Is it better for an institution to market its individual programs or the overall student experience? The question has long been debated by colleges and universities, and Ithaca College is adopting a strategy that shifts the focus from programs to the college as a whole.
The upstate New York college, with some 6,100 undergraduates, is perhaps best known for some of its individual programs, such as its music and communication schools. Ithaca’s students have historically identified more with the professional school they’re enrolled in than the overall Ithaca College brand, several longtime faculty members say.
Yet the college is trying to create a more unified identity, and a new marketing strategy is aimed at promoting the "comprehensive" student experience -- highlighting elements like residential life and slow-growing tuition -- says Chris Biehn, vice president for institutional advancement and communications. Some faculty are concerned the approach is a generic one that fails to address the unique substance of the college’s academic programs, however.
Read more at The Chronicle of Higher Education: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/10/16/ithaca-college-shifts-marketing-strategy-focus-whole-institution-not-individual