Archive of Articles, Research, Newsletters & Presentations

Integrated Marketing:

Student Recruitment:

Non-Traditional Student Recruitment:

Public Relations:

Future Trends in Higher Education:

Research on Students:

Analyses of the research results for The Chronicle of Higher Education national poll of public perceptions of higher education

Article and Presentation Descriptions:

2015 NAICU Annual Meeting: Getting Strategic about Outcomes
Bob Campagnuolo and Jonathan Steele presented our national research about the importance of successful student outcomes to prospective students and parents and several case studies about how colleges are meeting the demand by prioritizing successful outcomes in their strategic planning...View the slides from the presentation.

2014 NAICU Annual Meeting: Crafting the Value Proposition for Private Education in the New Economy
Bob Campagnuolo and Jonathan Steele presented our market research on the shifting attitudes of prospective students and their parents regarding private higher education and a few case studies illustrating how several colleges are demonstrating their value proposition in the new economy...View the slides from the presentation.

Keys to Marketing, Recruitment, and Financial Aid in These Uncertain Times
Topher Small presented this Jenzabar webinar about how colleges should approach these key issues in the current economic climate.

ACAC Tri-State Conference: Integrating Print and Electronic Communication Flows
Topher Small and Jonathan Steele presented on building and integrating print and electronc communication flows for student recruitment at the ACAC Tri-State Conference...View the slides from the presentation.

Finding the Right Balance of Print and Electronic Communication: Which Works Best When Communicating with Prospective Graduate Students
 Christopher Small and Jonathan Steele from GDAIS made this presentation at the 2005 NAGAP (National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals) Annual Conference in Chicago. In the presentation, they discussed strategies for student recruitment at the graduate level. They outlined how to create a comprehensive communication plan using mixed media, and the value of delivering single-themed messages over an extended period of time...view the slides from the presentation.

Which is Better: Print or Electronic Communication?
 Christopher Small, Jonathan Steele and Jim Slavin from the College Board made this presentation at the 2004 College Board National Forum. Using GDA's exclusive market research to understand how prospective students prefer to communicate with colleges, the presentation examines several communications tactics and a presents a model for things to come...view the Power Point slides from the presentation.

Vox Populi: Private Colleges - The Talk of the Nation
 In the winter of 2003, GDA Integrated Services conducted a telephone survey of 1,000 randomly selected adults throughout the nation for The Chronicle of Higher Education. The ten-page report of the findings, "What American Thinks About Higher Education," appeared in the May 1, 2003 edition. In this article, we look at what the data signify for private colleges - especially liberal arts colleges - and provide tips for utilizing the findings...download the PDF. Click here if you need to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Survey Says: Do Blow Your Own Horn
 Drawing on the research we conducted on behalf of the Chronicle of Higher Education regarding the public's perception of higher education, this article by George Dehne that appeared in the November/December 2003 issue of Trusteeship is a roadmap to the kinds of messages colleges and universities should be propagating...download the PDF. Click here if you need to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Integrating Print and Electronic Communication for Recruitment: Two Case Studies
 Presented at the 2003 NACAC National Conference, this panel focused on our our collaboration to integrate print and electronic communication with two of our clients: Fairleigh Dickinson University and The University of Tulsa. Moderated by John Corso from Tulsa, the panel was comprised of Earl Johnson and Becky Wiseman, also from Tulsa; Bernetta Millonde from FDU (unfortunately, Bernetta was unable to attend); and Jonathan Steele from GDAIS...see the Power Point slides from the presentation.

Using Electronic Communication for Student Recruitment: A Case Study of The University of Tulsa
Over the past three years, The University of Tulsa has chosen to partner with GDA Integrated Services to develop a comprehensive recruitment program that fully integrates electronic communication (e-mail, Websites, instant messaging, etc.) with its paper recruitment arsenal. The result is a state-of-the-art recruitment program that spans all media and sustains the flow of information to and from prospective students for three years. This case study delves into the strategies and tactics involved in the creation of the Tulsa program...more on this case study.

