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IR Kn owl edg e Series
Fall 2009
What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report Published by IntelliResponse
Tap into the Online Questions and Concerns of Modern Higher Education Students “Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information on it.” – Samuel Johnson
What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
Table of Contents I
About This Report.............................................................................................................. 3
II
The Data........................................................................................................................... 4
III
Notable Trends – Highlights and Commentary from the Top Questions.................................. 5
i. Prospective Students...................................................................................................... 6
Overall Areas of Interest..................................................................................................... 6
Key Trending Questions: The Story Behind the Query..................................................... 8
Trend Data versus School Data: How Administrators Apply the Information...................... 8
ii. Current Students........................................................................................................... 11
Overall Areas of Interest............................................................................................. 11
Key Trending Questions: The Story Behind the Query................................................... 12
Trend Data versus School Data: How Administrators Apply the Information.................... 12
iii. Financial Aid.................................................................................................................. 15
Overall Areas of Interest............................................................................................. 15
Key Trending Questions: The Story Behind the Query................................................... 16
Trend Data versus School Data: How Administrators Apply the Information.................... 16
iv. IT Help Desk................................................................................................................... 19
Overall Areas of Interest............................................................................................. 19
Key Trending Questions: Telling the Story of the Future................................................. 20
Trend Data versus School Data: How Administrators Apply the Information.................... 20
IV
Resulting Implications – What Does it All Mean?................................................................ 23
Cater to Web Savvy Students...................................................................................... 23
Don’t Forget the Parents............................................................................................. 23 Why is student satisfaction so important?................................................................... 23 V
How is customer satisfaction delivered online?............................................................ 24
Actionable Next Steps – What Can Be Done?..................................................................... 25
1. Know What an Enhanced Online Student Experience Should Look Like...................... 25
2. Overcome Silos of Information Bottlenecks.............................................................. 25
3. Include Feedback Opportunity................................................................................. 25
4. Test and Test Again!............................................................................................... 25
5. Right-Channel Your Audience................................................................................... 25
6. Make Your Phone Number Accessible...................................................................... 25
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What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
I About This Report The Dawn of the 21st Century Campus Samuel Johnson’s centuries-old observation on knowledge couldn’t be more applicable to the mindset of today’s modern student. When students seek to find information these days, they turn first, and often exclusively, to one place: the Internet. They’re going there in droves to ask questions. They expect rapid, complete, and accurate answers and desire the ability to serve themselves using technology, or interact with their peers to get information online. Today’s students are far more comfortable interacting on a social networking site or on their school web site than on the phone or even via standard email communication, let alone making the journey in person to a campus office or department. This is both an opportunity and a challenge for today’s higher education institution. The opportunity lies with applying technologies that exist today to make it not only possible, but exceedingly cost effective, to make information accessible to students when and where they seek it – in digital form. The challenge is that any information that appears in any way cumbersome to access will reflect poorly on the institution, and institutions must deliver information across an increasingly wider array of online communication channels, including blogs, social media networks, forums and mobile devices. Today’s schools must be ready to respond with information quickly and effectively in order to keep up with this rapidly evolving landscape. The 2009 Voice of the Student Report from IntelliResponse uncovers, for the first time, key insights into the stories behind the online questions posed by millions of students across North America. These students are sending a clear message: the web is now the primary point of contact between them and the outside world, so as institutions, we had better take notice.
The 2009 Voice of the Student Report contains more than three years of compiled data and commentary to provide a unique overview of what is really on the mind of the modern student when they are seeking answers from current or prospective schools. What you’ll find in this report: • • •
Notable Trends in Higher Education – Highlights from hundreds of the top online questions posed by students at schools across North America, derived from aggregate data drawn from tens of millions of posed questions, Departmental Impact – Key insights impacting a wide variety of departments and issues effecting students and staff in Higher Education, and Actionable Next Steps – Recommendations to improve the student experience at your school.
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What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
II The Data
Data used in this report was aggregated from tens of millions of online questions posed to North America’s top higher education institutions. Key data is categorized and presented, in the following four areas of interest: i) ii) iii) iv)
Prospective Students Current Students Financial Aid IT Support
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What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
III Notable Trends – Highlights and Commentary from the Top Questions
What’s most revealing (and most useful to school administrators) is that there are questions within each of the four major data categories that are surprising, unexpected, and/or point to macro trends in student behavior. By understanding these questions as indicators of what is going on “out there”, institutions can have better insight into their student constituents (current and prospective). Online questions can provide a real narrative for what life is like for the modern student, and the beliefs, values and motivations that shape their views of the world and drive their behavior. With that, we present our key data findings and highlights from these questions across the four categories, beginning with prospective students.
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What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
i. Prospective Students Overall Areas of Interest For prospective students, insights into the inner workings of potential target schools are key, and many go directly online to do initial and ongoing research. Questions about campus life, how classes are delivered, extra-curricular activities and key academic focus are all of primary importance to prospective students. This speaks loudly to the importance of managing the student experience, and your institution’s brand, particularly in terms of recruitment. As could be expected, the application process and the associated academic requirements for acceptance are also of key interest. Many students feel uninformed when it comes to the administrative processes involved in applying and gaining acceptance to a prospective school. Figure 1 (next page) illustrates the degree to which each major category of questions is asked by prospective students during their school selection process. Figure 2 (next page) identifies the top 20 overall questions being asked by perspective students across all schools.
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What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
i. Prospective Students Figure 1
Areas of Interest for Prospective Students 15%
4%
Key Topical Interests 38%
Programs and Campus Life
15% The Application Process Academic Requirements
28%
Costs & Financial Aid Contacting the School
Figure 2
Top 20 Ranked Questions Overall Rank
Question
1
What majors or academic programs do you offer?
