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AGENCY PHILOSOPHY

One thought. One message. One campaign.

We are Vo1ce. We are a body of innovators, techies, forward-thinkers,

and communicators whose sole mission is to create and solidify brand
images. We believe in integrated marketing- having one idea that
flows through every facet of a campaign- an idea so unique and so
strong that it gives the client more than a name, but a face and a
personality- an idea that brings any campaign to life. We are
committed to our clients and committed to achieving results. Together
we can discover your domain.

Account Executive
Jennifer Cowie

Creative Directors
Chris Dillon
John Dunne

Sales Promotion
Jason Herrera

Media Planning
John Stephen

Public Relations
Cara Deckert

Research
Rachel Zeile

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PURPOSE OF THE PLAN BOOK

The purpose of this plan book is to outline our recommendations for Sewanee
University of the South marketing team. In this book you will find our evaluation of
all current Sewanee promotions and the higher education market as well as
potential implications. We’ve included a detailed proposal for a new campaign,
utilizing a more personal approach to attract a more targeted crowd. We have
detailed how to execute each aspect of the plan and have built-in measurement tools
to gauge the campaign’s success.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY…2
SITUATION ANALYSIS…3-16
INDUSTRY REVIEW…3-5
PRODUCT/SERVICE EVALUATION…6-9
PROSPECT EVALUATION…10-11
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS…12-16
RESEARCH…17-30
SWOT ANALYSIS…31
MARKETING…32-34
INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS…36-59
DIRECT MAIL…36-37
WEB…38-48
SALES PROMOTION…49-55
PUBLIC RELATIONS...56-58
MEDIA PLAN…59
BUDGET…60
EVALUATION…61
TIMELINE…63
ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS…64-66
APPENDIX…i-xxxiv

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 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In the mid-19th century, right around the same time Sewanee was reconstructed,
Ralph Waldo Emerson was quoted saying; “If a man can write a better book, preach a
better sermon, or make a better mousetrap, though he builds his house in the woods the
world will make a beaten path to his door.” Although the quote was meant to capture the
ideals of the seller-driven markets of the 1800’s, it could also serve as an analogy for the
beginnings of Sewanee as the first higher education institute of the southern region. But
as Sewanee’s tradition and status continued to grow, the supply of service-based
industries, like education, began to outweigh the demand. Ultimately, this shift led to the
consumer-driven markets of the 20th century. In today’s society, Emerson’s quote no
longer applies; consumers now hold clout and even schools immersed in reputation and
prestige need to reach out for adequate applicants.

For Sewanee, there is a need to generate awareness and infuse the ability to
captivate prospective students. With over 20,000 acres of land, over a century of history
and a campus lifestyle like no other; the school has the credentials and amenities that
would attract any student. But with so much to offer, it is hard to provide even a sliver of
the experience through current printed materials and text-heavy web pages. Instead, there
is a need to differentiate Sewanee from other upper-tiers schools and then lure students to
their admissions page. Through rich media and personal touches, students will be
presented with an inviting online experience.

The creative goal behind this campaign centers on conveying the Sewanee
experience to prospective students: the tradition, the personal growth, and the
camaraderie within the tightly knit community. Initially, we will generate a large wave of
awareness through feeder schools and influencers. Through this awareness, students will
be drawn to the university’s services. With individual approaches to the student through
real person-to-person contact, enticing media, and a virtual tour that is second only to
being on the Cumberland Plateau; Sewanee will separate itself from other universities in
the consumer’s mind. Alongside on-campus programs and joint trips to the Domain,
Sewanee would be at the top of anyone’s list for amenities that no other university can
compete with.

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1
 SITUATION ANALYIS
This next section will paint a picture of the current situation for Sewanee in the
education market. We have included the following: an in-depth industry review, a
product/service evaluation of the University, a prospects evaluation and an analysis of
the competition.

Industry Review: Colleges and Universities

With over 4,300 degree-granting colleges and universities currently
operating in the United States, today’s education industry is larger than ever.
Private and Public institutions combine to generate about $400 billion in annual
revenue. Potential students have the choice between three variations in schools:
public, private nonprofit, or private for-profit (hooverindustryoverview).
Although there are only about 1,700 public schools, these institutions
account for almost 75 percent of the some 18 million students in college
(hooverinustryoverview). Public universities have the advantage of public funding.
Private nonprofit schools, like Sewanee, compete by providing superior education
and unique learning experiences.
Operation
Operating a university or college requires close attention to both instruction
and administration. Instruction costs consist of hiring and overseeing teachers,
generating new curriculum, and providing educational equipment. Administration
includes providing and maintaining academic facilities, student services, and
support staff. Instruction accounts for about 25 percent of total expenses for four-
year schools. Close attention to the student/teacher ratio can help colleges manage
these expenses. The average student/teacher ratio for all degree-granting
institutions is 17 to 1; Sewanee’s ratio is 11 to 1.
Recruiting/Marketing
Recruiting for colleges and universities is usually executed outside of
traditional advertising and marketing methods. Relying mostly on reputation and
awareness; schools utilize handbooks, websites, and off-campus events to gain the
attention of prospective students. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly difficult
for institutions to narrow in on the specific interests of each individual. Today’s
students can be drawn to schools based on academics (SAT scores, Average GPA,
department success, etc.) or non-academics (athletic programs, tuition fees,
financial aid, etc.). Addressing these factors as strengths and weaknesses can yield
some very useful marketing tools. It is important for universities and colleges to
attract enough students to cover costs. Three crucial statistics for managing these
students are: acceptance rate (how many applicants are accepted), enrollment rate
(how many of the accepted that enrolls) and graduation rate (number of freshman
who graduate). These three statistics are not only functional in managing revenue,
but also in managing the institution’s image to forthcoming students and reviewers

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Finances
Regulating finances for colleges and universities can be an overwhelming
process involving multiple channels of revenue. Public schools’ tuition makes up
only 16 percent of their revenue; whereas the same fees account for 30 percent of
private nonprofit schools’ revenue. Private nonprofit institutions are forced to lean
on tuition and educational investments while public universities receive 30 percent
of their income from federal, local, and state appropriations and another 20 percent
from grants and contracts (hooverfinances). As a result of the recession, many
private colleges have been forced to slow tuition hikes in an effort to compete with
lower-costs public schools and maintain access to low- and middle-income students
(hooverQUI4). This presents an opportunity as public schools continue to raise
tuition in attempts to offset budget cuts.
Trends
With so many complaints about the high costs of the college, distance
education has become an increasingly effective marketing tool for universities.
Attending class from home gives students the flexibility to maintain demanding job
hours and the luxury of not paying for transportation or room and board. Although
an attractive option, distance education could threaten the quality of education at
private colleges like Sewanee; instead these schools should look to expand on-
campus technology. By creating services like a wireless campus and new computer
labs, schools can attract students to be active on campus while promoting good
learning habits.
Another trend over the past several years has been the rising demand for
non-academic services. Students have become increasingly aware of the importance
of sustaining the environment; and they feel their school of choice should too.
Maintaining a lush campus, providing expansive recycling services, finding new
ways to conserve energy; are just some of the ways academic institutions are using
eco-responsibility to attract students. “Some 13.5 percent of college applicants are
now selecting a school based on its sustainability programs and practices" (Hoover,
trendseco). “Green” ratings have made their way into college reviews and students
are taking notice.
Today’s students want more than just an eco-friendly campus: personal
fitness is also of importance. “Nearly 30 percent of colleges and universities plan to
build new recreation facilities over the next few years, nearly 35 percent plan to add
to their existing facilities, and 44 percent plan to renovate existing facilities"
(hoovertrendsfitness). It is clear that fitness and recreation centers can be a useful
tool for bringing more students to Sewanee, but these facilities are also favorable for
the perception of the student body and faculty’s wellness.

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 Although state and federal budget cuts have noticeably altered the spending
patterns of public schools, the current economic crisis has also had a dramatic effect
on university donors. Endowments can count for a substantial portion of a
university's revenue, and some colleges have seen investments drop almost as much
as 30 percent (HooversBusinesschallenge). Fortunately, a 2009 study by the
National Association of College and University Business Officers shows higher
education institutions only losing an average of three percent in endowments
(NACUBO). Endowments are crucial for private universities as they account for a
much larger portion of revenue compared to public schools; declines in investments
can result in wage freezes and budget cuts.

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 Product/Service Evaluation
Education
The core competency of a Sewanee education is to help students find a
purpose in life. Sewanee offers 36 accredited Bachelor of Science/ Arts programs.
Completion of a degree requires 128 hours or 32 academic courses. At the
completion of 128 academic hours students must take a completion exam in their
field of study. A maximum of 13 courses can be taken in one subject at Sewanee.
This policy is in place because it “Reflects breadth of involvement in disciplines
beyond their principal academic interest.”
Sewanee does not offer any specialized degrees, but rather stresses a broad
undergraduate education in liberal arts and sciences. The University values giving
students a well rounded education to prepare them for postgraduate work. Students
in their first two years of study are only allowed to take general courses. General
course work includes proficiency in one of nine foreign languages, writing intensive
coursework and humanities. Students can only declare a major in their third year of
study (http://www2.sewanee.edu/academic_life/degree_requirements#major).
Sewanee stresses the importance of culture in a well rounded liberal arts
education. Regarding culture Sewanee states, “As wonderful as the Domain is, there
is no substitute for experiencing another culture first hand…It’s a big world out
there and nearly half of our students spend at least a summer studying or working
abroad. So go; we’ll still be here when you get back.”
Sewanee offers study abroad programs in Ecuador, France, Sweden, China,
Chile New Zealand, Europe and Asia.
All Sewanee classes are taught by tenured professors, not TA’s. 99% of
professors at Sewanee hold degrees within their field of teaching.
Sewanee offers two graduate programs, A School of Letters and a School of
Theology for the Episcopal Church.

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Campus
Sewanee’s campus offers 26 housing options from single sex, to co-ed, to
suites and substance free residence. It offers language houses in French, German,
Russian and Spanish. In these houses students immerse themselves in the culture
from eating food native to the country to participating in cultural traditions
The Sewanee athletic center, called the Fowler Center, has a nine lane indoor
pool, track, weight room and basketball, volleyball, racquet ball and squash courts.
Sewanee has an equestrian center, Howell Riding Center, which houses 30 horses.
The campus has 21 Greek organizations.
At the heart of its campus, Sewanee has the All Saints Chapel. Based on the
schools Episcopal tradition the chapel is dedicated to intellectual discourse and to
the spiritual growth of the Sewanee community.

Sewanee Review
The Sewanee Review is the oldest published literary quarterly in the nation
(est. 1892). The review emphasizes “Cultivation of Excellent Writing.” Undergrads in
all majors contribute to the composition of the review. The Sewanee newspaper and
literary Journal are included in the Review.
T. S. Eliot wrote in 1952: "The Sewanee Review has now reached the status of
an institution—by which I mean that if it came to an end, its loss would be
something more than merely the loss of one good periodical: it would be a symptom
of an alarming decline in the periodical world at its highest level."
(http://www.sewanee.edu/sewanee_review/history)

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Athletics
The Sewanee Tigers participate in NCAA Division 3 athletics in the Southern
Collegiate Athletic Conference. Sewanee offers 42 intercollegiate sports. Sewanee
believes that athletics improves the physical, emotional and social well being of its
faculty and students. They provide Athletics facilities to improve the community’s
well being and to keep their staff healthy. The University believes that athletics
serve the broad educational mission of the school.
“The primary purpose of the athletic program at The University of the South
is to make the most positive contribution possible to the present and future
physical, emotional, and social well-being of students, faculty and staff. This purpose
stems not only from the belief that the mind functions better---intellectually,
emotionally, and socially--- in a stronger, healthier body, but from the knowledge
that in a time of high medical costs, a healthy faculty and staff contributes to the
economic strength of the University at large, and so directly serves the University’s
broader educational mission.”
• Men’s NCAA sports are Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Equestrian,
Football golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Swimming and Diving, Tennis and Track and
Field.
• Women’s NCAA sports are Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross Country,
Equestrian, Field Hockey, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming and
Diving, Tennis, Track and Field, and Volleyball.

