UK Undergraduate Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions Strategy 2009 entry

Transcription

1 MARKETING AND UK STUDENT RECRUITMENT OFFICE UK Undergraduate Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions Strategy 2009 entry EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. This strategy document covers the UG marketing, recruitment and admissions strategies that are specific to the Cornwall Campus. Cornwall is also integrated into the main corporate UG marketing and recruitment activities to ensure that it is perceived by our target audiences as offering an academic and student experience equal to that delivered at the two Exeter campuses and to maximise opportunities for cross selling (see 2.4). Cornwall therefore benefits from two parallel programmes of marketing and recruitment activities and resources. Additional tailored marketing activities for specific UG subjects are considered outside the scope of this document. 2. This strategy is designed to enable the Cornwall Campus to contribute to the University s achievement of its strategic objectives in terms of: recruitment to quota; improving entry tariffs and thus league table rankings; and ensuring Exeter remains a destination university in the future competitive environment when tuition fees are likely to be raised. 3. Our market research with prospective and current students shows that the following aspects need to be emphasised in marketing communications: attractiveness of the campus and Cornwall as a study location; the employment success of graduates; reputation-related factors and rising published entry requirements. The quality of course information provision needs to be continually improved. 4. Our three primary undergraduate audiences are: The national market of young/traditional entrants Local and regional young/traditional university entrants Local and regional mature entrants 5. In terms of the national market, we note that the geographic reach of the Cornwall Campus is widening although the proportion of students from the South West remains higher than for the Exeter campuses (36.5% of South West entrants in vs. 42.6% in ). However, we would expect the regional and non-traditional audience to remain more important for Cornwall than for Exeter. 6. Tourist and lifestyle-related media form an increasingly important element of our marketing communications strategy in order to communicate new Cornwall and target students who are likely to be attracted to the distinctive student lifestyle offered in Cornwall. 7. Encouraging high quality students in Cornwall who would have previously left the region to apply to the Cornwall Campus is an important objective in terms of meeting our challenging entry quality targets. 8. The mature student audience is proving to be a more important market for the Cornwall Campus relative to Exeter campuses, although this may reflect the latent demand in the region which could mean the proportion of mature students within the UG cohort will reduce in future years. The proportion of UG programmes available for part-time study in Cornwall and the willingness of Cornwall academic departments to tailor their teaching to increase accessibility to mature and part-time learners facilitate communication with this market.

2 9. The key messages for prospective Cornwall-based students are substantially the same as for those at Exeter campuses, but with some differences in terms of both emphasis and the factual information used to substantiate the differentiators and selling points. They can be grouped around four main themes: High quality, innovative teaching in a research-rich environment Unique environment Contemporary campus with world-class facilities Work experience and personal development A focus on the environment and sustainability. 10. It is important to be aware that the small group teaching and personal attention messages will have a limited shelf life as student numbers increase, although we would still expect SSRs to remain favourable relative to sector norms. 11. At the subject level, particular emphasis is placed on the differentiators in programme design and teaching methods in order to emphasis the distinctiveness of Cornwall (a particularly important factor for subjects which are also taught in Exeter). 12. The environment and sustainability has been added as a new theme this year now that we have a greater range of factual substantiators to support this. However, it will be important to strike the right balance between this very specific message and the more generic ones. Placing too great an emphasis on the environmental theme could create an impression that our offerings are rather niche and limit their appeal to those looking for broader and more traditional programmes in History, Law, etc. 13. Key developments in marketing communications tactics in response to market research findings include: production of new student life guide and website; creation of subject-based films for the Cornwall Campus website, including films of post-offer Open Days; expansion of virtual tours; presence at an international surfing event; clearer and more positive communications around location and transport; use of 10 subject prospectuses as a pre application rather than conversion tool; and increasing use of student testimonials and profiles with an employability focus wherever possible. 14. The Cornwall Campus website is a major marketing tool and a key success factor for successful student recruitment, as well as for communication to a wide range of other audiences and stakeholders. However, the resources available have not kept pace with developments and marketing needs across UG, PGT and PGR programmes. The Cornwall Campus website does not currently use the main University template but will be included in the first stage of the corporate website redesign and this will help create a more integrated impression. 15. With the growing volume of enquiries for both UG and PG programmes, it is timely to review the way in which prospective student data is captured, stored and utilised for enquiry management and applicant communications. Now that responsibility for enquiry management has moved from Admissions to Marketing and UK recruitment, we will be reviewing current systems with the aim of having a new enquiry management and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system in place in 2008/ An increase in resources for the web and closer integration with the main Exeter website; continuing to improve the quality of subject presentations and information at Open Days; and increasing evidence of graduate success in marketing materials are all factors that will help improve applications and conversion.