2
What are your admission requirements?
3
How much is tuition?
4
How do I apply?
5
When is the application deadline?
6
What are your ACT / SAT requirements?
7
Do you have an Academic Calendar?
8
How do I apply as a transfer student?
9
How do I contact a student, staff member or department?
10
What is the status of my application?
11
Do you require a personal statement or letters of recommendation?
12
What courses do you offer?
13
How do I order my transcript?
14
What is the academic profile of the freshman class?
15
How do I apply for financial aid?
16
How many students are at [school name]?
17
How can I find out more about [school name]?
18
What are your course and credit hour requirements?
19
How do I register for classes?
20
How do I transfer credits from another institution?
What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
i. Prospective Students Key Trending Questions: The Story Behind the Query From aggregating the data into a top 200 question list, we combed through and have identified key topical questions that speak to larger trends effecting modern life in higher education – from the viewpoint of the perspective student. Below are some key trends to take note of when planning enrollment and recruitment efforts for your institution. How can I find out more about your school? (Question Rank: 17) A seemingly obvious question, but one fraught with challenges in a Web 3.0 world – where the students and the community have the power to choose like never before. How does your institution answer this question online, or via social media channels? Are you leveraging Facebook, student forums, Twitter and mobile phones to create an environment for prospective students to gain access to your institution on their terms, in their “language”? How do I transfer credits from another institution? (Question Rank: 20) This question speaks to a macro trend in the education market. Many students continue to transfer from one school to another in North America, and retention and loyalty remain areas of concern for many schools. The relative importance of such questions drives home the need for a commitment to enhanced student experience and retention. Do you offer distance learning courses? (Question Rank: 26) The popularity of this question underlines the importance of distance and life-long learning to the modern student. Technology has changed the way students educate themselves and access learning opportunities, meaning schools must now recognize the importance of distance learning in terms of lifetime customer value, school brand loyalty and overall adoption by the modern student base.
How do I arrange for a campus tour? (Question Rank: 28) This is a simple request which comes up hundreds, if not thousands of times, across campuses, and via school web sites, Facebook pages and mobile phones. Many times students do not know how to make these arrangements. Obviously, an inability to provide the right information regarding campus tours and school access represents a major lost opportunity. Why should I choose your school? (Question Rank: 35) Modern education is a competitive business. Students are more discerning than ever and have a tremendous amount of choice for where they choose to spend their time and dollars. The boldness of this question begs another, how will your school differentiate itself in 2010 or 2011? Students will want to know! Trend Data versus School Data: How Administrators Apply the Information As a school administrator, do a quick self assessment. Can a prospective student on your school’s web site easily and quickly receive an accurate and timely answer to any of the above key trending questions? Even more importantly, do you know if prospective students are asking these questions of your institution? If not, just what exactly are they curious about? You may have found the top 20 overall questions from perspective students of interest (figure 2) to compare against your own list. But this is only a fraction of the overall picture an institution needs to form a holistic view of where their school stands in addressing new issues and trends with prospective students (or any student audience for that matter). For example, the key trending questions are from questions mostly ranked beyond the top 20 line – the “long tail” of student queries often provides the biggest challenge for most institutions. This underscores the importance of digging deeper – beyond the top 20 and key trending questions – to address your prospective students’ unique needs as they pertain to your school.
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What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
i. Prospective Students This is where the real payoff comes – in creating a platform for students to ask questions that are important to them. The result is unparalleled insights into the topics, ideas and issues that are important to your institution.
You may find that your school’s top 20 ranked questions from prospective students will likely have a lot of similarities with any other school’s list. (Interestingly, this is not the case for current students.) Figure 3 below shows an example of just three schools’ top 20 questions from our data pool. Apart from a few notable differences, notice just how similar the lists are from one school to the next. Common questions on topics like majors, tuition, scholarships and applications dominate each top 20 list.
This fact belies the inadequacy of simply posting answers to frequently asked questions – as many of these lists pose little assistance to the inquiring student, who is armed with questions of her own regarding information that is important to her. Figure 3
Sample of Top 20 Questions from 3 Schools
School A Rank
Question
1
What majors does the school offer?
2
School B Rank
Question
How much is tuition?
1
What majors or academic programs do you offer?
3
What are your admission requirements?
2
What are your admission requirements?
4
How do I apply?
3
When is the application deadline?
5
When is the application deadline?
4
Do you have an Academic Calendar?
6
How do I apply as a transfer student?
5
How do I apply?
7
What are your ACT / SAT requirements?
6
Do you require a personal statement or letters of recommendation?
8
What is the academic profile of the freshman class?
7
What is the status of my application?
8
9
How many students are at the school?
10
How can I find out more about the school?
11
What are your course and credit hour requirements?
12
What scholarships do you offer?
13
Where can I get information on residence halls?
14
How can I contact university staff or departments?
15
What is the application process?
16
Will my credits transfer?
17
Where can I find information about graduate, professional, and continuing education programs?
18
Do you offer distance learning courses?
19 20
School C Rank
Question
1
How much is tuition?
2
Financial Aid General Information
3
When is registration?
4
How do I check the status of my refund?
5
What is the process of applying for admission?
6
When is commencement?
How do I apply as a transfer student?
7
What majors and minors do you offer?
9
What is the average ACT or SAT score?
8
How do I drop/withdraw a class?
10
How do I transfer credits from another institution?
9
When is my bill due?
11
How much is tuition?
10
How do I apply for scholarships?
12
Do you prefer the ACT or SAT for admission?
