Bachelor of Commerce (Digital Marketing) - Postsecondary ...

Bachelor of Commerce (Digital Marketing) - Postsecondary ... Bachelor of Commerce (Digital Marketing) - Postsecondary ...

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“The other thing is that some colleges are affiliated with a university so they can use faculty with university partner Guelph and Humber have an advantage. They are able to have Ph.D.s.” The greatest challenge in offering degree programs is in dispelling the perception of the collegegranted degree as being marginal to a university‐granted degree. One of the greatest challenges faced in offering degree programs, many Stakeholders highlighted, is the need to overcome perceptions of a college‐granted bachelor’s degree. While some argued that societal perceptions have shifted over the last decade in terms of the value of a college education, there may still be some way to go in changing perceptions of a college‐granted bachelor’s degree. There was the general sense that this relatively recent movement toward the college baccalaureate reflects the need for change in the current structure of our college versus university postsecondary education system, since it is no longer necessarily meeting the needs of today’s multi‐faceted students. Many agree that a significant marketing effort from the College will be needed to communicate the value of a college degree and to help shift public opinion among the various stakeholder groups including prospective students, parents, teachers, guidance counsellors, employers and university graduate schools. “That will depend very much on the employer. There will be a traditional group of employers who will feel that a university education is more rigorous or prestigious than a college education. However there may be some employers who may have quite the opposite interpretation where they would think university preparation is theoretical and general and all well and good but this is the real world and they may feel, quite rightly, that college better prepares the students for the work in a more practical immediate way that actually pays more attention to the emergent needs and situations of industry and business.” In London, I think there’ll be both. There will be a strong commitment for some to the traditional dominance of UWO in the region, but there will be others who know of the reputation of the college and who will see college degree offerings as having street cred.” “The concern that some people have is that other universities may not be accepting these bachelors for graduate work. If students are thinking they will be able to move on and do graduate work that has to be clearly spelled out for them.” “We’re new in degrees, so amongst the colleges Fanshawe has a strong reputation in business, but there’s a bunch of people out there including guidance counsellors who don’t think that the colleges are a reasonable alternative to university. Even though the college is going to be delivering degrees, it is going to take time, probably an entire generation to change that. It is going to take success stories and time. I think it has to work in the long run. I know that the college is delivering quality programs.” “I think we would definitely have to put a big push on marketing the bachelor degree program…we would have to put a fair bit into marketing the new program, new curriculum, and how the courses are delivered. There would be big marketing, no question. I think we could get LKSB Degree Program Feasibility Study • 2011 68

their buy in, but it wouldn’t be without some work. That comes down to history…when you’re the new kid on the block you have a lot of work to do.” “I would doubt that parents of London high school students (and guidance counsellors) that they would say that of course Fanshawe is just as good as UWO. A lot of parents need the time for the Fanshawe degree reputation to grow. […]Have to do outreach with schools and guidance counsellors, who are not going to direct students to college for a degree first. It will be a public relations campaign that we can embark on.” “The barrier will be some of the employers will look at the resume and think the student made a typo. ‘You mean you got a diploma’ They’ll think the student is misrepresenting themselves.” A few Stakeholders expressed caution about launching the degrees without first proving there is a demand in the industry. Concern was expressed that if employers are not prepared to accept college degrees as being on par with university degrees, then students with college degrees will be at a disadvantage. In a similar vein, most Stakeholders raised concerns with whether college degrees would be accepted by university Master’s programs. It was important to a few Stakeholders to confirm that students would be receiving a degree that is respected in the job marketplace and in graduate schools, as they would not want to make false promises. “If there is a demand by industry for students who have degrees in these areas then that makes sense. If it’s a case of the college wanting to offer up degrees because there is a cache that goes with that, I’m not sure that is doing the students a favour. There has to be a pull from industry. If students are interested in pursuing post‐grad work that would make sense too. The concern that some people have is that other universities may not be accepting these bachelors for graduate work. If students are thinking they will be able to move on and do graduate work that has to be clearly spelled out for them. Is industry requiring their candidates to be obtaining these degrees If you create the degree, will there eventually be an industry demand for it That’s possible. But we have to be cautious about promising students something that is not delivered.” LKSB Degree Program Feasibility Study • 2011 69

“The other thing is that some colleges are affiliated with a university so they can use faculty with<br />

university partner Guelph and Humber have an advantage. They are able to have Ph.D.s.”<br />

The greatest challenge in <strong>of</strong>fering degree programs is in dispelling the perception <strong>of</strong> the collegegranted<br />

degree as being marginal to a university‐granted degree.<br />

One <strong>of</strong> the greatest challenges faced in <strong>of</strong>fering degree programs, many Stakeholders highlighted, is the<br />

need to overcome perceptions <strong>of</strong> a college‐granted bachelor’s degree. While some argued that societal<br />

perceptions have shifted over the last decade in terms <strong>of</strong> the value <strong>of</strong> a college education, there may<br />

still be some way to go in changing perceptions <strong>of</strong> a college‐granted bachelor’s degree. There was the<br />

general sense that this relatively recent movement toward the college baccalaureate reflects the need<br />

for change in the current structure <strong>of</strong> our college versus university postsecondary education system,<br />

since it is no longer necessarily meeting the needs <strong>of</strong> today’s multi‐faceted students.<br />

Many agree that a significant marketing effort from the College will be needed to communicate the<br />

value <strong>of</strong> a college degree and to help shift public opinion among the various stakeholder groups<br />

including prospective students, parents, teachers, guidance counsellors, employers and university<br />

graduate schools.<br />

“That will depend very much on the employer. There will be a traditional group <strong>of</strong> employers who<br />

will feel that a university education is more rigorous or prestigious than a college education.<br />

However there may be some employers who may have quite the opposite interpretation where<br />

they would think university preparation is theoretical and general and all well and good but this<br />

is the real world and they may feel, quite rightly, that college better prepares the students for<br />

the work in a more practical immediate way that actually pays more attention to the emergent<br />

needs and situations <strong>of</strong> industry and business.”<br />

In London, I think there’ll be both. There will be a strong commitment for some to the traditional<br />

dominance <strong>of</strong> UWO in the region, but there will be others who know <strong>of</strong> the reputation <strong>of</strong> the<br />

college and who will see college degree <strong>of</strong>ferings as having street cred.”<br />

“The concern that some people have is that other universities may not be accepting these<br />

bachelors for graduate work. If students are thinking they will be able to move on and do<br />

graduate work that has to be clearly spelled out for them.”<br />

“We’re new in degrees, so amongst the colleges Fanshawe has a strong reputation in business,<br />

but there’s a bunch <strong>of</strong> people out there including guidance counsellors who don’t think that the<br />

colleges are a reasonable alternative to university. Even though the college is going to be<br />

delivering degrees, it is going to take time, probably an entire generation to change that. It is<br />

going to take success stories and time. I think it has to work in the long run. I know that the<br />

college is delivering quality programs.”<br />

“I think we would definitely have to put a big push on marketing the bachelor degree<br />

program…we would have to put a fair bit into marketing the new program, new curriculum, and<br />

how the courses are delivered. There would be big marketing, no question. I think we could get<br />

LKSB Degree Program Feasibility Study • 2011<br />

68

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