PR470 UT Campaign Proposal

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Created by: Alison Burg Chris Duvall Savannah Fielder Stephanie Hoke Virginia Nagy Carlton Troutman University of Tennessee Office of Undergraduate Admissions 2015 Campaign Proposal Building YOUR CommUniTy Brick -by- Brick Big Orange. Big Family. Circle Park Communications

Transcript of PR470 UT Campaign Proposal

Created by:Alison BurgChris Duvall

Savannah Fielder Stephanie HokeVirginia Nagy

Carlton Troutman

University of Tennessee

Office of Undergraduate Admissions

2015 Campaign Proposal

Building YOURCommUniTy

Brick -by- BrickBig Orange. Big Family.

Circle Park Communications

Meet the Team

Circle Park Communications

Circle Park Communications works with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, businesses, national and regional coalitions, government agencies and numerous other organizations.

Circle Park Communications provides communication services that help Knoxville clients build strong communities, improve the lives of Volunteer families and promotes the power of local education for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Since its foundation, Circle Park Communications has developed and maintained a reputation for designing and implementing effective communications strategies.

Circle Park Communications is based in Knoxville, TN and has offices in Nashville.

Agency Biography

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Agency Biography………………………………………………………………………......................1

Research Purpose Statement & Overview……………………………………………………………..2 Executive Summary.......……………………………………………………………………….3 Situation Analysis ………………………………………………………………………..........4 SWOT Analysis ………………………………………………………………………..............5 Methods...........................................................................................................6 Results..............................................................................................................8 Implications....................................................................................................10

Action Planning and Communication Goal & Objectives………………………………………………..........………………………11 Key Message ……………………………………………………………….................………12 Publics …………….......…………………………………………………………...................13 Objective One ....………………………………………………………………....................14 Objective Two..…………………………………………………...................………………17 Objective Three………………………………………………………………...................…19 Objective Four………………………………………………...................………………….22

Evaluation Evalutation of Campaign...............................................................................23

References.....................................................................................................24 Appendices Appendix A....................................................................................................26 Appendix B....................................................................................................28 Appendix C....................................................................................................30 Appendix C....................................................................................................36

Table of Contents

////////////// Purpose Statement /////////////

The purpose of this public relations campaign is to provide recommendations, strategies and tactical implications based on quantitative and qualitative

research for the UT Office of Undergraduate Admissions. The goal is to increase the number of applicants from 15,000 to 16,050 at the University of Tennessee.

Public relations students at the University of Tennessee conducted the following research in the spring semester of 2015.

////////////////// Overview //////////////////

The University of Tennessee is located in the city of Knoxville along the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and just along the Tennessee River. The university is

the ideal combination of an urban campus in the heart of an incredible southern city. UT is right next door to some of the eastern United States best outdoor assets and

activities. Established in 1794, the university currently enrolls 21,451 undergraduate students. Offering over 300 degrees, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is the

flagship university and largest entity of the UT system. UT boasts a strong network of alumni, including NFL quarterback, Peyton Manning and possesses long lasting

traditions of pride, community and Big Orange.

Research

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//////////// Executive Summary //////////// “Together, we’re unstoppable” is the University of Tennessee’s pledge. As the

university expands, so does its budget. Faced with ever increasing recruitment competition from local and national universities, it is imperative the university continually expands its own outreach and recruitment methods. The

University of Tennessee’s brand method states, “We are as dynamic as the people who invest in us emotionally, intellectually, and philanthropically. Energy is the

ultimate filter for the UT story, and now is the time for UT to start harnessing it.”

The following campaign plans for results in increased, overall personalized communication with potential freshmen, further social media engagement of current students and potential freshmen, additional campus visits of potential

freshmen applicants by means of an intervening public (parents) and the application of student ambassadors to boost positive word of mouth within the

current freshmen population, within the next 16 months. These results will reach toward the organization’s objectives of increasing enrollment applications.

Included in the following proposal are examples of a Twitter campaign, ambassador program, a new stamp design, parent outreach letters and much

more.

This campaign proposal is dedicated to the critical core of applicants—incoming freshmen. Since they make up the majority of college applicants, tapping into this base is vital. Circle Park Communications is grateful for the opportunity to assist

the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in meeting its growing goals and is confident in this proposed campaign.