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Intangibles Products/ Product Offerings
The Domain
Sewanee is located on a 13,000 acre campus elevated 1800 ft above sea level
called the “Domain.” The Domain is a part of the Cumberland Plateau allow of the
Sewanee community to live in harmony with nature. It provides the university with
research, conservation and exploration opportunities. The domain is home to 850
plant species and 400 animal species. There are over 300 archaeological sites, 400
historical sites and 20 historical land marks within it.
In addition, the Domain has 50 rock-climbing sites, 100 miles of bike trails,
50 miles of hiking and 14 lakes. Sewanee provides equipment to enhance the
outdoor recreation of its students.
There are 65 members of the faculty that live on campus which equates to
90% of the faculty. And it has a small student population of 1500. The buildings
are Gothic architecture based off Oxford and Cambridge colleges. There are several
traditions that are still used at the University; one of the most interesting is the
Order of the Gownsmen which exists for students that achieve a level of academic
achievement. The Honor system is a part of Sewanee tradition for the past 100
years. There is a pledge, code and council to ensure that the Honor system is
followed by both faculty and students. Sewanee is known for its loyal alumni base of
over 12,000 people.
Sewanee has produced 25 Rhodes scholars. The University also has the rights to
Tennessee Williams' plays; Sewanee received the rights to the plays in 1983 and
receive royalties for “A Street car named Desire” and “The Glass Menagerie”.

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 Prospect Evaluation
The goal of this advertising campaign is to increase the quality and quantity
of Sewanee’s applicant pool. In pursuing this ideal we have profiled prospects that
will serve this purpose most effectively. Using the influence of feeder schools,
guidance counselors, parents, and the ambitions of students themselves; Vo1ce will
attract well-rounded, intelligent, diverse, up-and-coming high school sophomores
and juniors to Sewanee. The implementation of a new, more interactive admissions
page and various reading materials will better persuade these candidates to visit,
inquire about, and ultimately apply to Sewanee.
The ideal candidate, although particular interests and involvements will vary,
is a sophomore/junior in high school who has a minimum 3.6 GPA, extracurricular
involvement, and ambitions to attend a college liberal arts program when they
graduate. Active involvement in academics and an interest in where they will attend
college should open the lines of communication for our advertising strategy. In
order to optimize Sewanee’s applicant pool in the most effective way, Vo1ce will use
multiple influencers in these student’s lives to help influence and educate them
about Sewanee. Utilizing the prestige, tradition, and the excitement of Sewanee’s
programs and extracurricular activities, this campaign will persuade prospective
students that Sewanee is a fun, fulfilling college experience while also possessing an
element of tradition and prestige.
Beginning with current and prospective feeder schools, updated and
attractive brochures and communication options should be made available. A better
quantity and variety of feeder schools should provide a more diverse applicant pool
as well as provide more opportunities for future advertising campaigns. Finding
those diamonds in the rough will be made possible by including feeder schools that
are not prep schools and are not located in upper-class neighborhoods.
Communication options will include phone and personal contact with alumni
and/or current Sewanee students who will provide a personal description and
persuasive opinion of why Sewanee is a great place to attend. Similar programs will
be offered to prospective students who request more information via the website,
more about that in the coming paragraphs. New feeder schools will be selected
based on the potential candidates they possess, their location in relation to
Sewanee, and their willingness to work with Sewanee's feeder program. Keeping
with the current means of promotion via feeder schools, which will help provide
prospective candidates with information and opportunities to speak with a Sewanee
representative.

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 The use of guidance counselors and parents also plays a role in reaching this
target student. During the sophomore and junior years, many young students look
to these mentors to better guide them and deliver the information necessary to
make decisions. In clear communication with guidance counselors, we will display
the prestige and benefits of attending Sewanee. Sending brochures, informational
DVDs, and recommending links to our new admissions web page should allow these
influencers to guide prospective students to the information necessary to persuade
them to visit Sewanee and/or speak with a current student/alumni to better the
chances of that student applying. Pictures, videos, and interviews with current
Sewanee students will provide prospective students (and their influencers) with a
detailed view of what Sewanee has to offer; bringing interactivity and a personal
connection, that will be on the top of their mind, during their decision making
process.

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 Competition Analysis
One of the most important factors in being a successful business or
institution is determining who your competition is and how to outdo them.
Sewanee’s founding fathers wanted to build a “northeastern” college in the south- a
school that was academically focused and graduated well-rounded, top-notch
scholars. The goal was to be the “Harvard of the South." If this is who they aspired to
be, and presumably still do, these schools are the competition.
Sewanee needs to focus on who they are actually competing against. While a
student who is offered a place at Vanderbilt and at Sewanee might choose
Vanderbilt, it is because that school offers something (a major, a program, an
experience) that Sewanee does not and is not equipped to offer. Because of
Sewanee’s size, history and focus on the liberal arts, it will not appeal to every
student. It will appeal to the academically focused intellectuals. The problem is
those students are aggressively sought after.
We are suggesting taking a hard look at Sewanee's direct competition: the
liberal arts schools that are getting the applicants and students; the liberal arts
schools that can afford to be more selective. These are the schools that offer similar
majors, programs and experiences as Sewanee but for some reason students chose
them over Sewanee. We want fully understand what these schools offer or promote
so that Sewanee can position itself as the better alternative.
For the purposes of this analysis, we've divided the competition
geographically into southeastern liberal arts colleges and northeastern liberal arts
colleges.
All ranking info was retrieved from US News | College: Rankings and Reviews.
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/liberal-arts-rankings
We split the list into geographic areas and will analyze the southeastern
competition.
Top southeastern schools
• Davidson • University of Richmond
• Duke • University of Texas
• Emory • University of Virginia
• Furman • Vanderbilt
• Hendrix • Wake Forest
• Rhodes • Washington and Lee.
• Rice
• Trinity University (TX)
• UNC

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Overview: Williams College

Williams College is a private institution founded in 1793, making it one of the

second oldest colleges in Massachusetts. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of
1,997, and an acceptance rate of 17%. For the 2009-2010 school year tuition and
fees were $39,490. The rural campus is located on 450 acres and located in the
Berkshires. The school emphasizes community learning and intellectual discussion
without pretension. The school states that most of its students build strong
relationships with the faculty as well as their fellow students, and have a lifelong
attachment to the school and.
Williams offers three academic divisions: humanities, sciences, and social sciences,
with 33 different majors, some of which are: Computer Science, Linguistics,
Mathematics and Statistics, Biological Sciences, Psychology, Philosophy, and Visual
and Performing arts.

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Overview: Amherst College

Amherst College is often regarded as one of the nation's best liberal arts college.
It has an undergraduate enrollment of 1,697 and is located in Amherst,
Massachusetts. It is highly selective with an acceptance rate of 14.8%. The tuition
for the 2009-2010 school year is $38,928.
Amherst offers over 34 different majors (over 800 courses) and has an open
curriculum, meaning students don't have to study a core curriculum or take
distribution requirements they are free to design their own. They have a 1 to 8
faculty-student ratio, and encourage spirited interchange between students and
faculty.
The college is also a member of Five Colleges, a consortium with Smith, Mount
Holyoke and Hampshire Colleges and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, so
that students can take courses at any of the other colleges.

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Overview: Davidson College

Davidson College was founded in 1837 by the Presbyterian Church in

Davidson, North Carolina. Since it began its ties to the church continue to be strong
and the college is committed to continuing the relationship. Although it has an
affiliation with the Presbyterian Church, it also accepts peoples of other
denominations and nationalities. It has a total undergraduate population of 1,668
and has a 25.7% selectivity rate. The college has top national academic rankings
and an award-winning faculty as well a nationally recognized alumni network which
has sixty percent annual fund participation. The tuition is $35,124 for the 2009-
2010 school year.
Along with its reputation for excellent academics and Christian tradition
Davidson has a well rounded academic program which offers over 20 different
majors with the opportunity to pursue a minor or area of concentration in a
discipline of the student's choice.

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Overview: Washington and Lee University

Located in Lexington, Virginia, Washington and Lee University was founded

in 1749 and was named after George Washington who gave a generous endowment
to the school, and Robert E. Lee who was president of the University. It has 1,752
undergraduates and costs $38,877 to attend. The school is highly selective with its
16.8% acceptance rate which aids its small class sizes (the average class size is 16
students) and its 9:1 student-faculty ratio.
The University offers 41 majors, and over 1000 courses. It also features the
only fully-accredited business school and journalism program among the top liberal
arts colleges in the nation. Washington and Lee also has a law school with about
400 students and 120 courses. The school is also known for being one of the best
teaching colleges and W&L places a high priority on recruiting top-notch faculty,
most have a PhD or equivalent and there are no teaching assistants.

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13
 RESEARCH

PRIMARY RESEARCH

CULTURAL IMMERSION

Here at Vo1ce, we base all our decisions on research- collecting data,

analyzing results, etc.; but when it came time to sell the idea of Sewanee, we needed
to experience it firsthand. Our team took a three-day voyage out to Tennessee in
order to fully understand what we were selling.
We had a jammed-packed schedule of activities- participating in the campus
tour a prospective student would take, sitting in on a freshman-level class, exploring
all the campus buildings, eating in the dining halls, staying on the Domain and even
visiting the local establishments. Our objective was simple: to discover what is so
appealing about Sewanee and more importantly how to embody this “it” into our
campaign.
What we discovered is that Sewanee is much more than a place- it’s its own
world. Here students get individual attention from professors, everyone greets you
with a smile and cheery “Hello,” the walk to class is like a nature hike, education is
for the purpose of passing a test but for the sake of learning…the only objective is to
encourage personal growth and self-discovery.
Once we saw and we felt, we understood.

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SEWANEE STUDENT SURVEY ANALYSIS:

In order to reach our target market and persuade them to visit (and
ultimately apply to) Sewanee, it is necessary to better understand what drove
current students to make those decisions. We have conducted primary research to
explore the mindsets of current Sewanee students via an online survey. This survey
asked questions regarding their decisions to attend Sewanee and their perception of
whether or not that decision was the best & most beneficial. The results concluded
that the targeting and persuasive methods of VO1CE Advertising are in direct
correlation with the needs and considerations of prospective students. The
following is a summary of our findings and how they relate to our campaign strategy
for Sewanee.

The 196 students who completed the survey are an even mix of Freshman-
Seniors, the majority of which see a rigorous academic atmosphere as the most
important element of attending Sewanee. Only a small number of students surveyed
stated that Sewanee being a private school was a primary cause for application.
Most stated that the academics and curriculum as well as the known student life
were the deciding factors in attending Sewanee. Our focus on the community and
academic superiority of Sewanee is in direct correlation with these preferences. The
academic programs and interactive online community programs set forth by this
advertising campaign will further reach out to these decision-making tendencies.
The location and landscape were the third most important factor to students,
though all three of the top factors seem to have high numbers. This is a clear-cut
example of how our strategy and methods of attracting high-school students will be
effective and are geared toward what students see as important decision-making
factors.

In deciding which decision-making mediums to focus our campaign on, the

following data was a clear indicator. 84% of students stated that when they were
deciding where to attend college they heavily relied on the Internet, parents, or
school counselors. As we have stated in our strategy, the focus of our campaign
utilizes an interactive website and materials designed to persuade parents and
guidance counselors that Sewanee should be the university of choice. In addition,
30% of respondents stated that they somewhat relied on teachers and direct mail in
making their decision, direct mail being part of our campaign as well.

In reference to our research programs, 89.3% of all respondents stated that

they had visited Sewanee before applying to the University. This statistic, combined
with their majority concern with academic intensity is a clear indicator that our
research programs are the perfect way to attract the right students to Sewanee.

