4. 4
1. Executive Summary
The Student Life and Leadership Development Office serves as a complement to the academic
mission of the university and enhances the overall educational experience of students through the
developmentof social,cultural,intellectual, recreational, and governance programs. Activities such as
Fall Fest,leadershipworkshopsandstudentorganizationsgetstudentsinvolvedwith the University and
develop their leadership skills.
There have beena numberof studiesthatshow that when a student becomes involved with extra-
curricular activities, positive effects follow. The student’s GPA strengthens, his/her attitude towards
school improves, and their chance of school completion dramatically increases.
Withall of the potential forstudentgrowthanddevelopment,SLLDalsorealizesthatthe statisticsof
student involvement can dramatically improve. SLLD has purchased and has been using OrgSync, an
online communitybasedmanagementtool toimprove communicationbetweenStudent Organizations.
The only problem is that not every Organization or their members use it, or even know it exists!
SLLD has decided to overhaul its marketing efforts to emphasize OrgSync and its connection with
studentsandorganizations. Newstudents,Officers,andall the membersof the Organizations/Clubswill
know exactly what OrgSync is and how to use it. No longer will students be left out of the loop and
confused about what OrgSync is.
There are currently 11,390 students enrolled at Metropolitan State University. There are 1,279
OrgSync profiles created with 77 unique active user logins in the past 7 days. With having only 10% of
the total studentpopulationregisteredonOrgSync,we are presentedwith very large market potential.
MetropolitanState Universityisanon-traditional University with many of its students working full
time while alsojuggling family obligations. SLLD together with OrgSync provides students with a one-
stop online community tool that includes a community calendar, Organization/Club information, an
involvement tracking tool, and news & updates from Student Life. In a world where time is at a
premium, OrgSync and SLLD make it easy for working adults to connect with Student Life.
At SLLD, we don’t produce the student, we propel them. We don’t play the music, we make sure
you hear it. We don’t create your victories, we celebrate them. We don’t set your goals, we help you
reach them. AtSLLD, we don’tmake a lotof the experiencesyouhave atMetropolitanState University.
We make a lot of the experiences you have at Metropolitan State University, happen.
5. 5
2. Company Description
In 1999, Tara Parkerwas hiredasStudentActivitiesDirector.The StudentActivities teamconsisted
of the Director,the Office Manager,anda UniversityActivitiesBoard(UAB) studentworker. The office
residedinSt.JohnsHall. Since then,the office hasbeenmovedto the Fine ArtsBuilding,the Veterans
Center,andFoundersHall. In 2000, Tara receivedpermissiontochange the name of the departmentto
StudentLife &LeadershipDevelopment.
The StudentLife andLeadershipDevelopmentOffice servesasacomplementtothe academic
missionof the universityandenhancesthe overall educational experience of studentsthroughthe
developmentof social,cultural,intellectual, recreational,andgovernance programs.Activitiessuchas
Fall Fest,leadershipworkshopsandstudentorganizationsgetstudents involvedwith the Universityand
developtheirleadershipskills.
In additiontoleadershipdevelopmentandotherinvolvementopportunities,the office provides
servicesthatassiststudentsintheirdailylives.MetroTransit,housinginformationanddiscounttickets
"to the town"are available.The office isonthe St.Paul Campus,FoundersHall,RoomL-106.
RecentHistory and Successes (written by Brent Glass, SLLD Director)
In the past fiscal year(12-13) SLLD has beenfocusingonmarketing,providingmore leadership
opportunities,andcreatingaccountabilitymeasuresforstudentprogramingatMetropolitanState
University. SLLDcreateda small communityprogram. The rationale behindthe SmallCommunity
conceptis toremove some of the paperwork/obstaclesthatsometimespreventsmallergroupsof
studentsfromgettinginvolvedatMetropolitanState University.
The ideais to catch new,uninvolvedstudents,whomightnothave the time orwant to joina club,
but still wanttobe involvedwiththe college.The Small Communityprogramwill allow themtogetand
stay involvedwithouthavingtomaintainthe active statusof a RegisteredStudentOrganizationwhile
still providingvaluable opportunitiesforotherstudentsatMetropolitanState Universitytogetinvolved
withStudentLife.