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Currently, UT has approximately 14,000-16,000 applicants for undergraduate admissions per year. This number has the potential to increase the number of

applicants in order to create a larger pool of first year applicants from which to be chosen. Based on the conducted research, the majority of current students at the UT speak positively about the university. Therefore, gaining more applicants

through the use of our objectives is an obtainable goal.Other universities in the United States, specifically schools in the SEC, present a potential difficulty for completing the goal because high school students can

choose to apply to those universities. Currently, almost every university, especially SEC schools execute recruitment strategies extremely similar to one

another. These similarities create an issue because none of the schools can stand out from one another. The UT Office of Undergraduate Admissions needs to grab hold of the opportunity by being unique, strengthening the UT brand and better communicating what it really means to be a Tennessee Volunteer to high school

students that may not be familiar with UT or Knoxville.

///////////// Situation Analysis /////////////

This campaign concentrates on increasing the number of applicates to

the University of Tennessee.

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//////////////// SWOT Analysis //////////////

The following is a S.W.O.T. analysis of the University of Tennessee. A S.W.O.T. analysis identifies the internal strengths and weaknesses along with the external

opportunities and threats the university may face.

Strengths

• Well-known university • Large student body • SEC school• Campus improvements (construction)• Popular sports programs • Many opportunities for campus involvement• Strong degree programs• Affordable tuition for in-state students • First year studies courses

Opportunities

• Potential freshmen more involved with UT• Greater spread of positive word of mouth • Promoting Knoxville to draw more applicants • Gain more applicants to UT

Weaknesses

• Recruitment strategies do not stand out• Student’s perception of construction • Lack of personal communication with potential students • Lack of engagement on social media • Lowest number of freshmen applicants in the SEC

Threats

• Many competing colleges• Free community college for in-state students • Students intimidated by size of the university• Sports programs at other SEC universities

Core

Opportunity:The UT Office of Undergraduate

Admissions has an opportunity to recruit more students to apply to UT by

showcasing the assets that are currently unknown by potential

students and applicants.

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////////////////// Methods /////////////////

Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered and analyzed before the development of this campaign for the UT’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

In order to collect the date, three methods were executed. SPSS analytics software was used to analyze the quantitative data through the online survey.

The first method of research was an interview. The information gathered was qualitative. Each member of our team interviewed a current freshman at UT. Our

team interviewed five freshmen girls and one freshman boy. The interviews took place in person.

The instruments used to conduct this method were an interview and interview guide. The team assembled the interview and interview guide based on the type of answers

and information we were hoping to receive from the interviews. The respondents answered anonymously and were asked questions including “What one word would

you use to describe UT?” and “What ways did different universities and colleges contact you?” The interview guide can be found in appendix C.

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The second method used to gather information was a survey. The information gathered was both qualitative and quantitative. Each member of our class was required to

distribute the survey to a minimum of 16 people. Requirements for the respondents included: at least five non-white students, at least five transfer students, one male in-state student from each grade level, one female in-state student from each grade level, one male

out-of-state student from each grade level and finally, one female out-of-state student from each grade level. Over 800 current UT students answered the survey. Our classmates shared the survey with current UT students on Facebook, through emails and with people

in their other classes.

The instrument used to conduct this research was a questionnaire. Dr. Lisa Fall and Sejin Park assembled and created the survey, and the PR 470 Campaigns class approved it. Respondents answered the surveys anonymously. Many of the questions had answers that were on a scale from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Statements varied from

“I am happy with UT” and “I feel a sense of belonging to UT.” The survey can be found in appendix C.

The third method for research included outside information and secondary research. The information was gathered from an article titled “Gen Z,” an article from Business Insider

titled “A Member of ‘Gen Z’ Just Explained The Different Social Media Services To Me” and various UT websites including the UT Office of Undergraduate

Admissions’ pages, UT social media pages including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

////////////Methods///////////

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////////////Results////////////

Through the surveys, many of the same themes surfaced as those in the interviews. Many students used the words “family” and “community” to describe UT. Other words that appeared frequently were “football” and “Big Orange.” Sports seemed to have a heavy pull on many of the survey

respondents. The majority of the respondents were in-state students. These students often said that part of the reason they came to UT was because they

grew up saying, “Go Vols!” Students who had high levels of trust in the university were more likely to speak highly of the university compared to

students who had lower trust levels. Survey respondents mentioned “football” (or related words such as Butch, school spirit, etc.) a number of times.