The Media Omnivores: Understanding College-Bound Students and Communicating with Them Effectively
 Published in the NACAC Journal of College Admission, this article by Jonathan Steele uses GDA Integrated Services' national research database and other data sources to understand how college-bound students are using new media and the Internet in the college search process and how colleges can adapt their communications and recruitment methods to keep pace with the latest generation of students...more on this research article

Determining and Reaching Non-traditional-age Student Markets
This article explores how we go about creating a comprehensive, integrated marketing campaign for non-traditional-age students and some of the unique complexities involved with marketing to this group...more on this article.

Attracting Adult Students
Using our research as a base, this article examines the differences between full-time undergraduate and graduate students and part-time adult undergraduate and graduate students. It then outlines some of the most common mistakes made in recruiting part-time students as well as recommendations for recruiting them...more on this article.

The Art and Science of Branding
What are the components of branding? George Dehne outlines the basic elements necessary to create an effective brand and the four issues that can be used to determine branding accuracy and effectiveness...more on this article.

Keys to Developing an Integrated Marketing Plan
GDA Integrated Services has no set procedures when working with an institution on developing an integrated marketing plan. The kinds of research available, self-knowledge, marketing organization and so forth differ widely among institutions. We, therefore, offer a series of options that we recommend based on the needs of the client. This article outlines the keys elements of developing an integrated marketing plan...more on this article.

Using Market Research to Improve Communication with Prospective Students
What are students looking for when they communicate with colleges? Executive Vice President Christopher Small looks into GDA's extensive database of student surveys to identify the trends and explain the strategies behind a successful communications program...more on this research paper.

Another Look at The Future of the Private College
About five years ago, George Dehne wrote an article called "A Look at the Future of Private Colleges." Since then, GDA has surveyed about 35,000 college-bound students and has analyzed the trends within and beyond higher education. Much has changed since his first article, but disturbing trends and activities still loom ahead for many private institutions. In this effort, Mr. Dehne examines new data and directions, but also reminds us of issues that linger...more on this research article

Method and Madness:
What Students Expect From Different College Types And What You Can Learn From It
George Dehne & Associates surveys about 20,000 college-bound students annually. By matching the kind of institution in which they are enrolled with the characteristics they sought in their college experience we can see how rational or irrational their choice of a kind of college. We will look at variations of the Carnegie Classifications of colleges with a special look at the AMA -- Higher Education constituents -- Liberal arts 1 and II and Regional Public Institutions...more on this research article

Anatomy of an Educational Turnaround
When things go wrong for a college or university they can go very, very wrong. Such was the case for Drexel University in Philadelphia. This article examines the rejuvenation of Drexel as seen from the administration and the outside consultant...more on this research article

The New Student Generation
Why has the major field become so important to this generation of students? What motivates young people? Do our admissions materials have an impact? These are just a few of the questions that administrators and faculty ask me on campuses around the country. Yet we have found that there has been little discussion about this current generation of students and those we can expect at the turn of the century...more on this research article

The Future of Promotional Marketing in Higher Education
Can you think of a more difficult marketing task than asking a 17-year-old to make a lifelong decision with, in the case of private colleges, $100,000 of a third party's (their parents') money? Can you think of an industry, outside of higher education, where the product's reputation depends almost totally on word-of-mouth? Can you think of an industry, outside of higher education, where the competition for attention, customers, and money has gotten more fierce in the past decade, yet the "marketing" budgets have remained relatively modest?...more on this research article

The Silver Bullet Syndrome
 Optimism is a proud American trait. Although higher education has its share of skeptics, it is still based on the optimistic premise that hard work and achievement are rewarded. Yet some higher education leaders are pinning their hopes for improvement on a single panacea, whatever it might be. I call this the Silver Bullet Syndrome, a reference to the Lone Ranger's one-shot problem solving...more on this research article

Reinventing Student Recruitment
 Everyone knows that student recruitment is crucial to the health, if not the survival, of most private colleges and universities. Yet identifying an effective student-recruitment program presents several difficulties. Does success depend on reinventing the institution's programs and focus? Will dispatching admissions counselors on more high school visits, mounting a nationwide advertising campaign, or designing slicker brochures fill the dorms?...more on this research article

Data For Effective Marketing in an Uncertain Future
What data should a college have to remain effective in a more competitive and difficult environment? What does a college need to know about itself and its market before it attempts strategic and marketing planning? These are the two questions we are most often asked by presidents, trustees, and admission professionals trying to plan for a difficult future...more on this research article