Additionallythe office hasexpandedthe leadershipofferingsforstudents. The Student
OrganizationforLeadershipDevelopmentserieswasestablishedduringspringsemester. This
leadershipseriestargetedemergingstudentleaderswhoparticipateinclubsand organizations. The
SLLD office alsosponsoredthe firstspringsemestertransformational leadershipretreat. Over50
studentsparticipatedinthistwodayprogram. Furthermore,the office designedanddeliveredseveral
OrgSyncworkshopsforstudentleadersandiscurrentlycreatingamarketingplantobetterpromote the
tackingmechanismforstudentinvolvementandlearningoutcomes. Thisisa significantinitiative as
SAFAChasmodifiedtheirexpectationsof appropriate use of studentfundstoinclude the creationof
learningoutcomesforhighercostprogramming.
Finally,the SLLDoffice hasbeenworkingwith the StudentSenate andUniversityFacilitiesonthe
developmentof a UniversityStudentCenter. A keypart of thisprocessthroughschematicand
7. 7
3. Strategic Focus and Plan
Thissectioncoversthree aspectsof corporate strategythat influence the marketingplan:(1) the
mission,(2) goals,and(3) core competency/sustainable competitiveadvantage of The StudentLife &
LeadershipDevelopmentOffice(SLLD).
Mission
The missionof The StudentLife andLeadershipDevelopmentOffice istodevelopengagedleaders
witha lifelongcommitmenttodiversity,integrityandsocial responsibility.
Goals
Startingwiththe Summer2013 semester,The StudentLife &LeadershipDevelopmentOffice (SLLD)
seekstoachieve the followinggoals bythe endof the Spring2014 semester:
1. To achieve 2,500 OrgSyncprofile created.
2. To have 100 studentsutilizingthe Co-CurricularTranscriptTool.
3. To have 250 studentsusingitwithinthe past7 days.
Core CompetencyandSustainable Competitive
Advantage
In termsof core competency,The Student
Life & LeadershipDevelopmentOffice(SLLD) seeks
to achieve aunique abilityto(1) Provide the
correct toolsandresourcesallowingforapersonal
educational experienceand(2) delivergreater
responsibilitiesandopportunitiesthrough
UniversityOrganizationsandStudentLife.
To translate these core competenciesinto
a sustainable advantage,SLLDwill workclosely
withUniversitystaff andRegisteredStudent
Organizations(RSOs) tosatisfythe needsof our
target audience.
Explanation: To help achieveOrgSync goals,SLLD has
introduced a T-shirtto promote the brand and
encourage students to sign up.
8. 8
4. Situational Analysis
Thissituational analysis startswithasnapshotof the currentenvironmentinwhichThe StudentLife
& LeadershipDevelopmentOffice (SLLD) findsitself byprovidingabrief SWOT(strengths,weaknesses,
opportunities,threats) analysis. Afterthe overview,the analysisprobesever-finerlevelsof detail:
industry,competitors,company,andconsumer.
SWOT Analysis
Figure 1. SWOT Analysis for The Student Life & Leadership Development Office (SLLD)
Internal Factors Strengths Weaknesses
Flexibility Departmentandstaff are willing
to adjust to the students’ needs
Inconsistencyinpolicy&
procedure
Accessibility Entire SLLD staff is locatedinone
office
SLLD office islocatedonlyon
one campus;STPL
Personnel
Experienced,hardworkingstaff;
have a genuine interestin
studentdevelopment
Small staff;hasa possibilityto
become overworked
Offerings
Personal studentexperiences
withopportunitiestogrow and
developbothpersonally&
professionally
Small numberof organizations,
only35; relativelyyoung
department
External Factors Opportunities Threats
Consumer/Social
Studentsare trendingyounger
and younger;more students
beginningcollege careeratthe
University
A large portionof the
University’sstudents still are full
time workingadults;students
have lesstime thanaverage
Competitive Internshipsare more difficultto
findintoday’sjobmarket
Some internshipsofferasalary,
manystudentopportunities
throughSLLD are unpaid
Technological
Technological advancesin
mobile devicesallowstudents to
alwaysbe connected
Challengesallocatingresources
for a rapidchanging
technological world
Economic
Tough jobmarket;studentsneed
more skillstocompete
Economyis slow; manystudents
may be workinglongerhours
whichleavesthemwithlesstime
Industry Analysis:Trends in MetropolitanState UniversityStudentEnrollment,Diversity,
Demographics
Witha companyor organizationsuchasThe StudentLife andLeadershipDevelopmentOffice,the
Industryinwhichitcompetescouldbe seenasthe UniversityCommunity. SLLDiscompetingfor
students’time andthereforeneedstoknow how manystudentsare enrolled,whatthe studentdiversity
lookslike,popularmajors,andotherimportantfactsand figures.
