Higher Education Market Leadership Report by Hanover Research

market

2014 report leadership

Research Trends of 2014, Emerging Themes for 2015, and Innovations in the Field of Higher Education

research How are peer higher education institutions making data-driven decisions to address their challenges?

Welcome to the second edition of the Higher Education Market Leadership Report , Hanover Research’s (Hanover’s) annual review of the topics and issues that shaped our work over the last twelve months, as well as those we expect to address throughout the year ahead. Within this report, you will learn how peer higher education institutions are making data-driven decisions to address the challenges faced by college and university administrators in a rapidly changing field. Using data from nearly a thousand custom research initiatives supported by Hanover in 2014, we highlight the most common areas of focus for our work, which are indicative of the top concerns for Hanover’s higher education partners. We also outline ways in which institutions can use research to prepare for the U.S. Department of Education’s College Rating System; share one partner’s framework for exploring new online program opportunities; highlight a few of the awards that comprise the more than $13 million in grant funding we helped our partners win in 2014; and present our 2015 calendar of major grants competitions and their key action dates. Throughout our report, case study profiles demonstrate how innovative institutions have successfully translated Hanover’s research insights into action. Finally, we highlight some of our proudest accomplishments as well as the innovations and investments we believe are making the service better for all of our partners, such as the expansion of our specialist research teams and the launch of our new

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

Business Analytics Center, which provides custom research support tailored to the needs of university business and finance executives. We also discuss the development of new tools like our online student enrollment data map and our new data dashboards, which allow partners to interact with customized predictive models developed from their studentlevel data. On behalf of Hanover’s Higher Education Team, we hope that you find this report valuable and insightful. We continuously strive to better serve the higher education community, and welcome your feedback on the research support that would be of interest to you and your institution. Regards,

Cam Wall Vice President, Content Hanover Research

contents Research Trends of 2014

13.

Emerging Research Themes for 2015

Grant Trends of 2014

Research to Prepare for the College Rating System

8. Framework to Inform Growth and Expansion

11. Case Study on Improving Retention

14. Funding Announcements and Grant Strategies

15. Case Study on Faculty Grant Development

16. Upcoming Grant Competitions

12. Case Study on Assessing Economic Impact

H a n ove r u p d a t e s Business Investments

6. 7.

17.

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

19. Methodological Developments

21. Introducing the Business Analytics Center

closing recommendations

g ra n t d eve l o p m e n t s

research insights

table of

22. Higher Education Influencers

24. Resources and Acknowledgments

trends of 2014 we know higher education

research insights

research

Our partners are a diverse, global collection of higher education institutions that span 45 states and the District of Columbia and six countries internationally. The research we complete on behalf of these partners directly supports higher education administratorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; high-priority initiatives.

top themes from research requests in 2014 Cont AB 86 inuin g Onlin Educatio n e Pro gram ming Supp eeds ort Org ani SWOT New z Produ and P ct Ma Adul ational Degr rkets ositio t ee Co S E Ma d t mple rke ucati ruct tin tion P gO rogra on ure Compete ning An per Adm ms atio D ncy-B Facu alysis emo issio ns Labo ased E lt Sum grap ducat r ns P M Bran ion Mobil mer Progra h a o e Le a r i mmin d Per c k l i T rn A e g ing t Out naly form uition cies Flexible Bra anc Progra sis Be lo Vet Adult ELL S erans Mark nd Awa e and Stnracthemarki MOOmCFs ormats ok Ear tuden Stude ng g r a t n Stud ly WarnC ing r e e Post Enrol eting and Reeness an y r Prets Transfer Studensts e G n d r t lmen cruit a p R P d a Lead e e u ra t i atio rce ten me tT a utco tion Disabilit on Matr nd Marketin rends and nt Strategyption Gatekeeper ConursO m es es Internatio y Services g Cha icula Pro No

