculation.

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Question 4.
Zip code of your legal (voting) residence when you
entered into the MACS program?

Zip Codes

Number of
Responses

Percent of
Total

51

41 .7%

26

21.4%

6

4.9%

Erie: 16502, 16503, 16504,
16505, 16506, 16508,
16509, 16510, 16511, 16546
Fairview: 16415
Girard: 16417
Edinboro: 16412, 16444
Crawford County: 161 10,
16131, 16335, 16360, 16424
Allegheny County: 15101,
15116, 15209, 15235, 15239

4.1%

Other Pennsylvania Zip Codes:
15005, 15301, 15613, 15825
16345, 16365, 16401, 16403
16407, 16426, 16427, 16433
16438, 16440, 16652, 16666
16731, 18651
Codes Outside Pennsylvania:
14445 (Rochester, NY)
22071 (Herndon, VA)
44022, 44123 (Cleveland, OH)

17.6%

4

3.3%

*7 respondents (5.7%) did not answer this question

Zip Codes: A majority of those surveyed had a legal (voting) residence in the Erie/Edinboro
area. If other towns in Erie County such as Corry (16407), Albion (16401) and McKean (16426)
are included with the figures above, more than two-thirds of survey respondents had their
“home” in northwest Pennsylvania. The addition of Crawford County figures would “push” the

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percentage over the 70% mark.
What is interesting to note about the zip codes from former and current students surveyed
is that virtually all them resided in Pennsylvania when they entered the program. Only four
students identified their residence as outside the state. Although one could look at the price
differential for graduate credit hours of in-state versus out-of-state students as the reason for this
occurrence, the use of graduate assistantships as an important marketing mechanism argues
against that kind of analysis. Perhaps a more plausible explanation is simply that no marketing
or recruiting of students has occurred beyond the confines of Pennsylvania itself.

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Question 5.

How much time elapsed between receiving your
undergraduate degree (or a graduate degree) and
entering the MACS program?

Number of years

Affirmative
Responses

Percent of
Total*

0-2 years

61

50%

3-5 years

19

15.6%

6-10 years

24

19.7%

11- 20 years
+ 20 years

6.6%
4

3.3%

* 6 respondents (4.9%) did not answer this question

Time Between Undergraduate Degree - MACS Program: Exactly one-half of the survey
respondents (n=61) indicated that they entered the MACS program within 2 years of receiving
their undergraduate degree. Nearly two-thirds of all respondents (n=80) enrolled within 5 years
of receiving their baccalaureate degree. When this variable is cross-tabulated with categories
such as “age,” “part-time/full-time status,” and “attended EUP as an undergraduate,” a profile
emerges. Of the 61 individuals who came into the program within 2 years of an undergraduate
degree, 67% (n=41) were 20-25 years of age, 75% (n=46) were full-time students, and 66%
(n=40) attended EUP as undergraduates.
Cross-tabulation with “part-time/full-time status” deserves a bit more attention, for an
interesting trend is observed as a result. As indicated above, of those students who entered the
MACS program within 2 years of graduation, 75% (n=46) were full-time students. For students
in the next “time elapsed” category, 3-5 years, the exact opposite is the case: 74% (n=14) were

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part-time students. At the other end of the spectrum, for those students who had more than 20
years between their undergraduate degree and their entrance into the MACS program, 100%
(n=4) were part-time students.
When the “time elapsed” variable is cross-tabulated with gender, another interesting
trend is observed. For individuals who entered the program within 2 years of the undergraduate
degree, 45% (n=28) were males, and 54% (n=33) were females. For the next three “time
elapsed” categories (3-5 years, 6-10 years, and 11-20 years), twice as many females than males
enrolled into the program. For the “last” time elapsed category (+20 years), an even distribution
between males and females (2 each) is represented.
From a marketing perspective, the large percentage of students who enter the MACS
program within 5 years of their baccalaureate, coupled with the age at which they are entering
the program, as well as the fact that many are full-time students, calls into question the image the
program has of itself as it relates to the “mid-career professional” in the region. This could be
phrased in at least a couple of ways: either the program is not appealing to the target audience,
or the marketing (or lack thereof) is not addressing that audience. This data from the survey
suggests, to put it bluntly, that the MACS program currently functions for many as an extension
of the undergraduate experience. This issue will be addressed more fully in the marketing
recommendations made as part of this thesis.

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Question 6.
Did you attend the MACS program on a part-time or
full-time basis?

Categories

Affirmative

Percent of
Total*

Part-time

48

39.3%

Full-time

67

54.9%

* 7 respondents (5.7%) did not answer the question

Part-time/Full-time Status: Of the 122 former and current students who completed the MACS
survey, 39% (n=48) reported that they attended the program part-time, while 55% (n=67) were
full-time students. With reference to age categories as they relate to part-time/full-time status,
55% (n=37) of all full-time students were 20-25 years of age, while 38% of part-time students
were 26-30 years old. This data is consistent with the profile that is emerging throughout the
survey results.
When cross-tabulated with other variables in the survey, the relative age differential
between “younger” full-time students and “older” part-time students is observed in other ways.
For instance, among the 48 part-time students, 71% (n=34) also indicated that they were
apprehensive about attending the MACS program because of “job and/or family
responsibilities.” Of the 67 full-time students, only 31% (n=21) shared this concern about job
and/or family.
When part-time/full-time is contrasted with the variable “concern about the financial cost
of the program,” however, a different pattern emerges. Of the 48 part-time students, 18.7%

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(n=9) also were concerned about the cost of the degree. Of the 67 full-time students, 19.4%
(n=13) also shared the same concern. A virtually identical percentage of part-time and full-time
students were concerned about the cost of the MACS program. A similar relationship is
observed when part-time/full-time is cross-tabulated with “low tuition.” Of the 67 full time
students, 50% (n=34) also selected “low tuition” as a reason for enrolling in the MACS program,
while 43% (n=20) of part-time students did the same
Cross-tabulation between part-time/full-time and gender also reveals some interesting
connections. The 48 part-time students were composed of 33% (n=16) males and 67% (n=32)
females. The 67 full-time students were more evenly distributed between the sexes: 45% (n=30)
were male, while 55% (n=37) were female.
From a marketing perspective, the contrasts between job/family concerns and financial
concerns as they relate to part-time/full-time status and gender are important. For instance, if a
decision is made to “target” an increase in the number of part-time students in the program, then
emphasis upon benefits such as “evening classes” and “ease of commute from home or office”
may allay some of the fears these students often have about graduate school. The low tuition
costs associated with the MACS program at EUP can receive the same emphasis within the
marketing strategy, regardless of the “intended” audience.