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 In reference to our online community program, the majority of respondents
stated that they would recommend Sewanee to a friend or family member, that they
would continue to support Sewanee with gifts or otherwise, and that their
relationship with Sewanee would not end after graduation. Creating this network
will provide these students with the ability to influence prospective students and to
continue to support the University in general.

In summary, the community and academic benefits of Sewanee are clearly

influencing good students to apply. Creating networks and programs that will
further display said benefits to prospective students and applying the strategies
described by our advertising strategy will increase quality applications and
maintain the renowned reputation of Sewanee as a University of community,
relationships, and academic excellence.

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SECONDARY RESEARCH

*All of the following data was collected via secondary sources.

SEWANEE STATISTICS

Education:
Serious intellectual pursuit of a liberal arts education focused on collaborative
learning, community outreach and spiritual growth.

Location:
Sewanee is located on the 13,000 acre domain on the Cumberland Plateau between
Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Undergrads: Students: 1424

Geographic Diversity:
• Out of State: 78% Gender Breakdown
• Southeast: 65%
• States Represented:
41

Class of 2012: Male

• SAT 1180-1340 Female
• ACT 26-30
• GPA 3.6
• Applicants 2488

Faculty:
Full Time: 127 Ethnicity Breakdown
Part Time: 29

School of Theology: Caucasian

Full time: 10 Black
Part time: 9
Hispanic

Student-faculty ratio: Asian Pacific

11:1 American Indian

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Academic Programs:
• American Studies • History
• Anthropology • International Studies
• Art • Latin
• Art History • Law
• Asian Studies • Mathematics
• Bio Chemistry • Medicine
• Classical Languages • Medieval Studies
• Computer Science • Music
• Dentistry • Nursing
• Economics • Philosophy
• Education • Physics
• Engineering • Astronomy
• English • Political Science
• Environmental Studies • Psychology
• Film Studies • Religion
• Forestry • Russian
• French • Spanish
• French Studies • Theater Arts
• Geology • Veterinary Medicine
• German • Women Studies
• Greek

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The Honor System
Honor Code, Honor Pledge, and Honor Council

Special Facilities:
French, German, Russian and Spanish Houses:
Students speak the language and live the culture.

Academic Technology Center:

Computer lab and multimedia workstation equipped with scanners, CD burners and
multimedia software.

Landscape Analysis Lab:

Students participate in interdisciplinary environmental research, education,
outreach, internship and independent study.

Language Lab:
The lab provides audio, video and computers for enhanced language studies.

Cordell-Lorenz Observatory:
University Observatory offers telescopes for public use, research and academic
enrichment.

Student Organizations:
• 4 Student Governments
• 3 Publications
• 20 Community Service
• 8 Spiritual/ Religion
• 4 Music/ Art
• 4 Performance
• 4 sport clubs
• 9 Recreation Clubs
23 Special interest groups

Residential Life:
95% of students live on campus.

Admission Deadlines:
Early Decision November 15
Regular February 1

Cost:
Tuition 33,900
Room and Board 9,760
Total 45,632

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ENROLLMENT BY STATE

Total
Sewamee Enrollment by State
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30 Total
20
10
0
AK
AR
CA
CT
DE
GA
ID
IN
KY
MA
ME
MN
MS
NC
NH

Total
NY
OK

(bl…
PA
SC
TX
VA
WI

23
SUMMARY OF MAGUIRE RESEARCH COMMISIONED BY SEWANEE

Factors
The following information is focused on the prospective students section in
the Maguire research. This body of research is a good indication of the attitudes and
factors which affect prospective students. The following will focus on the most
important findings of the McGuire research then apply its relevance and lessons to
the current campaign.
Prospective students are those students who high school juniors or seniors
about to graduate, who have Sewanee as a prospective school. The questionnaire is
rated on a level of 1 to 5 on factors of influence.
Based on the research campus tours (77%) and campus visits (81%) played
the greatest role in college decisions.

24
 It is imperative for people who play a role in a prospective college student's
life guide them towards a campus visit. The campus plays a major role when
students decide on a college. Based on the research Sewanee must convince the
student to embark on a campus visit. Convincing students to visit is the most
important factor because the visit itself maybe enough to sway the student towards
Sewanee. Once the student is convinced then it is a matter of communicating to the
parents, counselors and other influencing factors that Sewanee is the best place for
their student.
Sewanee's domain is a powerful asset in convincing a student to apply to
Sewanee. The prospective visit should be the end goal among current and former
students, coaches, the Sewanee Web-site, faculty, admissions, administrators, feeder
school guidance counselors and all Sewanee print publications. There should be a
clear front stating how important it is for a prospective student to visit the campus.

Competition
The following is research from Maguire that pertains to Sewanee’s
competitors. Pages 18, 19 and 20 from the Maguire research book are used to
analyze competition relative to the mindsets of Junior and Senior high school
students.

25
 From the research we see how prospective students rank Sewanee’s
competitors. Ranked from most familiar to least familiar are the top 4 competitors:
Vanderbilt University, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Georgia
and Washington & Lee University.

26
 The following graph measures the academic quality of schools based on the
perceptions of prospective students. Sewanee is lagging behind Vanderbilt
University, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and Washington and Lee.

27
 The next graph focuses on how likely prospective juniors are to apply to
Sewanee and/ or its competitors. . Sewanee and Vanderbilt are tied in likelihood
followed by UNC. Based on the research Sewanee needs find methods to increase
the amount of students that apply in order to out compete Vanderbilt. Prospective
juniors comprise Sewanee’s applicant pool which is why convincing more juniors to
apply to Sewanee is a key factor in the campaign.

28
Strengths of Sewanee
Based on the Research, attributes of Sewanee that appeal to prospective
students are as follows. Students like the fact that it has a long standing honor code.
Being a liberal arts school makes Sewanee appealing to students. The fact that
Sewanee has a green campus and its long standing literary and writing tradition
played well to students.

Weakness
According to the answers of potential applicants some of Sewanee’s
weaknesses are that it has 1500 students or less. Students also disfavored
Sewanee's lack of a big sports program and its lack of a business program.

29
Guidance Counselors

The following is a summary of Maguire research on guidance counselors’

thoughts and opinions. It is pages 36-37 from the research packet. From the
research its can be acquired that guidance counselors are the best gate keepers
because they understand the connection between what the students have to offer
and what that student will gain from the school. Convincing the counselors on the
premises of the Sewanee Domain social network to connect with the positive
aspects of the school is a vital part of increasing qualified applicants towards
Sewanee.

Maguire interviewed counselors about their familiarity with Sewanee based

on whether the counselors are from public or private schools. The research states
that private schools are more familiar and supportive of Sewanee. Guidance
counselors agree that Sewanee is a strong liberal-arts school but they admit that
most of the students in their schools may not be able to succeed at the school. This is
a good point of interest because if guidance counselors know who will not succeed
at Sewanee then there is a chance that they may know individual student that have
the ability to excel at Sewanee.

Counselors agree that the Sewanee campus has beautiful architecture, views
and is peaceful. They also say that the campus is secluded, cut off from society and
the student body is small. They think that due to its location that it could deprive
students of cultural and social stimulation.

The strong sense of community among the students, faculty and staff is
recognized in the research. Counselors also stated that the Sewanee community
emphasizes tradition and has a proud alumni base to support the school.

During the research counselors agreed that there the typical Sewanee
student is a “Preppy, conservative, Greek-Life, Social outdoorsman. These typical
students share an interest in “Liberal arts, intellectual curiosity, are confident, share
value in connecting with people and are self starters.” Counselors went on to say
that students who attend Sewanee in reality seek relationships with faculty, like
small communities and are extraverted.

30
 SWOT ANALYSIS

*Below is a snapshot of the current situation for Sewanee.

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

• Student to professor ratio, class • Liberal arts education, not trade

sizes or professional degree
• Profs teach, not TAs • Limited curriculum
• The Domain • Diversity
• Research opportunities • Seclusion
• Internship opportunities • Cost
• High graduation rate • Low brand (name) recognition
• Well-rounded education • Low brand (school) knowledge
• Create your own curriculum
• Greek life
• School spirit
• Accept the common application
• Financial aid packages

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

• Partnerships with nearby • Technical degrees are becoming

universities
• Strong alumni ties
• Feeder school relationships
• Summer institute programs
• Internet (web page)
more valuable
• Big schools offer wider variety of
everything
• Public universities are less costly
• Other liberal arts colleges that are
more well known

31
33
 MARKETING

Our target market consists of potential students and groups of people who play a part in
the potential student’s decision making process.

• The primary target market includes top sophomores/juniors.

This group has a minimum 3.6 GPA, extracurricular involvement, and ambitions to
attend a college liberal arts program when they graduate. As they consider where they will
apply to college, we need to be active on top-of-mind to encourage visiting and ultimately
applying to/attending Sewanee. Active involvement in academics and an interest in where
they will attend college should open the lines of communication for our advertising
strategy. Academic excellence in the liberal arts and extracurricular activities are important
criteria for our targeting. We are seeking out students involved in printed publications,
after-school arts education, debate clubs, theatre, National Honor Society, Cum Laude
Society, Kiwanis/Key Club, Rotaract, and Circle K etc. As we reward these types of
successful students with various honors and eligibility for week-long research seminars at
Sewanee, we will reach out to these potential students in a unique and dramatic way.

• The second groups that we are targeting are feeder schools.

Feeder schools allow us to educate gifted students about Sewanee without having
direct contact. The counselors and mentors know about Sewanee and will recommend top
students to visit/apply to the University. These relationships are essential and properly
motivating and educating the faculty at these schools is important. A better quantity and
variety of feeder schools should provide a more diverse applicant pool as well as provide
more opportunities for future advertising campaigns. Finding those diamonds in the rough
will be made possible by including feeder schools that are not necessarily prep schools and
are not necessarily located in upper or upper-middle class neighborhoods. We are looking
for schools within the southeast, with a good student base, that are willing and able to
participate and provide quality recommendations.

• The third target groups are influencers: parents & guidance counselors

Two of the main influencers in a top-students college application decision-making

process include parents and guidance counselors. Involved mentors can have a profound
impact on students especially at a younger age (2nd-3rd year students). This market, if
properly educated about Sewanee and persuaded to visit, could potentially be the
gatekeeper to receiving more quality applicants. Counselors from targeted feeder schools,
various other schools in the Southeast, as well as parents will receive informational packets
(further discussed later) that should persuade them to look into Sewanee more closely with
their young students.

32
Marketing Objectives:

1. Vo1ce through various marketing efforts will generate a 15% increase in quality
applicants at Sewanee.
2. Vo1ce will also create greater awareness and buzz about the University among
feeder schools, new feeder schools, parents, guidance counselors, and prospective
students.

Our efforts will encourage visiting and learning more about Sewanee, and ultimately will
persuade top students to apply-to and attend Sewanee.

Positioning:

Positioning of Sewanee in the minds of prospective students will be that the University is a
place of community, self-discovery, beauty, of higher learning, and of prestige. Better than
any competing university, Sewanee can offer academic and personal development in a
community setting to better realize the student’s personal and academic goals.
This relates to each of our target groups in different ways:

Sophomore/Junior top-level high school students will be targeted with various

honors/recognitions of their academic excellence by Sewanee. Physical awards (such as
plaques) will be followed up by information packages containing useful and informative
materials about Sewanee. Research and week-long seminar programs for top science,
writing, and theater students will be offered and conducted at Sewanee. This is the ultimate
tour and preview experience that will surely convince great students to apply to Sewanee.
Practical and informational gifts such as information-loaded USB jump drives will even be
sent out with informational packets to potential students who request information.
All of these programs are designed to position Sewanee as a modern, prestigious,
community-based higher learning establishment that is both beautiful and practical. Why
does this matter? It matters because students do not just look at the name of a school when
choosing where they will apply to. Keeping Sewanee on top-of-mind and as a university
who brings students on campus for research/learning experiences is unique and most
importantly MEMORABLE.