New Viabi Program lity an d Dem and Acad emic Calen dar

Ident ifying Prog ram O ppor tunit ies Grow th

Plann Serv Professiona ing ice D l evelo Developme n t pme nt an d Eva luati on

er N

Tec Prog Vendor Se h Transfer ress M lec on tion Facult itoring y Wo rkloa d

mploy

Stude

nt Le

dents

ent

fits ene ning

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ic Stu

nagem

n dB ic Pla tegy n an trateg g Stra satio pport S dgetin pen u ices Bu Com ationLisbS rary Serv y Abroad s and Stud Oper Operation Alternative Revenue Generation

id Ma

Messa ge Testin g

nd ional ls and Policies ction a Internat Satisfa ement Faculty and Staff Management Too

jectio nal St n-Re uden turn Achie ts n Enroll s v i emen n m g Nonent M A S arnin c t u a Matr g OutcomesLPela arnin nagementademic S dent Fee t Gap nning d ic g Ass Developm tude Tuit ion C ulating essm ental Educ nt Su back p Inquir a e o t S port ion nt st Se t ing St uden nsiti udents ts vity Hispa Finan n nnel

cial A

h Engag searc y Re

ting a nd

research insights

research

trends of 2014 2014 research priorities In analyzing the reports Hanover completed in 2014, we identified five major priority areas. These broad categories are presented below, as are the topics that comprise each priority area and their related request percentages.

percentage of total research requests* Academic Program Management

56% Recruiting and Marketing Strategy

19%

Resource Management

16%

Institutional Effectiveness

15%

Community and Alumni Engagement

trending topics within each priority area 78% - New Program Development 13% - Program Review 10% - Programs for Special Populations 6% - Alternative Program Formats 3% - Curriculum

32% - Enrollment Management

43% - Operational Support

44% - Student Success Tracking

33% - Alumni Engagement

20% - Marketing Effectiveness

21% - Faculty and Staff Management

38% - Student Support

19% - Brand Performance

12% - Finance

20% - Student Satisfaction and Engagement

33% - Community Brand Awareness and Perception

14% - Tuition Management 7% - New Campus Feasibility

11% - Planning 10% - Faculty Research 6% - Peer List Development

9% - Support for Special Populations

16% - Local and Regional Partnerships 13% - Local and Regional Employer Needs 7% - Economic Impact Assessment

*Some projects addressed several of these themes simultaneously, which is why the sum of the request percentages exceeds 100.

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

trends of 2014 spotlight on recruiting and marketing strategy A growing area of interest, projects focused specifically on informing partner institutions’ Recruiting and Marketing Strategy accounted for nearly 20 percent of Hanover’s custom research requests. Specific research topics of interest related to Recruiting and Marketing Strategy included: • • •

Gauging institutional brand strength among community members and prospective students; Conducting surveys and data analyses focused on tuition price elasticity among prospective students; and Using data modeling to predict matriculation within certain student populations based on variables such as application date, high school GPA, and the amount of aid offered to students.

expert

insight Allyson Grennille Managing Content Director of Hanover’s Higher Education Practices Hanover’s work in support of institutional marketing strategies – specifically in the areas of brand perception and brand “awareness – represents a growing area of focus, and one that we are committed to further enhancing in 2015. Last year, Hanover completed more brand perception work than ever before, which is an exciting development. Our partners recognize the importance of well-developed, targeted marketing plans. Hanover can play an important role in helping institutions understand the best ways to reach prospective students and identify the channels most likely to lead to enrollment. This work ranges from survey and funnel analyses to qualitative reviews of competitor market positioning.

”

read the full breakdown of our

2014 higher education research trends here want more trending research? Hanover partners have access to our Education Library, a resource of over 2,100 syndicated reports — including these top downloaded reports of 2014 — completed at the request of partners. Learn more about our library benefits. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Best Practices in Graduate Student Recruitment 21st Century Strategies for Tracking Graduate Outcomes Tuition and Financial Aid Incentives for Improving Graduation Rates Predictive Analytics in Higher Education Best Practices in One-Stop Shops for Student Services

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

research insights

research

themes for 2015 We believe that several of the projects Hanover completed last year indicate emerging trends that will become more prominent in 2015. In 2014, we addressed these evolving areas of interest in the following ways.

• Ensuring Post-Graduation Success •

Defining credentials that could be awarded through various certificate programs;

•

Reviewing best practices in career services organizational structures; and

•

Examining how universities can best support career pathways for graduates of broad undergraduate degree programs.

• Calculating Student Value •

Conducting environmental scans and program pricing and tuition sensitivity analyses to model the enrollment effects of tuition reductions; and

•

Developing and analyzing student surveys to understand potential responses to tuition and financial aid changes within an institution’s summer programs.

