Marketing Research Final Project
-
Upload
matthew-houseal -
Category
Documents
-
view
287 -
download
0
Transcript of Marketing Research Final Project
Team E Final Report
Marketing Research for
DeSales University ACCESS Program
MK-410 Marketing Research
Dr. Sue McGorry
Team E
By: Stanley Anton, Mark-Anthony Gaunt, Matt Houseal & Stefany Tranchitella
1
Team E Final Report
Table of Contents
Executive Summary: ………………….........................................................3I. Introduction
A. Product/Services ………….……………………………….......5B. Mission & History …………...................................................7
II. Environmental AnalysisA. Market Profile
1. Target Size …………..................................................82. Market Leaders …………...........................................83. Demographics …………………..................................9 4. Political/Legislative Issues ……................................105. Economics ………….................................................126. Social-Cultural Patterns ………….............................137. Competition …………................................................148. Technological Issues ………………….......................16
B. Target Market …………........................................................16C. Demand Trend ………….......................................................16D. Strengths & Weaknesses ………….......................................17 E. Threats & Opportunities ………….........................................19
III. Research Objective ……..................................................................20IV. Research Design ……......................................................................22V. Sampling Plan ……….......................................................................25VI. Data Collection ………………….......................................................25
VII. Data Analysis ……………………......................................................26VIII. Results & Summary …………………................................................29
IX. Works Cited ..……………………………………………………....…....31X. Appendix …………………………………………………………….…..32
Executive Summary:
2
Team E Final Report
Throughout the course of this research paper, we will walk the reader through
our process of collecting data from current DeSales ACCESS students in order to better
understand why they study at DeSales and while also discovering possible methods to
expand the reach of the ACCESS program. Since 1976, the ACCESS program has won
multiple awards and has been known for its flexible, yet fulfilling, session lengths.
Our environmental analysis enabled us to better understand the market and
formulate questions accordingly. We analyzed many different factors, such as
competition, demand trends, market size, political/legislative issues, etc. From this
investigation, we were better able to understand how to ascertain our primary goals and
the proper methodology necessary. This led us to start developing our survey questions
that would best apply to the ACCESS students that are relevant to the survey. We then
conducted a SWOT analysis in order to better gauge what exactly the ACCESS
program represents.
The research objectives of the project were to give us guidelines on what we
believe needs to be accomplished throughout the entirety of the project. These
objectives cover how we obtained both the primary data (by means of the survey) and
secondary data (by means of additional research). The design of the research was to
create an effective, short survey in order to properly comprehend the typical ACCESS
student’s opinion of the program. We planned to travel to multiple classes holding
ACCESS classes, as well as email a digital version of the survey to all ACCESS
students, in order to receive as many completed surveys as possible. This was due to
the fact that we wish to not find the data range too small or skewed in any shape or
form. There were also be interviews that we conducted to allow ACCESS students to
3
Team E Final Report
answer questions more thoroughly than someone taking the survey. The additional
research came in the forms of discovering how much of a threat our current competition
poses, and whether or not there are any changes in the political atmosphere that would
affect enrollment in any sense.
The data collection lists our methods of delivering surveys to the classrooms and
the process of how we conducted the interviews. The obstacles, and any possible bias,
will be listed as well. When we analyzed all the data we collected, we found ourselves
better equipped to notice possible trends and correlations regarding what works in the
ACCESS program and the biggest reasons why people choose our program over other
competition. Throughout this case study, we will begin to list our results and possible
suggestions that DeSales could implement into the ACCESS program in order to
expand and become an even stronger player in the market.
We hope that the project will be able to answer any questions, both newly
discovered and existing, and provide enough strategies in order to plan the next step for
the ever-growing DeSales ACCESS program.
I. Introduction
DeSales University ACCESS Program markets an award winning adult learning
program that offers flexible class schedules. The Access program is for busy adults
looking to earn their degree, finish their degree, or complete a certification program.
ACCESS is an accelerated program that permits an adult to earn their degree within 4-5
years, contingent on their class schedule. Access students can choose from day, night,
weekends, or online classes to complete an accelerated degree or a certificate
program. DeSales’ ACCESS program has eleven different start dates throughout the
4
Team E Final Report
year, and offers ACCESS students the option to register as a full or part-time student.
ACCESS students have the opportunity to choose from three conveniently located
campuses. The three locations include Center Valley, Lansdale, and Bethlehem
campuses. The different types of classes offered are in class, online, and hybrid forms,
which is a mix of online and one in-class day per week. Hybrid classes are a common
favorite because of the benefit of experiencing the different learning channels. ACCESS
features classes which are small and intimate, allowing the students to be in a
comfortable environment conducive to learning.
The ACCESS program offers many resources to their students in an effort to
support their many academic needs. ACCESS advisors are very responsive to the
needs of students that recognize the challenges and obstacles facing an adult learner.
Advisors can assist with scheduling classes and tutoring sessions. There are 180
adjunct professors for the ACCESS program, which are part-time instructors who are
still working full-time in their industry. Adjunct professors are able to bring in real world
experiences and apply it to specific subjects in the classroom. Full-time faculty are also
part of the ACCESS program and usually teach one class each semester.
The mission of the ACCESS program is to provide lifelong learners with a liberal
arts education and professional training in the Christian Humanist tradition emphasizing
excellence, individual attention and program flexibility. This mission is still being upheld,
considering the large enrollment each year and the dedicated professors that provide
great attention to their students and course material.
