Using Market Segmentation to Build Student Satisfaction & Loyalty; University of St Thomas Executive Education ( no not the carribbean): Pat Tollefson
–demographic information about our students found through modeling; cluster analysis and multivariate statistical technicques; St Thomas profile: age 44; HHI over $100k; 87% 4 year degree ; 38% grad degree; 17% some graudate work
–use information (segmentation) to make more strategic decisions; understanding adult learners
–primary objective of the research was to identfiy relevant market segments for non-degree continuing education
–Framework:
adult learners see themselves as customers as well as students; imperative to devleop a research approach consistent with understanding consumer expectations from an external perspective; constructs of customer loyoalty, satsfaction, and expectations become the underpinning of the framework for addressing the issues; if individuals are loyol they will come back time again and refer other people to your product/service/edu institution.
key constructs of the framework include: preference (institutional brand reputation + curriculum+ instructor reputation); experience (perceived value + recommendation+ curriculum + Instructor + recruitment efforts + registration process + learning experience); choice (preference + experience+ employer influence + location+price+ timing)
–methodology: qualitative and quantitative; random sampling; past participant sampling; alumni survey; alumni participation in focus group
–segmentation: attitudinal variables were more insturmental in understanding the overall choice and experience of the student: improve skills for career change, networking for career change, gain in competitive advantage over peers; enhance resume; type of quantitative learner: personal 42% of their students (learn something) vs. career aspirations 8% of their students (movement up the corporate ladder) vs. seekers 31% of their students(not sure why they were coming back to higher ed)
–qualitative learner: geared towards curriculum; want a professor that understands/teachers from an adult perspective
–where to spend resources to make sure student is having postive experience and recommend the institution: content and instructor (teaching style)
