Competition for Established Branch Campuses

I love competition and the challenge of growing enrollment and budgets.  I enjoy all the elements, at least as I’ve experienced them.  Marketing releases lots of creative energy, and the challenge of continuously improving institutional processes appeals to the puzzle solver in me.  I also believe that branches tend to do best when they develop strong internal and external partnerships, and partnership development has been one of my most enjoyable experiences.

In this context, I’ve been thinking about the competitive pressures faced by those branch campuses that have been around for a while.  For several generations, institutions created branch campuses as a vehicle to expand access and draw additional enrollment.  I’ve often said it is a holy mission, providing opportunity to people who otherwise would not be able to realize their educational dreams.

These branches tended to be in small cities or either in the suburbs or the downtown area of cities, depending on where the main campus was located.  For decades, the practical limits of commuting distance meant that a branch, or any other commuter campus, could recruit effectively over about a 30-mile radius.  Sometimes, branches and other institutions have overlapping circumferences, but until recently, most campuses had relatively clear service areas.

It’s not that way anymore.  At this point, I hear people talking about two challenging trends.  One is the emergence of fully online or very limited residency programs that blow away any concern about a 30-mile commuting distance.  As I’ve written before, I think branches can compete against fully online programs, but it requires adjusting some of their traditional practices.

The other challenge is more complicated to describe.  The trend seems to be that many institutions are developing outreach centers or sites that are relatively low cost, but intended to draw new enrollments to specific programs.  One example involves small private non-profits that are fighting enrollment and endowment declines and recognize the need to attract more adult learners to their institutions.  There is nothing wrong with these moves, but they definitely have gotten the attention of leaders at some more established branch campuses with whom I speak.

For all that, the greatest threat to many branch campuses will not come from other providers.  It will come from their own main campus, as the powers-that-be are attracted to the cost and efficiency of their own online programs and consider branch campuses to be an unwelcome competitor.  (In fact, branches and fully online programs can enhance each other, attracting somewhat different student markets.)  Watch your back and develop strong internal partnerships that demonstrate how you can help generate institutional revenue!

A Workshop Opportunity to Explore the Encore Stage

Please forgive me for this “brief commercial message,” which I’m posting on both of my blogs.

For the past couple of years, I have engaged in one of the most satisfying professional experiences of my life:  The exploration and pursuit of my encore career.  After “retiring” from university administration, I became a consultant and certified professional coach, while rebalancing the elements of my life to bring the renewed sense of purpose that may be the hallmark of the Baby Boomer generation.

Now, in collaboration with my fellow coaching colleague, Yvonne Ulmer, I am pleased to announce a workshop for people who seek fresh opportunities in the second half of life.  From December 6-8, in St. Petersburg, Florida, Yvonne and I invite you to share in a three-day retreat, in which you can reflect, explore and begin designing your own encore experience.

The retreat will be held at the Postcard Inn, on beautiful St. Petersburg Beach, beginning on Thursday evening, and finishing at noon, on Saturday.  You might want to come early or extend your stay, as a great pre-holiday getaway.  The fee for the workshop is only $500 and that includes two assessments that you will complete online, before you come to the retreat.

During our three days together, you will develop a personal vision of your ideal life, both professionally and personally.  You will receive feedback on your assessments and learn how your personality and individual strengths are critical elements in finding that purpose and passion that can launch you toward the future.  By the end of the three days, you will have designed that future life and created an action plan to get your started.

The intended audience is anyone who may be approaching a planned on unplanned retirement, but wants more than a life of leisure, as well as individuals who may be more nearly mid-career, but seek a change in direction.  Check out our workshop flier, at http://www.yvonneulmer.com/docs/CenterStageAct2Encore.pdf.  From there, you can find links to register, reserve a room at the hotel, and see more about the backgrounds of your presenters.  Of course, if you think the workshop might be of interest to friends or co-workers, please feel free to pass along the information.  If you have questions, you can contact either Yvonne or me, and our email addresses are on the flier, as well as on our individual web sites.

If it turns out that you are more interested in a one-on-one coaching relationship, both Yvonne and I welcome new clients.  Get in touch with either of us to discuss how we work with clients to support their encore careers, professional development, or leadership challenges.