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Question 7.
If you were employed while attending the MACS
program, did you receive any kind of financial
assistance from your employer such as tuition
reimbursement, tuition waiver, graduate assistantship,
etc?
Categories

Responses

Percent of
Total*

Yes

67

54.9%

No

46

37.7%

* 9 respondents (7.4%) did not answer the question

Financial Assistance: Among all the survey respondents, nearly 55% (n=67) reported that they
received some kind of financial assistance while attending the MACS program. The notion of
what constituted “assistance” was broad, however, including graduate assistantships as well as
tuition reimbursement from employers. In retrospect, the survey should have excluded graduate
assistantships from this question in order to gauge to what extent employers other than Edinboro
University are providing financial assistance for MACS students.
Although the wording of this question does not reveal the extent of employer-provided
assistance, it does not mean that the question is meaningless. When this variable is crosstabulated with categories of “age” and “part-time/full-time” status, some trends emerge that are
consistent with other data in the survey. For example, of the 67 individuals who reported some
kind of “financial aid,” 45% (n=30) were 20-25 years old, 27% (n=18) were 26-30 years old, 6%
(n=4) were 31-35 years old, 6% (n=4) were 36-40 years old, and 16% (n=l 1) were over 40 years
of age. Almost 63% (n=42) of those receiving financial assistance also indicated that they

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attended the MACS program full-time. This data tends to support the analysis suggested earlier
that “graduate assistantships” currently serve as the primary “marketing mechanism” for the
MACS program.

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Question 8.
If you were apprehensive prior to beginning the MACS
program, what reason(s), if any, contributed to the
apprehension? (Check as many reasons as relevant.)

Affirmative
Responses

Percent of
Total

Amount off time away from school

18

14.8%

Anticipated difficulty of studies

53

43.4%

Reasons

23%

Potential difficulty in completing
degree in allotted time
Financial cost of program

23

18.9%

Competition from younger
students

9

7.4%

Job and/or family responsibilities

57

46.7%

Other

17

NA

Amount of time away from school: Among all the former and current students who completed
the MACS survey, nearly 15% (n=l 8) reported that they were apprehensive prior to beginning
the MACS program because of the amount of time away from school. As common sense would
suggest, the frequency of this “apprehension” increased as the amount of time between the
undergraduate degree and the graduate program lengthened. For individuals who entered the
MACS program 0-2 years after their baccalaureate, only 2% (n=l) expressed this fear; for 3-5
years, 16% (n=3); for 6-10 years, 33% (n=8); for 11-20 years, 50% (n=4); for +20 years, 50%
(n=2). There also seems to be a connection which suggests that familiarity with Edinboro
University in general lessens the apprehension. Of the 18 students who reported this fear, 27%
(n=5) attended EUP as undergraduates, while 72% (n=13) did not attend EUP on the

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undergraduate level.
One other cross-tabulation of some interest is “amount of time away from school” and
“gender.” Of the respondents who reported this apprehension, 27% (n=5) were male, while 72%
(n=l 3) were female. Although the variable itself did not represent a large percentage of the
overall survey (less than 15%), the fact that females make up the largest percentage of“nontraditional” students suggests that this apprehension must be considered when marketing to
“older” prospective students, especially females who did not attend EUP as undergraduates.

Anticipated difficulty of studies: Among survey respondents, slightly more than 43% (n=53)
were worried about the difficulty of studies prior to beginning the MACS program. When crosstabulated with age categories, this “fear” diminishes among students in the “oldest” age bracket,
although the trend is not consistent across all categories. Nearly 57% (n=28) of students 20-25
years old reported this fear; 43% (n=13) of those 26-30 years old; 31% (n=4) of students 31-35
years old; 56% (n=5) of students 36-40 years old; but only 16% (n=2) of students who started the
program over the age of 40 were worried about the difficulty of the studies. Perhaps the measure
of “real world” experience that these “over 40" students bring to their studies also creates a
measure of “self-confidence” along with it.
There does seem to be some slight indication, however, that familiarity with EUP in
general lessens the frequency of this “apprehension” in prospective students. Of those students
who did not attend EUP as undergraduates, 49% (n=31) were apprehensive about the anticipated
difficulty of studies prior to beginning the MACS program. Among students who did attend
EUP as undergrads, 42% (n=22) reported this fear. Like the previous variable in the survey,

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some familiarity with the faculty and/or program seems to lessen the anxiety associated with
graduate studies at least in some small measure.
Finally, a greater percentage of students who attended the MACS program full-time
indicated that they were apprehensive prior to beginning the program. Among part-time
students, 38% (n=18) were worried about the difficulty of studies, while 51% (n=34) of full-time
MACS students indicated that they were apprehensive. While there are many possible
“explanations” or “reasons” that could account for this phenomena, perhaps it is simply that parttime students are taking less than a “full load of credits” so they are less anxious about the
potential difficulty of their studies. If the question is asked why full-time students, given their
apprehension, still chose to go through the program full-time, the answer may have something to
do with the notion that graduate assistantships serve as the primary marketing mechanism for the
program. Assistantships require full-time status.

Potential difficulty in completing degree in allotted time: Of those surveyed, 23% (n=28)
were apprehensive about the potential difficulty of completing the MACS degree in the allotted
time (5 years). As one would expect, there is a distinct correlation between this “fear” and
whether a student attended the program part-time or full-time. Among part-time students, 35%
(n=17) were worried about completing the degree in the time allowed, while only 16% (n=l 1) of
the full-time students shared this same concern. For other variables such as gender, age, and
whether the student attended EUP as an undergrad, the variable was equally distributed across
these categories.

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Financial cost of the program: Among survey respondents, slightly less than 19% (n=23) were
apprehensive about the financial cost of the MACS program prior to matriculation. The analysis
has already been suggested relative to the connection between fears about financial cost and
other “economic” concerns such as “low tuition.” When “financial cost” is cross-tabulated with
“gender,” another interesting correlation is revealed. Of the 23 students who were worried about
the financial cost of the program, 17% (n=4) were male, while 83% (n=19) were female. Among
these 23 respondents, moreover, 70% (n=16) were also worried about “job and/or family
responsibilities,” which will be shown to be predominantly a concern of females in the program.

Competition from younger students more accustomed to academics: Only 7% (n=9) of
survey respondents reported to be apprehensive about competition from younger students more
accustomed to academics. There is a logical explanation for the low frequency of this variable -the majority of MACS students are “younger students” to begin with, such that they do not fear
competition from students much like themselves. Of those students who do have this “fear,”
44% (n=4) were in the 36-40 age bracket.

Job and/or Family Responsibilities: Of those former and current students who filled out the
MACS survey, 47% (n=57) expressed concern about “job and/or family responsibilities.” What
is interesting about this variable is its “gender specific” nature. Of the 57 respondents who
expressed this concern, 28% (n=16) were male, while 72% (n=41) were female. Of course, there
are more females than males among survey respondents, but even “within gender” the results are
significant: 33% of all males expressed this fear, compared to 56% of all females.

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Just as dramatic is the cross-tabulation with age brackets. “Job and/or family
responsibility” was selected by 33% (n=16) of those 20-25 years old; 47% (n=14) of those 2630; 69% (n=9) of those 31-35; 67% (n=6) of those 36-40; and 71% (n=12) of those students over
40 years of age when they entered the MACS program.
As one would probably expect, concern over job and family in relation to graduate school
is more pronounced the “older” one gets. From a marketing standpoint, it is important to
recognize that any strategy that targets the “mid-career professional” or simply the “older”
student will need to emphasize aspects such as evening courses, low tuition and course flexibility
in the promotion package.