11
When do classes start?
13
Is [school name] a multi-campus system?
12
How do I apply for financial aid?
13
When can I apply for admission?
14
How do I contact a student, staff member or department?
14
How do I register for classes?
15
How do I arrange for a campus tour?
15
How can I view my bill?
16
What are the requirements / classes for my major?
16
How can I pay my bill?
17
How do I contact the Admissions Office?
17
What is the status of my application?
18
Why should I choose your school?
18
How do I order a transcript?
What is the academic calendar?
19
How do I submit my high school transcript?
19
How do I see my academic transcript and GPA?
What classes does the school offer?
20
How do I register for classes?
20
How do I declare a major/minor?
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What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
i. Prospective Students However, once you look pass the top 20 questions, you will find similarities fade quickly. The further you look beyond the top 20 questions, the more you can get to the heart of the unique questions being asked of your unique school by your prospective students. Figure 4 below illustrates the vast differences in the ranked 90 to 100 questions being asked at the same three sample schools by their prospective students. Figure 4
Sample of Ranked 90 to 100 Questions from 3 Schools
School A Rank
Question
90
Do you have summer camps and programs for kids and young adults?
91
Does the school require vaccinations?
School B Rank
Question
90
What is the student to faculty ratio?
91
Can I apply online? What are the requirements for the dean’s list?
School C Rank
Question
90
How can I talk/meet with an admissions adviser?
91
How do I get my ID card?
92
How do I get my student number and PIN number?
92
What is the school like?
92
93
Where can I get information on recreational sports?
93
Can I buy my books online?
93
Where is the bookstore and when do I get books?
94
Can I apply online?
94
What courses do you offer?
94
Do you have a health center on campus?
95
How safe is campus?
95
What is the school mascot?
What are your school colors?
How do I reapply?
How do I contact Student Business Services?
96
96
95 96
Do you offer scholarships?
How do I get academic help?
97
What are some fun things to do in town?
97
Where is the Student Center?
98
What student organizations do you offer?
97 98
Where can I eat on campus?
98
Who is the school president?
99
How do I appeal my admissions decision?
99
Do you have a Work-Study Program?
99
What are the different web-based class instruction classifications?
100
Do you have an internship program?
100
How are my transfer credits evaluated?
100
How do I qualify for the Presidential Scholarship Competition?
Clearly, these core questions highlight a need for customized, school specific information that a standard FAQ program could never provide. For example, question 95 from School A highlights a possible need for that school to better address security concerns on their campus.
In another school’s example, (not shown here) administrators noticed increasing questions about where to park on their campus. This led to additional parking allocation for students, making the school more accessible. Visit the “Resulting Implications – What Does it All Mean?” section of this report on page 23 for further analysis and knowledge on what to do next. Or continue below to find out what’s on the minds of our next key demographic: current students.
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What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
ii. Current Students Overall Areas of Interest Perhaps no single stakeholder group exemplifies the need and opportunity for self-service information on the 21st century campus more than the current student base. Close to 75% of all online questions asked by this group deal with administrative, informational issues of one sort or another. This presents an ideal opportunity for institutions to standardize (across multiple communication channels such as contact centers, web site, social
media and mobile) information delivery to provide students with the answers they need, while reducing costs and staff workload in key student-facing departments. Figure 5 illustrates the degree to which each major category of questions is asked by current students. Figure 6 identifies the top 20 overall questions that are asked by current students across schools.
Figure 5
Areas of Interest for Current Students 11%
Key Topical Interests
15%
44%
Campus Life - Academic Transfers and Administration Campus Life - Housing, Social, Careers
30%
Program Costs & Payment
Figure 6
Top 20 Ranked Questions Overall Rank
Question
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
What types of majors or academic programs do you offer? Where is the academic calendar? How much is tuition? How do I register? How can I pay tuition? Where can I find information about my college or department? Where can I find out which textbooks I need? How do I find a specific building on campus? Where can I get my Final Grades? How do I schedule my courses? How do I apply? What/Where is the Student Employment & Career Centre? When is the Final Exam Schedule available? How do I request my transcript? What are your admission requirements? How can I contact the [school name]? What is [student intranet name]? Where are my classes located? What do I need from the school to file my taxes? What is academic advising?
It is interesting to note that a prospective student question, “How do I apply?” ranked #11, appears within the top 20 current student questions. This highlights the importance of making information accessible across a school’s web site property. Students, prospective or current, could ask their questions anywhere on a school web site during a visit.
What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
ii. Current Students Key Trending Questions: The Story Behind the Query From aggregating the data into a top 200 question list, we combed through and have identified key topical questions that speak to larger trends effecting modern life in higher education from the viewpoint of the current student. Below are some key trends for administrators to take note of when striving to balance addressing student satisfaction while reducing costs and staff workload. Where is the Academic Calendar? (Question Rank: 2) The second most popular question asked among current students. This speaks to the communication disconnect among school administration and their constituents. If something as basic as an academic calendar can’t be found on a school’s web site, what else can’t current students find answers to? What/Where is the Student Employment & Career Center? (Question Rank: 12) Another “what is” question about a service that most schools would almost assuredly assume their students understand intimately. What is your grading policy? (Question Rank: 81) Many queries from current students deal with grades and marks. Grading, credits, transfers, classes and curriculums – many students desire immediate and online access to this type of information. Can I use my own laptop? (Question Rank: 89) Technology is essential in today’s environment, and many students have questions about your school’s policies for the use of technology while attending your institution. Can you illustrate for them your leadership position on technology? How can I find my Student ID number? (Question Rank: 21) Another simple query posed literally thousands of times. These types of common queries pose a great opportunity for your institution to lower costs – by leveraging technology to provide a degree of automation to deliver answers – allowing support staff to focus on more complex requests.
