Branding in Higher education
6.3 Students Perception of a good Educational Brand
117 6.2.2 Delivering on the Promise of the Brand
Many higher education marketing professionals believe their institution does not have a brand. Nothing could be further from the truth. A more accurate assessment would be that their institutions have failed to manage their brand. At colleges and universities where positive constituent experiences occur by chance or randomly rather than through a tightly integrated, promise-driven, and planned approach, a brand exists, but it suffers from benign neglect. To effectively shape how constituents view an institution, you must begin first by understanding the promise inherent in the existing brand or the brand the school aspires to have. Such promises are often subtle and always symbolic. The power of symbolism should not be underestimated. In simple words, there must be congruence between what an institution claims to be and what its constituents actually experience when they interact with any individual or unit affiliated with the campus.
118 6.3.1 Industry oriented syllabus
Today majority of the young graduates fail to apply even basic logic to applications and programs when they actually start working in the industry. There is a huge disconnect between what this industry wants and what the university trains the students for. The main reason for this is many of academic institutions have still not revamped themselves to suit contemporary needs of the ever changing industry. A good number of faculties do not have sufficient corporate experience which is required to be proficient while teaching the specialized courses. For example those teaching computer science and scripting languages have never worked in the industry, and those who are actually in the industry, rarely indulge them for training students.
An industry- oriented syllabus can provide one of the best ways forward for the students who have enrolled themselves in various specialized courses. Considering this need to make higher education relevant to requirements of industry, the state government of Maharashtra and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has
119 decided to work on an industry-oriented syllabus. This will help the students for employment who would pass out from the institutions with the knowledge of industrial requirement. The new syllabus for higher education in the state will focus on being relevant to requirements of industry, which will ultimately employ students who pass out from the academic institutions.
6.3.2 Excellent Placements
Placements have the potential to contribute more effectively to the quality of higher education. From the student perspective, high quality placements can bring a range of benefits and positive impacts. Placements and work experience are extremely valuable to students, both in terms of their academic performance and their employability skills. Placements give students the opportunity to gain skills specific to their subject or industry of choice as well as the employability skills required for real-life work. It also increases their knowledge of an industry or sector, allowing them to make better informed decisions about future career choices. Placements provide the opportunity to be involved in team-based working, which provides a welcome contrast to the typically more individual-centric approach taken to academic study. This kind of experience is beneficial, and builds on the self-management and problem solving skills typically gained at university, with the ability to work collaboratively.
6.3.3 Cost effective Fee structure
Once the student decides upon the dream school out of many others, who are offering the admission at the same time, one also has to think the various financial options available to them and whether they will be able to bear the burden of fee and expenses to pursue their dream. Fee structure for any of the academic course is one the very important factor in determining the future of that particular course or the institute.
Pursuing a course from a top rated school has always been expensive and making financial arrangement a matter of concern for the students and their parents. therefore the colleges or the universities must take careful and proper steps while determining
120 the fee structure for the various courses, as this fee structure will directly make an impact on the students admissions in that particular institute.
6.3.4 Competent Faculties
Many factors contribute to shaping an institution‘s brand, including its academic reputation, athletics, location and distinguished alumnae. Amongst all other factors Teachers or faculties are the most important. they are key agents in determining the student‘s success, they are the stepping stones to the successful careers of their students, they have a strong influence on their pupils, they nurture budding talents, they can bring out the best in their students, they push students to achieve success, they turn dreams to reality, they do not give up on their students and they are care- givers and helpers. And hence they play a very important role in creating a positive Brand Image of any of the educational Institute. They are the like the foundation on which the entire structure of the institute is based. In today‘s world a teacher's role is a multifaceted profession. They are not only responsible for teaching but also for developing the skills of their students counseling and mentoring them. A teacher needs to create a nurturing and challenging environment that will compliment the learning potential of their students. Ultimately the teacher not only is the teacher but a Role Model for their students. The increasing use of technology the rise of the internet over the past decade, have specifically resulted in shaping the way teachers approach their roles in the classroom.
6.3.5 Extra Curricular Activities
The importance of extracurricular activities on college campuses is well established.
The primary goals of extracurricular activities focus on the individual student level, the institutional level, and the broader community level. These activities exist to complement the university's academic curriculum and to augment the student's educational experience. Extracurricular activities provide a setting to become involved and to interact with other students, thus leading to increased learning and enhanced development. Specifically, a student's peer group is the most important source of influence on a student's academic and personal development. By identifying
121 with a peer group, that group may influence a student's affective and cognitive development as well as his or her behavior. The development of the well-rounded individual is a principal goal of extracurricular activities on college and university campuses, the numerous experiences these activities afford positively impact students' emotional, intellectual, social, and inter-personal development. By working together with other individuals, students learn to negotiate, communicate, manage conflict, and lead others. Taking part in these out-of-the-classroom activities helps students to understand the importance of critical thinking skills, time management, and academic and intellectual competence. Involvement in activities helps students mature socially by providing a setting for student interaction, relationship formation, and discussion.
Working outside of the classroom with diverse groups of individuals allows for students to gain more self-confidence, autonomy, and appreciation for others' differences and similarities.
6.3.6 Infrastructure & Learning Resources
An educational institution is like a second home for the students as students spend majority of their time there, away from their homes. The college premise, Classrooms, library, Computer Labs, canteen, washrooms and the playgrounds these are the main elements that composes the physical Infrastructure of the Institute.
Therefore if a college succeeds in offering a safe and sound infrastructure to the students, chances are more that it can attract more students. The power of the learning environment to influence and promote learning is significant and the learning spaces and learning resources provide important opportunities for students to explore ideas and knowledge, collaborate, solve problems and develop knowledge and skills
122 Size, Visibility and Industry B-Schools interactions are the major
DRIVERS of the image of a B-School Importance from customer’s point of view WHAT DRIVES OF THE IMAGE OF A B-SCHOOL
SIZE + + + +
VISIBILITY + + + +
PLACEMENT + + + +
INDUSTRY- B SCHOOL LINKS + + + +
INFRASTRUCTURE + + +
RECOGNITIONS + + +
TEACHING PEDAGOGY/ Quality of Faculty + + +
Improvement in image is a SLOW process
Improvement of Image takes a minimum of 3 to 4 years
+ + + + =Very Important + = Least Important
Source: Speech Delivered by Prof.Dr.R.Gopal Jan 2014 in Higher Education Forum Figure 6.3- Major Drivers of B-School Image
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