9. 9
(For comparison purposes, the years 2006 – 2007 and 2011 – 2012 were chosen to demonstrate
significant trends over time.)
The UniversityprovidesmanyfactsheetscalledKey FactsAtA Glance whichprovide various
importantstatisticsandinformationonenrollment,studentdiversity,degreesgranted,top10 majors,
and othervarioustopics.
Student Enrollment. Accordingto Key FactsAt A Glance, the total enrollment since 2006 – 2007
(total studentsserved,unduplicatedheadcount) hasincreasedbyabout27.4% withthe full-year
equivalentincreasingby18.9%.
In 2011 – 2012, the majorityof studentsenrolledatthe Universitywere enrolledpart-time withthe
statistical measurementbeing66%. The remaining33% were full-time. These figureswere roughlythe
same in 2006 – 2007 with65.3% of studentsbeingparttime and34.7% beingfull-time.
Student Diversity. Accordingto Key FactsAtA Glance, several keystudentdiversitymeasurements
have changedbetweenthe yearsof 2006 – 2007 and2011 – 2012. Female studentshave decreasedby
3.2% while male studentshave increasedby3.2%. Studentsof colorhave increasedby7.7%,
international studentshave decreasedby0.6%,and out-of-state studentshave increasedby0.6%.
The average age of studentshassurprisinglyincreasedby.04yearsfrom 31.6 yearsto 32 years
whencomparingyears2006 – 2007 and 2011 – 2012. Meanwhile,the age range of studentshas
changedfrom16 – 73 in 2006 – 2007 to 16 – 79 in 2011 – 2012.
Top Ten Majors. Accordingto Key Facts AtA Glance, the top 10 majorsat the Universityduringthe
years2011 – 2012 and years2006 – 2007 are as follows:
2006 - 2007 2011 - 2012
BusinessAdministration IndividualizedStudies
IndividualizedStudies Business Administration
Accounting Accounting
Criminal Justice Psychology
Nursing Human Services
Law Enforcement Criminal Justice
Psychology Nursing
Finance Law Enforcement
Marketing Alcohol andDrug Counseling
Management Social Work
Explanation: In both time periods, the top three majors in no particular order were Business Administration,
Individualized Studies, and Accounting. After the top three, majors such as Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Law
Enforcement have all dropped down the list when comparing 2006 – 2007 with 2011 – 2012. On the other hand,
Majors like Human Services, Alcohol and Drug Counseling, and Social Work have enjoyed new spots in the top 10 of
2011 – 2012 when compared to 2006 – 2007.
10. 10
CompetitorAnalysis:Students’Use ofHis / Her Time
The StudentLife andLeadershipDevelopmentOffice iscompetingfor the time of 11,390 students.
The average age of a studentenrolledatthe Universityis32years old. Thismeansthat byand large,
manyof the studentsholdeitherpart-time orfull-timejobs. Accordingto OECDFamily Database,in
2009 the average age of womenwhenhavingtheirfirstchildwas25 yearsold. Thismeansthat adults
close to the age of 32 commonlytendtohave at leastone child. Beinga caregiverorhavingdependents
meansthat the studentwill mostlikelyhave verylittleextratime leftoverforschool,letalone Student
Life.
Anotherissue withtoday’scurrenteconomyisthatstudentsmayhave toworklongerhoursto
make endsmeet. Accordingto The Huffington Post, more thanone-fourthof private sectorworkers
make lessthan10$ perhour. Thistrendsuggeststhatbecause of the low wages,studentsmayhave to
spendmore time workingtopaybillsandotherexpenses. One couldargue thatthe jobthe student
worksoffersskillsanddevelopmentopportunitiesinitsownright.While thismaybe true,SLLDalso
offersstudentemploymentandStudentLife opportunitieswhichmayyieldafasterthanaverage rate of
personal andprofessional development.