Through the interviews a few central themes from the interviewees were found. One of the themes was the feeling that UT has a strong sense of community.

Many of the students felt that they were a part of the Vol Family. Another recurring theme with the respondents was that they enjoyed receiving print materials in the mail while deciding where they were going to school. The

students said that it felt like the university was investing in them by spending the money to send them these particular print materials. Several of the

interviewees also said that they chose UT because it was a “large SEC school” and because of the athletics programs.

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The following output comes from the SPSS analytics and compares trust and word of mouth.

The correlation is significant.

By gaining outside information from sources such as various UT websites, UT social media pages and the Business Insider, we were able to find some themes and topics that have been used to execute this campaign. Much of the information surrounded on the importance of technology, social media and visuals for Generation Z. Gen Z

is the age group of students that the UT Office of Undergraduate Admissions will be focusing on for several years to come.

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///////////// Implications /////////////By interviewing six current freshmen at the University of Tennessee, we were able to devise five implications for the UT Office of Undergraduate Admissions. These

implications are: a stronger and more interactive presence on social media, stressing the “community” and “family” aspects of the UT brand in all recruitment

and promotional material, making all communication to prospective students more individualized and personalized, increasing the amount and quality of the

print materials mailed to future students and changing the perception of oncampus construction from problem to progress. We believe these five

recommendations will increase the number of applicants to UT.

The surveys helped to gain information, and thus, develop insights, from over 800 current students at the University of Tennessee. Through these surveys we

were able to confidently decide on implications and recommendations. Advertising and promotional material from the UT Office of Undergraduate

Admissions needs to include UT’s football program and the atmosphere of the athletic environment in order to attract students with those interests to the

university. The current advertisements and promotional materials do not convey the students’ prdie in the university as clearly. Public relations materials should

focus on relationship building and the community aspect of attending the university. Our last implication is that UT should strive to make students to feel

more committed to the Vol Family so they will have a more positive word of mouth about the university.

Through the outside sources used in developing this campaign, we were able to further reinforce the implications created through the freshmen interviews.

Because of the article written for the Business Insider (see appendix D) we believe that a mobile phone text campaign would reach these prospective students. The article states that “They [Gen Z] just text. Everyone does have a phone number.

But phone numbers are for texting, not talking.” Because of the article titled “Gen Z,” we also think that creating Twitter pages for the colleges that do not currently have one will help prospective students find information about the programs they are interested in a more personal and visual way. Most of the

colleges that already have Twitter need to have more engaging content and have a more active presence on Twitter. A third implication from outside sources is a video highlighting the city of Knoxville and all it has to offer. Gen Z-ers are more

visual than generations before them. Featuring Knoxville in this way would appeal highly to these prospective students (Gen Z article can be found in appendix D).

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Action Planning &Communication

Objectives:

• To increase the level of satisfaction with personalized communication among incoming freshmen within 16 months from May 2015-August 2016.

• To increase social media engagement (number of followers) of the university’s Twitter and Instagram accounts within the population of current students and potential freshmen by 10 percent within 16 months from May 2015- August 2016.

• To increase campus visits from 26,000 potential freshmen applicants by means of an intervening public (parents) by 10 percent (2,600) within 16 months from May 2015- August 2016.

• To use students and student ambassadors to increase positive word of mouth within the current freshmen population by five percent within 16 months from May 2015- August 2016.

The goal of this campaign is to

increase the number of freshmen applications.

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Building YOURCommUniTyBrick -by- BrickBig Orange. Big Family.

Key Message

Key publics

The key public determined for this campaign based on research and the needs from the client is:

Junior and senior high school students

Demographic and psychographic profile: Ages of juniors and seniors in high school range from 15-19. All ethnicities, races,

religions and genders would be reached and considered for acceptance.

Motivating self-interests: Interests of these students would include universities, colleges within the universities, sports, clubs, activities, outdoors, (college) student

life, campus living, the town where the university sits, etc.