Other: As one might expect, “other” reasons that students were apprehensive about the MACS
program were very “particular” in nature. These explanations included reasons such as, “I was
planning my wedding,” to “I had a different undergraduate degree,” to even “I was worried I
would get bored by the program.” The common element throughout these worries, however, is
the “internal” nature of the apprehension. The remark was made earlier in this data analysis that
reasons for wanting to go to graduate school suggested an internal locus of control. The same
can be said about the fears associated with a graduate program. Much of the time these fears are
“grounded” in the individual’s own assessment of the situation, not what other people are telling
him or her to fear. A marketing plan must therefore emphasize a dimension of “customer
service” that can respond to individual fears/worries with specific responses. In other words,
someone associated with the program must listen to what prospective students are saying about
their fears and offer recommendations to deal with the situation(s).

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Question 9.
Gender:

Categories

Percent
of
Total

Male

49

40.2%

Female

73

59.8%

Gender: Of the 122 former and current students that completed the MACS survey, 59.8%
(n=73) were female, and 40.2% (n=49) were male. As a way of comparing the survey
distribution to the overall figures specific to the MACS program, the original list of 231 former
and current students (including international students not included in the survey) were reviewed
in order to count the number of males and females. The tally revealed 59.7% (n=138) females
and 40.2% (n=93) males, figures virtually identical to the survey response. Of course, the
gender of a number of names was “guessed” at, given the unfamiliar first names of international
students, as well as a few “androgenous” first names of American students in the program. Even
with a “margin of error,” however, it seems that the 60/40 distribution is an accurate estimate for
the program as a whole.
It is also interesting to contrast this data with the “overall” figures for all graduate
programs at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. The figures for Fall 1994 graduate
enrollment, (the “latest” data available on the Internet) show that of the 637 graduate students at
EUP (both full-time and part-time), 75.3% (n=480) were female, and 24.6% (n=157) were male.
While 3 out of 5 MACS survey respondents were female, 3 out of 4 graduate students at

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Edinboro are female. To say the least, the vast majority of graduate students at Edinboro are
female.
The gender data from the MACS survey shows an “even” distribution across age
categories, with the exception of the 31-35 age bracket. The cross-tabulation of gender with age
is as follows: 20-25 years old, 59% (n=29) female and 41% (n=20) male; 26-30 years old, 60%
(n=18) female and 40% (n=12) male; 31-35 years old, 77% (n=10) female and 23% (n-3) male;
36-40 years old, 56% (n=5) female and 44% (n=4) male; over 40 years old, 53% (n=9) female
and 47% (n=8) male. In terms of the “disparity” between female and males in the 31-35 age
bracket, it may be helpful to keep in mind that among undergraduate students, as women 35
years of age and older are the fastest growing segment (percentage wise) among college students
(Zamanou, 1993). It could well be that the same socio-economic forces are at work among
graduate students as undergrads. From a marketing perspective, whatever the “reasons” for the
larger number of women in graduate school at EUP, it is necessary to keep in mind the variables
such as “ease of commute from home or office,” as well as concern about “job and/or family
responsibilities” when marketing to female students.

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Question 10.
Your age when you entered the MACS program:

Categories

Responses

Percent of
Total*

20 - 25 years old

49

40.2%

26 - 30 years old

30

24.6%

31 - 35 years old

13

10.7%

36 - 40 years old

9

7.4%

40 + years old

17

13.9%

* 4 respondents (3.3%) did not answer the question

Age categories: In the data generated as a result of this survey, the notion of “mid-career
professional” has been contrasted with the “profile” that has emerged from the responses of
former and current students. In some ways, the distribution among age categories is the simplest
evidence that the MACS program is, for many students, an extension of their undergraduate
experience, not a “mid-career experience.” Although the notion of a “mid-career professional”
is a somewhat nebulous term, common sense would suggest that it is more applicable to
individuals who are over 30 years of age, than to those under 30. Of the 122 survey respondents,
nearly two-thirds (n=79) were 30 years of age or younger. When you couple this data with the
understanding that a nearly identical number of students (n=80) entered the program 5 years or
less out of college, the implications are quite clear. This is not the profile of a “mid-career”
professional.

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Question 1 1.
Are you ourrently employed in:

Affirmative
Responses

Percent of
Total

30

24.6%

Newspaper/publishing

4

3.3%

Radio/television

14

1 1.5%

Teaching/academic research

23

18.9%

Info systems/computer technology

3

2.5%

Banking/finance

6

4.9%

Categories
Public relations/marketing

Law

1.6%

Entertainment

4.1%

Social services

4.1%

Other

47*

NA

* 8 respondents (6.6%) indicated they were employed in “sales,” as distinct from
public relations/marketing; also, 5 respondents (4.1%) indicated they were
employed in “higher education administration.”

Occupational Categories: This question attempted to “get at” the employment status of survey
respondents when they completed the questionnaire. Of course, in that the survey included both
former and current students, this job status could mean employment that was initiated before,
during, or after their MACS’ experience. This question, therefore, is not attempting to discern
the kind of employment MACS graduates find after they have completed their degree, What it is
trying to look at is the “clustering” among occupational categories of those who have been, or
are now, students in the MACS program.

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Among all survey respondents, slightly less than 25% indicated that they were currently
employed in “public relations/marketing.” Cross-tabulation with gender reveals that 37% (n=l 1)
are male and 63% (n=19) are female, figures that approximate the percentages of males and
females in the entire survey. What is interesting is the cross-tabulation with age categories in
which survey respondents entered into the MACS program. About 83% (n=25) of those
currently in public relations/marketing entered the MACS program at 30 years of age or under.
About 53% (n=16) had less than 2 years elapse between their undergraduate degree and the
MACS program. This is further evidence that those in public relations/marketing were not “mid­
career professionals” when they enrolled in the MACS program.
The next “largest” occupational category is that of “teaching/academic research.” While
one might be tempted to stereotype teaching, at least on a primary or secondary level, as a
“female” occupation, survey respondents in this occupation were 61% (n=14) male. Age
categories in which these individuals entered the MACS program, moreover, were evenly
distributed across all age brackets from “younger” to “older.”
The only other occupation to gamer more than 10% of the total response is that of
“radio/television” with 11.5% (n=14). Gender was equally divided (7 each) between males and
females. In terms of their age when they entered the MACS program, it is again a “young”
group. Over 70% (n=10) were (or are) 30 years of age or younger.
Among all those who indicated a response in the “other” category for this question, there
were a wide variety of responses. In terms of a cluster, however, there is a pattern that does
emerge out of the data. This is the distinction between the “public” and “private” sectors in
which those occupations exist. In addition to the 5 respondents who indicated employment in

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“higher education administration,” only about 5 others had jobs in areas such as “public affairs”
or “government” ~ what is usually meant by the public sector. The vast majority of “other”
responses were for areas such as “corporate training,” “business management,” “corporate
communications,

>5 «<

management training,” even areas such as “travel/tourism,” and “veterinary

medicine.” It would seem that those who are interested in the MACS program often find
employment in the private sector. That is an important realization when developing a marketing
strategy for the graduate degree in communication studies.