The history of the ACCESS program is captured in, In Drawing out the
Goodness: From Allentown College to DeSales University (2002). Allentown College
5
Team E Final Report
continuing education evening degree program was the first evening accelerated
program in the Lehigh Valley and one of the first in Pennsylvania. The original evening
accelerated degree program began by offering only one degree – the B.S. in Accounting
and Business. It was the first 8-week session that started on August 30, 1976. The class
enrolled 50 students and the tuition was $55/credit hour. The program was given the
name ACCESS, which was invented by Father Gambet. The acronym stood for
Allentown College Continuing Education and Summer Sessions (p. 122).
Some of the struggles for the ACCESS program in the early 80s included
expanding the program, in terms of increasing staff, financial resources, and career
counseling. ACCESS made their faculty more aware of the different learning styles and
needs of their students. The faculty became more agile and creative in adapting their
courses and teaching strategies. In the late 70s, Allentown College also had a program
called Agile, which was for an independent and disciplined student who learned through
different channels, such as computer, videocassette recorder, television, and the
Internet. It was similar to the flexibility of what the online classes offer today. Throughout
the 80s and 90s, more resources became available for ACCESS students. For example,
library hours extended and DeSales also expanded some of the available food services,
in order to make the ACCESS experience better. In 1987, the ACCESS program was
approved by the Commission of Higher Education of the Middle States Association,
allowing the program to expand to Easton, Pennsylvania. In the Fall of 2000, ACCESS
enrollment was 1,869 full-time students and 471 part-time students. One of ACCESS
slogans in 1999 was, “Because the best way to get ahead, is to go back”, which
6
Team E Final Report
promoted the new common trend of adults going back to school in order to further their
career.
In early 2000, Allentown College received their approval to change the name to
DeSales University. During the 2000s, competition in adult continuing learning became
an issue that ACCESS directors needed to address and begin to strategize. In 2006-
2007, ACCESS added 30 new online and hybrid courses, and in 2008, began the first
ACCESS evening/weekend BSN program.
Throughout 2005-2015, the program has changed a great deal. ACCESS has
three possible locations for their students, such as Center Valley, Bethlehem, and
Lansdale campuses. Courses are offered online, hybrid, and in class. There are 11 start
dates and 6 sessions throughout the year. ACCESS is geared to non-traditional
students because it understands their challenges and needs. ACCESS students are
commonly pursuing an accelerated degree in order to finish their degree, to gain a
degree, or a certificate program. Students who are finishing a degree are able to
transfer credits, or count working experience as credits. The tuition today is $459/credit
and $515/credit for nursing credits, which is significantly cheaper than traditional day
students cost per credit. ACCESS offers tuition deferment, financial aid, and military
benefits. There are a multitude of resources available to ACCESS students, such as the
library and accessibility to databases. The Academic Resource Center is where
students can find tutors if necessary, and ACCESS advisors that assist with selecting
classes and offer career counseling.
II. Environmental Analysis
7
Team E Final Report
A. Market Profile
1. Market Size: The ACCESS program has 1,000 students and continues to gain
new students each semester. Dean Booros, who is the dean of the ACCESS program
was able to share with Team E an analysis of inquiries, new, current, and online
students. Over the past five years, the number of inquiries, matriculating, non-
matriculating, new students, and current total have fluctuated. The number of inquiries
from 2011/2012 to 2014/2015 has decreased. In 2011/2012, ACCESS had 1,145
inquires that matriculated into 917.with a current total at that time of 977 students. In
2013, the amount of total students increased to 1,124 students and 1,091 matriculating
students. In the school year of 2013/2014, the number of inquiries decreased to 961
and the number of matriculating only decreased slightly by 43 individuals, however the
current total was 1,102 students. In 2014/2015, the current total was at the lowest over
the last 5 years, at 940 students, which is a 162 student drop from the previous year.
2. Market Leaders: We found that the three market leaders besides DeSales
University are Drexel University, Strayer University, and online programs, most notably
University of Phoenix. Drexel University, located in Philadelphia, PA, offers a wide
range of entry-level and post-professional certificate programs. They have a large
selection of programs, including nursing, education, engineering, and about fifty others.
These programs are in the form of bachelor, graduate, and non-credit courses. This
coupled with their continuing professional education, which allows professionals to stay
up on the latest in industry, can be the reason why they are a strong leader in the adult
education arena. Drexel offers a considerably higher number of programs than the
Desales University ACCESS program does. Prices of courses vary depending on type
8
Team E Final Report
of classes, major, and the program. They have over 120 graduate programs alone. Most
of these programs accept a variety of credits, but are not part of many financial aid
programs, which might be a big turn off for prospective students.
Strayer University, located in Herndon, VA, has a satellite campus in Center
Valley, PA. It is another market leader in adult education against DeSales. Strayer
University offers significantly less programs for bachelor degrees, but has a much more
user-friendly website than Drexel University and provides a better satellite location
offering than Drexel University. Strayer University price per course is $1,420 for
undergraduate courses and $2,450 for graduate level courses.
Another major market leader is Phoenix University, which can be attributed to
their extensive program offerings. They have a wide selection of business and
management, criminal justice and security, education, human services, humanities and
sciences, nursing and healthcare, social sciences, and technology majors. Phoenix has
one of the strongest and recognized adult education programs in the country. One
factor that makes Phoenix a market leader include the options for tuition payments,
reimbursements, and financial aid offerings for their programs.