3 1. Introduction and scope 1.1 This strategy document sets out the marketing, recruitment and admissions strategy that is specific to the Cornwall Campus for the UK Undergraduate market for the 2009 entry cycle. While the main focus is on plans and activities to support recruitment to quantity and quality targets for 2009 entry, the longer term issues, challenges and risks for the Cornwall Campus are also discussed. 1.2 The corporate UG UK Marketing and Recruitment Strategy presents the University s campuses and undergraduate portfolio as an integrated whole (the one University, three campuses concept) and maximise opportunities for cross-selling of Cornwall programmes. Therefore the Cornwall Campus benefits from two parallel programmes of marketing and recruitment activities and resources, both those carried out by the central marketing and recruitment team for the whole University and the specific marketing and recruitment activities of the team dedicated to the Cornwall Campus. This strategy document does not therefore cover the full range of marketing and recruitment activities and resources that support recruitment to the Cornwall Campus but describes only those which are unique to and tailored for Cornwall. 1.3 This document covers generic marketing and recruitment activities designed to attract and convert applicants across the full range of undergraduate subjects. Tailored activities are also carried out to support recruitment to specific subjects but these are not described in this paper. 1.4 In order to provide a more holistic picture of the full range of activities that support recruitment to the Cornwall Campus, the scope of the strategy document has been broadened this year to include (a) the PR (media relations) activities of the Press & PR Office and (b) admissions policies and processes that are managed by the Admissions Office. 1.5 There is no separate marketing campaign for the recruitment of International UG students to the Cornwall Campus given the relatively small planned numbers involved. However, international students will be reached through the main prospectus and the main UG and Cornwall Campus websites. The Cornwall Campus is also included in marketing of the University s Study Abroad programmes and Cornwall programme information is mailed to prospective international UG students who express an interest in subjects that are taught in Cornwall when ordering a University UG prospectus. The International Student Advisor at the Cornwall Campus plays a critical role in converting those international enquiries and applicants which we do attract. 1.6 The quality of the student academic and social experience at the Cornwall Campus is a critical success factor for: the achievement of recruitment and entry quality targets; our ability to substantiate the one University, three campuses message; student advocacy and word-of-mouth marketing; and, not least, the longer term reputation of the campus and the future success of Phase 3. However, given the work that is already going on to address performance and risk in the provision of Combined Services, these aspects are not covered here. 1.7 Stakeholder and business-to-business communications are managed by the Press and PR and Enterprise Offices within Communication & Partnership (CaP). Whilst these are critically important to the reputation and business performance of the Cornwall Campus, they are also outside the scope of this document. 2. Integration with corporate UG marketing and recruitment strategy 2.1 Since the rebranding of the University of Exeter in Cornwall as the Cornwall Campus in 2005/6, our strategy has been to integrate the marketing of the Cornwall Campus fully into corporate marketing activity. This integration is essential to ensure

4 that the Cornwall Campus is perceived by our target audiences as offering an academic and student experience of equally high quality to that delivered at the two Exeter campuses and thus drive up entry standards in line with the University s top 10 objectives and the KPI for UG tariff scores. 2.2 Our key brand messages for Cornwall are therefore closely aligned with those for Exeter-based students, although a parallel strand of Cornwall-specific messages run alongside these (see section 6). 2.3 As the academic portfolio, services and facilities provided to Cornwall Campus students have developed, the disparity between the amount of information we are able to communicate to prospective students has become less pronounced and this helps avoid Cornwall being perceived as a satellite campus or a fall back choice relative to the more established campuses in Exeter. 2.4 The corporate marketing and recruitment activities that support Cornwall Campus recruitment and give it parity of treatment with Exeter programmes can be summarised as: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) Publications: main UG prospectus; UG Factfiles; Funding Guide; Employability Guide; Scholarships Guide; Channel Islands brochure; Accommodation brochure all of these feature Cornwall on an equal footing with Exeter Web: UG online prospectus; student life films; virtual tours National HE guides and websites 1 (eg. Times Good University Guide) Advertising (although this is minimal since advertising is not a core element of our UG marketing strategy since it would not be aligned with our brand positioning as a selective university) Open Days and recruitment events: Cornwall programmes are cross-sold at the large pre-application open days at the Exeter campuses and Cornwall is marketed as an integral part of the University at all recruitment events. Outreach activities: whilst a significant element of outreach work is inevitably location-specific since it involves working and building relationships with specific schools and colleges, Cornwall s outreach activities are now integrated into those for the University as a whole with strategic planning and oversight by the Outreach Manager in Exeter. This ensures joined-up planning, creates synergies and avoids duplication of activity. The recent Science Week programme which was jointly planned and executed across all three campuses is a tangible example of this approach. (g) Communications with schools and colleges: a new activity stream for , this involves proactive communication with key influencers in schools and colleges in order to raise awareness and change perceptions of the University. This is in line with our top 10 objectives and is designed to address research findings 2 which show that our reputation amongst top schools lags our current performance. A key element of this communication strategy will be: improving awareness of the Cornwall Campus and positioning it in the minds of these decision influencers as of equal quality to the established Exeter campuses whilst communicating its distinctiveness. 1 This refers to guides for which the University is invited to submit editorial and updates. Some HE reports and guides that appear in the media are compiled independently and the Marketing or PR Offices do not have the opportunity to correct the copy before it goes to press. We monitor these publications closely and ensure that, wherever possible, any misreporting or factual errors are corrected. Like many HEIs, we no longer cooperate with the PUSH Guide due to their editorial policy and history of erroneous reporting of information about the University. 2 Opinion Leader Research, reputation audit June 2007