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Focus Group
A small focus group of MACS students (3 participants: 2 former students; 1 current) was
conducted in late January 1996 in order to get some feedback concerning the “meaning” of the
data generated by the survey. At that time, none of the cross-tabulations had been completed.
The group was presented the “raw” data and asked to comment about their interpretation of the
survey results. Some of the reactions and questions that emerged out of this group included the
following:
■ “You find the MACS program, it doesn’t find you” — The focus group felt that,
by and large, prospective students “find out” about the MACS program as a result of their own
initiative, not through any marketing or recruitment activities by the program, department, or
university as a whole. There appears to be very little effort to “spread the word” about the
program, and that fits in with the profile of the MACS student as a young, EUP graduate.
An interesting offshoot from this discussion was the characterization by one focus group
member of the MACS degree as a kind of “catch-all” for prospective students who want a
master’s degree, but are unsure of the discipline or academic area they want it to be in. “If I
want a master’s degree and I’m not interested in elementary education, or an MBA, or some
other specific area, I can always get a degree in communications. That’s something that can be
used in a lot of different fields, “ she explained.
Of course, there are positive and negative sides to this characterization, assuming it to be
true. On one hand, it is good that the MACS degree has a wide applicability to the workplace.
On the other hand, however, it suggests that the MACS program does not have a well-defined
identity, and that it is a “degree of last resort.”

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■ “When prospective students call the Office of Graduate Studies, how specific are
their requests?” — Although a little more than 40% of survey respondents reported that they
found out about the MACS program, in part, by calling the Office of Graduate Studies at EUP,
one focus group member raised an interesting point about the process. “When someone calls the
Graduate Studies Office, do they specifically ask for information about the MACS program? Or
is it more that they simply want information about master’s degree programs in general, and the
person they talk with suggests a number of different programs at Edinboro, including the MACS
degree?” she asked. This question is important, because it inquires about the actual “process”
that is involved in choosing to attend graduate school. It could well be that contact with the
person in the Office of Graduate Studies is an important “steering” mechanism for some of our
students, and serves a relevant function in a marketing strategy. This question is addressed in the
recommendations offered as part of the marketing plan for this thesis.
■ “Are students satisfied with the MACS program?” -- This question was not
addressed in the survey of former and current students, and although the focus group members
understood the difference between “why” a student chooses to attend graduate school, and “if’
the program “lived up to” its expectations, they felt this question was important nonetheless.
“What someone needs to ask in some future survey is this, ‘Does the program do what it is
supposed to do? Is it worth marketing?’ one member stated point blank. The answer to that
question, however, is not an easy ‘yes’ or ‘no.’
There are a wide range of motivations for students who enter the MACS program, and
probably an equally large variety of “expectations” going into the program. Some students enter
the program with the intention of simply taking a course or two in order to keep abreast of some

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current developments in the area; other students have a very fixed goal of getting the master’s
degree for very specific purposes. Does the “satisfaction” of the “casual” student mean the same
thing as that of the full-time student? Can we simply ask ‘are you satisfied with the program,’ or
must we evaluate “satisfaction” in terms of categories such as curriculum, faculty
expertise/involvement, library/resource materials, advisement, career planning/counseling, class
size, cost, physical (building) space, and a host of other “concerns.” The point is that “customer
satisfaction” is too loaded, and too important a notion to be “confused” with issues relating to
the reasons why students chose to attend graduate school in the first place.
Should the MACS program address the question as to whether the degree is doing “what
it is supposed to do?” Absolutely. But that question is a different concern than the one focused
upon in this survey, and this thesis. Perhaps some other graduate student will look at that issue
in some future research endeavor. The marketing survey of former and current students used as
the basis of this present study is a “step” in that direction.

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VI. Marketing Plan

The marketing plan for the MACS program offered as part of this thesis will be
structured as a set of “recommendations” outlining a marketing framework and strategy for the
graduate degree in communication studies. These recommendations address some basic aspects
of marketing such as “image,” “positioning,” and “target marketing,” as well as “customer
service.” A process to measure the achievement of marketing goals and integrate continuous
quality improvement within the marketing framework is also recommended as part of the plan.
Strategic concerns along with specific marketing mechanisms are contained within this
framework, as are psychographic and demographic observations based on the survey of former
and current students in the MACS program.

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Recommendation #1

Acknowledge the needfor marketing the MACS program and identify
those responsible for directing the effort.

The first step in creating a marketing plan for the MACS program is to acknowledge the
need for one. That may seem like a truism, but the issue of marketing and recruitment was not
addressed in the initial proposal for the MACS program drafted in 1987, and the fourth-year
review concluded that marketing and recruitment activities were extremely limited and largely
unsuccessful. While the issue may have been discussed formally in department meetings and
graduate faculty deliberations over the years, it does not appear that any proposals were ever
generated outlining the importance of marketing and the steps needed to accomplish those goals.
And although this thesis is, to some extent, a “tacit” affirmation of the need for a marketing
framework, it is still a partial requirement for a master’s degree, not a commitment on the part of
the program, department, or university of which it is a part.
Just as important as the agreed upon need for a marketing plan is the designation of the
individual or individuals responsible for directing the efforts. Should the marketing plan for the
MACS program be the responsibility of the program head, department chair, Dean of Graduate
Studies, Public Relations Department, or a combination of any or all of these individuals? That
decision should be made by consensus of those most concerned with its outcome. Two
observations, however, must be emphasized as part of that process: 1) Unless accountablities are
clearly defined for any marketing effort, nothing will probably be accomplished. If you want
som ething done, you must have some idea of who will do it. 2) Just as important as identifying

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accountabilities is the earmarking of resources (time) to those who are responsible for the
marketing effort. It is not a matter of simply “adding” the marketing plan onto someone’s job
description. You need to allocate the time it takes to do the work, or the work will not get done.
In other words, if you are serious about implementing a marketing plan for the MACS program,
you need to treat it as such.
The issue of “marketing” within the university setting undoubtedly raises some
“political” issues that are obstacles to any marketing endeavor. Perhaps the greatest obstacle is
the sense of “egalitarianism” or “organizational logic” that demands that no one program or
department be given “preferential” treatment by the University. The end result of this “logic” is
that if every graduate program doesn’t have a marketing plan, no single program should either.
Unless the “powers that be” recognize that what strengthens any one graduate program
ultimately strengthens all the graduate programs, and the university as a whole, there will be
“roadblocks” to the successful implementation of a marketing framework.
The notion of placing the marketing plan for the MACS program within a larger context
of a university-wide marketing framework for all graduate programming is an interesting
proposition. For a variety of reasons, however, that development does not seem to be occurring.
An argument can be made, moreover, that present trends in “decentralization” within
organizational structures suggest that marketing efforts must “have a home” within the specific
programs/departments of which they are a part. This is not to say that the university is
uninterested and/or does not have a vested interest in the success of the MACS program, rather it
is to acknowledge that the program itself is where the institution’s offerings meet the needs and
desires of the target audience. Remember that marketing, according to Kotler and Fox, is

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basically an “exchange of values.” The MACS program is where that exchange takes place.
The marketing plan for the MACS program can serve as a “model” for other programs in
the university. In order to function in that capacity, however, it must be deemed necessary in the
first place.