3. Demographics of the Market: Market demographics include the number of
qualified individuals and user profiles, in terms of experience, income, background, and
other personal characteristics. The largest age group of the market, which happens to
reside in the DeSales ACCESS Program, is twenty-one year olds to thirty-five year olds.
This is second only to the thirty-six year old to fifty-five year old demographic. Females
represent 59.8% of the entire ACCESS Program population, while males represent
35.9% of the population. This means that females outnumber the males by more than
9
Team E Final Report
50% of the original male population. The largest ethnicity consists of Caucasians, who
represent 70.5% of the total ACCESS population. The second largest ethnicity is
Hispanics, who encompass 12% of the program. As far as the students work life, 72.9%
of the surveyed students are working full-time as well as taking ACCESS courses, with
the remainder working part-time or not at all. The top three most common annual
household incomes are as follows: $25,001 - $50,000 being the most common, $75,001
- $100,000 being the second most common, and $50,001 - $75,000 being the third most
common. The most common reason for choosing DeSales over competitors was the
fact that the program and classes as a whole were flexible. The most common purpose
for enrollment was because the student wanted to pursue a different job in a different
field. The preferred choice of social media for all the ACCESS students was Facebook
by a strong majority poll.
4. Political and Legislative Issues: The legislative and political issues facing the
DeSales ACCESS program stem from internal obstacles within the organization. The
marketing strategy for the ACCESS program follows the overall marketing plan for the
University. Since ACCESS falls under this umbrella, it is impossible to form a separate
campaign from the rest of DeSales. With that being said, DeSales is faced with the
challenge of revitalizing and updating their marketing platforms in an effort to reach a
wider audience.
The number one dilemma surrounding the construction of a new marketing
strategy includes advertising DeSales as a Catholic university (“Big C”) or as a
university with Catholic values (“Little C”). Marketing DeSales as a blatantly Catholic
college would decrease the interest of our current audience and be significantly
10
Team E Final Report
ineffective, as only 12.7% of ACCESS students chose DeSales for this reason.
Marketing ourselves as a private institution that exemplifies the Catholic values of faith,
hope, and love through a well-rounded, Salesian education would be a more reasonable
and successful approach.
As many ACCESS students have expressed concern over the lack of available
tutors, slight tuition increases have been recently approved to cover the cost of
additional assistance. This inflation, almost unnoticeable to some at an estimated 3%,
will definitely affect other students’ financial situations. At $459 per credit, DeSales’
tuition is higher than similar institutional programs. ACCESS students certainly get what
they pay for, exhibited through flexible schedules, caring professors, a wide variety of
majors, and a safe and friendly campus environment no matter what time of day.
Unfortunately, further cost hikes to our already high price per credit may discourage
potential students from applying to the ACCESS program. The administration must find
a balance between sufficient tutoring and manageable tuition.
Another issue facing the ACCESS program is the lack of interest in a few majors.
DeSales must decide whether to eliminate these offerings, replace them with new
majors, or try to refurbish the course load to hopefully gain new students. The education
major, in particular, is a growing concern. In an interview with Dean Deborah Booros,
she stated that 5 short years ago this major had 75 students. Currently, there are only 8
ACCESS students enrolled. When distributing surveys to gather information from
ACCESS participants, a class in the education major was included in our assignment.
Upon entering the classroom, we learned that only one student was enrolled. The
substantial decline of students in the education major is most likely due to the current
11
Team E Final Report
economic environment. It is commonly known that most teachers do not earn an
enormous income, and nothing suggests that this trend will change in the near future.
Especially after the Great Recession in 2008, teacher layoffs, school closures, and job
insecurity disheartened many potential future educators. The decision to cut this major
would result in a better use of financial and academic resources, but would also prohibit
ACCESS from attracting anyone with future interest in the world of education.
5. Economics: Economics plays a key factor in how to market the ACCESS
program. In the Lehigh Valley, which is the biggest market, currently the per capita
income is $28,595. There are also about 335,000 people on the labor force in the
Lehigh Valley and there is a 5.2% unemployment rate. The GDP per capita of
Pennsylvania as a whole is $40,000 as of the year ending 2012 and an overall
unemployment rate of 5.3% in 2015. New Jersey is a market in which the ACCESS
program plans to make more of an effort to expand in. New Jersey has a GDP per
capita of $49, 430 as of the year ending 2012 and an unemployment rate of 6.5% in
2015. In comparison as a whole, the GDP per capita in the United States as of 2013
was $53,042.98. I think it is important to key in on the employment by industry in the
Lehigh Valley to see what programs we should market more and what programs
ACCESS should focus on adding. In the Lehigh Valley, the employment is as follows:
trade/transportation/utilities at 23.92%, education and health services at 22.72%,
professional and business services at 16.19%, manufacturing at 11.82%, leisure and
hospitality at 11.23%, financial activities at 5.13%, construction at 3.85%, other services
at 3.35%, and information at 1.80%.