What health and dental coverage is available? (Question Rank: 25) Concern over health care and medical support is rising in America, and the appearance of this question is an example of how students’ concerns often mirror the macro economic and social environment. Schools must therefore have systems in place that can respond with information quickly and effectively in order to keep up with today’s technological, economic and social landscapes. Trend Data versus School Data: How Administrators Apply the Information Unlike a prospective student – who has the singular goal of applying to the school in mind when she’s seeking answers, current students have a vast array of intentions when they visit a school’s web site or contact a school for answers. Figure 7 (next page) lists just three schools’ top 20 questions from our data pool. Each school’s list is quite distinct from the other. Student satisfaction, loyalty and retention are paramount in today’s highly competitive higher education market. This is further illustrated in the last section of the report on current students, where “How do I apply as a transfer student?” is ranked #8 and “How do I transfer credits from another institution?” is ranked #21. Administrators must ask themselves how they can serve each and every current student with accuracy and efficiency. How can a school connect each of their students to the particular answers each needs immediately without incurring significant cost increases?
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What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
ii. Current Students Figure 7
Sample of Top 20 Questions from 3 Schools
School A Rank
Question
1
What programs do you offer?
2
Where do I find the academic schedule of dates?
3 4
School B Rank
Question
1
How much is tuition and when/how do I pay it?
How much is tuition?
2
What types of housing is available and do we have to live on campus?
How can I pay Tuition?
3
What are your admission requirements?
5
How do I register?
6
Where can I find information about my college or department?
4
What types of majors or academic programs do you offer?
5
7
Where can I find out which textbooks I need?
6
8
How do I find a specific building on campus?
9
Where can I get my Final Grades?
10
How do I schedule my courses?
11
What is the Student Employment & Career Centre?
12
When is the Final Exam Schedule available?
13
How can I contact the school?
14
School C Rank
Question
1
How do I register for an elective course?
2
How can I get a copy of my timetable?
3
How do I view my grades?
4
How is my GPA calculated?
5
How much is tuition?
How do I apply or re-enter?
6
How do I apply?
How do I cancel or adjust my Financial Aid?
7
How do I contact a student, staff
7
How do I get a copy of or submit my transcript?
member or department?
8
How do I know if classes are cancelled?
8
What is your grading policy?
9
What books do I need for my classes? Can I buy them online?
9
How can I make up a class that I failed?
10
How do I apply to graduate?
10
What is the academic calendar?
11
Do you offer summer courses?
11
When do I register for classes?
12
How and when do I apply and receive financial aid?
12
How do I get a copy of my transcript?
What is [student intranet name]?
15
Where are my classes located?
13
Where and when are my exams?
13
How do I pay my tuition?
16
What do I need from the school in order to file my Taxes?
14
What is the academic calendar?
14
How can I change my timetable?
15
How do I get a student ID card?
17
What is academic advising?
15
How do I drop or withdraw from a class?
18
How do I add or drop classes or make changes to the classes that I have
16
When is the application deadline?
16
What are the fees at the school?
17
How many students are enrolled?
registered in?
How do I withdraw from the school?
What funding options are available to pay for my education?
Do you have a required high school GPA, SAT, ACT? What should it be?
17
19
18
18
What books do I need for my classes?
19
How do I register for classes?
20
Where can I get a copy of the calendar?
20
How do I contact a student, staff or department?
19
How do I get a course description?
20
Can I repeat a class?
As can be expected, the questions begin to become more distinctive further down the top 20 list. Figure 8 (next page)lists the vast differences from school to school in a sample of the ranked top 90 to 100 questions being asked by current students.
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What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
ii. Current Students Figure 8
Sample of Ranked 90 to 100 Questions from 3 Schools
School A Rank
Question
90
Does the [school name] have a Registrar’s Office?
91
How can I find work on campus?
92
School B
School C
Rank
Question
Rank
Question
90
What varsity sports do you offer?
90
What are your policies on attendance?
91
How diverse is your student body?
91
What is academic probation?
How can I get help with my writing?
92
Is there a gym on campus?
93
Does the [school name] have exchange or study abroad programs?
93
What is the difference between in-state and out-of-state residency?
92
Do you offer a Police Foundations program?
94
Is there a time limit for completing a degree?
94
Can I have people spend the night?
93
Does your school have a wireless network?
95
How do I print documents at the University?
95
What intramural sports do you offer?
94
How do I get a [public transit name] discount pass?
96
How long does it take to graduate?
96
What is the deadline for registration?
95
How much will my books cost?
97
How do I withdraw from University?
Is there a library on campus?
How do I graduate with Distinction or Honors?
How many credits do I need to be considered a sophomore, junior or senior?
96
98
97
97
What is academic standing?
98
Do you offer a payment plan?
98
Where are the computer labs?
99
How can I determine if a class is full?
100
Does the Student Employment & Career Center handle interviews for on-campus recruiters?
99
What is your Federal School Code for financial aid?
99
Do you offer an English Language Studies program?
100
How do I contact the Housing Office?
100
Do you offer co-operative education?
Visit the “Resulting Implications – What Does it All Mean?” section of this report on page 23 for further analysis and knowledge on what to do next. Or continue below to find out what’s on the minds of our next key demographic: students seeking financial aid.