Company Analysis
The StudentLife andLeadershipDevelopmentOffice hasbeeninexistence for14years withTara
Parkerbeingthe department’sfirstDirector. Today,the Office ManagerandDirectorhave 37 Years of
ProfessionalandLeadershipexperiencebetweenthe twoof them. SLLD alsoemploys8 workersandan
Intern;withtwobeingfull time and6 beingparttime. SLLD now interactsand communicatesregularly
withstudentsandUniversitystaff.
The office haspurchasedOrgSync,an online communitymanagement tool toserve asa central
communicationplatformforstudents,organizations,andSLLD. Since itsintroduction,the platformhas
reducedpapercosts,increasedawarenessof campusevents,andimproved communicationand
efficiency betweenstudentorganizations.
Target Audience Analysis
In termsof target audience analysis,thissectiondescribes(1) the characteristicof students
expectedtouse The SLLD Office’sservicesand(2) engagementof studentsusingthe services.
Student/CustomerCharacteristics. Demographically, accordingtoa July,2013 SLLD OrgSyncsurvey, in
general,SLLDservicesare usedbystudentswitha mediumrange of backgrounds. SLLD servicesare
usedprimarilybystudentswhoare betweenthe age of 25 – 45, female, Caucasian/white, andpursuing
an undergraduate degree.
The most popularcollege of studyamongstudents usingSLLDservicesisThe College of Arts&
Sciences,withThe College of Managementcominginsecond. The majorityof studentsare employed
full-time,withtheirprimarycampusbeingatthe SaintPaul Campus(MoundsBlvd.) The mostcommon
11. 11
primarycampusamong studentsinthe surveydirectlyrelatestowhere the SLLDOffice islocatedand
where the majorityof StudentLife happens.
The majorityof studentssuingSLLD servicesare alsonotcaregiversanddo nothave dependents.
Also,full-timeenrollmentstatusisthe mostcommonat 55%, while part-time isat40%. Because many
adultsare pressedfortime intheirschedules,itmakessensethatonlythe studentswithoutchildrenor
dependentswillhave the highestinvolvementrate.
Low InvolvementFrom Other Campuses. Accordingto an SLLD surveyconductedinJulyof 2013, 59% of
studentswhouse SLLD serviceshave aprimarycampusof SaintPaul (MoundsBlvd.). The secondmost
popularprimarycampusis Midway,with24%,followedbyMinneapolisat7%. BrooklynParkwas only
at 2%. These statisticsshowaglaringproblemand opportunityforSLLDto increase awarenessonthese
campuses. Atthe Saint Paul Campus,manypostersandflyersare postedinhightrafficareas. The same
shouldbe emphasizedatthe BrooklynParkCampusand MinneapolisCampus.
12. 12
5. Market – Product/Service Focus
Thissectiondescribesthe marketandproductobjectivesfor The StudentLife andLeadership
DevelopmentOffice andthe targetaudience,pointsof difference,andpositioningof SLLD’sservices.
Marketing & Service Objectives
SLLD’s marketingintentistotake full advantage of itsbrandpotential while buildingabase from
whichotherservice andprogramscan be created. The marketingandproduct objectivesare detailedin
five areasbelow:
Currentmarkets. Currentmarketswill be grownbyexpandingbrandawarenessfocusingonthe
connectionbetweenOrgSyncandthe restof StudentLife. Inaddition,new profile creationswill
be grown byincreasingstudentawarenessandrepeatusesof servicesoffered bySLLD,thereby
leadingtoa higherinvolvementrate inStudentLife.
Greaterinvolvement. Bythe endof the Spring2014 semester,OrgSyncwillhave 2500 newuser
profilescreated,100studentsutilizingthe Co-CurricularTranscriptTool,and250 unique student
loginsinthe past7 days.
OrgSyncrebranding. OrgSyncwill now emphasizes the “Let’sConnect”tagline creatinga
positioninthe student’smindthat OrgSyncisa social tool usedtoallow new studentstoget
involvedwithStudentLife.