Status of current relationship with organization: Connection ranges from no connection (distance from UT, parents went to other universities, etc.) to

a high and favorable connection (high school students in Knoxville who have been raised to love the Vols).

Secondary Public

The secondary public determined for this campaign based on research and the

needs from the client is:

Parents of high school students

Intervening Publics

The intervening publics determined for this campaign based on research and the needs

from the client are:

Parents of high school students Current undergraduate students at UT

UT Alumni

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///////////// Objective One /////////////

Strategy One: Create a more personalized experience with potential students during the recruitment process

To increase the level of satisfaction with personalized communication among incoming freshmen within

16 months from May 2015 - August 2016.

Tactic One: Send personalized texts from alumni or current students to potential students

Tactic Two:Create opportunities for personalmeetings with alumni nearstudents

Tactic Three:Send birthday cards to potential students and graduation cards to committed students

Tactic Four:Create UT stamp for all personalized mailing

Tactic One

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///////////// Objective One /////////////

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Tactic Two

Strategy Two: Promote the 11 different colleges within the university by highlighting the unique aspects of each

Tactic One: Create a student ambassadors program for each college

Tactic Two: Establish specific social media accounts for each college

///////////// Objective One /////////////

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Tactic Three

///////////// Objective Two /////////////

To increase social media engagement (number of followers) of the university’s

Twitter and Instagram accounts within the population of current students and potential freshman

by 10 percents within 16 months from May 2015 - August 2016.

Strategy One: Launch a Twitter campaign

Tactic One: Post contests for free UT merchandise

Tactic Two: Create biweekly giveaways for a student/potential freshman who has the most retweets positively mentioning UT

Tactic Three: Promote #whyUTK by having famous staff and alumni use the hashtag (Eric Berry, Peyton Manning, Butch Jones and Candace Parker)

Strategy Two:Launch an Instagram campaign that engages potential, future and current students

Tactic One:Hold an Instagram contest for current students’ favorite part of UT

Tactic Two:Hold an Instagram contest for #futurevols best “acceptance” photo

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Guidelines for contest:Use the hashtagTag @UTKnoxvilleCreativity requiredQuickest to post after receiving acceptance letter

Possible prizes include:TshirtsDining dollarsFree student football ticketUT merchandise

///////////// Objective Two /////////////

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Tactic One

Tactic Two

To increase campus visits from 26,000 potential freshmen applicants by means of an intervening public

(parents) by 10 percent (2,600) within 16 months from May 2015 - August 2016.

Strategy One: Reach potential freshman and parents (via Facebook or mail) for a UT campus visit

Tactic One: Create video about Knoxville and surrounding area to be sent in emails about campus visits

Tactic Two: Mail out personalized postcard invitations to visit UT

Tactic Three: Send Facebook messages with link to sign up for a visit

Tactic Four:Send out mail to parents that are alumni of UT reminding them of what events happened when they attended and encouraging them to bring their children for a visit

///////////// Objective Three /////////////

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///////////// Objective Three /////////////

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Tactic Two

Strategy Two:Create incentives to encourage more visit UT visits

Tactic One:Create campus visit hashtag (#VFD = Vol for a Day)

Tactic Two:Place posters in high schools with all social media handles/links on posters

Tactic Three:Use social media to promote the chance to win UT football or basketball tickets or UT merchandise during a UT visit (two lucky visitors, one high school student and one parent, from each tour will win one of one of these prizes); include all social media handles/links on any printed material

///////////// Objective Three /////////////

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Tactic Three

Tactic One

///////////// Objective Four /////////////

To use students and student ambassadors to increase positive word of mouth within the current freshmen

population by five percent within 16 months from May 2015 - August 2016.

Strategy One: Implement a “Brick by Brick” campaign for construction that addresses campus construction in a positive light and provides open and honest communication by highlighting the benefits of construction

Tactic One: Student ambassadors email parents the future designs and benefits of the current construction

Tactic Two: Mail a personalized “brick” (postcard style) to potential students with the dates of projects that will be completed by thetime that a student wouldstep foot on campus

Strategy Two:Launch a “Why UT?” campaign

Tactic One:Student ambassadors promote and sponsor a “Why UT ” Video Campaign with a prize for the winner

Tactic Two:Create four videos featuring why students and staff chose UT, promoting it on all social media and UT’s website

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EvaluationA mandatory survey will be sent out to all incoming freshmen that will measure level of satisfaction with personalized communication and their positive word of mouth about the university at the start of the campaign. The same survey will be sent to the new freshmen the following year, and the statistics will be compared. This survey will evaluate objectives one and four.