• Developing Online Programs •

Evaluating market saturation and demand factors for online expansion;

•

Benchmarking online program faculty compensation, marketing budgets for online programs, and online degree admission requirements; and

•

Gauging student satisfaction with Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and evaluating general trends in online course delivery.

• Identifying Factors of Student Success

•

Identifying academic and non-academic factors that most accurately predict persistence and graduation by analyzing student variables such as high school GPA, demographics, and first-year academic performance; and

•

Linking institutions’ National Survey of Student Engagement data with educational outcomes, such as persistence and GPA, to provide a more detailed and nuanced understanding of how student self-assessments of satisfaction and engagement correlate with important success indicators.

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

research insights

emerging research

college rating system Students selecting colleges in the 2015 academic year will be the first to use the U.S. Department of Education’s new College Rating System, which aims to help students “identify colleges that provide good value aligned with three key principles” articulated by the Obama administration: access, affordability, and outcomes. The first iteration of the ratings scheme, still in the broad development stages as of early 2015, is set to focus on two- and four-year institutions, excluding graduate institutions and non-degree granting educational entities. The administration’s most recent communications indicate that rated institutions will be grouped into three broad categories – low performers, middle performers, and high performers — with future planning efforts focused on refining institutional groupings, finalizing criteria weights, and developing metrics related to improvement over time. While commentary on the ratings system reflects broader debates on the value of college rankings in general — the New York Times highlights “the difficulty of representing the complexity of an individual college contribution . . . in a single number” — the Department emphasizes the multi-dimensional nature of the system, and has conducted various outreach initiatives to ensure that stakeholder feedback informs the final design.

college rating system components and research solutions Research can inform institutional strategy in many of the areas likely to be at the core of the ratings system: increasing access, identifying optimal tuition price points, and tracking alumni outcomes. Hanover’s experience conducting projects likes those outlined below makes us well-positioned to help institutions navigate the reality of the new ratings system.

access •

Best Practices in Recruiting FirstGeneration College Students

•

Effective Academic Support Structures for Underrepresented Student Populations

•

affordability

outcomes

•

Tuition Optimization Analysis

•

Alumni Outcomes Tracking Survey

•

Benchmarking Affordability among Peer and Aspirant Institutions

•

In-depth Alumni Interviews

• •

Predicting Optimal Financial Aid Awards

Program Scan: Identifying Degree Fields with High Employability

Data-Driven Approaches to Closing Equity Gaps

• •

Models and Frameworks for Setting Student Fees

Predictive Modeling: Understanding Factors that Impact Retention and Completion

Early College Programs for AtRisk Students

•

Tuition and Financial Aid Incentives for Improving Graduation Rates

•

Economic Impact Assessment

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

research insights

research to prepare for the

growth and expansion the value of research The changing dynamics of local economies have impacted the way institutions look at growth. Further, our research trends from the past year confirm that institutions are increasing their investments in degree offerings that meet the needs of non-traditional student populations. In 2014, 16 percent of our project requests related to new program development addressed programming for special student populations or alternative program delivery formats via research on topics such as competency-based education models, institutional support for online program development, and alternative academic calendars. While online programming can provide a cost-effective strategy for increasing student enrollments, the development and operation of any online program requires consideration of a number of factors.

obtain a

confirm

articulate

360° market view

demand

program value

Gain an objective perspective of the competitive landscape and peer benchmarks at the local, regional, and national levels.

Pursue viable programming as determined by increasing enrollment trends and labor market demand, coupled with low competitive saturation.

Develop a data-driven business case to present to internal stakeholders and campus leadership, accrediting and reporting bodies, and program advocates.

expert

insight Amir Rasool Managing Content Director of Hanover’s Higher Education Practices We encourage our partners to evaluate their existing academic programs and to assess the viability of new “program offerings on regular intervals. This allows for efficient and effective management of an institution’s overall academic portfolio. Our market assessment capabilities help our partners maintain a pulse on innovative programming, marketing strategies, and growth projections across a broad spectrum of academic programs. Although there are a number of other factors behind decisions to launch new programs or to expand, maintain, or scale-back existing programs, Hanover equips partnering institutions with critical information to proceed with these decision-making processes.

