The Effective Use of External Advisory Councils
for Degree Program Development:
The Nazareth College Experience
and Lessons Learned
Presented by:
Dr. Joseph DaBoll-Lavoie, Chairperson and Professor of Economics
Mr. Mark Weber, Director, MS IMC Program, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing
Mr. Gerard F. Zappia, Dean, School of Management
April 16, 2015
Program
Advisory Recommendation
BS Information Technology
Go
BS Finance
Go
BS Wellness
No Go
MS Human Resource Development
Go
MS Human Resource Management
Go
MS Real Estate
No Go
MS Integrated Marketing Communications
Go
A “go” does not guarantee success
Part I
About Nazareth College & Situation Analysis
Part II
Definition and Benefits of an External Advisory Council
Part III
Creating, Managing and Maintaining a Council
Part IV
Case Study – MS in Integrated Marketing Communications
Part I
About Nazareth
College
&
Situation Analysis
Rochester
About Rochester, New York – Metropolitan Area (9 counties)
Item
RMA
USA
Population
1.1 million
319 million
Per Capita Income
$ 27,563
$ 28,051
Median Household Income
$ 53,155
$ 53,046
Median Family Income
$ 67,052
$ 64,585
Median Home Price
$ 128,200
$ 181,400
Percent Bachelor’s or Higher
32%
29%
Average Temperature
48.6 F
54.5 F
About Rochester, New York – Metropolitan Area (9 counties)
– Lost half of manufacturing jobs – past 15 years
– Growth sectors – education, health, leisure/hospitality, and financial
– Unemployment rate - 5.4% (January 2015)
About New York State
– A decline in NYSHG through 2019
About Nazareth
•
Founded 1924 – Sisters of Saint Joseph
•
Independent, comprehensive and co-ed since the 1970’s
•
60 undergraduate majors – graduate programs (M.S., M.S. Ed, and DPT)
•
2057 FT and PT undergraduate students
•
758 FT and PT graduate students
•
175 FT faculty - 287 PT faculty
•
90% of students from New York State
Enrollment Trends per School/College:
• School of Education (negative growth rate)
• School of Health and Human Services (high growth grate)
• School of Management (low growth rate)
• College of Arts and Science (negative growth rate)
Each School/College is expected to develop a growth strategy
Growth Strategy - School of Management
• Maintain undergraduate enrollment (steady state)
• Increase graduate enrollment through new programs
– Serve underserved segments with significant demand
– Stay away - over-served and crowded segments (i.e. - the MBA)
Our Challenge
Developing Relevant Graduate
Programs and Curriculum
“At the graduate level, there’s a sharp
disparity between what business schools
think we’re providing to students and what
employers say they want.”
Georgette Chapman Phillips, Dean
College of Business and Economics
Lehigh University
Source: BizEd Magazine – January/February 2015
The Development of Graduate
Programs and Curriculum
`
What Most Schools Do (Our Observation)
Guidance
from
Accrediting
Body
Review
Secondary
Data
Copy
Other
Schools
Alumni
Advice
Program &
Wild
Guess
Curriculum
Pray
Magic
Intuition
Our Advice
•
Do all of the above
•
Add an “external advisory council” to the mix
Part II
Definition &
Benefits
External Advisory
Council
External Advisory Council
The Nazareth College Definition
1.
An “external” advisory council consists of thought leaders, experts
and practitioners from the appropriate business sector.
2.
The purpose is to provide an “outside-in” perspective to help assess
the market need for an academic program.
3.
Should a need be established, the council provides a current
perspective that will help shape a realistic vision and mission along
with a strategic and tactical direction for the program.
4.
In addition, the council will help shape the student learning
outcomes and curriculum based on the needs of potential
employers.
Potential Benefits
1.
Relevant curriculum connected to the needs of business
2.
Enhances program credibility
3.
Accelerates Awareness of new program in business community
4.
Sense of ownership by business community
5.
Internship and employment opportunities
6.
Potential benefactors
7.
Expand your personal network
8.
List of guest speakers
9.
Potential adjunct faculty
10.
Council membership will help promote the program
Part III
Creating,
Building and
Maintaining a
Council
Building a Council
1.
Develop list of prospects
– Employers of past graduates
– Potential employers of proposed program graduates
– Key influencers and opinion leaders in the community
– Alumni working in the relevant field
– Recommendations from alumni working in the field
2.
Recommended size – 8 to 12 (not likely to be perfectly representative)
3.
Create a clear concise mission statement for the council (purpose)
4.
Develop timeline and define time expectations for the council
5.
Set meeting dates in advance – be willing to adjust based on preferences
6.
Send a brief invitation letter from the Dean
7.
Follow up phone call
Managing a Council
1.
Council members want to “react” not “create”
2.
Do not waste the membership’s time
–
Clear and focused agenda
–
Begin and end on time
–
No meeting should be more than on hour
–
Keep accurate minutes and send out for approval
3.
Always explain what you do with their advice – not window dressing
4.
Explain the degree program approval process for college and state
5.
Facilitate – say as little as possible - listen carefully
New Degree Program Development
Sequential and Top-Down
START HERE
1. Determine
Market Need
for Program
NEED
NO NEED
2. Program
Mission
3. Program
Level SLOs
4. Program
Curriculum
NOT HERE
5. Program
Delivery
Mode
Maintaining the Council
1.
