ection 2.3Sustaining Marketing Plan
ection 2.3
Sustaining Marketing Plan
The Sustaining Marketing Plan involves communication in support of offering a Mathematical Journeys course from one semester to the next. This Plan comprises guidelines for a two-pronged effort that establishes the means of communication and identifies the benefits of continuing to offer the course.
The prime means of obtaining support is to identify simple but effective strategies to communicate with key segments of the college community about the course. It is important to establish and maintain open lines of communication with: faculty, students, administrators, counselors, admission personnel, the student government, grants personnel, other college groups, community groups in the college's service area, and local industries. Although the means for communicating with these groups are college specific, possibilities include: meeting with representatives of the groups; discussing Mathematical Journeys I with colleagues; reporting at meetings; disseminating course announcements and descriptions; providing information to the public relations office, student newspaper, college radio station, faculty/staff newsletter, and local news media; and initiating a web page for the course which could be designed and updated by students. Another avenue for communicating about the course is to invite guest lecturers. In addition to bringing information and new perspectives, guest lecturers, either from within the college or from local industry, build links to other constituencies that could benefit the course.
In tandem with establishing the means of communication, it is necessary to develop the message that a Mathematical Journeys course serves the needs of your college's students. Although this message must be tailored to the conditions of each college, the following identifies some benefits of sustaining the course at any two-year college.
The strongest argument for continuing to offer a Mathematical Journeys course will be its prior successes. As a result, it is particularly important to document successes and to publicly recognize student achievement in the course. Formal assessment of the course by you, your colleagues, and students also may be helpful.
A Mathematical Journeys course never grows old; it remains news rich from one year to next. Each academic term the content may change, and in any case, the students' approaches to the content will change. Students might communicate their experiences in the course by submitting articles to the college newspaper. Student presentations of their thesis defenses could be videotaped and used to publicize the college. However, if you plan to use videotapes for publicity, it is necessary to determine from your college administration how to ensure that student rights are not violated. Student teams that create an outstanding Model could be eligible for awards provided by the college or by local industries.
The interdisciplinary character of a Mathematical Journeys course broadens its subject base and should generate interest from science, mathematics, and technology faculty. The possibility of generating interest from a number of constituencies suggests the option of inviting students from other educational institutions, such as four-year colleges or secondary schools with honor programs, to enroll in the course.
Several purposes of a Mathematical Journeys course were listed in the Initiating Marketing Plan. These purposes should permeate ongoing communication directed toward sustaining the course. For ease of reference, they are repeated below.
A Mathematical Journeys initiative will:
In summary, marketing a Mathematical Journeys course involves establishing and maintaining communication with identified audiences for the purpose of initiating and sustaining the course. This depends on articulating the purpose and content of the course, relating them to students' educational needs, and using a range of means to communicate with pertinent audiences.