”

Hanover’s iterative approach provides institutions with research support that spans the program development lifecycle, from conception to launch. The Strategy in Action snapshot on the next page illustrates how Hanover’s program viability studies play a critical role in the academic expansion process of one institution, Saint Leo University.

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

research insights

framework for informing

growth and expansion strategy in action

[

]

Saint Leo University, a Catholic teaching institution, serves traditional and non-traditional students on the Saint Leo campus and in over 40 teaching locations and online. As Saint Leo explores opportunities to expand its academic curriculum, it faces a double challenge: 1. Identifying high-demand programs that would benefit potential students; and 2. Evaluating demand across the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s geographic footprint. Starting in 2007, Saint Leo University partnered with Hanover Research to address these challenges. Hanoverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assessment of various markets has been integral to the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts to strengthen its portfolio of academic programs. At least 13 of the over 30 programs Hanover has evaluated over the past seven years have become official degree offerings.

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

research insights

framework for informing

growth and expansion Since partnering with Hanover, Saint Leo honed its internal processes for identifying and pursuing new academic programming opportunities. In 2013, the institution launched SmartGrowth, a three-step process designed to inform the university’s decision of whether to move forward with a new program or campus expansion. Hanover’s services are built into the third phase of the SmartGrowth process.

1. documentation

The lead advocate communicates the new program idea to key stakeholders and identifies individuals who can assist in validating the concept.

2. pre-qualification

The Office of Assessment and Institutional Research works with the program advocate to: (1) identify ideas that appear viable and that the university would be willing to support; (2) review preliminary market data; and (3) ensure appropriate organizational resource allocation to investigate the proposed program. The pre-qualification phase quickly screens out some ideas so that the university allocates resources toward evaluating the most promising programs.

3. qualification

Hanover Research helps validate the viability of a new offering. Once programs have passed through the pre-qualification review, administrators commission Hanover to: (1) investigate market demand, including employability of graduates; (2) conduct program-specific research, including an analysis of the competitive landscape and tuition rates; and (3) evaluate scalability, including assessment of demand in select geographic areas. The research process addresses the following key questions in reference to the proposed program location(s): • • •

What is the unmet labor market need for graduates with this degree? How does Saint Leo University’s pricing compare to the competition’s? Is the projected demand for the program sufficient to support development?

“

We want to be strategic when growing our university,” states Jeffrey Anderson, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at Saint Leo University. “Hanover’s market viability and demand studies are a critical piece to the success of the SmartGrowth program, helping us to not only determine what opportunities to pursue, but also identify the ideas we may need to say ‘no’ to .

”

View Saint Leo’s full SmartGrowth expansion framework and planning worksheet here Is your institution striving to establish a similar, research-driven approach to expansion? Learn how Hanover can help by contacting us at info@hanoverresearch.com. 10

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iew Qualification Rev

research insights

framework for informing

improving retention the partnership need Clarion University of Pennsylvania’s (Clarion’s) priority is to retain top student talent. To improve retention, Clarion’s institutional research team wanted to understand what factors enable students to succeed at the institution. Administrators commissioned Hanover to track Clarion’s newest freshman cohort, with an emphasis on minority and firstgeneration college populations.

the research snapshot Hanover analyzed Clarion’s student data from 2006 through 2011 to assess which demographic, institutional, and academic variables were the most useful predictors of four-year and five-year graduation and second-, third-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-year retention. Hanover analysts developed multiple analytical models that assessed retention factors, predictors of conditional retention, and the likelihood of on-time graduation.

the institutional value Administrative leaders used Hanover’s research to evaluate the institution’s current and historical challenges to ensuring retention and encouraging graduation. The data identified current gaps in services and guided the university’s creation of new retention-focused initiatives, including: • Developing programs focused specifically on the success and retention of new freshmen; • Investing in data-based software and resources intended to advance student persistence efforts; and • Establishing new support services through the Student Minority Affairs Office geared towards the success and retention of minority students. As a result of this renewed focus on supporting at-risk student populations, Clarion saw a

INCREASE IN

FROM

APPROX.

2013-2014 FRESHMAN AND

SOPHOMORE

70%

76%

RETENTION RATES

“

Clarion has succeeded in raising our retention rates to totals significantly higher than the institution had experienced prior to using data-driven decision making. Using this retention data has helped us to develop interventions and identify high-impact programs that will not only help our students succeed, but also keep them here until graduation.