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Recommendation #2

Contrast the—image ” of the MACS program as a degree for “mid­
career professionals, ” with the data gatheredfrom former and current
students.
It has already been observed that the initial proposal for the MACS degree focused on the
“mid-career professional” as the “kind” of student that would attend the program. The data from .
the survey of former and current students suggests that the “typical” MACS student is not a
“mid-career professional.” Some of the data which support that observation include:
■ 40.2% of survey respondents were 20-25 year old when then entered the
program; 65% were 30 or younger
■ 50% entered the MACS program within 2 years of an undergraduate degree;
66% within 5 years
■ 55% of survey respondents attended the program full-time.
In other words, about two-thirds of the survey respondents were 30 years old or younger
and had less than 5 years between the MACS program and their undergraduate degree. More
than half attended the program full-time. This is not the profile of a “mid-career professional.”
When you couple this analysis with the number of MACS students who also attended EUP as
undergraduates, it further suggests that the MACS program functions as an “extension” of the
college experience for a significant number of our students.
Another “image” that the program has of itself is that the MACS degree can be
considered an “alternative” to an MBA. On a certain level this observation, of course, is true.
The simple fact that the MACS degree is offered in a region of northwest Pennsylvania in which
“competing” institutions (e.g., Penn State Erie, The Behrend College) offer an MBA means that

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the degree is an “alternative .” Given the profile of survey respondents, however, one wonders
the extent to which MACS students actually weigh the decision of whether to go the MBA or
MACS route in their graduate studies.
The fact that a significant number of survey respondents entered the MACS program as
young college grads, not mid-career professionals, is not a criticism of the program. Perhaps
“pre-professionals” benefit more from the program than “mid-career professionals.” From a
marketing prospective, though, there is one observation that cannot be ignored: there is a real
opportunity to market the MACS program in wavs that will be reach other “segments” of
potential students.
To say that the MACS program is for the “mid-career professional” and an “alternative to
an MBA” while the majority of students are young college grads is to be “out of focus” in terms
of a marketing framework. The opportunity exists to attract a wider, more diverse, student
population than the current profile that is depicted in the survey results.

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Recommendation #3
Identify target markets
The MACS program can be viewed, in some respects, as going through a “maturation”
process. When a full complement of graduate courses were offered for the first time in the 1988
Fall semester, it was important to create “full seat counts” by maintaining a constant influx of
full-time students. The twelve graduate assistantships allocated by the Office of Graduate
Studies to the MACS program/Department of Communication Studies have functioned as the
primary marketing mechanisms to ensure the “seats are filled.” By relying on graduate
assistantships, however, as the primary means for bringing about enrollment without any other
marketing or recruitment activities, the desire to attract “mid-career professionals” has not
occurred.
Given the rather “stable” influx of full-time students via graduate assistantships, perhaps
it is time to “market” the MACS program to “mid-career professionals” in the region. The
rationale for creating the MACS program in the mid-1980s, according to the initial proposal, was
based (in part) on the workforce analysis reports generated by the Pennsylvania Department of
Labor. These reports forecasted a significant shift from production to service-related positions in
the Erie Metropolitan Service Area (MSA). The committee that worked on the MACS proposal
reflected that, “as a number of jobs in the market place change from production to service-related
position, the need for effective communication skills becomes even more important.”
What was true in 1988, from the standpoint of economic trends, is even “more true”
today. The latest report from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor titled, “Employment
Outlook in Industries and Occupations: Erie MSA” is a statistical reference comparing estimated

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1990 base year and projected 2000 employment in the Erie region. The report continues to
project a decrease in manufacturing and production jobs, and a rise in service sector
employment. For instance, in the “manufacturing” category, there is a projected “loss” of 4,550
jobs in Erie from 1990 to 2000, a decrease of 12.5%. In the health care industry, however, an
increase of about 4,000 jobs is expected to occur, a rise of 34.9%. If the shift from production to
service-related employment can be viewed as a “reason” for a graduate program in
communication studies, then that “reason” is even more relevant today.
There is a large gap, however, between the observation that there exists an increasing
need for communication skills in the Erie region, and a marketing plan that will help bring those
“mid-career professionals” into the MACS program. Just because people need skills, doesn’t
mean they will automatically come to Edinboro to acquire them. That is why a marketing plan is
needed.

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Recommendation #4
“Position ” the MACS program by defining specific program benefits
As Bonnici and Reddy (1993) emphasized in the literature review, an important aspect of
any marketing framework in higher education is the notion of “positioning.” They define the
concept as fitting the product or service to one or more segments of the broad market in such a
way as to set it meaningfully apart from the competition,” (Bonnici & Reddy, p. 108). David
Ogilvy has a much simpler definition of the concept: “what the product does, and who it is for.”
The survey of 122 former and current MACS students provides a basis for “positioning”
the program by defining specific program benefits that “resonated” with a significant percentage
of survey respondents. These benefits, moreover, can be “tailored” to specific segments of the
market. Here, then, is a proposed list of those benefits, along with a brief description:
MACS Program Benefits
■ Career Advancement ~ The MACS degree can help get ahead in your career.
Communication skills are a necessity in many different walks of life. The MACS
program is designed to provide you with those skills.
■ Educational Opportunity -- Communication studies involves a wide range of fields
including organizational communication, public relations, mass media, interpersonal
communication, research and communication theory, managerial communication, and
message design. The MACS program offers an opportunity to study these, and other
areas.
■ Career Options -- Given the uncertainty of the workplace, the MACS degree
provides skills that can be used in a wide variety of settings. For many job opportunities,
a master’s degree is also considered an “entry level ’ requirement.
■ Expert Faculty - All of the faculty in the MACS program have doctorates in areas
related to communication studies. Students benefit from their commitment to theory and
research techniques.

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■ Evening Courses - Courses in the program are offered in the evening, making them
available to students who are employed.
■ Convenient
. Location The campus of Edinboro University is an easy commute from
Erie, Meadville, and other locations in the tri-state area.
■ Affordable Prices ~ The cost of graduate courses at Edinboro University is lower
than other institutions in the region. Graduate assistantships are also available on
competitive basis.

The list of program benefits is designed to position the MACS degree by defining “what
it is” in terms that differentiate the “product” from other graduate programs in the region. The
other part of the equation - “who it’s for” - relates to the prospective students that could benefit
from the degree. Given the wide applicability of communication skills within a variety of
occupations, the program can be positioned for any professional who wants to “advance” in his
or her career. The data from the survey, however, suggest that many former and current students
are currently employed in the “private” sector. While teaching, academic administration and
social service jobs account for a little over 25% of survey responses, many former and current
students are employed in areas such as marketing, mass media, sales, management training,
corporate communications, and other occupations often associated with the private sector of the
economy. If a connection exists between the current employment of students associated with the
program, and the “kinds” of prospective students that might be interested in a MACS degree,
(e.g. “mid-career professionals), then the program ought to look toward the private sector as an
important area for marketing and recruitment efforts.

