Marketing your distance ed program: from an expert on distance ed: what distance ed should be, and how you should be selling it.

This month, we hear from Deborah A. Snyder, director of the Office of Extended Learning at University of Michigan-Flint, and an expert on distance education. A recognized early adopter of Internet-based distance education, Dr. Snyder serves on the editorial board of The Technology Source, a bimonthly publication of the Michigan Virtual University (ts.mivu.org) and is a frequent speaker at conferences in educational technology. She has authored the narrative on faculty policies for publication in the new Distributed Learning Encyclopedia sponsored by Sage Publications and the Fielding Graduate Institute, due out this fall.

Sevier: Let's begin with a question that will unravel some complexities. From your perspective, what is distance education?

Snyder: Distance education is not a new concept. Reaching out to new markets and geographic territories has been achieved for many years through distant extension sites, televised courses, paper-and-pencil correspondence courses, computer-based programs, and two-way interactive satellite broadcasts. Using the Internet to deliver education at a distance, however, is still very new and creating serious interest among even the most traditional institutions of higher education. The potential for connecting distant students and instructors in an increasingly interactive virtual classroom has caused many institutions to explore the feasibility of launching distance education programs using the Internet as a delivery tool. The Internet has made it possible to combine the flexibility and convenience of distance education with the benefit of classroom interaction and communication, connecting learners and learning across time and space. This mode of distant delivery is becoming more accepted by mainstream education professionals in higher education, although it is not without its critics. For many institutions that have ventured into academic and non-academic online courses and programs, Internet-based offerings have been largely accepted by learners, although it is not for everyone or every learning style.

Why should a university undertake a distance ed program?

Perhaps for some colleges and universities, it is not a particularly important move strategically, but for most colleges and universities, which must increasingly compete for students, this option offers the institution a method of casting a wider net with which to reach prospective students. Those highly selective institutions that turn away applicants because they cannot accommodate all who apply may not feel the need--yet. But for the majority of institutions, it is an exciting way to grow enrollment, reach out beyond geographic territories, and offer learning opportunities across time, place, and space boundaries. For colleges and universities with a true global mission, the distance education is an extremely important tool.

What are some bad reasons or motivations to get involved in distance education?

You may be asking the wrong person, because I am a true believer in Internet-based distance education--if an institution is searching for growth opportunities, and especially if it possesses unique competencies in specialized program areas or offers programs in high-demand career areas. Above all, however, it has to be a good fit for the institution's mission and its people. On the other hand, establishing an online distance education program will not save a dying institution. If enrollment has been slipping for several semesters, developing a distance education program will probably not stop the downward spiral Additionally, it is not an inexpensive endeavor. It requires a strong technology infrastructure and instructional design expertise to convert courses for Internet delivery. Student services such as automated registration, enrollment, payment, grade access, e-mail, remote library access, and other considerations must be carefully planned. Fortunately, there are many good distance education programs to model. In any event, it involves significant financial and human resource considerations. For an established and fiscally sound institution, it warrants serious consideration.

Let's focus more directly on marketing. What are some marketing strategies that work for distance education programs?

All in all, here are some that offer potential, based on my experience:

* Launch program offerings rather than a few course offerings, For the existing population of students, launching a few online courses does offer a choice, but it doesn't reach new markets of true distant students.

* Offer comparable student services for those distant students who will not (maybe ever) come to campus. Everything doesn't have to be done via the Internet, either. A toll-free telephone number is a simple but easy way to connect distant students with the institution. Shipping library books via UPS or establishing inter-library reciprocation programs can fill seemingly simple student needs.

* Market the quality of the distance education program and be sure the programs are representative of the institution's mission and reputation.

* Promote in surrounding geographic territories first--and a bit beyond. Although, theoretically, a distant student might find out about a program and attend from another part of the world, unless it is a unique program, it is more likely that initial students will come from those who are already familiar with the institution's name and reputation in the community.

* Design for quality, convenience, and flexibility in scheduling. Most learners attracted to online programs are interested in an education that is on their schedule. Asynchronous learning is much more popular than online programs that require all students to be in "class" at the same time.

* Opportunities should be analyzed by the market an institution wishes to reach, and by programs it can realistically offer. Identify potential learners who cannot come to the campus (military personnel stationed out of the country, for example). Nurses who work odd shifts, parents with small children, and working adults are all good candidates for distance education programs.

* Last, charge a premium for online course offerings. Learners will pay a premium, or convenience fee, for the opportunity online distance education programs provide--as long as services are comparable to those provided on-campus students, and the academic programs are of comparable quality.

What mistakes do colleges and universities make when marketing distance education?

One mistake schools may make is to rely solely on researching what their customary "competitors" are offering. This can be a limiting view; it is usually confined to institutions of similar size, programs, student population, and geographic territory. But today, the competition may come from anywhere, if the programs are competing online for distant students. It is important to see what other institutions in the country are offering and attempt to determine how successful they are. Colleges and universities can took to other institutions via Web sites, for ideas and best practices in online education. Another issue related to launching an online presence is that the institution may not have the funding, the experience, or expertise to retrain faculty and orient students. Teaching and learning online require skill sets that are different from those taken for granted in the traditional classroom. This requires training for both teachers and students. And last, the institution may not possess the technology infrastructure for seamless 24/7 access and delivery. I recommend beginning with a checklist for each department involved in providing student services and academic programs, to determine what systems must be created in order to provide a full package of comparable services for distant students.

If you could wave colleges and universities off four big distance education marketing mistakes, what would they be?

* Attempting to replicate the traditional classroom online. It may be comparable, but it is different. What may work to achieve a learning outcome in the classroom may not work online, but a comparable activity online--leading to the same outcome--can almost always be achieved.

* Attempting to keep the status qua in the classroom as the institution creates duplicate versions online. It is probable that the institution will experience some classroom cannibalization; online courses can be preferable for the adult working student.

* Over-promising and under-delivering. Students who sign up for a program that is promoted as being completely online--only to find that they need to attend campus in order to complete their studies--will not be happy. And negative word of mouth can kill an otherwise good online program.

* Making the program sound easy. Sometimes, promoting flexibility and convenience makes a program sound like a piece of cake--and conjures up associations with diploma mills, the worst kind of correspondence program. This can do irreparable harm to an institution's good name and image. The online programs should be comparable in terms of quality, and promoted that way, as well.

How do you know how your distance education marketing efforts are working?

This is the easy question to answer: By measuring the enrollment numbers, retention numbers, and student feedback. Although it is better to reach new markets through distance education, rather than simply shift an existing market out of the classroom into the online version, that's where most colleges and universities start. Not surprisingly, today's students are great shoppers and evaluators of higher education offerings. If an institution does not offer distance education as an option, many students searching for an educational alternative to the traditional campus will simply keep searching until they find a college or university that will. This is a potentially huge market and as acceptance of distance education grows and quality improves, students will reward those institutions that offer the choice with their attendance.

Bob Sevier is a senior VP of Stamats Communications (www.stamats .com.). For information on his-free e-newsletter, QuickTakes, e-mail [e-mail].