Feeder Schools (both prep schools and non-prep schools) will be sent beautiful, well
assembled, informative kits that will demonstrate the classy, prestigious, professional feel
of Sewanee as a prospective university for their top students. We will position Sewanee as
the best choice for all of the reasons aforementioned and utilize the influence of such
schools in the application generation process.
Why is this important? It is important because our main access point to guidance
counselors and quality students is through cooperative initiatives with feeder schools. It
generated influence and grants an upper-hand that we must utilize if we are to meet our
goals in this campaign.

33
 Guidance counselors and parents serve as influencers, decision makers, and in many
cases gatekeepers of information for these young high-school students. Positioning
ourselves as a university that will provide the best all-around education for their
students/children is the sure way to have those gatekeepers on our team.
Positioning Sewanee as a prestigious, tradition-based, community-based, academic
and personal growth establishment is the best way to persuade these decision makers to
work with Sewanee and ultimately persuade their top students to apply-to and attend
Sewanee.
Why is this important? It is important because when prospective students have the
support of their influencers, there is no doubt as to where they will apply. Building a
recognition and report with these key influencers will aid in reaching the objectives of this
campaign and future Sewanee campaigns.

As we discuss the details of our creative tactics in the following sections we will
demonstrate the professional ability and means to effectively persuade these three groups
of individuals in the pursuit of increased top-student application and admission at
Sewanee.

34
35
INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Voc1ce believes One thought. One message. One campaign. In this section we will outline
each aspect of the campaign in great detail. All of the programs work in unison to formulate
a single message and help generate interest in the University.

ADVERTISING

Direct Mailing

For universities across the nation, direct mailing remains an important part of
communication strategy. However, with so much saturation within this media, capturing
the attention of prospective students can prove difficult. To avoid being lost among all of
the university mailings high school students receive, Sewanee’s direct mail should focus on
implementing a style that is as much unexpected as it is elegant. By accomplishing this,
Sewanee’s direct mail will go beyond a mere explanation of what its campus life is like; it
will communicate to prospective students both in form and visual aesthetic, leaving a
lasting impression that is uncommon to most direct mailings.

Sewanee’s current information packets and direct mailings are primarily used on a
graduated scale, with various materials going to parents and high school students at
different times. The new direct mailings will maintain this strategy with the exception of
those sent to high school juniors and seniors. These students in particular are an
important demographic because they are close to making their college decision and already
receive large amounts of mailings from other competing universities. Sewanee has an
opportunity during this time to stand out from the usual information packet by providing
an all-inclusive, information package. This package would contain:

• the current brochure that is sent to prospective students

• a personal letter signed by the acting chancellor (embossed with the Sewanee logo)
• a ballpoint pen with Sewanee’s logo on it
• USB flash drive with logo (slideshow of campus views already uploaded) (See
Additional Recommendations for details)

In addition to these materials, the packaging itself will serve as a communication

device. A die cut envelope with flaps on all four sides will wrap around the materials using
combination of tongue and grove connections and light glue. Recycled paper will give this
envelope natural yet elegant feel. The interior will have a picture of Sewanee’s campus and
the surrounding land. On each flap, there will be a quote from various playwrights and
poets who have graduated from Sewanee. Around the entire package will be a single
purple ribbon fastened with a Sewanee insignia.

36
 Each element of this package will work together to communicate that Sewanee
actively engages students. The beauty of the package, along with its quotes from previous
graduates, will inspire the recipient much like Sewanee’s surrounding area. The ballpoint
pen and flash drive will equip the recipient with useful resources much like Sewanee’s
passionate faculty and quality facilities. The personal letter will exemplify Sewanee’s
commitment to community. And the brochure will supply all the necessary information a
high school student would need to know about the school.

37
 WEB

The majority of our campaign will focus on web- revamping the current admissions sites,
driving traffic to the site and building an online network of people interested in Sewanee.

Why a dynamic Sewanee Admissions Website?

There is no doubt the expectations of today’s audience have irrevocably shifted

toward interactive media, social networking and dynamic content — all encompassed into
one convenient location. In other words, people have of come to expect the Internet. From
non-profit organizations to Fortune 500 companies to the lowly blogger, the Internet poses
benefits that no other media can touch. Specifically, it allows communicators to simulate
one on one interaction with their audience. Whatever the case may be — a seller to a buyer,
a politician to a voter, a company to a stockholder or a university to a student — these
interactions become invaluable because they accomplish more than just communication;
they build relationships.

Sewanee understands the value of building relationships more than most schools,
and its admissions website should reflect that perspective. Today, the trends happening
within the Internet have drastically changed the role of an admissions website for a
university. Many of Sewanee’s competitors have realized this, abandoning the idea that an
admissions site should simply be a depository for necessary information for incoming
students. Instead, schools like Davidson, Elon and Vanderbilt have all transformed their
school’s admission page into a media rich environment in which prospective students are
greeted with blogs, news updates, videos, virtual campus tours and online applications.
Therefore, when comparing Sewanee’s current admissions website to the previously
mentioned, it is evident that some improvement is needed.

What should a Sewanee Admissions page look and act like?

Many of Sewanee’s competitors use the admission portion of their website as a

marketing tool rather than a just another source of information. In this sense, the
functionality of the admission site is set apart from much the rest of the website. The
Sewanee admission site we created is more dynamic in five ways:
• integration of atmospheric photographs
• intuitive navigation and presentation
• integration of videos
• integration of a social networking aspects
• archived, personalized and engaging content such as blogs, testimonials and
news feeds.

38
Integration of photographs

This aspect of the site is the easiest to accomplish. Each section of the admissions portion
of the website can be accompanied with photography at the least. Acting primarily as a
header for each section, this photography will not only visually engage the viewer but
showcase one of Sewanee’s most competitive attributes — its setting.

39
Dynamic and Intuitive Navigation, Presentation and Content

It’s important for the site not only to be functional but beautiful. Each category of the
admissions page is at the very least presented within a navigation menu at the header.
Some categories are emphasized within a main content section and are presented in flash
animated slide show. Categories such as containing annual events, YouTube video channel
player, a prompt to sign up to the social network, in-site photo gallery and link to the Flickr
account, Twitter status update are presented within a sidebar. With the main content block
below the slide show are the news feed, upcoming events, and testimonials. Testimonials
are videos as well. At the very top of the page is Sewanee’s local social networking login
and as well as account actions and settings.

40
Integration of videos

Videos play an important role in Sewanee’s new site. They show prospective students a
more engaging view of Sewanee’s setting and its people. In a sense, videos allow for the
personality of the school to come to light. For this reason, there will be a link to Sewanee’s
new YouTube channel where the viewer can see a collection of videos that are not only
stable within the site, but exhibit how Sewanee embraces new technology and new trends.
This video collection will not redirect the view to YouTube, but instead remain embed
within Sewanee’s admission site.

41
The Sewanee Social Network

The social networking portion of the Admission site is what sets Sewanee apart from its
competition. While other schools simply link externally to Facebook, Sewanee’s website
has an all-inclusive social network built into its architecture. Much like Facebook,
Sewanee’s social network is comprised of a collection of profiles that any inquiring person
may fill out, thereby signing up to Sewanee’s specific social network. There is also
functionality that has come to be expected with social networking sites, such as the ability
to write on someone’s wall (called a wire), update a status bar, upload a picture, “friend”
individuals, send messages and join groups. However Sewanee’s social network differs
from Facebook in two ways. First it is a fully functional social network that is completely
specific to Sewanee, and second a specially trained team of students, faculty staff, and
alumni monitor the social network.

42
These teams are trained by Sewanee to prompt message boards, seek out new members
and begin dialogues, post information, create events and in essence, these teams will be
“professional” Sewanee social network monitors. They will ensure that each prospective
student that signs up experiences the community so inherent at Sewanee —wherever they
may be.

Archived, Personalized and engaging Content

The Sewanee’s site contains:

• All of it current information (some of the old content is condensed together)
• An organized Navigation bar (containing much of the old information)
• A j-query animated “featured content” slide show on the home page
• A sidebar containing annual events, YouTube video channel player, a prompt to sign
up to the social network, in-site photo gallery and link to Flickr account, twitter
status update (embedded within site)
• A news updates and upcoming events in the main content area
• Testimonials across the bottom of the main content area
• And archive record within the footer of posts, events, and who is online from the
Network.

43
The Campus Map

In today’s web-based society, high school students look to the internet as a primary source
of information for their next step in education. An institution’s homepage has a tendency to
serve as a first impression; likewise, its campus map can provide students with their first
glimpse at what could potentially be their next destination. This virtual map should not
only provide a practical guide for current students, but also attract the online traffic of
prospective ones. Sewanee’s current campus map is an outdated illustration using a series
of numbers that correspond to a legend containing over a hundred different items. With
such an overwhelming amount of information crowded into the legend, this traditional
variation of map is far from sensible. In an effort to make this feature more inviting and
visually appealing; we revamped the illustration into a user-friendly guide to “The
Domain.”

After removing the 111 bullets from the original diagram, each building was fashioned into
a separate link and tag. This allows users to see the names of every building, facility or
sight as their cursor hovers over that specific region. Upon clicking on one of these links,
they’re taken to a page that provides specific information regarding that landmark and
services.

For example, if a student were to click on Fulford Hall, the center for financial aid and
admissions; they would be taken to a site that supplies:
• Information on that building or site
• Images of that location, along with links to related images through the
Sewanee photostream on the University’s Flickr page
• Links to pages regarding that location’s services (ex: Admissions and
Financial Aid links for Fulford)
• Contact listings for the employees of that building
• Updates on upcoming events

With this change, users are no longer besieged by numbers and names, but are now
engaged with an inviting tour of the campus. Photographs and panoramic visuals will
provide users with a greater perspective of the lush Sewanee campus. The tie-in with the
Flickr page will allow current students and visitors to connect with prospective students by
providing images capturing events and people in a way far more personal than professional
photography. This charming experience will further draw the map viewer into the
community of Sewanee; creating a demand for information only accessible through the
website and contact listings.

44
With the previous map, users were presented with a clunky Adobe PDF file. To locate a
building, it would take a series of clicks to zoom in on the legend and a series of clicks to
zoom out and find the corresponding number. This became a tedious and unfulfilling
experience.

45
The revised map creates a rewarding and informative experience. Users have multiple
ways to find buildings and landmarks. Whether using the search bar, clicking on the map,
or selecting the title from the table below; users have several ways to explore the Domain.
Once a building or landmark is selected, a small menu rises from the map. This menu
provides an image, a brief synopsis, and a variety of links. For more information, users can
click on “more info” to go to the destination’s main page, or click on the Facebook or Flickr
logo to view Sewanee’s page with images related to that selection. If the user needs
directions, they can select the Google Maps link to provide an interactive road map via
Google systems.

46
SOCIAL NETWORKING TIE-INS

FACEBOOK

47
FLICKR

GOOGLE MAPS

48
 SALES PROMOTION

*Below are some other ways (apart from direct mail) that detail how we plan to generate
some interest in the University, drive people to the website and ultimately visit the campus.

Student Ambassador Program

Vo1ce believes an important part of presenting the Sewanee experience to

prospective students lies within the experiences of its current students. We encourage
Sewanee to implement a student ambassador program as a tool to aid in increasing the size
of its applicant pool.

This program would be taking advantage of the already strong ties the University
has with these feeder school guidance counselors. Sewanee should be able to determine
when the most ideal time to visit would be. Different high schools have varying methods of
presenting colleges to students, and Sewanee can take the fullest advantage of this by
familiarizing itself with different high schools’ methods, and molding themselves to those
methods accordingly. Student ambassadors can communicate specifically with their past
guidance counselors to simplify this process and keep the message and methods
consistent.