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Recommendation #5
Reahz_e that for many students the MACS devrP.P. is a “final” dp.vrpp

Of the 122 individuals who responded to the MACS survey - a response rate of better
than 56% of all former and current students - slightly more than 15% (n=l 9) indicated that they
pursued a master’s degree as a requirement for further graduate study. The “flip side” of this
analysis indicates that 84% of survey respondents did not go into the program with this goal in
mind. Although it is probably the case that some students entered the program without
considering doctoral study, and that the experience of the program lead them to go on for a
Ph.D., the broad base of former and current students currently employed in the private sector
suggests that this is a “minority.” In other words, the MACS degree is the final or “terminal”
degree for most students.
The implications of this analysis for a marketing plan may not be all that apparent. The
idea that the MACS degree is an “alternative to an MBA” already acknowledges, in some
respects, that many students will not go on for further study. The question must be raised,
however, whether the program offerings that currently make-up the course of study- the
curriculum — are geared toward the understanding that most students will apply their
communication skills in areas other than the university setting. The curriculum and degree
requirements, after all, are the “product or service” that the program is marketing to prospective
students.
This is not to suggest that the MACS program is geared toward “theory” at the expense
of “applied communication ” Tie question about the "relevance” of the present coume of stud,

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in the MACS program is not “answered” by the survey of former and current students. Nor is it
the intention of this thesis to suggest changes in the curriculum or degree requirements, or to
intimate that the program must revise its offerings. Part of marketing in higher education,
however, is understanding the way in which the educational program meets the “needs” of the
marketplace. It is important that the “exchange of value” is valued by both teacher and student
alike. The MACS program needs to engage in a periodic review of its course offerings, as well
as the overall structure of the degree requirements, to ensure that program benefits are reinforced
by the curriculum itself.

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Recommendation #6
Reinstate the community advisory board for the MACS program.
During the initial planning stages for the MACS program in the mid-1980s, the graduate
study committee that drafted the degree proposal solicited feedback from a “community advisory
board” as part of the process. According to the formal proposal for the MACS program
submitted for institutional and system review in 1988, an instrumental part in the development of
the program was:
the involvement of a cross-section of the business, industry, and education professionals
in the northwest Pennsylvania region to determine the suitability and applicability of this
degree program to satisfy professional communication needs within the region.
(Proposal, p. 12)
Perhaps just as significant to the use of the advisory board in the initial stages of program
development was the importance of a periodic review by this advisory group. In the section of
the formal proposal titled “Periodic Assessment,” the committee that drafted the document
wrote, “The following methods of periodic assessment will be used to ensure that the program
continues to address the increasingly important role of communication in organizations:
An advisory board of impartial and independent observers will be appointed . This
advisory board will provide direction to the program based on changes within the field,
assessment of external needs of program graduates, and assessment of the skills of
program graduates. The board will be chosen based upon representative roles within the
organizational communication field. Included on the board will be representatives from

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local chapters of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), the
American Society of Training and Development (ASTD), the Speech Communication
Association (SCA), and the Eastern Communication Association (ECA). The advisory
board will have at least one member representing a university with a similar (not
duplicated) program. (Proposal, p. 14)
In addition to the obvious importance of periodic assessment from the standpoint of
“program direction,” there is also a distinct “marketing advantage” in the use of the advisory
group. In that the group is composed of a cross-section of business, industry, and educational
professionals in the region, the MACS program benefits not only from exposure to these
professionals, but to the “larger” organizations of which they are part, along with co-workers and
colleagues “in the business.” Periodic interaction with the advisory group functions as a
“marketing mechanism” that promotes the degree program, while assessing its weaknesses and
strengths. It is this kind of interaction between the MACS program and the “relative
environment” of which it is a part that provides a resource for effective marketing of the
graduate degree in communication studies. The advisory board ought to be reinstated in
accordance with the initial proposal for periodic assessment.

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Recommendation #7
Encourage partnering,—between graduate faculty and organizations in
the private sector

When people hear the word “promotion” in the context of a marketing plan, they often
think of advertising. Although publicizing a program or event with paid advertisements is a
common method of obtaining “brand awareness,” there are other ways to promote programs such
as the MACS degree. One such way is to encourage “partnering” activities between graduate
faculty and organizations in the private sector. The idea here is to acquaint organizations, and
the employees in them, with the research interests of faculty members in the MACS program.
Areas of interest such as intercultural communication, leadership strategies, communication and
gender, creativity in applied communication contexts, mass media and ethics, communication
research, language and human behavior, organizational communication, and a variety of other
concerns are all relevant to the “workplace.” By creating linkages between faculty involved in
these areas, and organizations that could benefit from exposure to these “interests” through
seminars, colloquiums, speaking engagements and consulting, an effective marketing strategy
can take place.
Less than 17% (n=20) of all survey respondents listed the “reputation of professors” as a
reason that they enrolled in the MACS program, and nearly all those who did list that reason
were Edinboro undergraduates who came into the MACS program immediately out of college.
While many of the MACS faculty are active in research and are “connected to the larger
commumity of scholars in communication studies, it would appear that many applied

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communicators in northwestern Pennsylvania are unaware of these research activities.
Teaching is a full-time job, and the demands of research are an additional “levy” upon
the time and energy of our faculty. It is important, however, to market the expertise of our
teachers and scholars to prospective students in the region. “Partnering” is a mechanism that can
help bring this about.

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Recommendation #8
— existlnS students as a referral base for prospective students
Nearly one-third of all former and current students who responded to the MACS survey
indicated that they “found out” about the program, in part, from someone they knew in the
piogram or a friend.” This response suggests that an important mechanism for “spreading the
word about the degree is the informal channel commonly referred to as “word-of-mouth.”
While personal contact with someone in the program is an important element, there are ways of
improving the process.
The recommendation here is really very simple. About a week or two after the beginning
of the Fall term, send a note to all students in the MACS program asking for the name(s),
address(es) and phone number(s) of anyone they know who might be interested in learning more
about degree. These lists can be collected at MACS’ classes or via return envelopes, and
information (cover letter, brochure, etc.) can be sent to prospective students. It would be good if
an open house or personal visits (see later recommendation) could be scheduled as part of this
marketing effort. At the very least, a follow-up call should be made from someone associated
with the program (perhaps a second-year graduate assistant) to each prospective student to see if
they received the information and have any questions about the program.
The important point to remember about marketing is that it is an organized effort to bring
about an exchange of value. Simply recognizing that “word-of-mouth” creates a certain level of
awareness in prospective students is not marketing. Asking current students to act as a referral
source, mailing flyers and brochures to prospective students, scheduling open houses and
personal visits, making follow-up phone calls to see if prospective students have any

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questions/concems, and developing a “tracking system” (see recommendation #12) to measure
the effectiveness of the efforts -- that is a coherent attempt to bring about marketing goals and
objectives.

