Watch our interview with Joshua Kutney and Rachel Carlton of Lakeland University about how they identified the right opportunities to expand their online programs.
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“We needed a clear sense of programs that would attract students to Lakeland”
Lakeland University recently embarked on a strategic initiative to expand their portfolio of online programs. But what programs would represent the right balance between institutional strength and market demand?
In summer 2021, Lakeland commissioned RNL to help identify those programs through a Program Prioritization and Positioning (P3) analysis—part of our RNL Enable Market Research services. The P3 analysis begins with a 360-degree Environmental Scan of the markets in which each of 10 programs operate (or will operate if future programs are being evaluated) and then compares regional forces with national trends.
The Environmental Scan data are then used to move five programs to the “front burner” and five to the “back burner” for an even more detailed Competitor Analysis. This prioritization is predicated on the notion that few institutions have the resources to launch 10 programs at the same time, but they also need a mechanism to help in prioritization of many competing factors.
Why conduct market research?
Joshua Kutney, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Lakeland University:
“We were seeking ways to serve more students in our area while expanding to locations where we know our traditional program has a footprint, certain parts of Michigan for instance. We also wanted to explore some options for new programs and ways to maybe develop existing ones, make them more competitive, get into spaces that maybe we weren’t as present in as we thought we could be.”
Why engage with an external partner like RNL?
Rachel Carlton, Dean, Kellett School, Lakeland University
“We wanted to make sure that we had a clear sense of programs that would be likely to attract students to Lakeland and ones that we would be well positioned to be a leader in. And beyond that too, we wanted to make sure that we were asking the best questions on the front end. We felt that we had a good sense of that, but we wanted to partner with an organization that could help us learn as an institution and grow in those front end questions to make sure that we were really looking before we were leaping if you will.”
“I give RNL a five out of five for various reasons, but the quality of the research, the comprehensiveness of it is the leading reason...it was done thoroughly, thoughtfully, timely. The recommendations were very helpful. The level of collegiality shouldn't be understated—approachable, thoughtful, open to all questions.”
Why RNL?
Joshua Kutney, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Lakeland University:
“We were looking for an organization that had a real clear sense of the online and graduate spaces and markets and could distinguish that from the traditional residential educational model. And it was hard to find an organization that really could think about those two different populations. RNL stacked up very well and your recent Graduate Student Recruitment Report and last year’s Graduate and Online Innovation Summit gave us the greatest confidence and underscored for us that in the last few years RNL has really come to understand that space in a way that others have not.”
Most interesting finding?
Rachel Carlton, Dean, Kellett School, Lakeland University:
“There was a lot that we were able to glean from the environmental scan. One of the things that was helpful is that we got a sense of market share that would be available for the programs we are considering. That was a key question that we wanted to make sure we were asking upfront and this study helped give us confidence as we were looking at each program.
“Another element that was really eye-opening were some of the differences in the trends between our regional data and the national data. That was something that, truthfully, we hadn’t considered previously, but after seeing the data is something that we will be asking in the future, particularly for online programs. Keeping an eye on both regional strengths and national trends is very important to us and understanding when there may be opportunities in the divergences is going to be key to the development of our strategies.”
How would you rate the quality of the research?
Joshua Kutney, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Lakeland University:
“I give RNL a five out of five for various reasons, but the quality of the research, the comprehensiveness of it is the leading reason. We have an internal team that looks at innovation and related kinds of metrics, but I think like a lot of universities, you really need a strong shoulder to help you get that going sometimes, and RNL was there; it was done thoroughly, thoughtfully, timely. The recommendations were very helpful. The level of collegiality shouldn’t be understated—approachable, thoughtful, open to all questions. As we were deciding what our 10 programs might be and then our five programs and the four competitors, there was a lot of helpful back and forth to get that right.”
Find the optimal online enrollment strategy
Talk with RNL’s online enrollment experts about finding the right strategy for your institutions and programs. We can discuss research, digital lead generation, online curriculum enablement, and more.