Welcome
Communication Meeting
February 3, 2011
1
Planning Update
– Next Steps for the Budget
– SPIF Update
2
Stamats Branding Research

On January 21 Stamats, a national leader in higher ed.
communications/marketing and branding presented a
four-hour workshop to the College’s Marketing
Advisory Committee.

The Committee is comprised of individuals from
across campus, from Marketing and Communications
to the Deans, Faculty, Students, Administrators,
Student Affairs to members of the Board of
Governors with marketing backgrounds.
3
Stamats Branding Research

Faculty, Staff, Students, Alumni, and Prospective
students were queried to help us understand how we
are perceived internally and externally, and to help us
understand how to best position the College on issues
of student and faculty recruitment as well as
fundraising.

The response was noteworthy and we were
complimented by the Stamats consultant regarding
the extensive response rate and the enthusiasm shown
for the College by our stakeholders.
4
The Internal Assessment of
Students, Alumni, Faculty and Staff:
 Objectives were to identify image/perception among the
group; determine what we think are our strengths and
weaknesses; evaluate where Ramapo ranked among our
students and determine what other schools they considered.
 Student Perceptions:
 The College must focus on improving our academic
features and social life. Our students are happy here, but
they believe TCNJ and Rutgers excel in academics in ways
that Ramapo does not.
 Our students are unhappy with the social life on campus
and that unhappiness prevents some of them from
recommending the College.
5
The Internal Assessment of
Students, Alumni, Faculty and Staff:
 Faculty Perceptions:
 Faculty and staff believe the College is a good place to
work and give Ramapo a good rating
 But faculty attribute stronger academics to Rutgers, along
with graduate success, study abroad, internship
opportunities, and social life.
 Alumni Perceptions:
 Alumni are quite happy with the College, recommend it
highly to others and feel the institution has improved
although they, like faculty and staff, feel more needs to be
done to promote the College.
6
The Internal Assessment of
Students, Alumni, Faculty and Staff:
 Conclusion:
 All internal audiences perceive the College as a small
school with a liberal arts emphasis, good teachers and
beautiful facilities. They believe the College falls short on
some key college choice factors, namely a strong academic
challenge, internships, and graduate success in terms of job
placement and graduate school acceptance.
 For the most part, Ramapo alumni and employees value the
“liberal arts” education more than current students. Faculty
see the greatest value in it.
7
The External Assessment of
Prospective Students



Participants were taken from a list of prospective students in
Northern NJ who meet the College’s academic criteria.
Ramapo College must increase awareness and familiarity, 40%
of the pool was not familiar with the College and its offerings.
Approximately 27% consider Ramapo among potential options
and only 4% cited the College as a top-choice institution.
Currently, Ramapo falls below student expectations in offering
challenging programs/majors, graduate success, hands-on
learning, and reputation. The College has the opportunity to
differentiate itself from competitors by developing greater
hands-on learning/internship opportunities.
8
The External Assessment of
Prospective Students