”

- Ray Moneta, Director of Information Management and Institutional Research

Learn more about Clarion’s efforts to apply data to improve student retention by reading the full case study on our Higher Education Insights page here

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

research insights

case study on

assessing economic impact the partnership need Fort Valley State University (FVSU) is a land-grant university and one of Georgia’s three public historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In fall 2013, the institution spearheaded an initiative to provide key stakeholders with vital information illustrating FVSU’s economic impact on the local and state economies. In order to evaluate and articulate FVSU’s influence on local, regional, and statewide economic development efforts, administrators commissioned Hanover Research to perform an economic impact analysis of the university’s operations.

the research snapshot Hanover’s economic impact methodology assessed institutional, student, and staff expenditures and their follow-on effects on other local residents’ earnings and expenditures. The report validated that in fiscal year (FY) 2013, FVSU’s operating, capital, payroll, and student spending supported over 1,300 jobs and contributed nearly $139 million to the Georgia economy. TOTAL IMPACT * Financial Impact

Employment Impact

$32,357,649

384

+$57,114,712

+$49,327,086

+634

+311

TOTAL

$138,799,447 TOTAL

1,329 JOBS

Peach County Local Region State of Georgia

*State impacts are inclusive of local impacts, which are inclusive of county impacts. Therefore a “+” sign is used to indicate the incremental impact associated with each level of analysis. The “total” impact represents the total state-level impact.

the institutional value FVSU is sharing Hanover’s findings in key stakeholder meetings, with HBCU peers, and throughout the University System of Georgia. Further, the university added these economic impact data on its website, presented the findings at its Global Initiatives Council fall meeting, and shared the analysis with the Peach County Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority to guide future marketing efforts for attracting new business to the area.

“

The Hanover report provides more powerful evidence that our university is not only an influential educational enterprise, but also a formidable economic enterprise.

”

- Dr. Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, President

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

Learn more about how FVSU articulated its economic impact to the state of Georgia and the nation’s HBCU network by reading the full case study here

research insights

case study on

grant

trends of 2014 In 2014, Hanover and its partners invested more than ever in working together to develop grantseeking strategies to proactively guide partnerships forward. As a result, grants partners are spending less time prospecting for opportunities to pursue, and more time in the proposal production space.

2014 grant projects* Proposal Development and Support

60%

Grantsmanship Training

Other Grant Support

Grantseeking Strategy and Consulting

Opportunity Analysis and Prospecting

25%

14%

*Some projects addressed several of these themes simultaneously, which is why the sum of the request percentages exceeds 100.

Much of the proposal development work Hanover conducted across 2014 was split between projects that fund overall institutional improvement initiatives, such as wraparound support for first-year students, and projects that advanced the individual research agendas of primary investigators (PIs). With respect to grant infrastructure building and faculty professional development, Hanover developed the grantsmanship training service offering in 2014 and anticipates partner requests for this level of support will increase in 2015.

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Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

grant developments

As a separate offering from our traditional higher education research services, Hanoverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grant Development Center provides pre-proposal, proposal development, and capacity building support to institutions that partner with us when pursuing their grantseeking initiatives.

funding announcements and

grant strategies In 2014, Hanover’s Grant Development Center helped higher education institutions secure over $13 million in funding from the nation’s most competitive grant programs, including the following federal grant wins.

First in the World In the FY 2014 competition, the U.S. Department of Education funded only 24 proposals of the nearly 500 applications submitted. Hanover partner Hampton University received one of these awards, earning the institution $3.5 million to increase its volume of minority STEM majors.

NSF MRI The Major Research Instrumentation grant program awarded funds to only 175 applications out of the thousands of proposals submitted. West Texas A&M University received two of these awards, totaling over $530,000, to help the institution purchase previously unavailable technology and build institution-wide research infrastructure, specifically focused on environmental science disciplines.