6. Social-Cultural Patterns: In our findings, we noticed that leisure time and flexibility
12
Team E Final Report
is a huge social and cultural pattern in the target area. In the survey results and through
secondary data, we discovered that flexibility was one of the key factors in choosing the
adult education program. People are generally moving towards wanting more leisure
time while trying to balance work and family. Specifically in the adult education industry,
we found trends through secondary research that we thought to be of significant
importance. One of these trends was the need of consistent and accommodating class
times and schedules which recognize the needs of each individual adult learner. This is
something the ACCESS department already does extremely well, but is important to
note to continue the exemplary ways in which DeSales structures the ACCESS classes
including in-class, online, and hybrid.
There is also a trend in adult education towards various tuition payment models
and options. There has been a movement toward customizable payment options that
can be tailored to the needs of each individual. The reason for this is because of things
such as military service reimbursements and company repayment plans. Also, because
of various financial aid needs and deferment of student loans, there are tending to be
more and more options for loan payment. Certain adult education programs are
beginning to offer tiered tuition service payment plans in order to cater to these needs.
These tiered payment plans offer a different rate and pay schedule for payments before
the program starts, during the program, and after the program ends. This is especially
important for the large group of adult learners who are working professionals. Due to the
fact that they might have to cut back or change certain hours it might benefit to have
one of these tiered payment plans. Also because of company repayment plans, it also
might benefit adult education programs to offer these tiered payments so students can
13
Team E Final Report
defer the majority of payments until during and after the program ends. There is also a
huge move in adult education for programs accepting non-credit credentials to fulfil
certain classes or requirements. This is because a lot of adult learners have
professional or military experience which can substitute for certain classes. For
example, before entering a program, adult learners can submit a portfolio of
accomplishments and work history. These portfolios are reviewed by the proper
officials, who then determine whether or not the non-credit credentials will be accepted
and what those credentials will exactly fulfill. In America, 52.3% of working people are
unsatisfied or unhappy with their current jobs. This trend is a huge factor because these
people make up a majority of people who are entering adult education programs.
7. Competition: We have determined that the Wescoe School of Muhlenberg College
and Penn State Lehigh Valley are some of the strong competitors due to the location,
online presence, and course offerings. When we did a search of “adult education in the
Lehigh Valley” the top two programs that appeared in the search results were the
Wescoe School of Muhlenberg College and Penn State Lehigh Valley. We also did
variations on that search to see if the wording or phrasing made a difference but for the
most part we consistently saw these two programs at the top of the list. After this
finding, we decided to dig a little more into these programs to see how they match up
compared to the DeSales ACCESS program. The Wescoe School of Muhlenberg
College has an easy to follow website. When you get to the adult education program
page, it states that you can take fully evening/weekend classes to get a Bachelor of the
arts or Bachelor of Sciences in Accounting, American Studies, Business Administration,
English, Finance, History, International Studies, Political Science, and Psychology.
14
Team E Final Report
Other adult learners can take a combination of day and evening classes to get their
Bachelor’s in art, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, economics,
environmental science, film studies, language, mathematics, media & communication,
music, natural science, neuroscience, philosophy, physics, pre-professional programs,
religion studies, or sociology/anthropology. So, as you can see there is a more diverse
selection of classes that can be taken when compared to the DeSales ACCESS
program. For the accelerated programs, the cost is $1,675 per module with 17 modules
necessary for the degree (these costs include books). Tuition for night/weekend courses
are $1,525 and daytime courses are $3,220.
Penn State Lehigh Valley offers programs in arts administration, business,
childhood and early education, corporate communication, health policy and
administration, information sciences and technology, psychology, and rehabilitation and
human services. While there are less programs offered than Muhlenberg and close to
the number offered by DeSales ACCESS, they have unique programs that the other
adult education programs do not offer. Undergraduate is between $535 and $579 per
credit, while graduate programs are between $805 and $851 per credit, resulting in
costs that are slightly higher than the DeSales ACCESS program. Another factor
explaining the popularity of these competitors is because they are in the closest
proximity to DeSales campuses while offering more unique programs than that of the
ACCESS program.
8. Technological Issues: After the surveys were completed, the major technological
issues we came across dealt with Blackboard and the video recording systems for
multiple campuses. For Blackboard, the online teaching platform, there were some
15
Team E Final Report
complaints about the discussion board and means of getting in contact with other users
was not always user-friendly. Unfortunately, with this issue there is not much DeSales
can do to remedy this, other than either issuing the complaints to the actual company
behind Blackboard, or switching to another teaching platform. For the video recording,
this was the most common issue. Sometimes for classes it would cost more to have the
same class held in the three separate locations with three separate professors. The
solution may be to broadcast the professor teaching to all three locations. Unfortunately,
the equipment used is unreliable and students at the campuses being broadcasted to
have difficulty learning in that fashion. A feasible solution would be to employ better
recording equipment and create a more secure broadcasting link.
B/C. Target Market/Demand:
Due to our findings, the largest target market is people who are unhappy with
their current job/career and want to change to a new industry. In the survey results, we
found that that was a main reason for people reaching out to find an adult education
program. The largest industry in the Lehigh Valley is trade, transportation, and utilities at
23.92%. This is possibly the largest market because they will be looking to either
change their job completely or become part of management or leadership in their
existing industry. These are mostly blue collar workers looking to enter the world of
white collar employment, something that the ACCESS program should target.
We also thought that the second target market should focus on the business and
healthcare professionals who make up a combined 43%. This is a section of the market
that DeSales effectively captures due to the well-recognized programs in these fields.
