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I. Internationalization of Education - Mark Shay
II. Cross-Listed Programs Ensure Maximized Visibility and Navigation
- Jennifer Lewis
III. Marketing and Word Connotations - Lori Faunce
IV. New Advertisers
V. Traffic Report
VI. Traffic Fact of the Month
VII. Top Ten EDU's
Higher education around the world is growing at a tremendous rate and presents unique opportunities for us all. There are nearly 100 million students in higher education worldwide, 14 million of which are in the United States. Over 1.5 million students are seeking a college degree outside their home country 515,000 of which are in the United States. Worldwide "tertiary" (post-secondary) enrollment has been increasing 4-5% per year and demand far exceeds supply.
There are many reasons for this growth, some political, some social. The axiom that "knowledge is power" is motivating many to attend college. As developing nations progress, education becomes a high priority, at least in theory. It is estimated that 94% of eligible students from India are denied access to college due to limited capacity. In political circles, intellectual capital is now viewed as a symbol of national wealth and vital to future prosperity. As nations struggle to meet the demand for better and more affordable higher education, where will they turn?
In the United States, 26 percent of the population now has a bachelors degree. In China, this number is only four percent. In order to compete, the Chinese government has determined that nineteen percent of the population should have a bachelors degree by 2020. To reach this goal, 10,000 institutions the size of the University of Indiana would have to be built. Clearly this won't happen with public funds.
Private higher education in many countries may provide the answer. There are 1,274 private institutions educating 4 million students in China. Five hundred of these institutions began operating between 1995 and 1999. Additionally, 55,000 Chinese students study in the USA. In India, 75% of the colleges are now private enrolling 60% of all students. An additional 42,000 college students from India are in the USA. More than 80% of the college enrollment in the Philippines is in private schools as is nearly 80% of the Korean enrollment.
Most private institutions are not-for-profit, however, new for-profit companies are entering into higher education, and many are taking a global position. Sylvan Learning, a publicly traded company (SLVN) has a unit called Sylvan International Universities which owns schools in Mexico, Chile, Switzerland and Spain. Sylvan also holds a major stake in Walden University, a US-based online school. Apollo International plans to build University of Phoenix into a worldwide brand through physical campuses and distance education.
While there has been a series of set-backs in the emergence of online institutions, their long-term impact may greater overseas rather than in the U.S. Is distance education the answer to meeting the worldwide desire for better educated citizens? Will for-profit enterprises be the force that can deliver the huge need for college education? Can traditional campus environments respond to the worldwide demand and, if so, how?
The American system of higher education is in a unique position to prosper for quite some time if it can capitalize on the worldwide eagerness for its type of service. Today, there is a wonderful opportunity available through the "internationalization of education".
Many Program Providers utilize this system frequently, updating program information each Academic Year/Semester/Summer, etc. Periodic updates provide the opportunity to highlight program dates and emphasize special courses. Still, others prefer to utilize generalized versions of program descriptions. In doing so, one will insure that outdated listings do not discourage prospective students. It is important to decide in which manner you will manage program listings. Accuracy should always be a priority; it is the key to proper consumption of online information.
Unlike many other online directories, Studyabroad.com provides the unique opportunity for you to decide in which related directories you would like your program(s) to be listed. It is often appropriate that the same program be listed in more than one directory. For example, a four-week summer session program in Ecuador might be listed in the Summer and Experiential Directories. Additionally, a two-week summer session program in the Galapagos Islands might be listed in the aforementioned, as well as the Intersession Directory. Studyabroad.com welcomes the submission of new Language, Country and Subject Directories. (Example: Studyabroad.com is presently developing a Galapagos Islands Directory in an effort to meet the needs of a customer.)
Consider all of the ways in which you would like prospective students to be able to find your program and request to be "Cross-listed". Cross-listings refer to program records that are shared throughout numerous directories. Rather than 'Add a New Program' for each of the programs that you would like to cross-list, simply include the programs and locations that you would like to cross-list in the 'Comments to the Studyabroad.com Staff' field at the bottom of the update form.
Appropriately cross-listing your programs is a savvy methodology to ensure maximum visibility within the Studyabroad.com Directory. Be sure to remember that concise and current content in each listing will be best reviewed, consumed and utilized by online users. As Studyabroad.com continuously strives to facilitate the process of assisting your program outreach to prospective study abroad participants, don't miss out on taking advantage of this refreshingly easy (and FREE!) opportunity.
* Please contact us (info@studyabroad.com) for your Studyabroad.comSerial Number and/or with any additional questions regardingCross-listed programs.
Words can be deceiving whether they are presented in an ad or in casual conversation. When marketing, one must pay particular attention to a word's inferred meaning. Inferred meanings of words can have a negative or positive effect on those who read or hear them. Several considerations should be made before marketing copy is viewed by the public.