Leadershipretreats. Continue Leadershipretreatsinthe fall andspringto encourage the
developmentof relationshipsamongstudentsandfaculty while alsoincreasing involvementin
studentlife.
Increasednumberof organizations. Bythe endof the Spring2014 semester,we anticipate an
increase of at leastfournewstudentorganizations.
13. 13
Target Markets/Audience
The primarytarget audience forthe
StudentLife &LeadershipDevelopment
Office (SLLD) isreturningstudents,first
yearstudents,transferstudents,and
registeredstudentorganizations(RSO’s).
Returningstudentshave interestsin
stayingconnected,resume builders,
personal &professional development,and
RSO communication. Returningstudents’
influencersare theirpeers,RSOadvisors,
incentives,andfree items.
Firstyear studentshave interestsin
stayingconnected,involvement,meeting
others,beingnewtothe campus,personal
& professional development,andresume
builders. Firstyearstudentsare influenced
by Metro 101, theirpeers,digital media,
incentives&free items,professors,and
advisors.
Explanation: To increase brand awareness and the connection
between Student Life and OrgSync, flyers and posters like this
were created for promotion.
Transferstudentshave interestsinstayingconnected,involvement,meetingothers,beingnew to
campus,personal &professional development,andresume builders. Transferstudents’influencersare
theirpeers,incentives&free items,professors,andadvisors.
Lastly,RegisteredStudentOrganizations(RSO’s) have interestsinstayingconnected,electronic
forms,and beinginvolved. RSO’sinfluencersare theirpeers,RSOadvisors,otherRSOs, funding,and
incentives&free items.
Pointsof Difference
The “pointsof difference”–characteristicsthatmake The StudentLife andLeadershipDevelopment
Office’sservicesunique relativetocompetitors –fall intothree importantareas:
Unique learningexperience. Noknowncompetitorofferssuchapersonal andstudentdriven
experience withthe vastnumberof opportunitiesthatSLLDdoes.
Variety. The currentjobmarketis increasinglychallenging. Graduatingstudentswiththe most
transferrable skillsfrominternshipsandotherexperienceswillhave the best prospectsafter
graduation. Inresponse tothisfactor,SLLD’s servicesoffermore varietyandopportunitiesto
gainmore transferrable skillsthanan entrylevel parttime jobor internshipwill.
14. 14
Fasteraverage rate of professionaldevelopment. Studentswhoare involvedenjoy
opportunitiesforprofessionaldevelopmentata muchhigherrate withmuch easieraccessthan
traditional entrylevel jobsorinternships.
Positioning
Traditionally,professional/personaldevelopmentopportunitiesavailabletostudentsare either
costly,lowinvariety, frequency,orall three. The StudentLife andLeadershipDevelopmentOffice
addressesthese three undesirable problems toobtainapositioninginstudents’mindsasa veryunique
and personal educational experience offeringprofessional developmentopportunitieswithahigher
than average selectionandfrequency.
15. 15
6. Marketing Program
The four marketingmix elementsof the StudentLife andLeadershipDevelopmentOffice marketing
program are detailedbelow.
Product/Service Strategy
Afterfirstsummarizingthe productline,the approachtoproduct qualityandpackagingiscovered.
Product Line. SLLD offersmanyservices,activities,andopportunities. Theyconsistof over30 Student
Organizations,OrgSync, The StudentSenate,SAFAC(StudentActivitiesFee AllocationCommittee), The
UniversityActivitiesBoard(UAB),G.E.M.S.(Guiding,Empowering&MentoringSuccess) Leadership&
MentoringProgram,Fall Fest,WinterExtravaganza,LeadershipRetreats,andGroupAdvising&
RegistrationSessions.
UniqueProduct Quality. The many servicesofferedby SLLDare of veryhighbreadthand depth. The
serviceshave beendevelopedandtweakedbystudentsandstaff onan ongoingbasiseversince the
department’screationin2000. Tweaksand perfectionsof variouspoliciesandprocedurescanbe seen
withvirtually everyStudentSenateandSAFACmeeting. Each studenthasthe abilitytovoice their
opiniononimportantmattersthataffectthe Universityandthe studentbodyasa whole.