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Recommendation #9
Develop marketing—opportunities ” into marketing “efforts ”
Marketing does not always entail the creation of a “new process or procedure” to bring
about the goals and objectives of the enterprise. It can sometimes use “existing” mechanisms in
a way that is consonant with the marketing framework. The attempt must be made, however, to
turn the marketing “opportunity” into a marketing “effort” in order for the goals to be realized.
As an example of this, consider the Conference on Applied Communication that was
sponsored by the Department of Speech and Communication Studies last November (1995).
Among the conference participants were undergraduates from institutions such as Millersville
University, SUNY Fredonia, Allegheny College, as well as Edinboro University. Although these
students were introduced, in a general sort of way, to the graduate program in communication
studies at Edinboro, it does not appear that any formal efforts were made to market the MACS
program to them. A simple letter inviting them to consider the MACS program for future
graduate study would have “brought the message home.”
The Conference on Applied Communication has some excellent potential as a recruiting
vehicle for the MACS program. Judging by the sophistication and depth of analysis of the
undergraduate presentations at the conference, the students would make excellent candidates for
the MACS program. Saying that the conference is good for recruiting, however, is not enough.
Unless a conscious effort is made to take this “opportunity” and turn it into a bona fide
marketing action, the opportunity may be wasted. The attitude must be to look for ways of
turning existing structures into marketing mechanisms.

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Recommendation #10
Schedule open houses: encourage personal visits
Although the Office of Graduate Studies at Edinboro University functions as a formal
channel for the distribution of information concerning the MACS program, there are few, if any,
activities in which prospective students can meet the faculty and find out more about the
program. For instance, there are no regularly scheduled “open houses” for the MACS program.
Although a promotional event of this type was held as a way of “announcing” the program back
in 1988, there has not been an effort to publicize the MACS program beyond some
advertisements in the Eastern States Communication Association convention program, and a
poster that was sent to communication departments in the tri-state area. Promotional activities,
hence, are largely nonexistent.
There is marketing research in higher education that underscores the importance of a
personal visit as it relates to the “image” an institution, department or program has with
prospective students. Theus (1993) demonstrated that a personal visit almost always overrides
and information gleaned from secondhand sources and that personal contact between an
institution and prospective students is important. When at all possible, potential candidates for
the MACS program ought to be encouraged to visit with faculty, staff and students.
If the earlier recommendation to use existing students as a referral base for prospective
students in the MACS program was initiated, the ideas for “open houses” and personal visits
could be organized into regularly scheduled events. The marketing potential for these
occurrences could be significant.

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Recommendation #11
FOCUS on
} the "internal” reasons prospective students have for getting a
master s degreeA not the “external”factors
In the analysis of survey responses, the observation was made concerning the importance
of “internal” factors as they relate to the decision to attend graduate school, as opposed to
external factors. For example, a relatively small percentage of former and current students
enrolled in the MACS program because they felt the “training would benefit the employer” or
that the “employer encouraged further studies.” More significant reasons for enrolling included
aspects of “career advancement,” “job security,” and the “sake of education itself.” These
reasons suggest that students were motivated by internal reasons rather than external pressures.
From a marketing perspective, this “psychographic” profile is important because it
focuses attention on the individual needs of prospective students instead of “generic” tendencies
in the marketplace. If the survey, for instance, had indicated that employers encouraged further
studies, a marketing strategy could have suggested mechanisms to “market” the MACS program
to companies and organizations in the region as a way of reaching their employees. Survey data,
however, indicates that “employer encouragement” is not as significant as the individual
employee’s relative notion of “career advancement” and “job security.” The marketing strategy
needs to emphasize the flexibility and range of skills encompassed in communication studies in
order to “speak to” the individual goals and aspirations of prospective students.
A corollary to the psychographic profile is the importance of “customer service” as the
standard for interactions between prospective students and programs/departments within higher
education. What has been termed “student-centered learning” can also be phrased “student-

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centered marketing in the context of efforts to attract and retain qualified students in any course
of study. A marketing plan for the MACS program must “build into” the marketing process
mechanisms for treating the questions and concerns of prospective students as part of goal of
“customer service.” This need will be addressed more fully in the following recommendation.

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Recommendation #12
Develop a process to measure the achievement of marketing <?..
oals and
integrate continuous quality improvement within the marketing
framework
In some respects, this is the most important of all the recommendations offered as part of
the marketing plan. Whatever mechanisms are implemented as part of a marketing framework
for the MACS program, they must be placed within a process that can measure the achievement
(or lack thereof) of goals and objectives. A premise of continuous quality improvement is the
idea that we can use an objective standard(s) to gauge how we are doing in our work, and
identify both strengths and weaknesses in our attempts to market our products or services.
One way of creating a “marketing measure” would be to develop a “tracking system” for
all prospective students. At the present time, when a prospective student calls the Office of
Graduate Studies for information about the MACS program, they are sent a catalogue,
application for admission, MACS newsletter, and a cover letter. After the materials are sent,
nothing is done with the names and addresses, they are simply “placed in a file.”
A far better procedure would be to first create a “request card” with space for the
prospective student’s name, address and telephone number, along with lines for additional
information to be filled in at a “later” date. After the materials were sent by the Office of
Graduate Studies to the callers, the request cards could be turned over to an individual in the
Department of Speech and Communication Studies (second-year graduate assistant?) for
“processing.” It would be the “job” of this grad assistant to call the prospective student a week
or two later and see if they received the materials, if they had any questions/concems about the

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program, if they wanted to schedule a meeting with the program head, and, ask how they found
out about the MACS program in the first place. It would also be an opportunity to invite the
prospective student to an “open house” or some such event.
This process would be important from a variety of perspectives. First of all, a follow-up
call from a person in the program would add another level of “customer service” to the
admission process, and create that dimension of “personal contact” so important to
marketing/promotion. It would also enable the program to collect valuable marketing
information about prospective students. The information could be keyed into a simple database
program for such purposes as mailing lists, etc., but also to track the “profile” of prospective
students, and to measure such key elements as: how many prospective students actually follow­
up with an application; where are these students “located;” are there “trends” in terms of when
students call for information; and how can this information be put to use in a marketing strategy.
This process need not be costly or time-consuming. What it will do is provide a basis for
judging the relative “effectiveness” of certain marketing efforts, and the marketing/recruitment
framework as a whole, on more than simply “anecdotal” evidence or hunches. The need to
develop a measure of continuous improvement within a marketing plan is real.

