Tackling Today’s
Education Challenges?
We're here to help.
Research-Driven Insights,
Strategies, and Communications
to Transform Your Campus Community
Full-Service marketing
support for your college or university
We know how difficult the education world can be right now. From managing post-Covid issues and economic uncertainty, to wondering about future student enrollment and figuring out where AI fits in, it’s a lot to handle.
That’s where we at SIR step in. We’ve got decades of experience understanding complex and sensitive issues of the education landscape, and identifying and meeting stakeholder expectations. Whether you’re a college, a university, or a secondary school, we’re all about customizing strategies that make sense for you.
We’re committed to supporting the life-changing service of schools for students, faculty and staff, and their communities. Curious about how we can team up? Let’s chat!
Strategies
Dedicated to finding solutions for today’s challenges and problems. Our team will guide your organization towards success in today’s complex educational landscape.
Insights
Our in-house research team delivers powerful insights to inform decision-making, leveraging a responsive and problem-solving mindset.
Results
Informed by in-house market research, we excel in strategic planning, branding, communications, community engagement, reputation and crisis management, as well as DE&I.
Boston University
Research-Driven Strategic Plan
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Boston University embarked on an ambitious journey by launching a groundbreaking $1 billion capital campaign, the first of its kind in school history. The University’s Alumni Relations department engaged SIR to craft a strategic plan that would significantly increase alumni engagement critical to the success of the campaign.
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To support this monumental initiative, SIR employed a comprehensive research methodology to identify alumni interests and expectations from the university. Our research identified needs and expectations within the vast alumni network, as well as with stakeholders across the campus community. Armed with invaluable insights, we facilitated a strategic planning initiative with the Alumni Association leadership and alumni relations department, revitalizing its mission statement, establishing a compelling positioning, and creating a robust communications architecture.
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The implementation of the strategic plan empowered the Alumni Association to align its mission with university initiatives, amplifying services, and strengthening engagement. This effort complemented the work of university advancement, and contributed to the capital campaign’s record for alumni engagement and donations, surpassing the original goal with a total of $1.7 billion in contributions.
1.7B Record-setting capital campaign for alumni engagement.
Virginia Community
College System
Strategic Research and Implementation
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To ensure that the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) is offering inclusive and equitable programs, supports, and policies, and is actively addressing barriers to the educational success of Black, Latinx students, and Native American students, as well as members of the ALICE population, VCCS reached out to SIR to:
• EXPLORE barriers to higher education
• IDENTIFY internal cultural and policy challenges preventing student success
• UNDERSTAND the appeal of community college enrollment among these populations, and
• DETERMINE messaging or policy changes that may serve to increase interest in local community colleges.
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To meet these objectives, SIR conducted several studies from 2019 through 2022 (i.e., ALICE population students in 2019, Black students in 2021, and Latinx students in 2022), using the following approach that blended qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
We conducted online surveys among past, current, and prospective Black, Latinx, Native American, and ALICE population students throughout Virginia to quantify barriers, desires, expectations, and perceptions. With quantitative findings in hand, we then conducted Virtual Communities (online focus groups) to explore participant experiences in more depth.
Activities and topics were designed to identify and explore cultural and structural attributes that either contribute to or detract from the student experience, as well as explore the decision-making process of enrollment and examine comparative differences between VCCS and other educational options.
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SIR’s recommendations from this multi-year engagement are now being used to inform positioning, messaging, and systems changes aimed at improving access, recruitment, and retention of minority students. The outcome of this research also recommended the following best practices be implemented to best serve Native American students at VCCS, including disaggregation of student data, implementing cultural placemaking efforts, and collecting tribal affiliations.
Uplifting indigenous voices. Acknowledging Native Student Realities, Experiences, and Needs.
Crisis Management and Branding
Norfolk State University
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Norfolk State University found itself in a challenging position, as its reputation had suffered, and immediate action was necessary. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools had placed its accreditation on probation, and by 2015, its enrollment had plummeted by nearly 25%.
