At a glance
Nunley shared his marketing knowledge and assessment of current enrollment management challenges at the RNL executive gathering in Washington DC. His presentation asked the question "Is Higher Ed Dying or Dynamic? Changes in Student Perceptions of ROI."
The undisputed leading company in enrollment management, student success, university communication, and fundraising efforts, Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL), invited Russ Nunley from SUNY Alfred State College (ASC) to share his expertise and advice at a national conference.
“The number of students graduating high school was decreasing even before the impact of COVID,” said ASC Chief Marketing Officer and Adjunct Faculty Russ Nunley. “This perfect storm of challenges means that college executives must become more innovative and responsive to what students and parents are seeking. Participants at the RNL conference know this could be an existential threat to their institutions.”
Nunley shared his marketing knowledge and assessment of current enrollment management challenges at the RNL executive gathering in Washington DC. His presentation asked the question "Is Higher Ed Dying or Dynamic? Changes in Student Perceptions of ROI."
He cited multiple studies that show how families considering college are increasingly worried about affordability and if the school will provide needed career skills to land great jobs or to become an entrepreneur. Recently many private universities and regional colleges have seen declines in enrollment, but Nunley's work is to go against that trend.
His advice is to tailor both external advertising and internal communications so that all can see a positive value proposition and believe in their purpose. Nunley says families respond best to messages about lower costs to attend and higher future salaries thanks to student skills that match in-demand jobs.
This lesson matches what he instructs students about marketing and communication best practices. Nunley has 20 years of real-world communication experience before he entered higher education. He notes that his time in class helps him stay in touch with his target audience which is important as attracting students has become increasingly competitive.