Those students chosen and willing to participate in the Student Ambassador

program will be able to visit the high schools they attended during their already scheduled
trips back to their home towns; this timing will minimize the cost for Sewanee by tying the
trip into an already scheduled visit that the student or his or her family are providing for
financially.

We believe that impressionable high school students can be highly influenced by

those students who were upperclassmen when they were underclassmen. We believe these
presentations given by student ambassadors can be a driving force to recruit more
applicants for Sewanee. Sewanee should target juniors most importantly, as well as
prominent sophomores looking to get a head start on their college selection process.

It is important for Sewanee to present a united front and train its student
ambassadors in a way that will be the most advantageous for the University. Information
and training sessions need to be implemented to train its future student ambassadors to
ensure that a uniform message is communicated to prospective students, one that reflects
the elite and privileged opportunity that lies within the Sewanee experience.

49
Sewanee can help motivate standout students to become student ambassadors by
providing them with low or even zero cost incentives that can drive them to participate.
-Extra credit for participating
-Extracurricular credit, resume building
-Excused absence from class during recruitment presentations
-Extracurricular trips for participating in the “Student Ambassador Club”
-Coupons or discounts at university stores or events
-Complimentary reward systems (prizes best on performance, frequency of
presentations)

Also, Vo1ce believes the Student Ambassador Program can help target potential student
athletes for Sewanee, as well as other niche markets within its target market.

Examples include:
-Standout athletes can present to their past high school athletic teams to maintain
an already developed rapport, and explain the great benefits a Division 3 University
can provide a serious athlete that may not be able to play his or her sport at another
type of university (Division 1 or 2).
-Standout writers can present to A.P. or Honors English classes to ensure that the
students being recruited are in conjunction with Sewanee’s goals to become more
selective and increase the academic aptitude of its student body
-Students in other standout positions within the academic realm (History, Theatre,
etc) can present to those challenged with more difficult curriculums as well to keep
the consistency between recruitment and Sewanee’s ultimate long-term goals
-Students of all age ranges (freshman-senior) to be able to communicate the
Sewanee experience from beginning to end, and to maximize the pool of students
that Ambassadors can be recruited from.

All of these will help ensure that the Sewanee image is not tarnished, but emphasized as an
above-average school for the above-average student. The message to convey is one of an
exclusive opportunity that should be taken advantage of, because it is not something you
can experience at just any university. Sewanee is an experience all its own, and to be a
member of the Sewanee community is as invaluable as the education the university offers
its students.

The recruitment potential offered by the Student Ambassador Program is limitless,

with the respect already commanded by a college student visiting his or her past high
school in which he or she was a very prominent member. That is something that cannot be
recreated in any other forum, and can leave a lasting and believable impression with
prospective students. High school students can get an idea of what Sewanee is really like
from a real-world standpoint of a student that is currently there. This can also encourage
these same high school students to visit Sewanee and, in turn, apply to the University.

50
Coffee with an Alum/ Alumni Association sponsored trip

In an effort to increase the number of submitted applications, Sewanee should

consider utilizing its extensive and supportive alumni. Although they already contribute
greatly to the school monetarily, they could also assist the school in more rewarding ways
by connecting with potential students and encouraging them to consider Sewanee when
they apply for college. This could also be a great way for alumni who maybe aren’t able to
contribute a substantial amount of money to the school to give back to the university that
they love and that gave them such a rewarding college experience.

One of the ways that alumni could help aid in this endeavor would be to participate
in “Coffee with an Alum” where a potential applicant, this can be someone who requested
information on the school, asked for an application, or visited the campus and took a tour,
would be contacted by an alum who currently lives in their hometown city or county (most
likely this contact would be through email). The alum would ask the student if they would
be interested in possibly meeting for coffee (or even talking over the phone) and discussing
the possibility of their applying and attending Sewanee.

Another possibility is that several students in an area could get together with a
Sewanee Club for a luncheon. In meeting with these students alumni could offer their
experiences as an incentive for the student to apply, they could also give the student
valuable information on the application process.

Another contribution would be to aid in sponsoring a trip for a deserving but less
privileged student to visit Sewanee. This could be individually sponsored by
alumnus/alumnae, or it could be sponsored by the Sewanee Club. The alumni association
could fundraise in each area to send one or several students on a trip to Sewanee. This is
meant to be for students who on their own would not be able to make the trip to see the
campus, and also for students that are deserving of such a reward, often the top student in
a class. The idea is to have every school in the area recommend a student that maybe has
expressed interest in attending Sewanee, or a student that would probably enjoy attending
such an institution, and has the qualifications to get accepted. From these students the
Sewanee Club in the area supporting this will then choose however many students they can
and send them on an all-expense paid trip to Sewanee where these students will go on
tours and experience the campus and be also given an application at the end of it and
encouraged to apply.

Beyond the knowledge of helping their alma mater other incentives that the school
could possibly reward to the alumni that participate in the above activities could be having
a plaque with their name put up somewhere on campus, this could be in the form of an
engraved brick on a walkway (perhaps near the quad or chapel), or it could also be a
dedicated tree or bench. Or some other form of special recognition (an award at the end of
the year or at the Sewanee homecoming weekend).

51
Recruiting Young Achievers

The Sewanee Book club awards rising juniors for outstanding academic achievement. What
a novel idea- to not only introduce potential applicants to the school but to create a positive
relationship with them through receipt of an honor.

We think the Book club awards program is an excellent recruiting tool; in fact, one of our
team members received such an award and did look in to attending Sewanee. We suggest
expanding upon the current program to include more award categories, a revised awards
package and more persistent follow-ups.

We recommend honoring students who excel in the same areas that Sewanee does- theatre,
environmental sciences, etc. By awarding successful students with a wide range of
interests, Sewanee can introduce the University early in the decision process and make a
lasting impression.

Our team also would recommend revamping the awards package. The current package
(received in 2006) included a plaque from the high school as well as a dictionary engraved
with the Sewanee emblem. We want to make the award package more grandiose and more
relevant.

52
 • The new package should include a book that relates to the students’ interest. For
example, a theatre honoree would receive a Tennessee Williams collection (tied to
the university). Package should also include information about Sewanee and an
application.
• Award plaque design should bring to mind Sewanee and not the student’s high
school. We suggest a plaque with a scenic shot from the Domain or using the
Sewanee emblem as opposed to the high school’s emblem.
• Package may include: a personalized mug, Sewanee flash drive, Sewanee notebook
and headphones.

We would also recommend a personal visit from a relevant staff or faculty member to
present the award; this adds a very personal touch and makes the award recipient feel even
more important. However, due to geographical barriers, we do not feel this approach is the
most feasible.

We recommend instead a follow-up, which is essential to the success of this program.

Receiving an award from your high school is one thing, but when the university takes the
time to send you a follow up letter or phone call a few weeks later…it shows they care
about the student, something they would find out if they attended the university.

53
Summer at Sewanee

The University currently operates a successful summer program for the following
purposes:

1. “It offers special courses not normally available during the academic year
2. It serves previously enrolled students in the University who desire to speed the
acquisition of their college degrees or to gain additional credits toward completion
of their class standings.
3. Incoming freshmen have an opportunity to adapt themselves to the academic
demands of College in an environment, which is relatively free of the usual
pressures of extracurricular activities. “

The programs are six weeks long and include:

• Summer School in the College of Arts and Sciences

• William P. Carey Summer Studies Program (Business minor)
• Advanced Degrees Program – School of Theology

Course offerings:

• Art 161. Beginning Photography

• Art 231. Intermediate Digital Arts (Tutorial)
• Art 331. Advanced Projects in Digital Arts (Tutorial)
• Art History 212. American Animation, 1910-1960 (also American Studies)
• Computer Science 101. Introduction to Computer Science
• History 202. History of the United States
• Political Science 305. Politics of Everyday Life
• Religion 220. The Holocaust, Religion, and Morality
• Spanish 113. Elementary Spanish: Accelerated Review Course

The most notably successful of these summer programs is the Sewanee

Environmental Institute. Classes being offered include Field School in Archaeology, Reading
the Landscape, and Vertebrate Diversity. (Also worthy of mention are the Island Ecology
Program and the European Studies)

The opportunities available at Sewanee during the summer are endless. And what’s
even more important is the small class size and individual attention. Students get to
explore the Domain during a beautiful time of the year and can participate in some other
the summer festivities on the Domain, including the Sewanee Writers' Conference, the
Sewanee Summer Music Festival and the Sewanee Summer Seminar.

54
 For all the aforementioned reasons, we suggest offering a summer program for high
school students. This intuition would be for a shorter duration, a suggested five to seven
days. Students would choose a particular field of interest to explore and study for the time
period. We suggest offering programs in areas Sewanee is known to excel in- writing,
ecological sciences and biology, theatre and the arts.

We recommend recruiting younger high school students (sophomores) who are just
beginning the college search process. They are most easily influenced at this stage in the
decision making process and a weeklong experience at Sewanee could result in an
application.

Students would apply to be considered for the programs- ensuring that the
attendees are of high academic standing and potentially top recruits for colleges. The
program would also be self-funded, through application fees and tuition charges to attend
the institute.

The program would consist of a five to seven daylong stay, where students would be
taking mini-courses in their fields of interest. They would be taught by a Sewanee professor
and perhaps current Sewanee students could serve as teaching assistants as well. Students
would be given the opportunity to show off what they’ve learned at the end of the week-
the theatre program could perform a play written by one of the students, etc. Attendees
would stay in a vacated dormitory and eat at the dining halls- truly getting a feel for the
Domain.

Not only does this program provide students with a feel for the campus and the
academics but it also allows them to meet potential professors and classmates. This
relationship building is key to help the students feel right about the decision to apply and
potentially attend Sewanee. (See Creative on how web page will allow these people to stay in
touch)

If a one-day visit ensures an application, then a weeklong stay should guarantee that
students would leave the Domain with lots of stories to share and with an unmatched
eagerness to submit an application in hopes of one day attending Sewanee.

55
 PUBLIC RELATIONS

Vo1ce believes that in order to increase name recognition and Sewanee brand awareness,
the University needs to take a more active role in the surrounding community. We have
several suggestions as to how to accomplish this goal through positive imaging.

Forming a partnership with QuestBridge College

Mission Statement: "QuestBridge, an initiative of the Quest Scholars Program, serves as an

intermediary between the nation's brightest, under-served youth and leading institutions of
higher education. QuestBridge provides a single, internet-based meeting point which links
exceptional students with the colleges, scholarship providers, employers, and organizations
seeking students who have excelled despite obstacles. By facilitating these exchanges,
QuestBridge aims to increase the percentage of talented, low-income students attending the
nation's best universities, and excelling beyond."

By partnering with QuestBridge, Sewanee is sending a public message that it wants

to recruit bright, deserving students who have succeeded despite challenges. It will help
Sewanee recruit an equally intelligent yet perhaps more diverse group of students.

Top liberal arts schools around the nation- including Sewanee’s leading competitors
in the southeast like Emory- are participating. Sewanee needs to be represented as well
and given the chance to compete for these stellar students’ attention.

56
 Below is a list of current Quest Bridge Partner Colleges:

Amherst College Princeton University

Bowdoin College Rice University
Brown University Scripps College
Caltech Stanford College
University of Chicago Swarthmore College
Columbia University Trinity College
Emory University Vassar College
Haverford College Washington and Lee
MIT Wellesley College
Northwestern University Wesleyan University
University of Notre Dame Williams College
Oberlin College Yale University
Parsons School for Design
University of Pennsylvania
Pomona College

For QuestBridge application process see chart in appendix.

57
Form an exchange program with nearby universities

Research showed that Sewanee loses students to larger universities that offer more
programs, fields of study, etc. We suggest Sewanee create an exchange program with a
nearby larger university like Vanderbilt or University of Tennessee. An advanced degree
exchange program is currently offered, but we think that offering technical or professional
classes for juniors and seniors could heighten Sewanee’s appeal. Students could take their
liberal arts foundation classes at Sewanee their first two years then explore professional
career classes as juniors and seniors. This program could be an earned privilege offered
only to upperclassmen with high marks, etc.
Similar to a five colleges program found up north, this could maximize a student's
educational opportunity and offer them a chance to study subjects outside the realm of the
liberal arts. It would be great positive exposure for the university and help develop
potentially valuable partnerships. If education and progress is about sharing ideas, we feel
you should share students as well.