Continuing to target people interested in business professional and healthcare
16
Team E Final Report
professional fields will be key for the ACCESS program. With the introduction of the new
supply chain management and healthcare management majors, it will be important for
ACCESS to keep targeting businesses and hospitals in the area to get professionals
interested in these focused areas.
D. Resources of the Organization
DeSales University ACCESS program has a plethora of strengths that makes
their adult continuing education a huge player in this market. Other schools in the
Lehigh Valley include The Wescoe School, Muhlenberg College, Cedar Crest College,
Penn State Lehigh Valley, and Strayer University. DeSales University’s ACCESS
program is still the largest adult learning program in the area, trumping other local
schools’ programs. ACCESS offers information sessions at Bethlehem and Lansdale
campuses, where potential students can learn about the program’s curriculum,
admission process, and their education plan.
DeSales’ ACCESS program is an award winning program and also awarded 3rd
for their online marketing program that contributes to their prestigious reputation. The
ACCESS program is well-known by their flexible schedules, allowing even the busiest of
working adults fit in a class into their schedule. There are 11 session start dates and
classes that are 6 and 8 weeks long. This winter ACCESS will run their first minimester
courses, taking place over winter break and lasting 3 weeks. It is a great chance for
ACCESS students and traditional day students to earn a few credits. ACCESS students
can choose from day, night, weekends, and online. Students can choose online, in
person, and hybrid classes. Hybrid classes meet once a week in person and the rest of
17
Team E Final Report
the time it is online. The hybrid classes give students the chance to have the best of
both worlds and learn the class material in two different ways.
The ACCESS program offers 18 programs to earn a Bachelor degree in, also the
opportunity to design your own major, which gives you the autonomy to pick your
classes and career path. ACCESS Advisors are dedicated to helping their students find
their correct career path. Advisors will assist with picking classes and serve as a
knowledgeable resource. If a student needs a tutor, the advisor will contact the tutoring
coordinator and schedule a tutoring session for them.
Although DeSales’ ACCESS program has great strengths, they also have
weaknesses that create a barrier to be more competitive in their market. The ACCESS
program has a difficult time competing with large schools. Especially in the aspect of
awareness, the larger schools may be more popular, may have greater marketing funds
or feature larger programs. DeSales’ ACCESS program lacks new programs and may
not have a specific major the student wants to study, for example, engineering or
hospitality management.
A common frustration with ACCESS students is that not all courses are offered
when students want them to be, which could impact a student’s class schedule or
possibly their graduation date. Another challenge is not enough tutoring resources;
there may not be tutors for that particular course, or there are not enough tutors in
general. The most popular courses for tutoring are MA110, AB 217 and AB 219. The
tutoring coordinator, Bill Peterson, said these are common classes in need of tutors
because adults who have not been out of school for a few years may need additional
practice with math problems.
18
Team E Final Report
In recent years, there has been less tuition reimbursement which is struggle for
ACCESS students who are working part time or full time and need to pay other bills.
The decrease of tuition reimbursement could possibly be a reason for the lower amount
of new students this year. The expansion of ACCESS is weakened by satellite campus
options. The technology at the satellite campuses can be unpredictable, which cause
students’ more frustration. Some of the Access program’s weakness can certainly be
improved in order to turn them into strengths.
E. Threats and Opportunities
DeSales ACCESS program has a few critical threats to their market share. One
is the increasing competition; there are 8 schools locally that have a continuing adult
learning program. It is common for colleges to offer a continuing adult program;
DeSales’ Access program does not stand out anymore, although it was the first in
Lehigh Valley when it began. Along with the increase of competition, colleges that offer
a more substantial tuition discount have become a greater threat to DeSales’ ACCESS
program. Drexel University is one of these schools that offer a larger discount to
businesses for tuition reimbursement. DeSales’ ACCESS students are not allowed to
create a payment plan, which is serious challenge for some students who cannot sign
up for their next class until they finish paying off their previous class.
Opportunities that the ACCESS program can take advantage of include the new
majors such as Healthcare Management, Supply Chain Management, Homeland
Security, and Project Management. These new additions will peak the interest of
prospective students and bring in new students to the program. By adding new majors
to ACCESS, it is increasing the program’s credentials. The ACCESS program offers
19
Team E Final Report
42% of their classes online, which gives them the ability to expand their online
programs. The ACCESS program has the opportunity to expand their online search, by
using keywords to bring the program higher up on the search list of adult continuing
learning programs. The ACCESS program can work with Desales’ staff on Google
Analytics to increase its awareness. The Access program can also reach out to local
businesses, such as corporations and hospitals, and create partnerships with them to
increase the enrollment. The new “minimester” is a great opportunity for the ACCESS
program because it is a quick and convenient way for students to gain 3 credits within 3
weeks. Taking advantage of these opportunities can increase ACCESS’ market share.