Objective 1: To increase the level of satisfaction with personalized communication among incoming freshmen within 16 months from May 2015- Aug. 2016

Objective 4: To use students ambassadors to increase positive word of mouth within the current freshmen population by 5 percent within the 16 months from May 2015-Aug. 2016

The number of followers on the university’s Instagram and Twitter will be measured at the start and end of the campaign. This will evaluate objective two.

Objective 2: To increase the number of followers by 10 percent on the university’s Twitter and Instagram accounts in order to further engage the student population and potential freshmen with 16 months from May 2015- Aug. 2016

The number of campus visits of potential freshmen will be measured at the start and end of the campaign. This will evaluate objective three.

Objective 3: To increase campus visits of potential freshmen applicants by means of an intervening public (parents) by 10 percent (2,600) within the 16 months from May 2015- Aug. 2016 (26,000)

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ReferencesBlodget, Henry. “A Member Of ‘Gen Z’ Just Explained The Different Social Media Services To Me...” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 28 Nov. 2014. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. “Custom Mail & Stamps.” Custom Mail & Stamps. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015.

Sladex, Sarah, and Alyx Grabinger. “Gen Z. The Generation of the 21st Century Has Ar-rived!” XYZ University. N.p., 3 Mar. 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. “The University of Tennessee.” , Knoxville. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. “The University of Tennessee.” Admissions. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. “The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.” Branding. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. “University of Tennessee, Knoxville.” Facebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. “The University of Tennessee.” Prospective Students. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. “The University of Tennessee.” Quick Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. “UT Knoxville (@utknoxville) • Instagram Photos and Videos.” Instagram. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. “UT to Invest Millions in Campus Beautification.” KNS. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. “Zazzle | Custom T-Shirts, Personalized Gifts, Posters, Art, and More.” Zazzle | Custom T-Shirts, Personalized Gifts, Posters, Art, and More. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015.

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Appendices

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Appendix A

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Appendix B

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Appendix C

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Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.

Whenever UT makes an important decision, I know it will be concerned about students like me.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree UT has the ability to accomplish what it says it will do.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree UT treats students like me fairly.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree UT can be relied on to keep its promises.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree I believe that UT takes opinions of students like me into account when making decisions.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree I feel very confident about UT’s ability to achieve its mission.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.

Generally speaking, I am pleased with the relationship that UT has established with students like me. Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Most students like me are happy in their interactions with UT.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree I am happy with UT.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Both UT and students like me benefit from the relationship.(relationship = between UT and students)Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Most students like me are happy in their interactions with UT.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

Engagement Survey

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Engagement Survey

This list consists of various items that describe different feelings and emotions. Rate each one regarding how you feel about the University of Tennessee.

InspiredNot at all Slightly Moderately Very Extremely ExcitedNot at all Slightly Moderately Very Extremely InterestedNot at all Slightly Moderately Very Extremely ProudNot at all Slightly Moderately Very Extremely EnthusiasticNot at all Slightly Moderately Very Extremely

Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.

I feel a sense of belonging to UT.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree I feel like a part of a family at UT.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree I feel emotionally attached to UT.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.

I encourage friends to attend school at UT.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree I recommend UT to someone who asks my advice.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree I say positive things about UT to other people.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree I encourage family members to attend school at UT.Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

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Engagement Survey

Please type in below.

If finances didn’t matter, what was your #1 reason for wanting to attend school at UT? What ONE word would you use to describe the University of Tennessee?In your opinion, what makes UT different from other schools?