Utilize mass media

Press releases. Press releases. Press releases.

Vo1ce advised Sewanee to stay clear of paid advertising on mass media channels- TV and
radio commercials, newspaper ads- but that does not exclude unpaid news stories.
We recommend sending press releases to regional newspapers and college-related
news sites. Getting published is the equivalent of getting recognized. It will help generate
interest in the school and build up your brand awareness.
Publicize outstanding achievements- whether in research or on stage, whether they
be faculty or students. Find the newsworthy angle in every story and sell it- not Sewanee.
One of the reasons, the University of Florida is so well know is not just for our
championship titles but also the vast amount of research conducted here to help discover
medical cures, new energy sources and better business models.
We also suggest sending releases to current student’s (incoming freshman's)
hometown newspapers upon acceptance at Sewanee, congratulating John Smith on his
graduation from high school and honoring his decision to attend the University.
Why is this important? By keeping Sewanee in the news, the University will be at
top-of-mind when parents start thinking about their child's college career. Plus, we are
using trusted and reliable news sources to get the message across- sources people have
relied on for years for accurate reporting.

58
 MEDIA PLANNING

When marketing a service like education, it is pivotal to create a connection between the
academic institution and potential student. Unlike more traditional marketing practices,
carelessly pushing the college to a wide range of consumers would result in a large rise in
wasted expenses and an even larger rise in low caliber prospects. Instead, colleges must
differentiate themselves and attempt to draw in the students that would accurately
represent their brand. It’s for this reason why quality private universities, like Sewanee,
should look outside of traditional mass media efforts such as television and radio.

Although television ads can prove fruitful for most products, TV spots for schools tend
to be expensive and fairly inaccurate. Furthermore, Sewanee is far from a university that
can be summarized in 15 or 30 seconds. The only television exposure that should be
pursued would be press releases regarding goodwill events and fundraisers. These are
typically reported through news services for free; this creates awareness through a
credible source.

Another option, radio, is a medium that is substantially cheaper than television but not
nearly as effective. Traditionally confined by local stations, these radio spots were aired
regionally in bunches, usually between car dealerships and nearby businesses. Today, radio
stations are typically owned by much larger media groups equipped with stations across
the country. This practice allows these media groups to sell air time to much larger
businesses for national exposure. Even with this possibility, Vo1ce strongly suggests
overlooking this medium. Unable to capture the true sentiment of Sewanee, radio would be
an ineffective expenditure attempting to reach a target market that seldom listens to the
radio.

Ultimately, it was realized that Sewanee has so much to offer that capturing all of its
amenities in either medium would be impossible. Not to mention, reaching the vast gamut
of upper stratum students would be highly unlikely. Instead, Sewanee should rely on their
prestigious reputation and look to create awareness through “influentials” and interactive
rich media. These elements, combined with a refreshing twist on traditional direct mail,
will separate Sewanee from other institutions. This is a unique opportunity to differentiate
Sewanee while echoing its core values and defining character.

59
 BUDGET

Early this fall, we had discussed a potential budget of $100,000 to be solicited after the
acceptance of our program.

Allocated: $100,000
Used: $100,000

Vo1ce believes in utilizing all the resources at hand. For this reason we have allocated the
entire proposed budget. We have also taken measures to generate revenue that can be
reinvested into the campaign.

Since we have chosen to forego mass media outlets such as broadcast TV and radio, the
majority of our budget has been
apportioned to direct mail, web content,
other creative and public relations. Budget Allocation
Costs: Direct Marketing
7%
Direct Mail: $35,000 35% Web Content
32%
Website: $16,200 Public Relations
Graphic Designer: $10,000
Layout/Designs: $5,000 10% 16% Other Creative
Site Maintenance: $100/month
(For twelve months)

Public Relations: $10,000

Creative Suggestions: $32,000

Awards for Alumni and Students: $20,000
Other: $12,000

Contingency Fund: $6,800

*Reserve funds to be used for unplanned expenses or to be invested in the program that has
shown greatest results

60
 EVALUATION OF ALL PLANS

It is important to Vo1ce that Sewanee be able to measure the success of our

advertising campaign. In order to do this, Vo1ce has built in various ways to measure the
impact of its campaign to ensure that Sewanee has a positive return on its investment to
increase its applicant pool in years to come.

• Vo1ce exhaustively addresses its different programs designed specifically for

Sewanee when evaluating the impact of our campaign. These programs are to be
implemented to the best of their ability, with planned improvement annually,
through the evaluation and modification of our methods to ensure that Sewanee is
best utilizing the tools available to the University.
• Vo1ce plans to log and document the returns on direct mail sent during the Sewanee
campaign. We can do so on a weekly, monthly and annual basis to measure what
months seem to be the most active on the participant’s reciprocation of mail. This
can also help to see what months need improvement to help boost the increase in
Sewanee’s applicant pool. Vo1ce will also log the amount of requests for information
in a similar format to that of direct mail. Likewise, we plan to record the requests for
information directly connected to Sewanee Scholar Awards.
• Vo1ce plans to calculate the amount of high school students (namely sophomores
and juniors) that participate in the numerous summer programs at Sewanee to
measure the success of those programs. We also plan to track the summer program
participants specifically to calculate the amount of participants that go on to apply
to Sewanee when the time comes to choose a college. Likewise, we plan to monitor
the response from high school guidance counselors after we supply their various
high schools with an informational kit to familiarize the schools with what Sewanee
embodies as an educational institution as well as a truly unique opportunity for its
students.
• Vo1ce also plans to measure the exposure gained by the re-vamped Web site
through calculating the increase in its number of visits. We also plan to record the
amount of participants who register to become a part of the Sewanee network
online. This will ensure that Sewanee knows exactly how its campaign is doing
online, and what else it can do to grow interactively on the internet, namely through
social networking.
• Vo1ce plans to measure the amount of current Sewanee students that join the
Sewanee Student Ambassador program and visit their former high schools to help
recruit new incoming students for the University. We can also monitor which of the
incentives offered proved most successful in motivating current Sewanee students
to participate in the Student Ambassador Program, and modify or improve those
incentives as seen fit.

61
 • Vo1ce intends to monitor the Alumni Association’s participation in helping with the
new Sewanee campaign as well. We can measure the participation of Sewanee’s
alumni in the sponsorship of high school students’ visits to the University, as well as
their participation in the more local programs of having coffee with high school
students in their areas to help aid them in their search for the right college by giving
them a real idea of the incomparable experience that lies within Sewanee.

Generally, all of these measurements are going to be conducted to determine the

overall success of Vo1ce’s campaign for Sewanee. We hope to emphasize those programs
that prove to be most successful, and modify or eliminate those which are not as promising.
In all, Vo1ce will measure the fluctuation in the number of applications sent to Sewanee
throughout the year to see if our ultimate goal is being accomplished. Vo1ce plans to boost
the applicant pool substantially for Sewanee to aid in a noticeable increase in the selectivity
of the University. Vo1ce intends to implement our Campaign in conjunction with
Sewanee’s ideal to maintain its elite status as an exclusive school for a student desiring
nothing but the best in his or her college education, and an experience unattainable at any
other university.

EVALUATION TIMELINE (Year one)

1-3 months 3-6 months 6-9 months 9-12 months

•Keep track of •Continue •Examine •Measure

all info tracking progress from results and
requested •Implement first 6 months make last
and sent out new • Reinvest in push for 15%
•Track website strategies to programs that increase in
traffic increase proved most applications
results successful •Revise year
•Begin drafting two proposal
year two
proposal

62
 CAMPAIGN TIMELINE (Year one)

January February March April

•Vo1ce •Promotions •Student •Sewanee

campaign begin to Ambassador Scholar
begins increase web panel visits (II) Awards
•New website traffic distributed
launched, •Awards •Summer at
students & information Sewanee
alumni sent to feeder application
encouraged schools deadlines
to join •Summer at
network Sewanee
packets
mailed out

May June July August

•Press •Summer at •Summer at •Press for

releases Sewanee Sewanee newsworthy
annoucing (Session I: (Session II: coverage
graduation The English and
plans sent Sciences) The Arts)

September October November December

•Guidance •Visit Sewanee •Student •Sewanee Clubs

counselors sent promotional Ambassador sponsor visits to
info packets materials Panel visits (I) school
•Student mailed out •Applications for •Visitors paired
Ambassadors •Trip trip scholarship with alumnus
selected sponsorship due from
applications hometown for
activated mentorship

63
 ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Both of the following suggestions are not essential to the success or completeness of our
campaign, yet they would certainly add another spark- both gifts can help brand Sewanee
and keep the University top-of-mind.

USB jump-drive gift:

When a prospective student requests to be sent information about Sewanee

(whether by phone, email, website, or in person) the materials that they receive can have a
large impact on their decision making process. With this in mind, it is imperative that we
include relevant, informative, and interesting materials that will attract the prospect,
educate the prospect, and keep the University on top-of-mind.

A 1GB USB jump-drive is a useful, relevant tool that many of us use on a daily basis.
Many of us even have them on our key chains and on our person at all times. What if your
jump drive reminded you of a prospective school every time you looked at it, every time
you used it? Having custom Sewanee jump-drives produced is inexpensive and would be a
useful addition to informational packets for a few reasons:

• You can upload Sewanee screensavers, desktop images, scenery images, and
important word files of fun, useful information to the drive to be seen and (more
importantly) used by prospective students keeping you on top of their mind.
• Prospects will likely keep using the drive, which has the Sewanee logo on it, and will
be reminded of the school daily.
• Having brilliant images and easy-to-access information on a drive like this will
encourage prospects to visit Sewanee and make it easy for them to get the
necessary information to do so! This is important in building application pools and
allowing more selectivity within Sewanee admissions.

64
As an easy, relatively inexpensive, useful means of promoting Sewanee; using an
information-rich jump-drive is a great way to drive interested prospects to your
website and to your campus. The website www.usbmemorydirect.com has all the
customizable options and services that we need for this idea. Pricing is between
$5-$10 per drive depending on memory size, type of drive and quantity- a small
cost considering that they come with pre-loaded data and a customized logo. We
have estimated that the cost would be $12,000 for a quantity of 2,000 customized
USB drives.

65
Computer decals:

Collegiate gear is one of the best ways to increase

brand awareness. While some schools take it to the
extreme- with orange and blue everything- from car
flags and throw blankets to cookie jars and
umbrellas- it is effective. It helps keep a university at
top=of-mind, generates interest for those who have
never heard of the school and is a powerful way to
brand a product, or in this case a place.
We suggest taking the most unique feature of
Sewanee- the beautiful landscape and geography of
the Domain and start using it to brand the University.
In a world full of bus transits and subway rides,
concrete patios and cubicles, people will see these
snapshots of campus and breathe easy. They will
think: "Sewanee: A place to get away and discover
yourself."
Our creative team suggests using scenic shots from
all over campus and fitting them into window frames.
We can use these decals on computer (laptop).
People take their laptops everywhere- libraries,
buses, conference rooms, etc.