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What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
iii. Financial Aid Overall Areas of Interest Students concerned with financial aid are, first and foremost, interested in the associated fees and tuition costs for enrolling or remaining enrolled in a particular institution. These costs of course provide the foundation for any future decisions around which institution or financial aid options they decide to pursue. In addition, it is safe to assume that most institutions have room for improvement when it comes to
providing accurate information on the application process. Close to 30% of all online questions asked by students are related to the process itself, how it is completed, what resources are available, etc. Figure 9 illustrates the degree to which each major category of questions is asked by students seeking answers to financial aid queries. Figure 10 identifies the top 20 overall questions being asked by students seeking answers to financial aid questions.
Figure 9
Areas of Interest for Students Seeking Information from Financial Aid Departments 12%
Key Topical Interests
26%
33%
Tuition-Fee Inquiries Application Process General/Administrative
29%
Government Programs
Figure 10
Top 20 Ranked Questions Overall Rank
Question
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
How do I apply for financial aid? How much is tuition? What is the application process? How do I complete my Master Promissory Note (MPN)? What types of financial aid are available? When will I be billed? How do I contact the Financial Aid Office? What is your Federal School Code for financial aid? How do I check the status of my financial aid application? How and when will I receive my financial aid? Do you have a Work-Study Program? When will I receive my refund? how can I contact admissions? What is a Federal Parent PLUS Loan? How do I apply for summer aid? How do I confirm my classes? What is the difference between a subsidized and an unsubsidized loan? Can I receive financial aid for winter/summer? How can I apply for summer aid? What is the school’s CEEB code?
What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
iii. Financial Aid Key Trending Questions: The Story Behind the Query From aggregating the financial aid data into a top 200 question list, we combed through and have identified key topical questions that speak to the larger financial trends effecting modern student life in higher education. Below are some key trends to take note of – when ensuring your school fully addresses your students’ financial aid questions. How do I contact the Financial Aid Office? (Question Rank: 5) A critically important query for students. But with the heavy service demands in the financial aid department, it is difficult for students to contact the department, which leaves them looking for other ways to get their questions answered in the sensitive timeframe they may need. What is a “Stafford Loan” – how do I apply? (Question Rank: 36) This important federal loan program can mean all the difference to thousands of prospective students. How is your institution assisting prospective or current students with leveraging federal or state funding? Up to 25% of student questions regarding financial aid deal with access to and completion of the various funding opportunities available. This is a trend that will likely only increase in the future.
Do you have a work-study program? (Question Rank: 31) Particularly in the current economy, many students require the ability to combine their studies with work on or off-campus. For some, the value may come in the form of experience and skill-building, for others it’s a financial concern. Either way, the modern student is clearly concerned about incorporating work into their student experience. What are my FERPA Rights? (Question Rank: 78) Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, student loans are subject to certain criteria that protect the privacy of the student. Growing knowledge and concern over this act is a strong indication of student expectations regarding privacy throughout their relationship with your institution. Trend Data versus School Data: How Administrators Apply the Information Financial aid questions spike at certain times of the school year, especially during the semester enrollment and registration process. From a student’s perspective, these questions have a sense of urgency and immediacy since they are deadlineoriented. How can administrators serve students with the sense of accuracy, urgency and sensitivity they require? Like data on the prospective student section of this report, the top 20 financial aid questions posed by students from one school to another are similar. Figure 11 (next page) shows an example of three sample schools from our data pool – you will see how similar the questions are from one school to the next, with only a few notable differences.
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What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
iii. Financial Aid Figure 11
Sample of Top 20 Questions from 3 Schools
School A Rank
Question
1
School B Rank
Question
How do I apply for financial aid?
1
How do I apply for financial aid?
2
How much is tuition?
2
What is the application process?
3
How do I contact the Financial Aid Office?
3
How much is tuition and fees?
4
What is a Federal Parent PLUS Loan?
School C Rank
Question
1
How do I complete my Master Promissory Note (MPN)?
2
How do I apply for financial aid?
3
How much does tuition cost?
What types of financial aid do you have available?
4
How and when will I receive my financial aid?
5
What scholarships are available?
4
6
Do you have a Work-Study Program?
5
When will I be billed?
5
What is the difference between a subsidized and an unsubsidized loan?
6
Can I receive financial aid for winter/summer?
7
How can I apply for summer aid?
8
How do I contact the Financial Aid Office?
9
How can I get a scholarship?
10
Can I check the status of my financial aid?
11
What is a Parent PLUS loan and how do I apply?
12
What is the deadline for applying for financial aid?
7
What is a Stafford Loan?
6
What is your FAFSA school code?
8
How and when will I receive my financial aid?
7
How can I contact admissions?
9
How do I sign the Federal Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN)?
8
How do I confirm my classes?
10
When will I receive my refund?
9
What is your CEEB code?
11
What types of financial aid do you have available?
10
What is the status of my application?
12
What are the eligibility requirements for financial aid?
11
How do I apply for housing?
12
When will I get my refund?
13
Do you have an Academic Calendar?
13
How do I complete my exit interview?
14
How much is housing?
13
What is your Suggested Lender List?
15
When was the school founded?
14
How do I get work study?
16
Where do I address Financial Aid issues?
15
How do I complete entrance counseling?
16
How do students qualify for grants?
17
What happens to my financial aid if I am not enrolled full-time?
14
What loans are available?
15
How do I check the status of my financial aid application?
16
How do I pay the bill?
17
How do I contact a student, staff member or department?
18
What is your Federal School Code for financial aid?
19
How do I apply for summer aid?
20
How do I access the school’s online financial aid system?
17
Do you have work study?
18
Where is the school located?
18
When will I receive my excess aid check?
19
How is financial aid applied to my bill?
19
Will my financial aid go towards my housing?
20
When do classes or finals begin or end?
20
What is your Federal School Code?