5 3. Strategic objectives 3.1 This strategy is informed by the following University strategic priorities and key metrics: (a) (b) The critical importance of recruiting to quota in what remains our core market for student recruitment despite the need to diversify income away from HEFCE-dependant sources by increasing PG and international recruitment. Meeting quota targets is particularly critical for the Cornwall Campus in the light of past recruitment performance and the introduction of Phase 2 subjects with high planned quotas. Despite an overall increase of 20% in applications for 2007 entry including an increase of +130% for Cornwall, the latter under-recruited by 100 FTEs on its planned intake of 486. The key role of improving entry standards in realising the University s top 10 by 2012 objective. Based on HESA data, with an average tariff point score of 385 (down from 393 in ), Exeter ranks 28 th nationally on entry standards and is in 12 th place in the ranking of its top 10 competitors with only Loughborough having a lower A level tariff. The latest tariff data shows an encouraging improvement to 396 (with 400 for Exeter campuses and 355 for Cornwall). However, this may not be sufficient to move us notably up the entry standards rankings given the sector-wide increase in A level performance, and achieving top 10 on this metric will remain a challenge. Entry tariffs are a heavily weighted component not only of institutional but also subject league tables which research 3 shows are consulted by almost as many students as consult the main institutional tables. Although the latest subject league tables show improvements on last year with English and Materials Engineering (CSM) now in the top 10, Biosciences and Geography remain outside the top (c) The critical importance of remaining a destination university in the possible future cap off tuition fee environment and having the market position and brand strength to command premium fees in this new competitive environment. 3 86% of new UG entrants in 2007 who used league tables consulted The Times subject tables compared with 93% for institutional rankings and of Cornwall Campus students who used league tables a higher proportion consulted the Times institutional and subject rankings compared with Exeter entrants. However, a lower proportion of Cornwall students overall used league tables (58% for Exeter and 49% for Cornwall). (New Students Survey 2007) 4 Guardian rankings May 2008

6 4. Market Research the evidence base for the strategy 4.1 Decliners survey 2007 entry The top five reasons for applying and declining are shown below: Top 5 Reasons for Applying vs. Declining Cornwall UG Decliners 2007 Applying Declining Nature & scope of the course 49.2% Distance from home 50.5% Reputation of the University of Exeter 48.2% Geographic location 40.1% Attractive campus / environment 48.2% Didn't feel I would be happy personally 22.5% University prospectus 47.7% Advice from parents / family 15.4% Geographic location 46.2% High level of grades required 13.7% Nature and scope of the course 13.7% Nature and scope of the course has consistently been the most frequently cited reason for applying to the Cornwall campus, compared to reputation of the University for the Exeter campuses. Geographic location is a frequently cited reason for both applying and declining and has close links with the first most common reason; distance from home, indicating that the uniqueness of the Cornwall environment can be a key detractor for some students. Long travel distances from home and the isolation of the campus, exacerbated by students not being allowed to bring cars to campus, were highlighted in free text comments Didn t feel I would be happy personally was the top reason for declining amongst our warmest prospects (those who initially put Exeter first or second in their preference list), cited by nearly 60% of these students. Geographic location, social facilities and information provision not as good as other universities were all notably more important reasons for rejecting Exeter amongst this initially positive group. 4.2 New Students survey 2007 entry The top reasons for applying and accepting an offer for the Cornwall Campus are shown below. This illustrates the overwhelming importance of environment and location factors for those students who do choose to come to Cornwall. Although general reputation is of somewhat less importance to Cornwall students compared with those at Exeter, it has increased its importance year on year. More tangible reputation factors such as research and teaching ratings and graduate employment prospects were all rated more highly by Cornwall s UGs than by those at Exeter. Course-related factors have reduced in importance reflecting the introduction of more mainstream subjects such as History and Law. Top 10 reasons for Applying vs. Accepting - Cornwall UG New Entrants 2007 Rank Applying Rank Accepting 1 Attractive campus/environment 1 Attractive campus/environment 2 Geographic Location 2 Friendly atmosphere 3 Reputation of Exeter University 3 Nature & scope of the programme 4 University prospectus 4 Reputation of Exeter University 5 University Open Day 5 Geographic location 6 Friendly atmosphere 6 Study/research facilities 7 Nature & scope of the programme 7 Experience at an Open or Admissions Day 8 Exeter's position in league tables 8 Research ratings in your subject 9 Quality of campus facilities 9 Teaching ratings in your subject 10 University website 10 Exeter's position in league tables