III. Research Objectives
Research objectives are quintessential of any well-structured marketing research
effort. Without objectives, team members lack clear goal-alignment and mission
orientation. Once our team was familiarized with the challenges, costs, and competition
facing the ACCESS program, we knew it would be imperative to proactively go beyond
a survey and incorporate other methodologies into our assessment. From the
beginning, we knew that the survey would give us a reasonable comprehension of
demographics, complaints, suggestions, and noteworthy qualities of the program, but
more information would be required to generate a thorough understanding of how the
ACCESS program could adapt to satisfy the needs of all students. As members of
Team E, our objectives are as follows:
1. Use a carefully developed survey to get the general sense of how
ACCESS students feel about the program and what suggestions they can
offer through primary research
20
Team E Final Report
2. Explore Trexler Library’s archives for pertinent information
3. Interview 2 ACCESS students to obtain a detailed understanding
4. Interview Dean Deborah Booros to talk about the future of ACCESS
5. Interview the tutoring coordinator to discuss feasibility of additional tutors
6. Use secondary research to see trends in adult education and competition
By implementing the survey, we were able to obtain a better understanding of
exactly what ACCESS students thought about the program. We evaluated this
qualitative and quantitative data, and turned to Trexler in hopes of finding answers as to
why participants provided certain responses. The archives of Trexler gave us a
behemoth of information on the history of the ACCESS program and suggested
possible explanations for survey results. We proceeded to orchestrate one-on-one
question and answer interviews with two ACCESS students to compare the traditional,
undergraduate experience to that of the ACCESS program. Afterwards, we were able to
sit down with Dean Booros where we discussed the future of ACCESS relative to our
competition, and what changes can be made regarding survey results, specifically
tutoring concerns. To learn more about the financial situation of the tutoring department,
we next sat down with Bill Peterson, DeSales tutoring coordinator. To familiarize
ourselves with our physical and viral competition, trends in adult education, and learn
more about the program, we turned to secondary research through the Internet.
IV. Research Design
To collect primary data, our marketing research class collectively formulated an
effective, short survey which was administered to 255 ACCESS students online and in
21
Team E Final Report
the classroom. Numerous question and answer choice revisions, placement/ordering
suggestions, and quality assurance debates ensued, resulting in an efficient, direct
survey which took about 5 minutes to complete.
This survey gave us insight into participants’ background information and their
thoughts on the program. Open-ended and close-ended questions allowed each student
to provide honest feedback, with the option of anonymity or a chance to win an iPad
mini after giving an email address. It was distributed online, as well as in selected
classrooms. Our team visited Thursday evening classes in Dooling, Gambet, and
Trexler, with majors such as education, criminal justice, and marketing application. After
the entire class received written feedback from survey participants, responses were
entered into a spreadsheet, with each possible answer choice being assigned a
number. After the survey results were properly loaded by students, the information was
run through IBM SPSS software to show correlations, trends, outliers, and possible
input errors. Our primary research showed us similarities between demographics,
answer choices, suggestions, and complaints.
Once we had the survey answers, it was time to ask “why” and seek out
explanations which would explain certain commonalities. We spent time in Trexler
Library’s archives, digging through vast mountains of research and learning more about
the history of the ACCESS program. Its origins, success, failures, expansions, and
overall timeline of events over the past few decades gave us the ability to see how
ACCESS responds to student concerns in the past.
Though the survey results gave our team observable correlations and details
regarding the macro perspective of the ACCESS program, we felt the need to dive
22
Team E Final Report
deeper by interviewing two ACCESS students, and asking our own questions. One
subject is a current ACCESS student, while the other is a traditional, undergraduate
who has previously taken ACCESS courses. The questions we posed were similar to
the survey, but we asked more follow-up questions and sought to get to the core
reasoning behind each answer for a more insightful understanding.
Interviewee #1, a traditional student, is taking an online ACCESS class because
traditional day options did not fit his schedule. He noted how informative the class was
for being offered in such a concise timeframe and how easy it was to get in-touch with
professors or class members. He pointed out that Blackboard’s Discussion feature was
not very user-friendly. He was also not able to easily access these online resources
through his smartphone, unfortunately.
Interviewee #2, a current ACCESS student, valued the program’s ability to
provide a healthy balance between education, work, and family life. This subject also
had difficulty with technology, specifically Blackboard and online testing procedures.
She enjoyed the amount of material that was presented, considering the short time
frame. Interviewee #2 firmly believes that the hybrid class provided the most effective
experience.
Two team members scheduled a meeting with Dean Booros to discuss concerns
within the program, competition, and what the future issues hold. We sat down in her
office and had a more detailed idea regarding how the ACCESS program operates. We
were provided with statistics on new students, inquires, and matriculating/matriculating
students between 2011-2015. There was a 16.3% enrollment decrease from 2013-2014
to 2014-2015, but a 5.93% inquiry increase in the same year. We brought up how
23
Team E Final Report
tutoring was reported as a major issue on many surveys to get some insight from the
Dean. She said that future tuition increases will cover the need for additional tutors and
ease students’ concerns.
To further examine this popular complaint and the dean’s strategy, we
communicated with the DeSales tutoring coordinator, Mr. Bill Peterson. Mr. Peterson
was able to sit down with us and explain how the tutoring budget is allocated for the
year. Most of the budget is spent during sessions 1, 2, 3, and 4; which are the Fall and
Spring semesters. During sessions 5 and 6, the most requested classes are AB 217, AB
219, and MG 211. The most common age group requesting tutoring is 21-35 year olds.
Finally, secondary research gave us online means of obtaining a better sense of
the ACCESS program’s competition. We were also able to research macro trends by
looking into trends in the market of higher-education. Top competitors include: Drexel
University, Strayer University, online, adult learning programs such as Phoenix.edu, and
other universities in the Lehigh Valley. Secondary data represented that most students
are looking for flexible scheduling to accommodate busy lifestyles, various tuition
options for moderately easy payment/deferred re-payment of loans, and the acceptance
of non-degree credentials as transferable credits.