Prospective students value challenging academics the
most, but fail to appreciate the value of what a liberal
arts education means to them. Less than 10%
consider liberal arts as an important college choice
attribute.
 Communications should focus on how a liberal arts
college enhances factors of greatest importance –
teaching, graduate success, internships, challenging
academics.
 Prospective students rate the campus visit as the most
important source of information about a College.
9
The External Assessment of
Prospective Students
 The Next Step:
 Stamats will return to campus on Friday and lead
the Committee in a brand promise workshop from
which five brand promises will be developed and
then surveyed among the same constituencies to
help the College articulate our values.
 From there, that information will be incorporated
into new creatives for our publications and
marketing materials and a new Integrated
Marketing Communication Plan for the College.
10
Achievements
 Graduation Rates
 NACUBO Recognition
-- AACSB Accreditation
 MS Educational Leadership
 Project Management Certificate
 Research and Recognition of Professor E. Karlin
11
Graduation Rates
12
NACUBO/Commonfund Study of Endowments FY 6/30/10
N.J. University/Colleges
Rank
FY 2010
Endowment Funds
($000)
Percentage
Change from
2009
Ramapo College of NJ
810
$9,110
29.5%
Monmouth University
525
$53,309
27.2%
Georgian Court University
584
$40,258
20.7%
Fairleigh Dickinson
693
$23,928
19.2%
College of New Jersey
766
$14,743
18.8%
College of St. Elizabeth
733
$18,276
15.8%
$14,391,450
14.1%
Princeton University
3
Rutgers
105
$603,083
10.7%
Seton Hall University
275
$162,889
10.2%
Princeton Theological
80
$811,101
7.5%
Rider University
557
$46,802
6.3%
Drew University
249
$183,355
6.2%
Stevens Institute of Tech.
316
$133,397
3.9%
Rowan
330
$122,034
3.4%
13
Achievements (continued)
 AACSB Accreditation
 MS Educational Leadership
 Project Management Certificate
 Research and Recognition of Professor E. Karlin
14
New Jersey Higher Education
Task Force Report
The Higher Education Task Force was commissioned by
Governor Christie in May 2010 “to assist in identifying
challenges facing New Jersey’s institutions of higher
education and to offer recommendations to the Governor to
further the quality and success of these institutions and the
overall system of higher education in the State…”
www.nj.gov/governor/news/reports/
15
Task Force Overview
Membership
 The Honorable Thomas H. Kean, Chair
 Robert E. Campbell, Vice Chairman (Retired), Johnson & Johnson
 Dr. Margaret Howard, Vice President for Administration & University Relations,
Drew University
 John L. McGoldrick, Esq., Chair, Zimmer Holdings, Inc., Executive Vice
President – Retired, Bristol-Myers Squibb
 Dr. George A. Pruitt, President, Thomas Edison State College
Process
 Met with more than 150 people from May to November
 Issued a 9-point questionnaire to college Presidents and Trustees
Recommendations in 6 major categories:
 Financing/Affordability
 Governance
 Mission
 Rutgers University
 UMDNJ and Medical Education
 Workforce Development and Economic Development
16
Financing & Affordability
“After twenty years of declining State funding and increased tuition, the fortunes of citizens
of our state hang in the balance.
Student access to an affordable college education and the economic prosperity of our state
are at stake. New Jersey must decide to change course and provide greater support for
higher education.”
Ramapo College: State Support as a Percent of Revenues
17
Financing & Affordability Recommendations
Tuition
 State should not impose tuition caps
 Institutions should not increase tuition in one year increments that unreasonably large
compared to previous year increases
Capital Support
 State should immediately issue general obligation bonds (the last bond issue was in
1988)
 Institutions should receive annual capital support
 Restore Higher Education Incentive Funding Program (to attract private philanthropy)
Operating Support
 Provide greater financial support for operating budgets
 Develop and implement a more rational approach to allocating state aid
 The state should fund salary increases that it negotiates for state employees
Student Aid
 Maintain Tuition Aid Grant funding,
 Increase funding to Educational Opportunity Fund
 Transform NJ STARS to promote student choice and mobility
 Improve application process for student assistance
18
Governance
“There is an important and fine equilibrium between highly
desirable autonomy in the hands of strong boards of trustees,
and adequate State oversight and protection of taxpayer
investment.
Strong autonomous institutions managing their own affairs is of
paramount importance, but appropriate oversight and
coordination are also essential.”
19
Governance Recommendations
 Eliminate Commission on Higher Education
 Identify Secretary of Higher Education and Governor’s Higher Education
Council* (*Authorized in Executive Order #52 signed on January 4th)
 Colleges should initiate the trustee nomination process
 Pass tool kit bills to reform worker’s compensation, collective bargaining,
and elimination of civil service
 State should pay for any unfunded mandates
 Eliminate policies that hinder competitiveness:
• Caps on state pension contributions
• Local approvals for construction projects
20
Mission
“There is great value in the differentiation of the missions of New
Jersey’s higher education sectors. But how the institutions
understand and articulate their missions is unclear.”
“New Jersey stands out more positively in educating students.
New Jersey’s nine state colleges and universities comprise one
of the most productive set of state colleges and universities in
the country.”
“Relative to their resources, (NJ’s nine state colleges) are one of
the three best-performing public baccalaureate and master’s
sectors for six-year graduation rates of bachelor’s students;
and given their resources, they are in the top four states in
producing bachelor’s degrees relative to their student
populations.”
21
Mission Recommendations

All institutions should undertake a review of their missions
- Ramapo reviewed its mission in 2007 and again in 2010

Princeton University should enhance its role in researching and
recommending solutions to NJ’s public policy and educational issues

The legislature should refrain from micromanaging institutions
“Imposing a tuition cap on at the four year public colleges last year
may have been a mistake.” - Governor Christie

The state should charge a fee for out of state institutions seeking licensure

More transparency and accountability of teacher education programs
22
Rutgers University
“For a state to be great, it must have a great state university.
New Jersey is rightfully proud of the history and
accomplishments of Rutgers, its only comprehensive public
research university.”
“Rutgers is a well-respected university. However, for New
Jersey’s students to receive the quality of higher education
they deserve, and for all our citizens to have the economic
future we want, Rutgers must become a great university.”
“Rutgers is primarily a research university, and it needs to
establish itself among the nation’s top ten public research
institutions.”
23
Rutgers University Recommendations

Rutgers should eliminate redundancies in personnel, utilities,
and programming

State should stabilize financial support to Rutgers

Rutgers should merge with University of Medicine and
Dentistry and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and
School of Public Health

Rutgers should increase the resources it provides to RutgersNewark and evaluate the resources it provides to RutgersCamden
24
UMDNJ & Medical Education in NJ
“Throughout the work of this Task Force, however, the need to
reform medical education in New Jersey, and the institutions
that serve it, was a loud, recurring refrain.
Many people, including representatives from the public research
institutions, expressed frustration over years of discussion and
the lack of resolution of this important public policy and
educational issue.“
“New Jersey needs a clear vision of medical training and
research for the 21st century. Educating physicians and other
medical professionals, conducting cutting-edge research, and
serving the healthcare needs of New Jersey’s residents need to
be balanced.”
25
UMDNJ & Medical Education
Recommendations

UMDNJ should be fundamentally transformed

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and School of
Public Health should merge with Rutgers

Advisory Committee* should be convened to
implement these recommendations (*Authorized in
Executive Order #51 on January 4th)
26
Workforce & Economic Development
“New Jersey’s institutions of higher education link the
development of the state’s workforce and the future of the
state’s economic prosperity.
Job projections indicate New Jersey must increase the number of
its college-educated workers.
Two significant obstacles stand in the way: too many New Jersey
high school graduates who are not prepared for college-level
work, and the significant number of well-prepared high school
graduates who leave New Jersey to attend college.”
27
Workforce & Economic Development
Recommendations

State should develop a comprehensive longitudinal
data system to track indicators of college readiness

Improve K-12 alignment with college readiness 
conduct a study of Remediation

Increase capacity at state colleges and universities

Increase out of state enrollments

Remove roadblocks to public-private partnerships
28
Questions
29