Packaging. Since SLLD offers itsservicesratherthanphysical products, the packagingaspectsof the
servicesbecome the Office,OrgSync,Website,Facebook,email,phone,andworkers. SLLD’sOffice is
somewhatsmall,whichcausesproblemswithaccumulationof boxesandcontainers buildinguparound
certaintimesof the year. This clutteredlookcouldcause alessthandesirable effectonprospective
students. The newStudentCenterwill addressthisproblembyincreasingthe size of the new officeby
abouttwice the size. (The currentsize of the SLLD office isabout635 square feet.)
Price Strategy
The studentsof MetropolitanState Universityare requiredtopay$2.00 per academiccredit
throughthe 2013 – 2014 academicyearwhetherornot theyparticipate withStudentLife orSLLD.
Usingthis information,one canpredictthata studentattendingschool parttime wouldpayabout$8
persemesterwhileafull time studentwouldpay$24. (The pricescalculatedwere assumingapart time
studentenrollmentof 4creditsand a full time studentenrollmentof 12 credits.) However,the unique
opportunitiesofferedbySLLDgive ita significant advantage overotherformsof leadership
developmentprogramsandjustifiesthispricingstrategy.
Promotion Strategy
Keypromotionprogramsfeature groupadvisingandregistrationevents,print media,electronic
media,events/programs,andpromotional items.
16. 16
GroupAdvisingandRegistrationEvents. Having a presence atgroupadvisingandregistration
eventsenablesstudentstolearnaboutthe manyservicesofferedbySLLD. These eventsalsoallow SLLD
to create a positive firstimpressionwiththe studentsandencourage themtosignupto OrgSync.
Retractable OrgSyncPromotional Banner
o Description: Place the bannernexttothe UniversityActivitiesBoard (UAB) table,
visible tostudent trafficnearby.
o Content: Displaysthe benefitsof OrgSync,SLLD,andStudentLife. Alsodisplaysa
picture of studentinvolvement.
Tabletsor Laptops
o Description: Place atleasttwolaptopsor tabletsonthe table;checkthemout from
UniversityITServices.
o Content: Ensure that the OrgSyncprofile creationpage islaunched. Give short
tours to studentsonhow to navigate the website.
FlyersandPosters
o Description: Place flyersonthe table nearthe laptopsandplace postersinthe
surroundingareas close tothe event.
o Content: (See posterandflyerdescriptionandcontentsectionsbelow.)
Print Media. To increase awarenessof SLLD,itsservices,andOrgSync,a strongemphasisonprint
mediahas to be created.
Promotional Posters
o Description: 11” x 17” color
postersdistributedcampus-wide
before classesbegin.
o Content: A brief descriptionof
the sign-upprocess;contact
information.
Flyers
o Description: 8” x 11” color
insertedinadmittance packets
mailedtostudentsand
distributedatGroupAdvising&
RegistrationSessions.
o Content: Same or verysimilarto
the promotional posters.
PluggersinRSO (RegisteredStudent
Organizations) Mailboxes
o Description: ¼ page oncard
stock; smallerversionof posters.
o Content: Brief descriptionof
sign-upprocess;contact
information.
Explanation: Courtesy of Nina Suvorova, this flyer
draft was created to catch the short attention span of
a student traveling through a Group Advising &
Registration Session. Notice the use of large and
colorful pictures, the puzzle pieces that connect, and
the woman representing the student who wants to
belong. The tag line, “Let’s Connect” is also used to
represent the purpose of OrgSync.
17. 17
Instructive Table Tents
o Description: Distributetable tentsontablesinthe cafeteriaonthe STPL campus.
o Content: FRONT:Profile setupinstructions. BACK:Co-CurricularTranscriptTool
information.
CampusNewspaperAdvertisement
o Description: ½page ad in the Welcome BackEdition
o Content: The same designasthe postersand pluggers.
CampusNewspaperFeature Story
o Description: Partnerwiththe campusnewspapertorun a story.
o Content: InformationonOrgSync, R.S.O.benefits,&Co-CurricularTranscriptTool.
Electronic Media. In a technologyworldthatallowsstudentstobe connected24/7,SLLD must
create a strongpresence inthisarea.
Campus-Wide Email
o Description: Sendouttoall studentsduringthe secondweekof classes.
o Content: OrgSyncdescription,sign-upinstructions,andCCT(Co-Curricular
TranscriptTool) Information.