18
What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
iii. Financial Aid But again, as we look beyond the top 20 list, the diversity of questions increase. This confirms that there is a vast array of questions that students need to ask and find answers to when seeking financial aid. Figure 12 below illustrates this fact in terms of the questions ranked 90 to 100.
Figure 12
Sample of Ranked 90 to 100 Questions from 3 Schools
School A Rank
Question
90
How do I complete the PLUS Request Form?
91
School B
School C
Rank
Question
Rank
Question
90
Do you offer early admission?
90
What can I do for a past due balance?
How do I request a deferment?
91
When are final examinations and what are the policies?
91
What is the Life Impact Program?
92
Can I take classes without seeking a degree?
92
What are the policies on Academic Warning, Dismissal or Reinstatement?
92
Why am I being penalized because my semester grade has not been posted yet?
93
What types of student housing are available?
93
Do you have dual admissions?
Why is my [name of grant] showing up as estimated?
How can I have my aid reinstated?
What are required courses from high school?
93
94
94
95
How do I create [school Intranet name] Account?
94
Can you waive my late/interest charge?
95
What is my essay topic?
96
How do I sign the Federal Perkins Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN)?
96
What is good academic standing and how do I have it verified in writing?
95
What happens if I miss the priority deadline for applying?
96
What is the census date?
97
How do I declare or change my major or minor?
97
What is the status of my alternative loan?
98
What if I need my transcripts immediately?
98
I received a check in the mail, what is it for?
99
Where is the Registrar’s Office?
99
Who is ECSI?
100
Do you have social work?
100
Who is Great Lakes?
97
What is a University Loan?
98
How and when will I receive my scholarship?
99
Do you prefer the ACT or SAT for admission?
100
How do I increase my loan?
Visit the “Resulting Implications – What Does it All Mean?” section of this report on page 23 for further analysis and knowledge on what to do next. Or continue below to find out what’s on the minds of our last key demographic: students seeking IT help and support.
19
What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
iv. IT Help Desk Overall Areas of Interest 33% of all online questions asked in an IT Help Desk environment deal with simply gaining access to programs via passwords and login information. Clearly, there exists a tremendous opportunity for many overworked, overtaxed IT and contact center departments to deliver simple, self-serve information concerning this area – which is likely a real source of frustration for both students and staff alike.
The prevalence of questions regarding remote/ wireless access to student networks, as well as management of online student portals and courseware programs like Blackboard also represent a significant portion of all queries related to information technology. Figure 13 illustrates the degree to which each major category of questions is asked about IT services and support by students. Figure 14 identifies the top 20 overall questions being asked about IT services and support by students across schools.
Figure 13
Areas of Interest for Students Seeking Information from IT Help Desk 9%
Key Topical Interests
11%
33%
Password/Login E-mail
21% Blackboard/Student Portal
26%
Remote/Wireless Access General Admin
Figure 14
Top 20 Ranked Questions Overall Rank
Question
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
How do I change my password? Why can’t I login? What do I do if I forgot my password? How do I setup my email? How do I access my email? How do I login to [portal]? How do I access my email on the web? How do I activate my email? How do I find and register for courses? When does the term begin and end? I have questions about my password How do I contact a student, staff member, or department? How do I setup an email client? How do I contact the office of the registrar? How do I setup my web site? How do I access wireless? What is wireless and how do I connect? How do I get an email account? What is Blackboard?
20
Where can I get assistance with financial aid?
What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
iv. IT Help Desk Key Trending Questions: Telling the Story of the Future From aggregating the IT data into a top 200 question list, we combed through and have identified key topical questions that speak to larger technology trends that now affect the modern life of a student. Below are some key trends to address in order to ensure that your school is keeping up with the latest technology challenges that students face in making their learning experience smoother and more rewarding. How do I change my password? Why can’t I login? What do I do if I forgot my password? (Question Ranks: 1, 2, 3) No surprise here! 33% of IT related questions deal with the need for simple diagnostic information that can be answered online. How do I access wireless? (Question Rank: 16) The prevalence of this question illustrates the importance of Internet connectivity for today’s student. What is wireless and how do I connect? (Question Rank: 17) A closely related question to the one above, this is also quite frequently asked and echoes the importance of mobility for today’s student. What is Blackboard? How do I set up my web site? (Question Ranks: 19, 15) The high ranking of questions related to Blackboard and other student learning portals demonstrates the value students receive from consolidating their student life on a personal portal designed to deliver information and assistance on an individual basis. Can I buy my textbooks online? (Question Rank: 88) More evidence that the web has become the preferred medium for students to conduct transactions, so that a student is no longer required to “waste” time doing so in person.
How do I find and register for courses? When does the term begin and end? (Question Ranks: 9, 10) Somewhat surprising is the inclusion of these two general questions unrelated to IT services and support. This strengthens earlier observations made in this report that there are some questions that are asked universally across a school’s web site property, regardless of where a student is within the site. It also highlights the importance of making answers accessible across a school’s web site property. Students, prospective or current, could ask their questions anywhere on a school web site during a visit. As an administrator, if you have this outlier data at your fingertips, it could significantly help you to pinpoint such queries and to address them successfully site wide. Trend Data versus School Data: How Administrators Apply the Information The trend data in the previous section confirms that there are IT service and support queries that cross school boundaries – such as email and Intranet accessibility. Looking beyond that, our data highlights that each school has their own particular set of IT challenges. And those challenges are related to the specific IT services and support each school offers to their student base. Figure 15 below illustrates how three sample schools from our data pool have unique services and support issues with their student base. It is important then for school administrators to have the data to understand where their particular student base requires IT support. For example, School C offers Blackboard and therefore they have a significant amount of students queries focused on how to use this system. Given the economic climate, IT investments are now harder than ever to obtain from school boards. As administrators, you need to identify where your student’s challenges lay in using your particular technologies – to ensure the highest return on your investment and more importantly, ensure student adoption of and satisfaction with the technology.