66
 APPENDIX

DOC 1…ONSITE RESEARCH

Trip Itinerary ii
Interviews from trip to Sewanee iii
…Interview 1
…Interview 2
…Interview 3
…Interview 4

DOC 2…RESEARCH PROPOSAL xi

DOC 3…CURRENT STUDENT SURVEY xv

DOC 4… MAGUIRE RESEARCH EXCERPTS xxii

DOC 5… EMAIL RECRUITING SURVEY PARTICIPANTS xxiv

DOC 6… SURVEY RESULTS SUMMARY xxv

DOC 7...QUESTBRIDGE PROCESS xxvii

DOC 8…FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDELINE xxxiii

i
 SEWANEE ROAD TRIP ITINERARY

Tuesday
Meet at 6am, Target lot on Archer Road
Leave Gainesville no later than 7AM
Lunch right before arrival on campus
Arrive in Sewanee around 2 or 3pm
Meet with Mark
Explore campus all afternoon- with fresh eyes- get footage
Dinner downtown- Shenanigans
Recap of day- brainstorming session

Wednesday
8:30-10:30 am Information Session
11am sit in on a class- World Politics
Noon Lunch session with a small group of students
Residence Life tour at 1pm
Continue gathering any footage, surveys, and interviews
Leave no later than 6:30pm, putting us in Gainesville by 3am

Sites of interest:

Abbo's Alley
Morgan Steep – end of the road past the golf course
The Cross – on the road past the seminary
The new chapel at the seminary
The Tennessee Williams Theater
All Saints Chapel
Natural Bridge – get directions from Mark
Rebel’s Rest – a sort of bed & breakfast
The Sewanee Inn
The old Kappa Sig house which is now the University Archives.

ii
INTERVIEWS ON THE DOMAIN:

Subject Robes:
Robes: Pretentious, Pompous, (one girl wears it, to show off; others were even made
fun of by their friends for wearing it, so stopped.) (Wear it to show respect to the
professors that helped you earn it, or your parents, but not yourself). One guy (with 3 A’s,
Dad will present him with his robe next week, but he says you wear it to your exams or
presentations, if that.

Subject Cigarettes:
Start smoking freshman year because everyone else did it, so we keep doing it, and
still do. People up here just do it.

Interview 1:
Disillusioned, told wireless internet would be 100% (when it was 80% before
admission), still not 100%, and he’s graduating in May. He loves the faculty, but hates the
administration, called the man in charge of admin incompetent. Studying abroad was
nearly impossible (10 friends tried, he was the only one who actually got to do it. They put
up roadblocks, make you jump through hoops; try to stop you for some reason.)

When you tour, they convince you of how great it is, but those things don’t pan out to be the
way they say. They say you can create your own major, but in actuality it is not that way. It
is very difficult to do things that they project to be very easy.

“It’s a great place to go if you want to be 16 for 4 years.”

“You aren’t growing and maturing you don’t cook or clean for yourself, or pay your own
bills. You never have to worry about where your next meal is going to come from, or even
how to prepare it. You are babied your entire time here, and you don’t learn real world
values to help you post-graduation.”

If you miss more than 2 classes, your parents get a letter, and it becomes a serious issue.

Interview 2:
Boarding school, applied to UF and Sewanee, didn’t get into UF, but loves his experience.
Wanted to transfer his whole freshman year, but later found his place and loves it. Says to
stress the 13,000 acres, (2nd largest domain in the nation), and the outdoorsy experiences
offered.

Pretentious robes, he didn’t buy into the dress code. Freshmen are intense, but that
dissipates with time. He wore t-shirts to class.

iii
No cell phones on campus or you get ridiculed.

Legacies are HUGE

Interview 3

Our students don’t slip through the crack, we know who is struggling.
Sewanee allowed me not to get lost, discover what and who I am.

A great student at a big university will be a great student at Sewanee. A mediocre student at
a big university will get more help from the faculty at Sewanee. A bad student at a big
university will fall through the cracks and be forgotten. Their professors will not care
unless they do. At Sewanee its’ different because you can’t fall through the cracks because
the professors know what is going on with their students.

Sewanee is the only school in US to make all students study Shakespeare

Interview 4:

John Williamson
Age: 21 years old
Standing: Senior
Major: Economics, graduating in May 2010. He wants to intern at a financial firm after
graduating.
Hometown: Just outside of Athens, Georgia

Cara: How long have you been a part of the fire department?

John: This is my second year on the department.

Cara: What is the tryouts process like?

John: It’s a pretty intense process. Every spring semester there is a tryout, and freshmen
who want to join go through six weeks of classes and then there’s a tryout the week after
Spring Break. Six people make it, it’s pretty rigorous, but there’s potential for six new
freshmen every year.

iv
Cara: How many usually come out?

John: Last year we had about eight or nine try out, and we took five of those.

Cara: Do they know not to try out unless they’re really serious about it? Is that why you
don’t get a larger pool of people trying out?

John: Yeah, usually at the very first preliminary meeting we’ll have about 20 or 30 people
there, people start to realize the time commitment and seriousness of it which helps us
weed out the ones who aren’t that interested, but we always end up with about five or six
really good people every year.

Cara: When did you join the department?

John: I came in the beginning of my junior year through a bunch of various circumstances.
Somebody had to leave the school and that opened up a spot. I got to work my way into it.

Cara: Did you always want to be a part of it?

John: Yeah, it’s one of those things I didn’t do at first but always regretted. I was really
lucky that an opportunity opened up for me to join later.

Cara: That’s awesome. So how many students are on the squad currently?
John: There’s 17: 6 Seniors, 6 Juniors, and 5 Sophomores.

Cara: What other extracurricular activities are you involved in besides the fire department?

John: I’m one of the nine members of the Honor Council here. Sewanee has a very strong
system of honor, that’s one of the things that really attracted me to this school. Its: “One
shall not lie, cheat or steal.” It’s a student-run honor council. Students here take it very
seriously. Teachers give unmonitored exams all the time, there’s take-home exams, and
there’s just a strong sense between the students and the faculty that they’re not going to
cheat or use unwarranted aid on any of their tests. I had a take-home test last week; the
teacher gave it to us on Thursday, and told us to turn it in on Monday morning. We could
take it we where want, when we want. You study for it, and when you’re ready to take it
you put your stuff away and when you’re done you turn it in.

Cara: So is that something that only you as one of the nine members of the Honor Council
are allowed to do or is that the whole student body?

v
John: That’s the entire campus. And that’s the thing; the entire student body is part of that
trust and that honor system. The nine-member council is the governing body if somebody
infringes upon our honor code. You get submitted to the Honor council for your
punishment.

Cara: What do you do? Do you determine punishments and things like that?

John: We do. It’s a formal trial process. There will be the student accused and what they’re
accused of, and usually if it’s an academic case the semester involved and the class
involved. We go through a full deal, it takes a 2/3 vote to convict. Any academic case is two
full semesters of suspension which can be altered if need be depending on the
circumstances of the case. It’s 100 percent student-run, the faculty and the administration
are not involved in it whatsoever. You are purely evaluated by your peers.

Cara: Is it often that you have that violation of trust?

John: We have about 20 to 30 cases a year, and not all those are guilty cases. That’s just
what comes before us, and not all of those are academics. A lot of it is “lying, cheating or
stealing” so if you lie to your dorm matron or something like that you can come to the
Honor Council for that, and that usually doesn’t result in suspension, that’ll just be
temporary social probation or community service and whatnot.

Cara: What does social probation mean?

John: It pretty much means if you get in anymore trouble you will get suspended. They put
a red flag on your name.

Cara: Do you have people resent you after punishment for being a member of the Honor
Council? Is there any kind of negative relationship that can result?

John: Sometimes it can turn into a bad situation but for the most part it doesn’t happen.
When you become a student here, even after you’re accepted and you move in you aren’t
officially a member until you sign and formally accept the honor code of the university and
that’s when you’re officially student of the university. After signing into that everybody
knows that they’re going to be held to the code, and if they break it then it’s their fault for
doing so.

Cara: Is there anything else that you’re involved with as far as social clubs?

vi
John: I’m in a fraternity, Kappa Alpha O. I’m also a Wellington (Highlanders are the other
group). The Wellingtons society wears capes and the Highlanders wear kilts. It’s been going
on for more 60 plus years, it’s a long-standing deal. Some people kind of frown upon it, they
think it’s just a drinking society, but I’m an advocate of it because it pulls from all
fraternities and non-fraternity members as well. I think it’s a really good way to get a
diverse group of people from all walks of campus life together a couple times a month to
socialize. We call ourselves the “sports support group” as well because we usually have a
really good turnout for a lot of the sports functions and stuff like that.

Cara: Is there any animosity between the Highlanders and the Wellingtons?

John: Not at all. I wouldn’t even put competition into it. It’s one in the same, really.

Cara: So why are there the two different groups instead of just one?

John: I have no idea. It’s all from way back in the day.

Cara: How do you get involved in it?

John: It’s a bid system just like fraternities. You don’t apply for it in any way, upper
classmen seek out younger people.

Cara: That’s how you do it in Greek life as well?

John: No, in Greek life… We have a really unique system here. We only do our rush second
semester. We have what we call “Shake Day” here. You get all your bids from all the
different houses, and on Shake Day, every fraternity that gave you a bid shows up at your
door and you have to shake the hand of which one you want to pick. It’s not one of those in-
the-closet deals like a lot of the state schools have. It’s really open. With the
Highlander/Wellington bid deal the upperclassmen pick the guys that they want out of the
pool of underclassmen. It happens sophomore year spring term.

Cara: So with a lot of these groups you wait until you get to know who people are before
you recruit them?

John: Yeah.

Rachel: Is there a rivalry between any of the fraternities?

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John: Kind of jokingly, nothing serious. It’s a 100 percent open-door policy with all the
fraternities at Sewanee, you cannot have exclusive parties. If you have a party on campus
everybody on campus is welcome to be there. That’s part of the community aspect of
Sewanee being a small school and really open. A lot of best friends freshmen year will go to
different fraternities in the spring. It’s really cool because you have really close friends in
all the different fraternities across campus.

Cara: So it’s not really cliquey by any means?

John: Not really. I mean, you obviously have some functions where it’s just your fraternity,
but it’s pretty open for the most part.

Cara: How many Highlanders and Wellingtons are there on campus?

John: We give out about 20 or 30 bids a year. There are probably about 90 people in each
one.

Cara: So you said you first wanted to play football when you started at Sewanee?

John: I did, originally. I had a nagging injury from high school that kept me from playing,
which turned out to be a blessing in disguise because if I was playing football that’s
probably all I’d be doing right now but instead I got to get involved with the Fire
Department, the Honor Council and the Student Alumni Leadership Council.

Cara: So do you have a gown?

John: I do not.

Cara: What is your overall perception of the gown?

John: I think the gownsmen tradition is very cool. I think it’s a good rewarding thing. It
rewards people for good academic standing. I think it’s a really neat way to honor people
who’ve done well in school here.

Cara: What is your favorite place on campus?

John: Our dorm is a pretty cool place. I live in Wiggins. Only firemen live there, the 17 of us
have our own dorm. It’s a pretty cool place. As far as a public place, I really like Greens View
and the Cross.

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Cara: What’s one word you would use to define Sewanee?
John: Sewanee is unique. That’s the one word that sums it up well. It’s a special place for
individuals to be really involved in a lot of different things and have intimate relationships
with a lot of different people more so than what I’ve seen from my friends at larger
universities. The opportunities here are really unbelievable. Like the student fire
department, there are only a couple other schools in the nation that do that. With our Greek
life, the open-door policy and stuff like that is a really unique thing. We don’t have any TA’s
here, 97 percent of our faculty has terminal degrees in their field.

Rachel: Did you visit any other colleges before you picked Sewanee?

John: Yeah I did. I really looked at Furman University, Georgia and Washington Lee. My dad
and brother both went to Furman so I ruled that out pretty quick. I live close to UGA so that
kind of threw that out the window, and Washington Lee is a little bit far from home.
Sewanee’s about three and a half hours from home.

Cara: So the people you met at Sewanee, are you going to be friends with them forever?

John: Yes, without a doubt. I went to a small high school and a lot of the kids a graduated
with I went to school with from preschool through graduation. None of those people go
here, but I’ve made just as strong relationships in the last three years here as I have with
those guys I’ve known my entire life back home. That’s part of the closeness of the
community up here.

Cara: What’s the alcohol policy/enforcement like on campus?