There are many stories about established companies and their marketing blunders when advertising in foreign countries. In each of these accounts, a word or phrase was used that, while relevant in the U.S., meant something entirely different (or nothing at all) to the population of another country. Even in the U.S., however, different words can be used for the same meanings. For example, a hoagie is to Philadelphia residents as a sub is to residents of the rest of the United States. Words such as these may lead to confusion when the product is presented.
On a more subtle note, when targeting a specific audience, one should use words or phrases that would appeal to that particular audience. For example, if you are describing a professor of fine arts to an audience over the age of thirty-five, you might say "This well-articulated, knowledgeable professor possesses the ability to teach almost anyone how to become a serious artist." A younger audience, however, might respond better to "This well-educated, down-to-earth professor makes learning fine arts fun as well as worthwhile." While each audience may care about all the traits mentioned, an older audience may be less concerned about being bored and more concerned about excelling in art and understanding the subject. The younger audience, on the other hand, may be concerned about excelling in the subject but will also be more interested in having a fun experience.
Young generations also tend to use slang more than other age groups. Organizations may be tempted to use such slang when advertising to this audience. However, it is usually an unwise decision, to use slang in marketing material. For example, the term "phat" (meaning excellent or great) is well-known among those in Generations X and Y. If the term is used in a radio ad, however, it is too likely to be confused with "fat" and potentially offend some people. In addition, slang is not uniform throughout the country. The word "wicked" (meaning very or really) is often used by young New England residents but residents of other areas of the United States may not be aware of that meaning of the term.
There are other differences in definitions that can have a bigger connotative effect than one might expect. Consider the inferences of the words "dislike" and "hate". Dislike is a much less extreme feeling than hate. In order to emphasize the feeling, one should use the more extreme word ("Do you hate commuting?"). To downplay the feeling, use the more subtle word ("Many students dislike commuting"). Another example is "complementary" and "free". When marketing to people of wealth, the word "complementary" is much more suitable, whereas "free" has more meaning to the general public.
Connotative differences can also occur between broad terms and their more-specific counterparts. For example, does a school offer programs in "higher education", which can be inclusive of anything above the high-school level, or does it offer "graduate programs," a more specific type of program? Another example of this is "education abroad", implying all types of abroad programs (internships, volunteer, academic year, etc.) versus "study abroad" which implies only study programs.
Inferences are not always negative; words can be manipulated to create a positive effect as well. Subtle differences in how something is said can create a completely different image in the reader's mind. Consider the following two phrases: "University X is not located in an urban area and instead located in the suburbs of City X" versus " University X is located in a beautiful suburban setting just outside of City X". The first description leaves the statement open for negative or positive interpretation, depending on how the reader feels about urban areas. The second statement does not emphasize the fact that the university is NOT in an urban setting, instead it emphasizes the beauty of the suburban area.
In order to ensure the implication intended is the implication received in marketing copy, it is important to know your audience and the product or service being presented. While a specific formula does not exist for when to use which words, utilizing good communicative skills and attention to word inferences should ensure good copy for your marketing pieces.
Academic Studies Abroad
American University of Paris
Canada Student Service Corporation
Desarrollo Educacional de Guanajuato, A.C.
Huron University USA in London
Institute of Social Studies (ISS)
UNIVERSIDAD DEL PACIFICO - ECUADOR
Here's a look at unique hosts (roughly the number of unique users) per month visiting Studyabroad.com:
July 2001: 177,231
July 2000: 60,284
June 2001: 140,337
June 2000: 108,392
May 2001: 148,337
May 2000: 99,502
April 2001: 143,789
April 2000: 93,204
March 2001: 140,785
March 2000: 108,291
February 2001: 134,298
February 2000: 121,078
January 2001: 168,375
January 2000: 95,653
December 2000: 128,371
December 1999: 68,538
November 2000: 135,360
November 1999: 98,813
October 2000: 136,961
October 1999: 99,847
September 2000: 200,683
September 1999: 80,074
August 2000: 127,922
August 1999: 70,356
1. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x: 72%
2. Netscape Navigator 4.x: 10%
3. Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.x: 7%
4. Netscape Navigator 3.x: 4%
5. ArchitextSpider: 1%
1. Polytechnic University - 13,562
2. University of Virginia - 7,742
3. University of Albany - 7,096
4. Stanford University - 6,723
5. SUNY, Buffalo - 6,470
6. University of Washington - 5,892
7. Columbia University - 5,871
8. Indiana University - 5,730
9. University of California, Berkeley - 5,480
10.University of Wisconsin, Madison - 5,442
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