V. Sampling Plan
The sampling plan for our ACCESS project was relatively straightforward. We
interviewed over 250 DeSales ACCESS students. Aside from being distributed to
students online, teams were assigned a handful of classes to hand out surveys. These
24
Team E Final Report
respondents were the obviously the ideal choice, because who can better judge and
critique a program than its participants? Any student who was in attendance and opted
to take the survey offered intuitive feedback.
In terms of interviewees, we wanted each subject to be different as much as
possible in terms of professional background, past educational experience, position/title,
income, specific relevance, gender, etc. This is exhibited in of choice of a male,
traditional-day student who has taken ACCESS class before, and a female, current
ACCESS student. Different dynamics offer varying, diverse viewpoints which are
equally important to consider. Interviewing Dean Booros seemed like a smart move in
order to ask follow-up questions, learn more about enrollment, and what plans the
University has for improvement. As the head of the ACCESS program, she is most
knowledgeable of the current and future of this higher-educational platform.
VI. Data Collection
When it came to how we collected the data, the group handed out surveys to in-
class access students during the days of November 16th to November 19th. Although
the survey went out to everyone in the ACCESS program, our team handed out the
surveys to ACCESS students on the 19th of November. We traveled to classrooms in
Gambet, Dooling, and Trexler to have the students take adequate time to fill out the
surveys. Some of the obstacles that we encountered while handing out the survey was
the fact that some of the classes did not have anyone attending the class for the time
allotted. Whether this was a confusion upon our scheduled times or the professor
canceled class without informing us, we do not know. Another obstacle was late comers
into the classes we handed out surveys to. This was not a huge obstacle, it was just
25
Team E Final Report
bothersome to have the students finally finish the surveys, only to have another student
walk in to take the survey. A factor that could have biased our collection of data could
have been if Traditional Day students, who are also taking an ACCESS course, had
also taken the survey. This would have skewed the data due to the fact that a majority
of the questions on the survey would have had no relevancy to the Traditional Day
student.
When it came to how we collected our secondary data, we had quite a few
sources. We accessed the Trexler library’s archives in order to discover any trends or
important information regarding the history of the ACCESS program since its inception.
We had spoken with Dean Booros about new and current students enrolled, and
discussed who is our biggest competition. We referenced our Marketing Research
textbook if we had any concerns on where to head next for our project, and we
researched online onto what questions would be relevant to the students.
VII. Data Analysis
Through careful sorting and analysis of the surveys, we have come up with
certain conclusions we found quite interesting and important for the ACCESS officials to
take into consideration. Figure 1 asked the surveyees why they chose the DeSales
ACCESS program. The large majority chose DeSales for its location and reputation.
The fact that location was a major reason for choosing the program shows that
ACCESS has a strong grasp on the Lehigh Valley community. Also, DeSales has a
great reputation which is because of the word of mouth presence and marketing that
DeSales does so well. DeSales is known as a great institution and naturally people who
attend or have attended DeSales praise it. Like discussed in earlier sections, we noticed
26
Team E Final Report
that other programs are first to appear when using Google search. This means DeSales
should put more focus on search engine optimization to get more views from online
inquires and generally build a better online presence for people who may not know of
the DeSales ACCESS program.
In figure 2, labeled PMAJ, we asked the surveyees what their primary major is.
This was necessary to see where the majority of ACCESS students fall into, which can
help determine what majors can be added and what facets of the ACCESS program
should be more focused on or heavily marketed. We saw that the top three majors are
as follows: 1. Business, 2. Social science, 3. Healthcare. This was a key finding
because where the healthcare and business programs are well recognized and have
many resources, the social science majors were second largest. This should be taken
into consideration when determining what majors to add. As discussed earlier, we found
that the trend was in healthcare and business sectors, so these areas should have a
high level of focus moving forward as far as adding majors and allocation of the
ACCESS department's resources.
As we have found in earlier discoveries, ACCESS students are returning to
school for a plethora of reasons. In Figure 3, labeled PURP, we asked ACCESS
students to answer what their purpose was for continuing their education. The highest
reason was continuing their education for a different job in a different field. In Figure 4, it
shows the frequency table for their purpose; 82 ACCESS students answered this was
indeed their reason and 66 students answered “other”. However, the data in the bar
chart and frequency table is skewed because the data was entered wrong. There is a
column that says, “looking to advance career” and “opportunities in field”, which neither
27
Team E Final Report
were choices in the closed ended section. Although there was an opened ended choice
titled “other”, they should not be part of the bar chart. It is interesting to note that the
most popular answer was “different job in different field” because in Figure 5, it shows
the most common age group in the ACCESS program is 21-35 year olds. In Figure 6,
the frequency table shows 122 individuals in the 21-35 year old column and 96
individuals in the 36-55 year old column. These individuals may be working on a second
degree in order to change industries. These two large sections include students who
would need the most career coaching, in order to fully understand the new field they are
pursing.
The reason for pursuing a degree and the age demographics correlate to an
ACCESS students’ annual household income. In FigureS 7 and 8, it shows the most
common income level, $25,001-$50,000. Individuals who are pursuing a different
degree may be motivated by their current salary and aim to increase their salary by
pursuing their degree. Also, the second most common answer in Figure 3 (PURP), was
achieving a promotion at work. Promotion being an ACCESS student’s motivation could
also connect to their current salary and why they are seeking career advancement. The
ACCESS program can take a look at the bar charts and the frequency tables to have a
better understanding of the students and what to take into consideration when planning
new programs and adding resources.