Please complete the following information. Your answers are for statistical purposes only. All answers will remain confidential, and your anonymity will be maintained.Are you a transfer student? Yes No Have you ever lived in the dorms?Yes No Do you have a family member/friend who graduated from UT?Yes No Are you involved in any extracurricular on-campus activities/organizations?Yes No Are you a first generation college student in your family?(* first generation college student: neither one of your parents have earned a degree beyond high school diploma)Yes No Please indicate your gender.Male Female Please indicate your academic status.Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Please indicate your race.African American / Black Caucasian / White Hispanic / Latino Multi-racial Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander Asian Other Please type in your home state - or country if you are an international student.

Thank you! END OF SURVEY

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Interview Guide & Interview

Title of study: Student Academic Recruitment at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Study Investigators: Alison Burg, Chris Duvall, Savannah Fielder, Stephanie Hoke, Virginia Nagy and Carlton Troutman

Invitation to participate & study descriptionAs a student at the University of Tennessee, you are invited to participate in a research study about why you selected to attend UT over other colleges and universities you may have applied to. We are essentially trying to answer the question “Why UT?” in order to better understand how to effectively recruit students to attend the university. By agreeing to participate in this interview, you are only agreeing to a one-time interview session. We will not need to follow up with you at a later time. Information about you gathered from this interview will be added to the interview data as part of our overall study.

Risks & benefitsThis interview does not involve any type of physical risk. You will be asked to answer questions about why you selected the University of Tennessee, your opinion(s) on the university, the ways in which you may have been recruited to UT and other related inquiries. Although this study is not designed to help you personally, the information you contribute will help us better understand why graduating seniors decide to attend the university and how UT can recruit the best students in Tennessee and other states. The results of this project will be used by the study investigators to develop a public relations campaign. The results and campaign will then be given to our Dr. Lisa Fall and the University of Tennessee Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Participants of this interview are welcome to contact any one of the study investigators for more information.

Confidentiality The information you provide in this interview will only be seen by the study investigators and Dr. Lisa Fall. The information you provide will be kept confidential. Your name will not be associated with your interview, the research findings or the final public relation campaign. The information obtained in these interviews will be collected and published in our final group public relations campaign book. Dr. Lisa Fall will have one copy. The University of Tennessee Office of Undergraduate Admissions will have one copy.

Your right to refuseYour decision to participate is entirely up to you. This is voluntary. You may choose not to answer any ques-tion asked. Your decision will not result in any loss or benefits to which you are otherwise entitled at the University of Tennessee.

Your right to ask questions As a participant, you have the right to ask questions about this interview and overall study and to have those questions answered by a study investigator before, during or after the research.

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Interview Guide & Interview

Consent Your signature below indicates that you have decided to participate voluntarily this study and that you have read and understood the information provided above. Signature of Participant: ______________________________ Date: ____________________ Name of Participant (PLEASE PRINT): ______________________________________________

Interview questions:

• Gender? Class? Race?

1. If finances didn’t matter, what was your number one reason for wanting to attend the University of Tennessee?

2. What one word would you use to describe UT? Why did you choose that word?

3. In your opinion, what makes UT different from other schools? Do you see this as a good thing?

4. What are some activities you’re involved in outside of academics? Jobs? Clubs? Intramurals? Religious organizations?

5. What has surprised you most in your first year of college so far? What would you change? What were your expectations for your first year? Were these expectations met? Is there anything that hasn’t happened that you were expecting?

6. What ways did different universities and colleges contact you while you were in high school? Of those schools, what recruitment/contact strategies stood out to you and why? What did everyone do the same? What did some of these schools do that was wrong? What did some of these schools do that was different than other schools?

7. Did you receive recruitment info from UT/other colleges before applying? What did you receive (print, web, etc.)? Did this recruitment information influence your final decision at all? Where did you receive this information (in the mail, social media, e-mail)?

8. Besides mailed recruitment information, how did you gather information about that schools you were interested in (Google searches, college websites, social media, etc.)? Did you use social media, UT’s website, advice from your school guidance counselor, etc.? Which ones did you use? What did you think was the coolest way to interact/gather more information about schools?

9. Did you use social media (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram) to interact with the schools you were applying to? Which ones did you use? What was some of the coolest material you saw? What do you think would have made UT or other schools more appealing via social media?

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Appendix D

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Outside Sources4/12/2015 What Social Media Services Are For - Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-social-media-services-are-for-2014-11 1/3

Mean Girls

A Member Of 'Gen Z' JustExplained The Different SocialMedia Services To Me...

