Measurement Plan for Higher Learning

For this blog, I will select a college or university and setup a measurement plan. The university I will use for this exercise is Michigan State University (MSU). I will follow the 5 steps as suggested by author Katie Delahaye Paine (KDP).

Step 1: Identify and Prioritize

For an effective measurement plan, MSU must establish which relationships are important to success of the university. MSU may choose to focus on the relationships it has with freshmen, alumni organizations, boosters, and parents of student. After determining which relationships are important, MSU can prioritize the list by which ones need improving and which ones deserve the most attention.

Step 2: Define Objectives

After determining which relationships to focus on, MSU can define what the objective is for each relationship. Take for example, the university’s relationship with incoming freshmen. This could affect the future growth of the university. MSU’s objective may be to maintain a positive relationship with freshmen in order to gain free “word-of-mouth” advertising and a lower transfer rate.

Step 3: Benchmark

Establishing a benchmark would be the next step. MSU will want to compare the statistics for each objective and compare them to schools in the surrounding area. Schools like the University of Michigan, The University of Indiana, and Pennsylvania State University would be suitable choice to use as benchmarks. These universities are in close proximity, similar in size, are all division 1 schools.

Step 4: Choose Measurement Tools and Collect

The best way for MSU to measure and collect data would be via surveys. Surveys would the university to reach student, parents, and alumni in order to gain an understanding of the university’s public image. MSU could also use social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter to remain connected with past and current students and parents. The more avenues that are available for people to share their thoughts, the better-equipped MSU will be in maintaining relationships.

Step 5: Analyze, Recommend, Make Changes, and Measure Again

After collecting data, MSU can compare it to data from previous years and evaluate the trends over time. The university should focus on the relationships that are struggling and take the appropriate measure to strengthen them. If the MSU’s relationship with freshmen is a problem, the university could evaluate its programs like freshmen orientation and counseling initiatives make changes accordingly.