20
21
What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
iv. IT Help Desk Figure 15
Sample of Top 20 Questions from 3 Schools
School A Rank
Question
1
Why can’t I login?
2
What if I forgot my email password?
3
How do I change my password?
4
How can I access my email on the web?
5
How do I set up my mail program?
6
What do I do if I have password questions?
7
How do I activate my email account?
8
What do I do if I’m having problems with my email?
9
How can I cancel my email account?
10
How do I activate my account?
11
How do I contact the ITS Customer Support Centre?
School B
School C
Rank
Question
Rank
Question
1
Why can’t I login to my school email account?
1
What is Blackboard?
2
How do I log into Blackboard?
2
How can I access my e-mail?
3
How do I set up my mail program?
3
Why can’t I see my discussion board visual text box editor in Blackboard?
4
Why doesn’t my password work?
5
How do I get my username and pass word for email account?
4
INSTRUCTOR - Why is my course not showing up under my list of courses in Blackboard?
5
How do I register for classes?
6
How do I protect my computer against viruses?
6
INSTRUCTORS - How do I make my course available in Blackboard?
7
What majors and minors does the school offer?
7
Why do I see old classes in Blackboard?
8
How do I connect a device or game console to [name of student residence network system]?
8
How do I use the digital drop box in Blackboard?
9
Is Blackboard down? Does the school have web hosting services?
9
How do I change my email password?
10
10
What is and how do I contact the school’s online Help Desk Support?
11
How do I login to the school’s portal?
12
How do I log into my e-mail?
12
What is [online course tool name]?
11
How do I reset my Password?
13
What applications are available through [virtual lab name]?
12
How do I get help with my PIN?
13
How do I view my class schedule in the portal?
14
What is a Username?
13
Is there e-mail available for faculty and staff members?
14
INSTRUCTORS - How do I remove courses I am not teaching in Blackboard?
15
I changed my name. How can I get the change reflected in my e-mail address?
14
What is the process of applying for admission?
15
How do I enter my grades through the portal? (Faculty Only)
16
How can I block spam or email addresses?
15
How much is tuition?
Where can I find information on Academic issues?
What do I do if I’m having problems with my e-mail?
What do I do when a blackboard test times out?
17
16
16
What is wireless?
How do I configure Outlook 2003 for use with my email account?
Where do I go if I forgot my username/password?
18
17
17
How do I print in a [student computer lab name]?
What software is available?
Why don’t I see all of my email messages?
19
18
18
19
How do I forward e-mail?
19
How do I forward my email?
20
Can I print using the wireless network?
20
What is wireless?
20
Where can I find class schedule and catalogs?
22
What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
iv. IT Help Desk Looking beyond the top 20 questions the array of technical questions increases dramatically. This confirms that there is a vast array of technical questions that students ask about IT services and support – and that array is different depending on the technologies offered by each school. Figure 16 below illustrates just how broad the array (and how focused to that particular school’s services) of technical questions are beyond the top 20 ranked questions. These are the questions that are ranked 90 to 100 between the same three sample schools. Figure 16
Sample of Ranked 90 to 100 Questions from 3 Schools
School A
School B
Rank
Question
Rank
Question
90
I have received new voice mail messages but the Message Waiting Light Indicator isn’t turning on, What can I do?
90
How do I transfer to the school?
91
Do you have web hosting service?
92
How do I connect to the server?
91
How can I access the Directory?
92
How do I access my new Voice Mailbox for the first time?
93
What are the parking guidelines?
94
Where is the academic calendar?
93
How can I sign up for wireless access?
94
What is the browser check?
95
95
How do I change my voice mailbox password?
96
96
How do I know if my browser is communicating with a secure server?
97
Where can I park?
98
Do you have an alumni association?
99
My computer is broken. How can I fix it?
99
Does the school offer classes at other locations?
100
How do I configure my laptop to work with the school’s Wireless?
100
What GPA and test scores do you require?
School C Rank
Question
90
INSTRUCTORS - How do I disable copy and print in BlackBoard
91
Why does the portal tell me that my last name or my birth date is incorrect?
92
How do I change my home page?
93
How do I create a personal folder in Outlook?
How do I search for classes?
94
How do I disable ex-employee accounts?
How do I set up secure wireless?
95
How do I subscribe to a mailing list?
97
What is the e-mail size limitation?
96
What is my X drive size limit?
98
Where can I find the [name of electronic reservation system for library books]?
97
What is the current schedule of Clicker Training classes?
98
How do I create a portal account?
99
How do I use the student/faculty file storage?
100
INSTRUCTORS - How do I change course names and descriptions in Blackboard?
What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
IV Resulting Implications – What Does it All Mean?
The need for providing an enhanced student experience online is abundantly clear, as are the costs of not providing this capability to a websavvy constituency such as the modern student. As the data, trends and commentary in this report illustrate, questions posed by students are varied and not always easy to predict. While the macro trends follow defined patterns, each major area, each school, and each student even, will have their own unique concerns and methods for asking questions of their institution. Schools must therefore understand and provide effective technologies that accurately answer the unique questions posed by both current and prospective students in a self-serve format. Cater to Web Savvy Students Today’s students are nothing if not astute consumers of information – and this is the reason why the Internet is far and away the preferred channel for students to interact with schools. And, for informational queries, self-service is the preferred means by which students wish to find answers. Students are going online in droves to find answers and resolutions to problems, on their own or via interaction with their peers. The satisfaction level they experience as they interact with your organization (as a prospective or current student) will either hinder or enhance their overall experience with, and opinion of, your institution.