John: It’s a little bit of a don’t ask, don’t tell policy. Sewanee’s a really safe place. They don’t
really hound you for underage drinking (like a lot of state schools do). I know when I go
down to Athens back near home the police down there are a lot more “out to get you” type
deal. Here we have police at all our parties; we have matrons and dorm staff there a lot of
the time. They’re here to keep students safe; they’re not here to get students in trouble. As
long as you’re responsible no one’s going to bother you. If students cross the line, that’s
when stuff starts going downhill. It’s a pretty liberal alcohol policy here, in a good way.

Cara: What would you recommend Sewanee do to attract more incoming students and
boost the size of its applicant pool? What should they emphasize to bring people here?

John: The opportunities here are just unbelievable. I got my P.E. credits finished this year
by getting my pilot’s license through the school. We have an airport on campus. I’ve done

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more here in the last three years than I thought I would ever do in my life, as far as all the
unique extracurricular activities offered. There are a lot of intangibles to Sewanee; they’re
really trying to send out the Sewanee experience to all the incoming prospective students. I
think that’s a good way to describe it, Sewanee is an experience. It’s one of those things that
is kind of hard to relay to people at times, but when you come here and spend some time
here you get a feel for it. You can see it in the alumni especially. Alumni absolutely love to
come back here; as soon as they leave they’re just dying to get back on the mountain. This
weekend is homecoming, (so we should be seeing a lot of Alumni).

Cara: What do you have planned for this weekend?

John: A lot of fraternity parties and whatnot. I’m sure everybody will go to the football
game on Saturday. We do a little party with the firemen in the morning on Saturday. In
general, it’s just a lot of meet and greets with cocktails and whatnot. In fact, the Career
Services Department is putting on an alumni luncheon on Friday. It’s basically a networking
luncheon; anyone is welcome to sign up to go and have lunch with a bunch of distinguished
alumni and throw your name out there to help look for job opportunities.

Cara: How would you describe social dating patterns up here?

John: It’s a lot different than in the cities in stuff. People don’t date typically as much up
here. Not that many people here have serious relationships; there are pros and cons to it. I
do not have a girlfriend, and only one or two of the other firemen have girlfriends. There
aren’t a whole lot of people here to get married. People are here to get their own education
and have fun while they can; they’re not looking to get locked down and waste time with
relationships.

Rachel: Beyond parties and stuff like that, what do you do for fun around here?

John: The outdoor activities are awesome here; there are lots of trails and caves. People go
mountain biking and running all around the domain. There are a lot of intramural sports
along with the varsity sports; because we are division three, pretty much if you’re athletic
in high school you can play a sport here.

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 Sewanee Campaign

Research Proposal Memo

Introduction:

The purpose of this proposal is to outline our research team’s plan for collecting data. This
proposal will cover our techniques for sampling, recruiting, data collection, analysis and
reporting.

Background:

Prior to our present stages of research, extensive secondary research has been reviewed to
determine the current situation for Sewanee (University of the South) in the college
market. Through secondary research we have determined that although Sewanee offers a
unique experience and a sound liberal arts education, it has very weak brand awareness
due to a lack of knowledge.

We are analyzing three target markets in our surveys- current students, prospective
students and their advisors, and Sewanee alumni. The campaign will affect each of these
groups’ opinions of the school thus we feel it is crucial to understand their opinions. We
will be pulling our samples from internet email list serves provided by the university and
through college board advising newsletter subscribers. The survey will be distributed via
email and hosted on Survey Monkey. Participants are self-selecting.

We hope to understand how these different groups feel about the university as well as how
they feel about some of our proposed campaign ideas. Members of our team will analyze
these results to formulate the recommendations for Sewanee.

Research problem:

Sewanee is an institution that prides itself on strong traditions and a solid education in the
liberal arts, yet very few people are familiar with the school name let alone its long list of
unique characteristics. Thus, applications are few and far between each semester and the
acceptance rate is quite high.

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In order to increase selectivity (and also the college’s ranking), we plan to increase the
number of applicants. By having more students to choose from, Sewanee can guarantee
they are getting the “cream of the crop” and ensure the success of their students. We plan
to increase the number of applicants by increasing awareness. We want to be especially
sensitive to our target groups’ feelings about the campaign. The message needs to relate to
young and old, current students and graduates, etc.

By conducting a large scale survey, we hope to gain understanding about the general
perception and feelings toward the Sewanee brand.

Research objectives:

The purpose of this research is to reveal what about Sewanee our target consumers find
appealing and how they feel about the experience Sewanee can provide. From this
information, we will put together a cohesive campaign that reaches all these groups-
physically and emotionally. We will also use this as an opportunity to get feedback on some
of our proposed IMC tactics.

Research Methods:

In order to accomplish our objectives, we will be conducting quantitative research in the

form of an online survey.

Participant qualifications for the study are as follows:

• He or she falls into one of our target groups

Sample characteristics of our participants also include but are not limited to the following:

• Students currently at Sewanee

• Alumni of Sewanee
• Prospective students at top notch high schools

We will be pulling our samples from internet email list serves provided by the university
and through college board advising newsletter subscribers. The survey will be distributed
via email and hosted on Survey Monkey. Participants are self-selecting.

Research instruments:

Specific research instruments used to recruit participants are included in the appendix.
These include the surveys themselves.

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Project Timetable:

Design Send surveys to Upload Collect data Analyze Adjust IMC

surveys Mark for approval surveys to results accordingly
web host

Cost: Since there is no compensation for participation in this study, our only cost is time.

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 Current Student Opinion Survey

We are interested in your general thoughts and opinions regarding your experience thus
far at Sewanee and how you made the decision to attend there.

• Please read each question carefully and answer it to the best of your ability. There
are no correct or incorrect responses; the researcher is merely interested in your
personal point of view.

• All responses to this survey are completely confidential. The survey administrator
has nothing to do with this study and will not see your responses. All identifying
information will be removed from this questionnaire and destroyed as soon as all
data has been collected.

Thank you for participation in this study.

Instructions:

Many questions in this survey make use of rating scales with seven answer options; you are
to circle the number that best describes your opinion. For example, if you were asked to
rate “Gator football” on such a scale, the seven options should be interpreted as follows:

Gator football program is…

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Good Bad

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Decision-making Process

To what extent to you agree or disagree with the following statements?

1. I am satisfied with my decision to attend Sewanee.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Agree Disagree

2. Sewanee offers the kind of education and experience that will better my future.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Agree Disagree

3. Private school education is more valuable than a public institutions’ education.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Agree Disagree

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 4. Which of the following factors was MOST important to you when choosing to attend
Sewanee? Please rank in order of importance with “1” being the most important

_____ Private institution

_____ Location/Landscape

_____ Rigorous academics/ Curriculum

_____ Cost

_____ Student Life

5. The Episcopalian affiliation affected my decision to attend Sewanee.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Agree Disagree

6. To what extent did you use the following media when researching where you
wanted to attend college:
Not at all Somewhat relied on Heavily relied on
Internet search engines □ □ □
Parents/friends □ □ □
College advisor, school
□ □ □
counselor
Teacher □ □ □

Direct mail □ □ □

Social media □ □ □
Email
□ □ □
newsletters/SPAM

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 7. When researching Sewanee, I was able to find all the information I needed with
ease.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Agree Disagree

8. I was satisfied with printed promotional materials.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Agree Disagree

9. I was satisfied with online web product. (It was easy to navigate; the content was
interesting and useful.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Agree Disagree

10. Before or after applying, I visited the campus.

a. Yes
b. No

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 11. Assume that you have 100 points. Divide the points among the five features below to
indicate each features relative importance. The more points you give something, the
more important it is. You can give as many or as few points as you wish to each
feature. Please make sure that your total equals to 100 points.)

_____ Private institution

_____ Location/Landscape

_____ Rigorous academics/ Curriculum

_____ Cost

_____ Student Life

==========================

100 TOTAL

Future Importance

12. I would recommend Sewanee to a friend or family member.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Agree Disagree

13. The education I receive at Sewanee will greatly better my future.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Agree Disagree

xviii
 14. Sewanee helps me achieve my goals and aspirations.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Agree Disagree

15. I will give continue to support to Sewanee through gifts and/or endowments.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Agree Disagree

16. My relationship with the University will not end when I graduate...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Agree Disagree

Awareness

16. Before applying, I had heard of Sewanee and knew the school’s good reputation.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Agree Disagree

xix
 17. Sewanee has good recognition compared to other colleges.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Extremely Quite Slightly Neither Slightly Quite Extremely

Agree Disagree

Demographics

The following questions are about your demographic information:

1. Please circle your gender: Female Male

2. Age _________ years old

3. Please circle your class level

Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Graduate

student

4. Number of semesters at Sewanee:

5. Major/Area of Study:

6. Where did you go to high school?

Name of high school

City/State

7. Legacy?
a. Yes-Relation: ____________________________
b. No

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 8. What is your ethnic background? (Please circle)

Caucasian African American Latin American Asian

American

Native American Other (Please Specify) ____________________

Thank you once again for your participation.

Please turn this packet into the administrator.

xxi
MAGUIRE RESEARCH

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LETTER FROM DIRECTOR INVITING STUDENTS TO TAKE SURVEY

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SURVEY RESULTS SUMMARY

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QUESTBRIDGE PROCESS

xxxii
FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDELINE

Conducting the Group:

Prefatory Remarks: Welcome respondents, introduce moderator, and explain the focus
group

Sample of Elements:
o Introduction of Moderator
o Refreshments
o Explanation of Moderator’s Role
o Specification of Topic
o Rules for Participants: no talking at the same time, address each other (not
the moderator), be candid
o Participants will not be quoted by name, all info is confidential

Introductions and Personal Information: Each member of the group is invited to state his
or her name and tell something about him or herself that is related to the focus of the
discussion!
-This gives everyone a chance to loosen up, get comfortable talking, and provide
characteristics

Setting the Context for Discussion: Begin with a short series of questions to create a pace of
conversation. This allows for further probing. Here you should keep an eye out for
dominant personalities. Take note, this way one person doesn’t hijack the focus group.

Main Discussion: Just a majority of the focus group will be in this section, generating
conversation

Summary: Once discussion is finished, take a minute to give a summary of the focus group.
This reconfirms information and trends, and allows respondents to comment on something
they had originally didn’t hear or were initially too timid to say.

Viewer Questions: If we decide to have some of us watch over the group, here is where we
will ask questions about events that had taken place over the main discussion. This will
help cover any loose ends without constantly interrupting the focus group.

xxxiii
Question Variations & Ideas:
Direct/Factual-
• What are the names of the schools you looked into while in High School?
• At what age/grade did you begin to consider your choice in college?
• Did you already have a school in mind while growing up before high school, if so; did
you research any other schools or do any follow-up on your desired school?
• Did any colleges have a more memorable/novel approach to trying to reach you or
get you to apply?

Structural-
• What are the different ways you heard from schools?
• What are all the different ways you researched different colleges?
• What were some of the factors/influencers in your decision regarding colleges?
• What are the different qualities you look for in a school? Campus lifestyle?
• List any important qualities you didn’t initially consider until arriving in college?

Grand Tour Questions-

• If possible, describe your experience when you first starting receiving materials
from colleges
• If possible, describe your first trip to a college campus (for tour or recreation)
• If possible, describe your first time scouting different colleges

Idealization Questions-
• Describe your ideal college website from a high school student’s perspective?

Contrast-
• In your opinion, how are public universities different from private universities?
• How is the student body different between public and private schools?

Hypothetical-
• Suppose you’re a high school student looking to attend a private liberal arts college,
what would be your first step?

Third-Person-
• Contrast earlier opinions in regards to a respondent from an ‘earlier focus group’
and see if they change opinion or how they defend their stance

Shopping List-
• We could list qualities of UF’s/Sewanee’s campus or students and allow each
respondent to provide their perceptions. This can also be done with a collage.

xxxiv