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SIR conducted primary research with all corners of university stakeholders, including students, prospective students and parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and area business and community leaders. This research revealed the deep commitment and loyalty to the school by alumni and donors, and renewed compelling appeal of historically black colleges for prospective students, their parents, and community leaders.
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Working with our longtime partner and advertising firm, Fuseideas, we initiated a top-to-bottom brand overhaul based on these findings, centered around the theme, “We See the Future in You.”
We tested the rebranded communications materials, as well as provided crisis and reputation management services to stem the tide during the rebranding process. The combined efforts yielded impressive results, and by 2017, the university experienced a remarkable 250% increase in applications.
NSU sees a 250% increase in application rates resulting from brand overhaul, crisis and reputation management consulting.
Community-engaged Strategic Planning
University of Richmond
Strategic Alignment: Enhanced student experience
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The University of Richmond School of Professional and Continuing Studies (SPCS) needed to craft a strategic direction that aligned with the university’s new strategic plan. This was an opportunity to evaluate the school's situation, engage with the community and School leadership, and prioritize strategic goals.
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SIR conducted a mix of interviews, focus groups and surveys with various stakeholders, including current and prospective students, faculty, staff, and community partners. Based on our findings, we facilitated planning workshops with the school leadership to draft an initial plan that was refined through multiple iterations.
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The final plan articulated the vision and mission of SPCS and aligned its programs and curriculum with them. The plan also guided the creation of new programs to enhance the student experience and attract new students, foster innovation, meet the community needs, and better integrate into the university-wide framework.
Virginia
Commonwealth
University
Climate Study, DE&I
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A diverse student body and inclusive culture are core strengths that attract students and faculty/staff to VCU. Black and African American students, however, expressed deep-rooted feelings of the need for greater inclusivity on campus during a surprise sit-in at the president’s office.
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In consultation with the president, SIR helped to organize and facilitate the President’s Advisory Group on Diversity and Inclusion across the university to conduct a comprehensive assessment of issues and strategic recommendations:
• Qualitative group and one-on-one research across academic and health campuses
• Townhall meetings with VCU president and administrative leaders open to all
• Standing advisory committee of faculty, staff and alumni
• Climate study analysis
• Strategic recommendations
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The final plan articulated the vision and mission of SPCS and aligned its programs and curriculum with them. The plan also guided the creation of new programs to enhance the student experience and attract new students, foster innovation, meet the community needs, and better integrate into the university-wide framework.
Strategic diversity and inclusion plan across the university
Crisis Management and Reputation Management
Iona University
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Soon after the new president’s arrived on campus of Iona College, he discovered that false data had been reported to external agencies about student performance, alumni giving, and a total of twenty-two other categories over a ten-year period.
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SIR’s JR Hipple served as an advisor and strategist to the president’s cabinet and the board of trustees, recommending that Iona College self-report the problem to both internal and external audiences.
With JR’s counsel, the president addressed the problem head on, conducting more than 70 town hall meetings in nine months, meeting with alumni groups and donors across the nation, holding face-to-face meetings with external regulators, and openly discussing the situation with higher education associations and the media.
This transparency led to national media coverage and investigations by the U.S. Department of Education, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the Attorney General of New York, Moody’s, and others.
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After a thorough investigation, the associate commissioner of the U.S. Department of Education wrote Iona’s president that no organization “has been more thorough or diligent about identifying and responding to data misreporting than has Iona College.
Given that we collect data from 7,000 postsecondary institutions throughout the United States, that is high praise indeed.” In addition, Middle States’ evaluation of the college’s response stated that it is “the stuff of a future Harvard case study on the way things are supposed to work when a crisis befalls an institution.”
Importantly, the president and the university’s extensive outreach contributed to record alumni engagement that increased 10 fold the following year, with a historic levels of donations and participation in alumni events
Diligence and extensive outreach contributed to record alumni engagement that increased ten-fold the following year, with historic levels of donations participation in alumni