Don’t Forget the Parents In addition, when it comes to using the web for research, the influence of student’s parents should not be discounted. As a recent study sponsored by the National Research Center for College and University Admissions attests, nearly all (90%) parents researching colleges and universities for their kids are turning to the web for information. The study also revealed that colleges and universities may want to re-tool their sites to include heavier emphasis on the information that most interests parents: academic programs, majors, scholarships, admissions requirements, tuition and fees, and campus safety. The report goes on to note that 10 percent of parents said they would not recommend a college to their child if the institution’s web site did not answer their questions. Why is student satisfaction so important? Because students increasingly display a “consumer” mindset toward their education and their “customer” experiences are often formed by their first point of contact with your school. Increasingly, this first point of contact is limited to interaction with your school’s web site, a Facebook page, online forums, Twitter “tweets”, SMS messages, or through “surfing” on a mobile phone. More and more, this interaction does not begin with any person on your school’s staff. Students are interacting with, evaluating and comparing schools often without setting foot on a campus or having a single human conversation. The quality of the web site experience, therefore, is often the only opportunity to provide the satisfaction that will drive students’ education “consumption” decisions.
23
What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
How is customer satisfaction delivered online? Responsiveness, speed and brevity are key factors to student satisfaction when it comes to information. Today’s student does not want to wait for answers to her questions – especially in an online environment where she is savvy and has high expectations for finding what she needs. Accuracy also plays a critical role. Serving students with an inaccurate answer, a long list of “possible answers” or “canned” FAQ lists only results in frustration. Going on a “search” for information rapidly deteriorates the visitor experience. If students’ online experience with your institution begins to resemble a search, they are likely to simply stop and look elsewhere for answers. What happens next? At best, a current student may be forced to email or phone your Admissions staff, and incur costly one-on-one conversations to answer the most elementary of questions – not to mention leave them with a sub-optimal experience. A prospective student, however, may simply visit another school’s web site and never return to yours. This underlines an important fact: on the web, students are looking for positive experiences and, since there is no cost to “visit” another institution, they will seek out these positive experiences elsewhere – and without hesitation – if they don’t get it quickly from your school.
24
What’s On Their Minds? 2009 Voice of the Student Report
V Actionable Next Steps – What Can Be Done? 1. Know What an Enhanced Online Student Experience Should Look Like There are many examples of institutions that made the online experience efficient and smooth for students, and who are reaping the rewards. Some universities that use advanced e-services effectively on their web site are shown below: Institution
Web Site
1) Penn State University
Penn State World Campus
2) University of Wisconsin Green Bay
Ask GB
3) Harvard University Extension School
Harvard University Extension School
4) University of Western Ontario
Ask Western?
5) Cuyahoga Community College
Ask Tri-C
If you haven’t already, look towards adding intelligent self-service options such as an instant answer agent to your web site, social media tools or mobile phone platform. These technologies are quickly becoming a key component of the student experience and provide a number of strong benefits, including: • • •
Making it easy and convenient for students to get the right answer to many of their questions the first time, thereby increasing first contact resolution and enhancing satisfaction Allowing students to type their question and get an immediate answer, with a high degree of accuracy Reducing operating costs that arise when students are forced to escalate their questions to higher cost channels, such as emailing or phoning staff
2. Overcome Silos of Information Bottlenecks Strive to overcome silos of information “bottlenecks” so that information about the student and status of her inquiry is shared across different channels. For example, a call center operator should not need to ask the same questions that have already been answered online. 3. Include Feedback Opportunity Students have opinions and want to be asked about them. Incorporate student feedback opportunities at each touch point, including online and assisted channels. 4. Test and Test Again! “Test” your new technologies and processes with students directly to confirm that they are “valued” by those students that use them. 5. Right-Channel Your Audience Make sure you are channeling students into the right information funnel through intelligent escalation. For example, it may make more sense to flag certain self-service inquiries relating to personal safety to Campus Security or the Dean of Students office. 6. Make Your Phone Number Accessible In your efforts to modernize, don’t overlook the obvious. Although not a preferred channel among students, the phone is not 100% obsolete. Some students will come to your web site with the sole purpose of finding a phone number they can use to contact you with – make sure that number is available and easily seen. For example, schools should create self-service answers for students seeking a phone number. A question like “How do I contact Admissions?” could provide the number for the Admissions Office rather than a long list of departments with phone numbers.
25
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For More Information For more information on cost effective ways to enhance the customer experience at your school contact: Mike Hennessy IntelliResponse mike.hennessy@intelliresponse.com About IntelliResponse IntelliResponse enhances the multi-channel customer experience for businesses and educational institutions via its Instant Answer Agent, a question-and-answer software platform that allows web site visitors to ask questions in natural language, and get the “One Right Answer”, regardless of the hundreds of ways the question may be asked. This industry leading On Demand software platform is used by both consumers and contact center agents. With more than 200 live, customer facing implementations answering 50 million+ questions with one right answer, IntelliResponse is the gold standard in first line customer experience management. Some of the world’s most recognized corporate brands and higher education institutions trust their customer experience management needs to IntelliResponse - including ING Direct, TD Canada Trust, Scotiabank, Penn State University, The Ohio State University, University of British Columbia and Harvard University Extension School. Copyright © 2009, IntelliResponse Systems Inc. All rights reserved. The trademarks identified herein are the trademarks or registered