7 4.2.2 The Cornwall campus falls behind Exeter in terms of recommendation factors, such as advice from teachers, parents and other Exeter students, demonstrating the continuing challenges of recruiting to a campus that does not yet benefit from wordof-mouth reputation. However, Cornwall outperforms Exeter on the more overt recruitment factors such as experience at an Open Day and contact with staff. 4.3 Implications for marketing communications The attractiveness of the campus and the environment needs to continue to feature strongly in the University s communications. Whilst there is limited scope to change perceptions of distance, continuing to communicate new Cornwall - the growing student population and attractive student lifestyle - will be important in helping to change perceptions and increasing conversion Information provision in terms of both course content and social facilities/location factors throughout the application cycle should continue to be improved, in view of the finding that initially high preference Cornwall applicants who became more negative had an above average tendency to cite these as factors in their decision to decline Communicating the employability success of our graduates will be particularly important since this continues to be the lowest rated aspect of our education provision in both Exeter and Cornwall. These employment success messages will be a critical factor for recruitment to Cornwall by demonstrating that the embedding of employability into the curriculum is delivering concrete benefits for Cornwall campus graduates Reputation-related factors are becoming increasingly important to students and need to feature strongly in our communications, focusing on our improving position in league tables and Cornwall s role in winning University of the Year. It is also important to that the published (if not actual) entry requirements for Cornwall degrees have risen rapidly since the first intake of students in 2004 and are now only slightly below those for Exeter-based degrees. This is particularly important given the risk of Cornwall being seen as a second best choice to Exeter due to the need for continued reliance on referred applications to meet quota targets. 5. Target audiences 5.1 Our three primary undergraduate audiences are as follows: 1. The national market of young/traditional entrants 2. Local and regional young/traditional university entrants 3. Local and regional mature entrants The rationale for focusing on these audiences is detailed below along with a brief summary of our approaches to marketing, recruitment and outreach for each audience. A much more detailed description of specific activities can be found in the corporate and Cornwall-specific Marketing and Recruitment operational plans, our Outreach Plan and Communications Plan for Schools and Colleges. Although these activities also impact on the secondary audiences of parents and teachers, our Parents Communication Plan and Schools and Colleges Communication Plans address specifically the needs of these important influencer audiences 5.2 National market of young/traditional entrants As the University s core market, this group will continue to be a key target in view of the need to increase entry tariffs. A trend analysis of the geographic profile of entrants indicates that we are gradually extending our national reach for the Cornwall Campus as well as at Exeter. The proportion of new entrants to Exeter campuses