VIII. Results and Summary
Our end results yielded some interesting facts regarding the ACCESS program
students. For starters, the bulk of the program consists heavily on Healthcare and
Business professionals. To attract more of the same demographic, we suggest adding
28
Team E Final Report
more variation onto similar choices of majors, or even expanding upon the existing
majors. With the job market ever expanding in these areas, it would be best to cater to
our customers wants as best we can.
When it came to why people chose to take ACCESS courses, the most common
response was the fact that most of the surveyed students were looking to work in a
different job, or become promoted into a higher responsibility, pay, or position. We
suggest, in order to attract more students looking for the same change, ACCESS
promotes a “change of lifestyle” feeling to be associated with the DeSales ACCESS
Program. Through that, we want to have major specific advisors for these students,
even online students, so that they have guidance in their next chapter of their lives. We
also want to sponsor more networking events for these students in order for them to
gain new connections and insights into their new industry.
In order to increase enrollment, we suggest offering more benefits throughout the
program, so that the students feel more enriched taking classes through DeSales as
opposed to one of our competitors. One benefit that could have a positive impact would
be to increase the budget for available tutors. This was another big concern that was
discovered during our primary research stage. A lot of the students would like tutors to
help them work through difficult class concepts, since it is sometimes hard for these
students to learn when they only meet with a professor once a week, or not at all. There
are multiple clubs for the undergraduate classes that could develop an ACCESS
extension for the relevant majors. As mentioned earlier, we believe networking events
would be a great addition, so perhaps ACCESS can experiment with two networking
events each semester in order to see if the students would benefit from it.
29
Team E Final Report
Our final suggestion comes from the concept that “DeSales Cares”. We want to
promote this fact which separates us from our competition. Professors really do care
about the development of their students’ abilities during classes, even wondering how
life outside of classes is for the students. These professors understand the balance of
leading a career and also being a student, so they are sympathetic to the ACCESS
students’ needs. DeSales is also a safe environment for learning, with one of the lowest
incident ratings in the country, which is something worth promoting to the students who
wish to learn in peace. Even though we do not want to outright promote that we are a
Catholic university, we still want the students to know that we still incorporate these
values into the curriculum for every class. “DeSales Cares” sets us apart, and
prospective ACCESS students will chose a university that cares about them as a person
other than just another statistic and paycheck.
Works Cited
Adams, Susan. “Most Americans are Unhappy at Work”. Forbes. June 20, 2014.
"Adult Learners." Penn State Lehigh Valley: The Pennsylvania State University, 2015. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.
30
Team E Final Report
Edelson, Paul J. “Adult Education in the USA Issues and Trends”. State University of New York at Stony Brook. April 2000.
Lehigh Valley Economic Development Group. “Lehigh Valley Economy at a Glance”. Lehigh Valley. November 2015.
"Muhlenberg College." Muhlenberg College Adult Learning/Wescoe School:Tuition. The WESCOE SCHOOL of Muhlenberg College, 2015. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.
Pocetto, Alexander T. Drawing out the Goodness: From Allentown College to DeSales University (1964-2001). Center Valley, PA: DeSales, University, 2005.
Print.
"Three Trends Worth Watching for Continuing Education Leaders." The EvoLLLution Three Trends Worth Watching for Continuing Education Leaders
Comments. The EvoLLLution, 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.
Appendix
31
Team E Final Report
Figure 1: Why ACCESS students chose DeSales University
Figure 2: What is your primary major?
32
Team E Final Report
Figure 3: What was your purpose for continuing your education?
Figure 4: Frequency table of students’ purpose for continuing their education
PURP
Frequency Percent Valid PercentCumulative
PercentValid 12 4.8 4.8 4.8
0 1 .4 .4 5.2Promo at current job 54 21.5 21.5 26.7New job same field 34 13.5 13.5 40.22 (looking to advance in career)
1 .4 .4 40.6
Diff job diff field 82 32.7 32.7 73.3Other 66 26.3 26.3 99.6opportunities in field 1 .4 .4 100.0
33
Team E Final Report
Total 251 100.0 100.0
Figure 5: Age of ACCESS students
Figure 6: Frequency table for ACCESS students’ age
AGE
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid 20 or under 5 2.0 2.1 2.1
21-35 122 48.6 51.0 53.1
36-55 96 38.2 40.2 93.3
56-67 15 6.0 6.3 99.6
68 or older 1 .4 .4 100.0
Total 239 95.2 100.0Missing System 12 4.8Total 251 100.0
34
Team E Final Report
Figure 7: Annual household income of ACCESS students
Figure 8: Frequency table for annual household income of ACCESS students
INC
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid 0 3 1.2 1.3 1.3
< $25000 26 10.4 11.1 12.3
$25,001 - $50,000
65 25.9 27.7 40.0
$50,001 - $75,000
53 21.1 22.6 62.6
35
Team E Final Report
$75,001- $100,000
50 19.9 21.3 83.8
> $100,000 38 15.1 16.2 100.0
Total 235 93.6 100.0Missing System 16 6.4Total 251 100.0
36