Celebrate the accomplishment
2.
Send formal “thank you’ letter and cc: their boss (if appropriate)
3.
Council should continue after program launch
4.
Send out progress reports – status of the program
5.
Council membership is dynamic (add/subtract)
6.
Meet one to two times per year
7.
Conduct at least one annual review
8.
Ask Council for recommendations – new members
Part IV – Case Study
Developing the
MS IMC
MS IMC Advisory Council Membership
Giamprini, Mike
Vice President/GM - DAC Group
Gossin, Cheryl
Vice President – Communications – Constellation Brands
Hadley, Mary
Community Service Advocate, Operations Leader, Business Executive Flower City Habitat for Humanity
Hanson, Susan
CMO – Partners and Napier
Infante, Peter
President – Butler/Till
Martino, Ray
Partner – Martino/Flynn
Murtha, Bill
President – Roberts Communications
Prinzi, Jim
Vice President – Marketing – Monro Muffler
(Adjunct Professor – Nazareth College - School of Management)
Weber, Mark
Professor of Marketing/International Business
Nazareth College – School of Management
Zappia, Jerry
Dean - Nazareth College – School of Management
Zornow, Leslie
Advertising and Brand Manager – ESL Federal Credit Union
Why – MS IMC at Nazareth?
• Dean Zappia has a bias for marketing programs
• SOM Strategic Growth Strategy - student population growth will
come from the adult learner and new graduate programs
• Market Shift - from generalist graduate programs to specialized
graduate programs (Many MBA programs are struggling).
• Seeking Unmet Needs – unoccupied space in educational
marketplace that aligns with Nazareth SOM abilities
• Very Good – BLS Occupational Outlook
Occupational Outlook (BLS)
“Employment of advertising and promotions managers is expected to grow
13 percent from 2010 to 2020. Advertising, promotions, and marketing will
continue to be essential for organizations as they look to maintain and
expand their share of the market.”
Source: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing-managers.htm
MS IMC Advisory Board Mission
•
Input into shaping the direction of the MS
degree in Marketing Communications
(Marcom) including the vision and mission for
the program.
•
Provide input and perspective on Marcom
Program activities, events, and curriculum
•
Assistance in identifying the appropriate
ways for the Marcom Program to contribute
to the greater Rochester area and establish
productive community partnerships
•
Assistance in the identification and
acquisition of resources that will allow the
Marcom Program at Nazareth to achieve its
vision and mission
Timeline
Best Case Scenario
Sept ’13
Finalize
SLOs and
Curriculum to
Marcom
Aug ’13
Present Draft 1
SLOs and
Curriculum to
Marcom
Oct ’13
Prepare Formal
Proposal
Present to SOM
Faculty
Oct ’13
Present to
Curriculum
Committee
Dec ’13
Vote by
College Faculty
Nov ’13
Present to
College Faculty
Feb ‘14
Send Proposal to
NYSED
Feb ‘14
Present to
Trustees
August ‘14
Program Begins
March/April ‘14
NYSED Approval
MS IMC Program Mission
The M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications is designed
to facilitate and enhance the career and professional
development for those currently working in marketing
communications and to provide in depth study and training for
individuals aspiring to enter the field.
NOTE: What we do - Who we serve – Short and sweet.
MS IMC Program SLOs
Students will develop and demonstrate:
1.
The ability to identify important issues, develop the appropriate marketing strategy, and devise
an implementation plan to accomplish goals
2.
The conceptual, written and oral communication skills to effectively develop and communicate
ideas to the appropriate audiences
3.
The ability to assess the validity and value of internal and external research and its application to
communication design and strategy
4.
An understanding of campaign management and the collaboration between the internal and
external environment
5.
A multicultural perspective of the internal and external factors that impact consumer needs,
perceptions, attitudes and decision making in both business-to-business and business-toconsumer audiences.
6.
An understanding of the role of marketing communications/promotion tools as an integrated
element of the marketing plan and the appropriate application.
MS IMC Curriculum - Evolution
Original Program Curriculum
Revised Program Curriculum
(Based on pareto of 20 IMC programs)
(Based on recommendations of IMC Advisory Board)
1.
Business Research Methods and Analytics
MKT 507
1.
Marketing Concepts & Strategy
2.
Integrated Marketing Communications
MKT 547
2.
Marketing Research & Analytics
3.
Advertising and Media Strategy
MKT 549
3.
Global Buyer Behavior
4.
Public Relations and Social Media Strategy
MKT 551
4.
Persuasive Communications
5.
Marketing Concepts and Strategy
MKT 553
5.
Leading Innovation
6.
Global Consumer Behavior
MKT 559
6.
Primary Media
7.
Project Management
MKT 561
7.
Emerging Media
8.
Capstone Course/Project
MKT 600
8.
Marketing Communications Program
Management
9. Elective
10. Elective
11. Elective
9. Elective
10. Elective
11. Elective
32
Parting Comments
1.
Be prepared to accept constructive feedback
2. Excellent meeting organization and facilitation skill is critical
3. Keep the council focused - one issue at a time
4. Listen carefully
5. Follow up and response is critical
6. All group communication does not need to be face-to-face
7. Do not pull them into the weeds (i.e. – course syllabi)
8. Continue relationship after program is launched
Thank You