8 from the South West has reduced from 32.8% in to 28.7% in Although the proportions remain higher at the Cornwall Campus, its geographic reach is widening (with 36.5% of South West entrants in vs. 40.2% in ). However, we still have a notably higher proportion of undergraduates from our home region relative to key competitors such as Durham (13%), Warwick (16%) and Bristol (18%) 5 which suggests that Exeter, although moving in the right direction, is not yet on a par with these institutions in terms of being a destination university. Moreover, because of its more challenging recruitment position, we would expect the regional and mature student audience to remain more important for Cornwall than for Exeter We communicate with this national audience primarily via: our main prospectus and a range of targeted print publications, including a suite of 10 Cornwall-specific subject prospectuses which are mailed to all enquirers who express an interest in either Cornwall or both campuses; through the dedicated Cornwall Campus website, including the use of virtual tours and films; targeted subject-specific direct mail campaigns to pre-applicants; attendance at UCAS HE conventions nationwide; preapplication Open Days, campus tours and Post-Offer Open Days; and outreach activities and communications with schools and colleges, informed by our targeting strategy 6 for recruitment and outreach work. Anecdotal evidence from staff attending national UCAS events suggests that awareness of the Cornwall campus has increased notably compared with previous years, which indicates that our communications strategy is proving effective. Conversion from attendance at Cornwall pre-application Open Days to application for programmes in Cornwall was 28% for the June event and 39% from October This high level of conversion 8 is indicative both of the effectiveness of these pre application recruitment events and the importance of maximising opportunities to visit the campus Tourist and lifestyle-related media form an increasingly important element of our marketing communications strategy in order to communicate new Cornwall and target students who are likely to be attracted to the distinctive student lifestyle offered in Cornwall. We have introduced a Cornwall student life guide (24Ours) that is sent to all enquirers expressing an interest in either Cornwall or both campuses. We will also be taking a stand this year at the week-long Ripcurl Boardmasters international surfing event in August as a pilot exercise to trial the impact of face-to-face marketing at an event whose audience profile is well aligned with our target market in terms of lifestyle interests It is imperative that our entry requirements and offer-making policies are aligned with our objectives of improving entry standards since these signal to the market our academic price and are critical in supporting our positioning as a selective institution. Entry requirements have increasingly become more closely aligned with those for Exeter campuses but there is still work to do to avoid invidious comparisons and perceptions that Cornwall is a fall back choice for those who fail to gain entry to Exeter campuses. This is discussed further under Admissions Strategy in Section The creation of an attractive and differentiated suite of high value merit scholarships forms a key element of our strategy to increase our entry tariffs and position Exeter as an institution that recruits students of the highest quality. Communication of these scholarships to these high quality students is an important strand of our pre- and post-application marketing with suitable applicants now being proactively targeted by Admissions to encourage applications. A healthy proportion of Cornwall Campus applicants invited to apply for a University scholarship do so; the number of Cornwall applicants increased 12% this year over 2007 and the proportion of targeted applicants who actually apply is 2% higher in Cornwall vs. Exeter. In 2007, five out of 5 % of Home region UGs of key competitors (HESA ): Durham 13%, Warwick 16%, Bristol 18%, Loughborough 19%, Bath 23%, York 24%, Nottingham 24%, Birmingham 35% 6 This is described in detail in the Outreach and Schools Communication Plan and is based on a variety of indicators including school performance, application and conversion rates 7 Including applications to Exeter campuses the figures are 50% and 59% respectively. 8 Conversion from the June event is inevitably lower given that students are at an earlier point in their decision cycle.

9 the nine science scholarships in Biosciences were awarded to Cornwall students and one CSM (Renewable Energy) student was awarded the prestigious Vice-chancellor s scholarship. CSM also offers its own scholarships Media coverage of the Cornwall campus has increased greatly in recent years thanks to the Press and PR Office s proactive strategy of at least one media release per week (see Appendix 1 for releases for the past six months). Whilst increasing regional coverage is a key objective of the strategy, there has been considerable success in terms of national coverage for research-focused stories. 5.3 Local and regional young/traditional university entrants Given that 36% of the Cornwall Campus undergraduate intake is from the South West and the likelihood that more students will consider studying close to or living at home as tuition fees rise, we need to ensure we maintain our visibility within, and share of this market. Applications to Cornwall from our partner schools and colleges increased from 2006 to 2007 by 138% compared to Exeter where applications decreased slightly by -11%. Encouraging high quality students in Cornwall who would have previously left the region to apply to the Cornwall Campus is an important objective in terms of meeting our challenging entry quality targets. The securing of the annual UCAS Convention for Tremough from this year will be very advantageous in extending our reach and profile amongst this regional audience and we expect to see the impact of this from the 2009 entry cycle onwards We communicate with this audience through the majority of the activities detailed above for the national audience but also through regional outreach activity. The approach to targeting for recruitment and outreach work in respect of the Cornwall Campus at this stage in its development is different to that for the University as a whole where we are adopting a more targeted approach in order to ensure we deploy resources to maximum benefit in line with strategic objectives. Given the smaller catchment area and the importance of building active and positive relationships to develop awareness of the Campus and drive up applications from within Cornwall, at this stage we regard all schools in Cornwall as potential targets for recruitment and outreach communication, although we will prioritise in terms of school performance and past application patterns as analysable trends begin to develop. 5.4 Local and regional mature entrants The mature student audience is proving to be a more important market for the Cornwall Campus relative to Exeter campuses in terms of recruitment performance to date with 13% of entrants being over 21 compared with 7.4% for Exeter. Applications from mature students for 2007 for Cornwall showed an increase over 2006 with nearly a 100% increase (with significant increases in Biosciences) while Exeter saw a decrease of -10%. Given the challenges of meeting target numbers, whereas for Exeter campuses, the mature student audience is a secondary market, for Cornwall we consider it to be a third order primary market. It is important to note that students entering with Access qualifications and those who are over 21 will not have a detrimental effect on A-level tariff scores 9, since they do not count towards this measure. It may therefore be more advantageous to admit a higher proportion of over 21 and Access students rather than accept younger students with lower tariff scores. However, the higher proportion of mature students compared with Exeter campuses may reflect the absorption of latent demand in the region and this could mean the proportion of mature students within the UG cohort will reduce in future years. 9 A small proportion enter with one A level alongside their Access qualification but this would not be sufficient to impact on the University or School average tariff scores.