RSO (RegisteredStudentOrganization) President’sEmail
o Description:Sendouttoall presidentsduring secondweekof classes.
o Content: OrgSyncdescription,sign-upinstructions,CCTinformation,RSO member
benefits,budgetrequestmodule information.
Use StudentLife FacebookPage toMarketOrgSync
o Description: FacebookupdatedbyUABPublicRelationsCoordinator
o Content: Postevents,news&updates,photos,andlinktoOrgSync.
Improve the linktoOrgSyncfrom the SLLD website andstudentportal
o Description: AddaloginlinktoOrgSyncto the StudentPortal andredesigned
StudentLife webpages. Include aredirectURLfor SLLD and OrgSync.
ElectronicSigns
o Description: Explore possibilitiesof displayinginformationonGatewaydisplays.
o Content: OrgSyncLogo, Tagline,andSLLD Office website.
Events and Programs. University-Wide campuseventsandprogramsusuallybringhightraffictothe
campusgrounds. They presentexcellentopportunitiestopromote SLLD,OrgSync,and StudentLife.
Group Advising&Registration –Welcome Presentation
o Include OrgSyncinformationinthe StudentSenate segmentof the welcome
presentation.
All StudentLife andUABEvents
o Include some formof promotionsuchas a table setup, orbanner.
Firstyear ExperienceClassPresentations(Metro101 and 201)
18. 18
o Promote StudentLife andOrgSyncinthe classroom.
Promotional Items. Promotional itemswill be usedtocreate a largerawarenessof SLLD and
OrgSync.
T-ShirtsforStudent Workersand Staff
o Description: Wearat StudentLife eventsanddistribute extrasaspromotional
items.
USB – Car Chargers
o Description: Distributeatall StudentLife eventsandGroupAdvising&Registration
Sessions.
o Content: Has a lime greencolor,with the OrgSynclogo,andthe Metro State
OrgSyncURL.
OrgSyncPens
o Distribute outatall eventsandgroupadvising®istrations.
Reusable Totes
o Description: Give awayas a promotional itematall groupadvising®istration
events.
o Content: Containslogosof SLLD,OrgSync,G.E.M.S., StudentSenate,UAB,andthe
Metro State OrgSync URL.
Place (Distribution) Strategy
The StudentLife andLeadershipDevelopmentOffice’sservicesare distributed initspresent
marketsthroughRoomL107 in FoundersHall onthe mainSt. Paul campus. Many smallerdepartments
and organizationsunderthe umbrellaof SLLDoperate withnearbyofficessuchasthe StudentSenate
Office,RoomL207. Otherprogramslike G.E.M.S.and UAB (UniversityActivitiesBoard) make use of the
SLLD office while alsohavingtheirownphone lines andemail addressesforcontact.
19. 19
7. Financial Data and Projections
Primary Funding
The StudentLife andLeadershipDevelopmentOffice receives itsfundingfromfeesthatstudents
pay percredit. Primaryfundingcomesfromthe StudentActivityFeechargedpercredit. Normally,the
StudentActivityFee isa$4 dollarpercreditfee chargedtoeverystudent.
NewStudent Center
MetropolitanState University’snew StudentCenterhasbeeninthe worksfora numberof years. In
Fall of 2013, constructionof the StudentCenterisscheduledtobegin. Whenconstructionbegins,the
ActivityFeeschargedtostudentspercreditwill dropfrom4$ to 2$. Thisdecrease ispart of a larger
strategydevelopedby the StudentSenate ineffortsto addressconcernsabout currentstudents having
to pay additional feesforabuildingthattheymaynoteveruse. The constructionisscheduledtobe
completedbyFall of 2015; by that time manystudentsmayalready graduated.
Since ActivityFeeswill be decreasingfrom4$to 2$, the StudentSenate alsovotedtofundthe
remaining2$ deficitbydrawingfundsfromitsreserves. Afterthe constructionof the StudentCenteris
completedinFall of 2015, the ActivityFeeswill returntotheirnormal rate at 4$ per credit.
20. 20
Three-YearProjections
Three-yearfinancial projectionsforSLLD appear below. These projectionsreflectthe continuing
growthof enrollmentof studentsforthe nextthree years. (Trend data wasprovided by Drew
Melendres,Vice Presidentof StudentAffairsand EnrollmentManagement.)