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Recommendation #13
Doing something—as part ofa marketing plan is better than “dome
nothing”
" *
The final recommendation in this marketing plan may seem like a truism, but it needs to
be stated nonetheless. Doing something as part of a marketing strategy is better than doing
nothing. Although the plan offered as part of this thesis contains a number of different
recommendations, any or all can function as a way of bringing about the “exchange of values”
that lies at the heart of the marketing activity. This thesis, however, is a requirement for a
master’s degree in communication studies at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, not some
magical formula that can somehow “change” the organization in which it originates. Unless
something is actually done to bring about the goals and objectives of a marketing plan, things
will remain the same.
The notion that, “if we build it, they will come,” is pure Hollywood fantasy. The idea
that, “if we market it, they may come,” is probably closer to the truth. Only if the program,
department and institution together decide that a marketing plan for the MACS program should
be implemented, and the people and resources are allocated to make it so, will marketing take
place. Although this thesis has attempted to “build a case” that a marketing plan for the MACS
program is needed, and has proposed specific steps to help bring it about, it cannot do the work.
It is perhaps appropriate to end this marketing plan with another mention of the study by
Meabon, Kelley and Jackson (1994) that was referenced earlier in the literature review. Of all
the two-year and four-year public and private institutions of higher learning in the study that

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conducted some type of admitted student research, less than 2% reported that the research was
actually used in the planning process. While colleges and universities are very good at collecting
data, they are very reluctant to put it to use.

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110

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References
Bers, T. H. & Smith, K. (1992). College choice and the non-traditional student.
Community College Review. 15. (1), 39-44.
Bonnici, J. L., & Reddy, A. C. (1993). Breaking away from the pack: Positioning the
marketing discipline through a triangular analysis. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education. 4
(1/2), 107-119.
Brooks, L. R., & Hammons, J. 0. (1993). Has higher education been using the wrong
marketing approach? Journal of Marketing for Higher Education. 4 (\/2\ 27-48.
Department of speech and communication studies. (1987). Master of arts degree in
communication studies: A proposal. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
Dye, M. A. (1992). Master of arts in communication studies: Fourth-year program
review. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
Francese, P. (1995). Managing market information. American Demographics. 17 (21.
56-63.
Franczak, F. J., & Cowles, D. L. (1993). Viewing curriculum as a product: Implications
from a marketing research study. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education. 4 (1/2), 143-158.
Hu, M. (1985). Determining the needs and attitudes of non-traditional students.
College and University. 60. (3), 201-209.
Kotler, P., & Fox, F. A. (1985). Strategic marketing for educational institutions.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Meabon, D. L., Kelley, J. W., & Jackson, D. L. (1994). Admitted student market
research: A national perspective. Tnnmal of Marketing for Higher Education, 5, (2), 17-29.

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Miller, D. A., & Rose, P. B. (1994). Identifying target audiences for graduate programs
among mid-career communications professionals. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education 5.
(1). 109-125.
Ogilvy, D. (1983). Ogilvy on advertising. New York: Vintage Books.
Petrison, L., & Wang, P. (1993). From relationships to relationship marketing:
Applying database technology to public relations. Public Relations Review. 19 (3), 235-243.
Sevier, R. (1994, November/December). Why marketing plans fail. Currents, 48-53.
Sines, R. G., Jr., & Duckworth, E. A. (1994). Customer service in higher education.
Journal of Marketing for Higher Education (5), (2). 1-15.
Theus, K. T. (1993). Academic reputations: The process of formation and decay.
Public Relations Review. 19, 277-290.
Zamanou, S. (1993) Differences do make a difference: Recruitment strategies for the
non-traditional student. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Speech Communication
Association, Miami Beach, FL.

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Dear Former or Current MACS Student,
As part of my thesis for the Master of Arts in Communication Studies (MACS) at
Edinboro University, I am conducting a survey of all former and current students in the MACS
program. The purpose of this survey is to gather information for use in a marketing plan. Your
participation will help me examine why it is that individuals choose to attend the MACS
program, and identify ways to seek out prospective students who could benefit from graduate
work in Communication Studies.
I ask that you complete the brief questionnaire enclosed and return it as soon as possible.
An envelope with return postage is included for your convenience. The survey is anonymous
and all responses will be kept confidential. The coding scheme on the survey will be used solely
for tracking responses.
As a former or current MACS student, you understand the importance of research within
the communication field. A marketing plan for the master’s program in Communication Studies
needs your response as part of that research effort. Thanks for taking part in this process.

Sincerely,

Vincent Brocki

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Dear Former or Current MACS Student,
As part of my thesis for the Master of Arts in Communication Studies (MACS) at
Edinboro University, I am conducting a survey of all former and current students in the MACS
program. The purpose of this research is to gather information for use in a marketing plan. I
sent a survey to everyone about a month ago and have not yet received a reply from you, so I am
sending along another survey in the hope that you will respond.
Please take a few minutes and complete the brief questionnaire enclosed and return it as
soon as possible. An envelope with return postage is included for your convenience. All
responses will be kept confidential and the coding scheme on the survey will be used solely for
tracking purposes.
As a former or current MACS student, you understand the importance of research within
the communication field. A marketing plan for the master’s program in Communication Studies
needs your input as part of that process. Thanks for your help in that effort.

Sincerely,

Vincent Brocki

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Q\aost ionnaire

1).
What reason(s) contributed to your decision to pursue a masters’ degree
in communication studies? (You may check as many reasons as relevant.)

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□
□
□
□

Career advancement
Training would benefit employer
Job security
Employer encouraged further studies
Wanted to change careers
For education sake
Was unemployed at time/degree would help get job
For social activities
Degree needed for further graduate study
Other (please explain): -----------------------

2.)
How did you find out about the MACS program?
reasons as relevant.)
I

1

Attended Edinboro as an undergraduate

□

Knew someone in the program

1

Read informational flyers/brochures

1

1
1

|
1

(You may check as many

Called the Office of Graduate Studies at Edinboro
Other (please explain): -------------------------------------------------------

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116

in the MA^S
What reason(s) contributed to your decision to enroll
3).
reasons
as relevant.)
program at Edinboro University? (You may check as many

□
□
□
□
□
□
1

Reputation of professors
Flexibility of course offerings
Availability of evening courses
Ease of commute from work or home
Quality of masters’ program
Low tuition

1 Courses oriented to meet demands of job market

1

1

I

1 Other (please explain): --------------------------------

Student activities/socialization

4. )
Zip code of your legal (voting) residence when you entered into "he MACS
program:

5.)
How much time elapsed between receiving your undergraduate degree (or a
graduate degree) and entering the MACS program?

6.)
Did you attend the MACS program on a part-time
or full-time basis?

7.)
If you were employed while attending the MACS
program, did you receive any kind of financial
assistance from your employer such as tuition
reimbursement, tuition waiver, graduate
assistantship, etc.?

Part
time

Full
t ime

Yes

Mo

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117

8.)
If you were apprehensive prior to beginning the MACS program, what
reason(s), if any, contributed to the apprehension? (Check as many reasons as
relevant.)

□
□
□
□

Anticipated difficulty of graduate studies
Potential difficulty in completing degree in allotted time (5
years)
Financial cost of the program

1

1

Competition from younger students accustomed to academics

1

1

Job and/or family responsibilities

□
9.)

Amount of time away from school

Other (please explain): ---------1--------------------------------------

Sex
M

10.)

Your age when you entered the MACS program:

11.)

Are you currently employed in:
1

I Public relations/marketing

1

I Newspaper/publishing

□

F

Radio/television

I

1 Teaching/academic research

I

1 Information systems/computer technologies

1

I Banking/finance

I

1 Law

1

1 Entertainment

1

1 Social services

1

1 Other (please explain): -------------------------

years.