Title V Rising to meet the challenge of the U.S. Department of Education’s refined data-driven proposal requirements, Santa Rosa Junior College collaborated with Hanover grants consultants to receive one of only 38 awards granted in the FY 2014 Title V competition. The $2.65 million in awarded funds will help Santa Rosa to increase academic opportunity and attainment for Hispanic and low-income students.

capacity expansion In addition to guiding proposal development projects, Hanover’s grants professionals have helped our partners expand their internal grant capacity and infrastructure. Hanover supports PIs and Office of Sponsored Programs teams through grantsmanship training workshops, grantseeking strategy development, and grants policy manual development.

View our grant development solutions to explore how Hanover can help your institution achieve similar goals in the pursuit of future funding, and learn how the University of Arkansas applies Hanover’s support to build grants capacity through our case study on the next page. 14 14

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

grant developments

proposal development

case study on

faculty grant development The University of Arkansas strives to become a U.S. News & World Report “Top 50” research institution. The institution’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs partnered with Hanover in early 2012 to help secure the additional federal and foundation support required to achieve this milestone.

the grant development process The University of Arkansas expanded the grants knowledge and capacity of its faculty and staff by promoting Hanover’s grant writing services as a comprehensive and discipline-based faculty resource that provides the following layers of support.

GOAL

Increase Research Revenues

HANOVER SUPPORT

CRITICAL STEPS

Increase faculty grant capacity

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Strengthen PI proposals

CONSULTATIVE SUPPORT

Improve operational efficiencies Secure competitive funding awards

Hosts intensive skills workshop and grant writing webinars

Reviews, grades, and aligns proposal components

PROJECT MANAGEMENT Streamlines the proposal process by managing deadlines, responsibilities, and stakeholders

AGENCY-SPECIFIC EXPERTISE Leverages previous agency experience from NIH, NSF, ED, and other federal funders

the institutional value In partnership, Hanover has worked with the university to: • Streamline the proposal process for faculty members across departments by organizing program teams and managing narrative components; • Identify gaps in the institution’s funding portfolio; and • Enable mid-level and junior PIs to move from single proposals and first submission attempts to approach large programmatic grant competitions.

“

When we first started the partnership, we used Hanover to help single PIs with narrative review and prepare junior faculty to submit their first proposals. The partnership has evolved across the past two years, as we now work to design collaborative efforts that are unique to our campus and focus our grant strategy on targeted priority programs.

”

- Dr. Cindy Sagers, Associate Vice Provost for Research and Economic Development

Learn how the University of Arkansas is using Hanover’s support to achieve its “Top 50” goal by reading the full case study here. 15 15

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

grant developments

the partnership need

upcoming

grant competitions Learn what upcoming federal competitions are of interest to our partners in the calendar below and in this supplementary 2015 higher education funding guide.

funder competition

submission deadline

Title III

3/15/15*

Title V

3/15/15*

NSF

Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program

3/17/15*

NIH

MARC Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research

4/24/15

DOL

American Apprenticeship Initiative

4/30/15

Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) Program

4/22/15

HHS

Multiple Sub-agencies (NIH, AHRQ, etc.)

5/5/15-6/5/15

First in the World

5/15/15*

NSF

Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program

7/15/15*

NSF

Noyce Scholars Program

8/4/15*

NSF

NSF Scholarship in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM)

8/15/15

NSF

Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) (Exploration Projects)

8/15/15*

*Projected-dates subject to change

expert

insight Clinton Doggett Managing Content Director of Hanover’s Grant Development Center

“

There is value in taking a long-term view when planning for large-scale federal funding opportunities. At Hanover, we get started on proposals many months—and sometimes more than a year—ahead of projected deadlines to ensure our partners competitively approach these programs. In doing so, we are allowing the proposal team the time needed not only to fine-tune a strong funding narrative, but also to secure the involvement and buy-in of institutional stakeholders and partners who will be tasked with fulfilling the project’s vision.

”

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Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

grant developments

Throughout the spring, Hanover’s Grant Development Center team will work with partners to prepare for upcoming grant competitions. Submissions for several major competitions are due before the end of the academic year, including Title III, Title V, First in the World, and NSF’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program.

business

investments talent We continue to build a robust team of thought leaders and research innovators — helping us earn recognition from the Washington Business Journal as the D.C. area’s 16th fastest growing company of 2014. As we have grown, we have also deepened our commitment to quality and innovation and invested additional resources to attract and retain the highest quality talent.