Figure 3. Fee Revenue For The Student Life & Leadership Development Office (SLLD)
Financial Element Units Fiscal Year ’14 Fiscal Year ’15 Fiscal Year ‘16
Enrollment Students 11,447 11,561 11,735
Revenue Dollars $45,788 $46,244 $46,940
Explanation: The financial figures in Fiscal Year 14’ and Fiscal Year ’15 include the additional $2 per credit amount
drawn from Student Senate reserves.
$45,200
$45,400
$45,600
$45,800
$46,000
$46,200
$46,400
$46,600
$46,800
$47,000
$47,200
11400
11450
11500
11550
11600
11650
11700
11750
11800
Fiscal Year '14 Fiscal Year '15 Fiscal Year '16
Enrollment (Left)
Revenue (Right)
21. 21
8. Organization
The current StudentLife andLeadershipDevelopmentOffice’spresent Organizationappearsin
Figure 4. It showsthe people reporting tothe Director,AssistantDirector, andthe Office Manager.
The nextlevel includes the StudentWorkerand Leadersof the U.A.B.(UniversityActivitiesBoard)
and G.E.M.S. (Guiding,Empowering&MentoringSuccess) Leadership&MentoringProgram. The
structure isformal,but allowsfluidcommunication betweenall employees.
Figure 4. The Student Life and Leadership Development Office (SLLD) Organization
pppp
Explanation: At present, The Student Life & Leadership Office operates with five student workers in only
essential positions. As the office grows, positions will fill to capacity and people with special expertise will be added
to the staff.
Director
Office Manager
Assistant Director
U.A.B. Leader G.E.M.S. Leader SLLD Student Worker
Asst.
Coord.
P.R.
Int.
P.R.
Ext.
Asst.
22. 22
9. Implementation Plan
IntroducingThe StudentLife andLeadershipDevelopmentOffice’sservicestothe studentbodyof
over11,000 full- andpart-time studentsisacomplex taskandrequiresthatcreative promotional
activitiesgainstudent awarenessandinitial trial. Countingthe existing1,270 OrgSyncuser created
profiles,bythe endof the Fall 2013 Semester SLLDexpectstohave 2500 profilescreated. SLLDalso
expectstohave 100 studentsutilizingthe OrgSyncCo-CurricularTranscript Tool or roughly4% of the
users. Anothergoal isto achieve 250 unique profile loginsperweekorabout10% of usersloggingin
each week. The anticipatedrolloutscheduletomeetthese goalsappearsinFigure 4.
Figure 5. Rollout Schedule to increase OrgSync student involvement
Month
Total OrgSync
Profiles
Created (123
Each Month On
Average)
Unique Logins
Per Week (17
Each Month On
Average)
Cumulative
Percentage of
Students
Uniquely
Logging In
Number of
Involvement
Hours Logged
Ratio of
Involvement
Hours to # of
Registered
Users
August 1393 97 6.96 400 0.28
September 1516 114 7.52 450 0.29
October 1639 131 8.00 400 0.24
November 1762 148 8.40 350 0.20
December 1885 165 8.75 400 0.21
January 2008 182 9.06 600 0.30
February 2131 199 9.34 650 0.31
March 2254 216 9.58 700 0.31
April 2377 233 9.80 400 0.17
May 2500 250 10.00 400 0.16
The vast differenceinusage of OrgSyncbystudentswill be monitoredcarefullytoassesswhether
minoror major modificationsmaybe requiredtothe Marketingstrategiesof SLLD/OrgSync. Asthe
rollouttonewincomingstudentscontinues,SLLDwill assess OrgSyncMarketing/Promotionalstrategies
and time constrainttradeoffs. Thisisimportantindeterminingwhethertorenew the OrgSynccontract
inJuly2014.
SLLD can keeptrackof the statisticsabove byvisitingthe StudentUmbrellaReportspage available at
https://orgsync.com/39165/umbrella/reports/user_stats. Fromthere,the administratorcanutilize the
“Reports”tab locatedat the top of the page to exportXcel documentscontaininginvolvementhours
and otherrelevantinformation.