10 5.4.2 The proportion of UG programmes that are available for part-time study (Law, English, Modern Celtic/Cornish Studies and Flexible Combined Honours with History due to be added for 2009 entry) is a positive factor in attracting this market as is the vocational relevance of many of the programmes in the UG portfolio (e.g. Renewable Energy). The willingness of Cornwall academic departments to tailor their teaching to increase accessibility to mature and part-time learners is a further positive factor in enabling us to communicate a coherent and credible offer to this market. Many departments in Cornwall now have a mature students section in their subject brochures and on the Cornwall Campus website. We have also created dedicated mature students information pages on the generic section of the site Marketing and recruitment activities aimed specifically at this market include targeted regional advertising (e.g. Du Maurier Festival for English and niche media for Celtic/Cornish studies) and distribution of tailored publicity material to libraries and other regional outlets. We are developing relationships with Access programmes in regional FE colleges and plan to run a targeted open house event for the regional market which will also target PG students to showcase our rapidly developing portfolio of distinctive PGT programmes Positioning strategy and key messages 6.1 The key messages for prospective Cornwall-based students are substantially the same as for those at Exeter campuses, but with some differences in terms of both emphasis and the factual information used to substantiate the differentiators and selling points. They can be grouped around five main themes: 1. High quality, innovative teaching in a research-rich environment 2. Unique environment 3. Contemporary campus with world-class facilities 4. Work experience and personal development 5. A focus on the environment and sustainability The full list of key messages and their individual factual substantiators is given in Appendix All of these messages address the attractors and detractors for applicants to Cornwall identified from market research (see section 4). The unique environment message focuses not just on the natural environment but also the lively student lifestyle and the growing social, arts and culture scene in Cornwall, in order to counter perceptions of rural isolation. 6.3 Research shows that a key concern for students continues to be whether their degrees will have the same academic standing and be taught to the same high standards as at Exeter. The high quality teaching in a research-rich environment message is designed to reinforce the parity of academic standards and the worldclass academic appointments that have been made in Cornwall, along with the specific differentiators of the human scale, small group teaching and innovative teaching and learning methods. It is important to be aware that the small group teaching and personal attention messages will have a limited shelf life as student numbers increase, although we would still expect SSRs to remain favourable relative to sector norms. There will also be teaching space constraints from when we have three cohorts of Phase 2 students and the Dartington move has taken place, and this could also impact on the quality of the student academic experience. 6.4 At the subject level, particular emphasis is placed on the differentiators in programme design and teaching methods in order to emphasis the distinctiveness of Cornwall (a 10 For example: MSc Energy Policy and Sustainability and MSc Critical Global Politics introduced for 2008; MA Climate Change and MSc Marine Renewable Energy for 2009

11 particularly important factor for subjects which are also taught in Exeter). Examples include: the amount of fieldwork in Biosciences; course flexibility and innovative teaching methods in Geography; the applied nature of CSM s programmes and track record of directly relevant graduate employment; the emphasis on place and environment in English; contemporary themes in History and Politics; an emphasis on employability in History through the Public History module; and small group teaching and distinctive option modules in Law. 6.5 The environment and sustainability has been added as a new theme this year now that we have a greater range of factual substantiators to support this. The proposed introduction from 2010 of cross-cutting interdisciplinary modules on this topic for all undergraduate students on Single Honours programmes will reinforce this positioning and the Environment and Sustainability Institute will, of course, represent a major differentiator and enable a step change in our communications around this topic. 6.6 However, in communicating this theme to the undergraduate audience it will be important to strike the right balance between this very specific message and the more generic ones. Since we need to attract significantly more high quality applicants for Phase 2 programmes in particular, placing too great an emphasis on the environmental theme could create an impression that our offerings are rather niche and limit their appeal to those looking for broader and more traditional programmes in History, Law, etc. While being extremely well-known for a particular subject or research strength can be advantageous in terms of brand-building and differentiation in a crowded and largely undifferentiated HE market (as, for example, Loughborough is for sport and engineering), this can also limit an institution s ability to create a diversified and profitable portfolio and extend its audience reach. 7. Marketing communications: recent developments, plans and challenges 7.1 Taking account of the findings of recent research (see 4.3), we have introduced the following key changes to our marketing communications in : (a) (b) (c) Communicating the location/environment and new Cornwall : New student lifestyle guide 24Ours introduced for conversion stage in February 2008; will be mailed to all enquirers who state interest in Cornwall or Both campuses in future. A corresponding lifestyle section of the website will be developed. Virtual tours on Cornwall Campus website expanded to cover Phase 2 and show a more lively campus than was possible in Phase 1. Presence at Rip Curl Boardmasters international surfing week in August. Perceptions of distance: Greater use of location maps in print and web communications to illustrate transport links (e.g. Newquay airport) and distances, whilst managing expectations of new applicants (particularly Clearing and referred applicants) regarding the campus location (to minimise early drop-outs). Student life communications aim to emphasise the positive points regarding transport links and those social and sporting opportunities that are accessible without a car. Course information: Full suite of 10 subject prospectuses will be mailed at enquiry stage to all enquirers who state interest in Cornwall or both campuses (these were previously used as a conversion tool with combined Exeter/Cornwall factfiles used at enquiry stage). Factfiles and Exeter Open Days continue to be used for cross-selling Cornwall. Subject-specific films created for website (academics talking about their programmes). Post-Offer Open Day talks filmed for the web as a conversion tool, particularly for those for whom travel to Cornwall may be a barrier and/or who have previously visited for a pre-application Open Day. Extensive use of student testimonials and evidence of successful first year recruitment to Phase 2 subjects to minimise perceptions of newness and perceived risk of joining a campus that is still becoming established.