• We expanded our team of education-focused primary researchers. These analysts focus exclusively on securing in-depth interviews with peer institutions and education experts. • 83 percent of quantitative analysts hired in 2014 hold doctoral degrees in a quantitative field. 100 percent of quantitative analysts hired over the last two years hold advanced degrees — a testament to the excellence of Hanover’s data solutions.

service We are dedicated to delivering the highest quality service, and we have the track record to prove it. In addition to growing our analyst teams, we nearly doubled the size of our account management team in 2014. Our investment in client service allows for closer relationships between our partners and their dedicated points of contact at Hanover. With respect to research delivery, we continue to invest in the most dynamic and cutting edge platforms to present our analyses — helping institutions better visualize, model, and interpret report data.

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Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

Hanover updates

• In 2014, we created a new research team focused exclusively on serving our higher education partners.

business

investments researcher spotlights The following representative biographies showcase the experience of several 2014 additions to Hanover’s higher education research team.

Senior Content Director

Dr. Bailey most recently served as the executive vice president at a non-profit organization focused on closing the achievement gap between low-income students and students from higher income households. He previously served as managing director of the Centre for Social Justice, a political think tank in London, where he also chaired the Centre’s policy research on ethnic diversity and social mobility. Dr. Bailey has also taught at the University of Cambridge, where he received his Ph.D. A graduate of Duke Trusted Research Advisor and University, he has held roles on numerous research advisory boards and is currently a Former Non-Profit Executive trustee of the Gifted Foundation.

Leila Nuland

Content Director Ms. Nuland arrived at Hanover after working for several years in a management role in education consulting. Prior to this position, she was a research assistant and graduate lecturer at George Mason University, where she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Teacher Education and Literacy. She obtained a master’s degree at Teachers College, Literacy Expert with Background Columbia University, where she also worked as a graduate research assistant at the Community College Research Center. in Education Consulting

Fox Troilo Content Director Mr. Troilo is a Ph.D. candidate in Higher Education and Strategic Management at Indiana University. While at Indiana, he worked in client relations for the National Survey of Student Engagement, and later assisted in developing the 2020 Strategic Plan for the University. He obtained his M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Leader in Executing Higher Vanderbilt University, where he worked with the dean of graduate studies on degree conferral and matriculation trends analyses. Education Strategy

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Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

Hanover updates

Jeffrey Bailey, Ph.D.

methodological

developments data visualization Hanover develops new strategies to transform complex data into actionable insights. With the advent of new technology platforms, we are leading the way in empowering partners with interactive tools that supplement robust report deliverables. With these tools, partners can alter data to examine any segment of interest, simulate the impact of modifying specific variables, and create visualizations that highlight data trends.

Hanover updates

One such tool, our dynamic map of online program enrollment data, earned recognition from eCampusNews as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;first of its kind to visually break [these data] downâ&#x20AC;Śinto actionable information.â&#x20AC;?

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Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

methodological

developments modeling matriculation, tuition, and enrollment We enhanced our algorithms for more accurate predictions of how different variables might impact students’ matriculation decisions, as well as students’ success after matriculation. Our data dashboards present institutionspecific predictive models based on student-level characteristics. In addition to predicting likelihood of on-time graduation, our dashboards allow administrators to estimate the effect of variables such as scholarship amounts on the probability of student matriculation.

ranking reconstruction tools We refined our methodologies for deconstructing college rankings and identifying areas for future improvement. When delivering our rankings analyses, we provide partners with an Excel-based “What If” simulation tool to determine the effect that positive and negative changes in specific sub-category areas will have on their overall ranking position. To help partners improve their rankings, we then analyze strengths and weaknesses relative to a pre-determined set of peers, and develop pathways for follow-up research that present data-based strategies for improving institutional position year-over-year.

Learn more about our Rankings Reconstruction Tool and the insights it can provide to your institution here.