HENRY BLODGETNOV. 28, 2014, 10:17 AM

One of the benefits of

Thanksgiving is that

you get to hang out

with people from

different

generations.

Yesterday, I hung

out with someone

from a different

generation — a post-

Millennial that I am

told is from the

generation known as

"Gen Z."

I explained to the

Gen Z-er that my

social media usage is

limited to a niche news service called Twitter and an occasional dip into Facebook. The

Gen Z-er smiled knowingly. She then explained that she and her friends rarely use

Facebook and Twitter, but are otherwise addicted to social media.

The big winner, she says, the service that everyone uses, is Instagram.

I asked her why.

"Because parents see the little camera icon and think it's a photo app," she said. "They

don't know it's a social network."

Some people do use Snapchat, the Gen Z-er said, but parents know that one is a social

network. And it has a "bad reputation," so some kids aren't allowed to use it. And also the

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4/12/2015 What Social Media Services Are For - Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-social-media-services-are-for-2014-11 2/3

pictures disappear — except when they don't disappear because your "friend" takes a

screenshot of your picture and sends it to everyone they know (and everyone knows how

to do that).

Then there are Vine and Tumblr and YouTube and WhatsApp and Google Plus, et

al, all of which are used for different things and by different people at different times, the

Gen Z-er said. (So much for the old theory that there would be one social network to rule

them all).

I asked the Gen Z-er to walk me through all of these difference use-cases and attributes.

So she did.

If you're doing "fandom," she said — sharing excitement and news about a band, game,

movie, book, show, YouTuber, et al — you use Tumblr or Instagram. You can also use

Google Plus, but that's basically like email.

If you want to hang out and chat with friends, you use Snapchat, Google Plus,

Facebook, and texting. The texting, by the way, is primarily through standard texting or

Apple's iMessage. Most people don't have WhatsApp.

If you want to look at funny stuff and post funny stuff, you use Instagram, Vine,

Twitter, and maybe YouTube. Vine's video editing tools are better than Instagram's,

the Gen Z-er says. And Instagram's video playback is sometimes buggy.

If you want to brag about being popular and post selfies and groupies, you use

Instagram and maybe Snapchat — basically anything but Vine and Twitter.) 

If you're depressed or creepy, you use Tumblr. Or you can just follow and post sad stuff

on Instagram.

No one uses Facebook anymore, the Gen Z-er says. Facebook is just for old people

posting pictures of their kids and grand-kids. These people, by the way, are now starting

to infiltrate Instagram. They do this to try to keep an eye on their kids or to try to seem

super-hip.

Pinterest, meanwhile, just gets a shake of the head from the Gen Z-er. No one uses it.

(An ancient Boomer nearby pipes in to suggest that Pinterest is used by "old ladies"

posting pictures of knitting. The Boomer then adds that she herself is one of these old

ladies.)

What about phone calls? Do people ever talk anymore?

No, the Gen Z-er says. They just text. Everyone does have a phone number. But phone

numbers are for texting, not talking.

Well, actually, the Gen Z-er adds, people who are dating occasionally talk. And also

people who are doing group homework assignments.

In case anyone thinks social media has changed social dynamics in some meaningful way,

rest assured — it hasn't. Kids are still as clique-y and mean to each other as they have

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always been — and as adults often are. And there is still a rigid social hierarchy that

everyone knows about. It's just that the tools for imposing this hierarchy, and forever

reminding everyone of their place in it, have changed.

For example:

Unpopular kids will occasionally try to become more popular by following popular kids

on Instagram. The popular kids, however, may respond to this overture by blocking the

unpopular kids. For an unpopular kid, being blocked by a popular kid is worse than being

passively ignored by the popular kid, because everyone can see that you're blocked. And

when you're blocked, you can't see or share or comment on anything that the popular

kids post, so you don't even know what the popular kids are thinking or saying or liking

or talking about. You also can't even search for the popular kids, because their names

won't show up. It's like you don't even exist.

By the way, all the popular kids have brand new iPhones, the Gen Z-er says. Or fancy

Samsungs.

* Copyright © 2015 Business Insider Inc. All rights reserved.

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