12 (d) (e) Employability: Continuing efforts to profile successful graduates in publicity, although this remains a challenge whilst numbers remain small and Schools should be encouraged to provide information on graduate destinations for use in publicity. Communicating reputation: Times Higher award, league table and National Student Survey success proactively communicated throughout our publicity. Minimal differential between published entry requirements for Exeter and Cornwall is communicated at face-to-face marketing events such as Open Days to mitigate perceptions of lower standards in Cornwall. 7.2 Web marketing The Cornwall Campus website is a major marketing tool and a key success factor for successful student recruitment, as well as for communication to a wide range of other audiences and stakeholders. We face two key challenges in respect of the web: Maintenance and development capacity: Our web marketing resources have not increased in line with development needs. We have a Web Marketing Officer (Helen Leslie) for two days per week to cover all external-facing sections of the Cornwall website. This resource will remain the same in since marketing budgets are constrained by the need for University recurrent funding to replace funding previously supplied from Phase 2 working capital. It will therefore be a challenge to keep pace with the growing need for web development across UG, PGT and PGR programmes Integration with the main Exeter website: We are conscious that the design of the Cornwall website is not currently aligned with the template for the main University website. The Website Redesign Board has recently agreed, at the behest of the Head of Marketing and School Manager for Biosciences, to include the Cornwall Campus in the list of initial priorities for redevelopment in the corporate redesign of the University website. 7.3 Enquiry management and Customer Relationship Management High quality, personalised customer service at the enquiry stage and proactive communication throughout the application and conversion phases of the student journey are key success factors for achieving quality and quantity enrolment targets With the growing volume of enquiries, it is timely to review the way in which prospective student data is captured, stored and utilised in order to deliver (a) the appropriate level and type of information at key stages of the journey in order to maximise conversion; and (b) timely and robust management information to inform future communication strategies. Now that responsibility for enquiry management has moved from Admissions to Marketing and UK recruitment, we will be reviewing current systems with the aim of having a new enquiry management and CRM system in place in 2008/9. 8. Future issues and challenges for the Cornwall Campus UG recruitment 8.1 Future recruitment position Planning have calculated that if the 2008/9 intake is around 30 students short of target there will be an overall shortfall of c. 200 against the target student population by 2010/11 which is the end of the CUC planning period The table at Appendix 3 is designed to illustrate the differential challenges Cornwall subjects face in terms of attaining quantity and quality targets. The table shows, for