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

Hanover updates

Further, we have developed an enrollment model that forecasts up to six years of total student enrollment figures for over 3,000 higher education institutions. An analysis of historical data has proven Hanover’s enrollment model to be accurate to within a 2 percent error rate.

introducing the

Business Analytics Center To address this growing need in higher education, we are proud to announce our newest offering:

Hanover Research’s

Business Analytics Center Hanover’s Business Analytics Center offering combines our deep knowledge of higher education with advanced business analytics expertise to provide business officers with high-impact analyses that drive better budgeting, planning, and resource management decisions. The Business Analytics Center’s higher education solutions inform initiatives around Revenue Modeling, Expenditure Impact, and Resource Optimization through our custom methodologies, including: • • • •

End-of-Year Departmental Technical Efficiency Reporting Impact Assessment of Expenditures on Student Outcomes School and Department Profitability and Subsidy Analysis Faculty Cost Center Analysis

Hanover is seeking an initial cohort of Pilot Partners to launch this offering and pioneer the future of data analytics for higher education in the process.

Learn more about the Business Analytics Center and the Pilot Partnership Program by contacting info@hanoverresearch.com 21 21

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

Hanover updates

Higher education finance and business officers are increasingly looking to data and analytics to guide challenging budgeting and planning decisions. However, many institutions lack the resources and capacity to execute the required data analysis. Through our experience, research, and in-depth interviews with scores of higher education business officers, vice presidents of finance, and chief financial officers, Hanover has found that more than half of all institutions have a need for additional analytics support.

conversation join the

higher education influencers

The following is a selection of people we follow, blogs and media publications we read, and conferences we plan to attend in the effort of staying on abreast of updates, trends, and thought leadership emerging across the higher education landscape. Follow us on Twitter @HanoverHigherEd, read along on our Higher Education Insights page, and meet us at upcoming conferences to join in on the conversation.

@HanoverHigherEd

Higher Ed Live @higheredlive Highlights from a live web show addressing the top issues in higher education

American Association of Community Colleges @Comm_College The primary advocacy organization for the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s community colleges

Audrey Watters @audreywatters

Society for College and University Planning @Plan4HigherEd News to help higher

Education writer covering emerging trends for Hack Education

education professionals strengthen their institutions

Student Affairs and Technology

EWA Higher Education Finance

insidehighered.com/blogs/student -affairs-and-technology News, tips, and practical insights about technology for student affairs practitioners

ewa.org/higher-education-finance An organization of education writers that centralizes fresh articles across media outlets on higher education finance

Jeff Selingo jeffselingo.com Thought leader and respected observer of American higher education

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Follow #EdChat and #GrantChat to keep up-to-date on the trending topics in the education and grant development sectors

Data Points

Dr. Education

chronicle.com/ blogs/data/ Rich coverage on the analysis and interpretation of recently released higher education data

dreducation.com Expert on global higher education with a focus on student mobility, enrollment management, and academic innovation

Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

read

closing recommendations

conversation join the

higher education influencers

EdTech HigherEd Education Dive educationdive.com Daily digest and top trending news impacting the education industry

subscribe NASPA Annual Conference conference2015.naspa.org March 21-25, 2015 New Orleans, LA

ASHE 2015 Conference ashe.ws November 5-7, 2015 Denver, CO

EdCentral edcentral.org/highered A top location for learning real-time buzz in higher education

EducationNext

The Evolllution

educationnext.org EducationNext focuses on evidence-based research and facts to steer transformative advancements in education reform

evolllution.com Grassroots online newspaper that reports on innovative topics in higher education

NORDP Annual Research Development Conference nordp.org/conferences April 29-May 1, 2015 Bethesda, MD

attend SRA International Annual Meeting srainternational.org/annual-meeting October 17-21, 2015 Las Vegas, NV

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Hanover Research I Higher Education Market Leadership Report

Association for Institutional Researchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual Conference forum.airweb.org/2015/pages/home May 26-29, 2015 Denver, CO

NCURA Annual Meeting ncura.edu/Education/MeetingsConferences.aspx August 2-5, 2015 Washington, DC

closing recommendations

edtechmagazine.com/higher Website exploring tech and education issues that IT leaders and educators face when evaluating and implementing solutions

resources

and

acknowledgments

We encourage you to explore Hanover’s Higher Education Insights webpage, located at hanoverresearch.com/higher-education. We constantly update our site with best practice reports, popular research, education news, and white papers illustrating ways to address key challenges in the higher education landscape – such as these top trending posts from the past year.

Top Report Downloads of 2014

1. 2. 3.

Analysis of Tuition Pricing Strategies 3 Integral Steps: How to Use Research to Shape Your Strategic Plan Popular and High-Growth Degree Fields