13 the UG Home 2007 entry cycle: (a) a comparison of Exeter and Cornwall applications to enrolment ratios; (b) the increase in Cornwall applications that would have been required to meet the 2007 quota at the same conversion rate; and (c) the increase in applications required to achieve the same conversion rates as Exeter (and thus potentially the same levels of quality/selectivity). (Since we have not yet reached the end of the 2008 entry admissions cycle, it is not possible to produce a similar analysis for this cycle.) Biosciences and CSM are showing high conversion rates of around 3 applications per place reflecting the specialist nature of their programmes. The more generic, widely available subjects of English and History are showing lower applications to enrolment ratios than Streatham, whereas Geography and Law s are similar. However, quality and competitiveness of entry has to be taken into account and higher conversion rates for English and History at Streatham show these established subjects can afford to be more selective as is reflected in their entry tariffs. The fact that there is not a greater gap between the conversion rates in Exeter and Cornwall for the more generic subjects may be considered somewhat surprising. However, given its distinctive student lifestyle and location, Cornwall could be said to be similarly niche in its appeal to the Biosciences and CSM programmes (i.e. it appeals to a certain type of student and is a very deliberate choice) and this is reflected in the relatively high level of applications to places conversion (average of 1 in 4) compared with Streatham (1 in 6). It also reflects the critical importance of conversion activities, such as high quality open days, course information and applicant communications, in yielding maximum enrolments from the applicants that the campus does attract. At the same time, it illustrates the challenges of reaching Exeter levels of entry tariffs given the more limited ability to pick and choose candidates The table also shows that, despite overall achieving 98% of the required applications to meet quota, high levels of applications in CSM, Law and Geography compensated for lower application rates in Biosciences (61% of target applications) and HuSS (52%) in particular. Biosciences would have required a 64% increase in applications at current conversion rates to meet quota but, in the light of its strong performance this cycle, high conversion rates, differentiated programmes and the introduction of Zoology, is likely to reach this target number within the next year. HuSS would have needed to virtually double its application to meet its challenging quota of 103. By contrast, English requires a 15% increase and Law and Geography just 5%, while CSM is already at the optimal number of applications. To reach Exeter levels of selectivity in terms of applications to places, HuSS would need a 125% increase and English a 42% increase in applications. 8.2 Prospects for improving application and conversion rates with current portfolio We would expect to see some year on year improvement in applications as a result of the new marketing initiatives outlined in section 7.1 above. The full benefit of these will not be felt until the 2009 application cycle As student numbers build up and we have larger cohorts of graduates progressing into employment, we will benefit from improved word-of-mouth and the tangible evidence of the value of a Cornwall campus degree that is lacking at present for certain subjects. As published entry grades rise (see Appendix 4), as Cornwall is integrated much more closely into the marketing of the University as a whole, and as more student services offered in Exeter are replicated in Cornwall (for example, with the appointment of a Cornwall Employability Officer), the ongoing perception (albeit at notably reduced levels) amongst some segments of the prospective student market that Cornwall is second best to Exeter will continue to decline If the resource constraints in terms of web marketing both centrally and in Schools and the need for better integration with the main Exeter website could be addressed, this would contribute to improvements in both applications and conversion.

14 8.2.4 Two further key success factors for marketing and recruitment that are largely outside the control of central Marketing and where Schools contributions are vital are: (a) Quality of subject presentations at pre- and post-application Open Days: While feedback from applicants is largely very positive, it is important to bear in mind that we are only able to capture this feedback from those who respond to our surveys. There is likely to be a segment of the audience that we are unable to capture who simply become disengaged after attending a recruitment event and who may have had negative experiences. The difference in acceptance and decline rates between subjects shown in the table below indicates that some Schools are more successful than others in converting applicants. Firm Accept Insurance Accept Decline % % % Biosciences 39% 14% 47% English 24% 17% 58% Geography 21% 21% 57% CSM 33% 16% 50% Law 31% 25% 45% History 21% 14% 65% Politics 29% 14% 55% % figures represent the number of responses in each category as a percentage of total responses received by Phase 2 subjects face a particular challenge given their newness and small student numbers so here it is even more essential that subject presentations are of the highest quality in terms of both quality and accuracy of information and the enthusiasm of the presenters. It should be recognised that, whilst the attractions of being a pioneer and part of building a new course community on a new campus may appeal to some students, for a significant segment this is a deterrent and reduces confidence in the quality of the education they are likely to experience. It is therefore necessary to avoid too great an emphasis on these aspects in face-to-face communications with students. Two specific recommendations can be made here: 1) Presentation slides and materials should be checked for accuracy with Marketing prior to Open Days so that consistent and up to date data on things like NSS scores and institutional selling points can be included. The planning cycle for future Open Days should take this into account. 2) There may be some benefit in commissioning an external agency to conduct a mystery shopping exercise at a future pre-application Open Day. This was carried out in Exeter four years ago and was valuable in providing honest and objective feedback from an applicant s point of view. Such an exercise has not been conducted for Cornwall and, four years on from the opening of the campus, and in the run-up to Phase 3, may be an appropriate time to do so. However, this type of initiative would require the buy-in of academic staff to be successful; otherwise it may be counter-productive and demotivating. (b) Evidence of graduate employment and alumni success stories : This type of information is increasingly important for successful student recruitment in today s fee-paying environment but can be labour-intensive and challenging to gather. It is particularly important where quantitative data from the official annual careers (DELHE) survey is limited due to small student numbers, as is currently the case in Cornwall. Marketing is working closely with DARO with the aim of generating leads from alumni for careerbased profiles and will then work with Schools on mailing these contacts. (It