- Email: [email protected]
Web presence of universities: Is higher education sending the right message online?
Public Relations Review 32 (2006) 180–183
Web presence of universities: Is higher education sending the right message online? Elizabeth M. Will, Coy Callison ∗ College of Mass Communications, Texas Tech University, Box 43082, Lubbock, TX 79409-3082, USA Received 16 September 2005; received in revised form 26 January 2006; accepted 22 February 2006
Abstract Web sites of the 3738 U.S.-based colleges and universities were sampled and analyzed to determine how higher education employs the internet to communicate to key publics overall and students in particular. Analyses revealed prospective donors are the most often-targeted public followed by faculty/staff. Prospective and current students followed. In better news to students, the five items students most often seek on the Web were the five most common items linked from university home pages. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Public relations; University; College; Web; Internet
1. Introduction As experienced Internet users, students go online for a variety of reasons, ranging from checking e-mail to shopping (Greenspan, 2003). In addition, students are researching and applying to colleges online. Reports show that the Web ranks second only to campus visits as the most important source for researching colleges (Abrahamson, 2000). This popularity of university Web sites then suggests that institutions of higher learning should put real effort into using the new medium as a communication tool. One way colleges and universities can do so is to have Web sites that provide the information students want in an easily accessible manner. Research has shown, however, college and university Web sites are poorly designed and reflect poorly on their hosting institutions. It has even been suggested that prospective students who find a Web site disappointing associate their e-experience with the quality and functioning of the institution itself and may terminate all inquiries about the college (Abrahamson, 2000). Overall, research has determined what prospective and current students expect to find on university and college Web sites (Mechitov et al., 2001; Ng et al., 2003; Poock and Lefond, 2001). Little research, however, has been conducted to uncover the extent to which universities are meeting the needs of Web-surfing students. 2. Results Of the 374 sites examined, 295 (78.9%) of the homepages were organized by a combination of function and target audiences, while 78 (20.9%) were organized by function. Only one site (0.3%) was organized by target audience alone. ∗
Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 806 742 3385. E-mail address: [email protected] (C. Callison).
0363-8111/$ – see front matter © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2006.02.014
E.M. Will, C. Callison / Public Relations Review 32 (2006) 180–183
181
The audiences targeted on the homepage included alumni and friends (77.4%), faculty and staff (52.4%), prospective students (45.6%), current students (40.5%), and parents and family (23.3%). Visitors (21.6%), students in general (16.2%), and the community (11.5%) also had sections designated for them on homepages. When the total number of student information directories specified for prospective students, current students, and students in general were combined, 64.9% of the homepages provided one or two student information directories. Functions provided on homepages and each function’s frequency were also investigated. Functions were organized into categories, including admissions, registration, financial, employment, administration and academic, campus, surrounding area, general, computer and online resources, news and deadlines, contacts, publications, and recreational activities. 2.1. Admissions The most frequently found admissions item on the homepages was a link to the admissions office (63.3%), followed by online admissions applications (20.4%), and downloadable admissions applications (5.6%). 2.2. Registration Class schedule (24.1%), registrar’s office (14.5%), online enrollment (9.9%), and transcript/student record links (5.1%) were the most frequent registration information provided on the college and university homepages. 2.3. Financial Financial aid (34.3%) and giving information (24.1%) were the primary financial items provided on the homepages. Links to foundation information (9.7%) and costs of attending the institution (8.3%) were frequently displayed on the homepages. 2.4. Employment The most frequent employment item provided information about employment opportunities at the institution(s) (33.2%). Only 1.9% of the homepages presented information about being an equal employment opportunity institution. Individually, student employment opportunities and internships were found on 1.6% of homepages. 2.5. Administration and academic Information pertaining to academic programs was present on 62.5% of homepages. Links to academics or colleges, schools, and/or departments were present on 59.5% of homepages. Many homepages provided links to the institution’s library (47.2%). Almost one-quarter of the homepages provided links pertaining to administration (24.7%) or learning/research resources (24.7%). Links related to major or degree information were offered on 22.3% of homepages. 2.6. Campus The most frequent item categorized as campus information was a link to various campuses (30.8%). Directions/maps were presented on 30.3% of homepages. Links concerning campus tours or visits (12.6%) and virtual tours (11.3%) were also provided. 2.7. Information about surrounding area Information about the area surrounding the higher education institutions was visible on the homepages. Community information (9.4%), weather conditions (6.2%), emergency information (2.9%), and state information (1.1%) were placed in the “information about surrounding area” category.
182
E.M. Will, C. Callison / Public Relations Review 32 (2006) 180–183
2.8. General information about institution An About “ ” or “About Us” link was present on 70.5% of homepages. The institution’s philosophy, mission, and vision of the institution (10.7%), a message from the President (9.4%), quick facts (7.8%), and a welcome (6.2%) were identified on homepages. 2.9. Computer or online resources Of the computer and online resources offered, personal online accounts (27.3%) appeared most frequently on homepages. Personal online accounts were followed in frequency by e-mail access (23.9%), technology support (10.5%), Blackboard (9.7%), and online services (6.4%). 2.10. News and deadlines News and events were offered on 79.9% of the analyzed homepages. Academic calendars were present on 38.6% of the homepages. 2.11. Contact information Information to contact the institution was found on 86.3% of the homepages. Campus directories (31.4%), request for information (17.4%), and comments/feedback (10.5%) were the next most frequent types of contact information provided on homepages. 2.12. Publications The institution’s catalog was found on 20.6% of homepages. School media (7.5%) and student handbooks (6.2%) were also present on homepages. 2.13. Recreational activities The most frequent items categorized as recreational activities were athletics (42.9%), campus life (33.0%), and extracurricular activities (10.2%). 3. Discussion and conclusion This investigation provides a glimpse of how higher education institutions are using the Web to facilitate student relations. A greater portion of homepages was organized by a combination of functions and target audiences, suggesting higher education institutions realize it is critical to target audiences on the homepage. Further analysis of the homepages revealed alumni and friends, followed by students, are the most important audience to colleges and universities. The fact that alumni and friends were targeted most often suggests that institutions find alumni and friends to be more important than students and other audiences. This finding also implies that postsecondary institutions view their Web sites as a way to keep connected with their alumni, which can boost donations to an institution’s endowment or foundation. From simply looking at university Web sites, it might also be assumed that the institutions are more interested in obtaining money from alumni than attracting new students or providing services to current students, faculty and staff, parents and family, or visitors. Of the students targeted on the homepage, prospective students were targeted most often, suggesting postsecondary institutions view their Web sites as a promotional or recruitment tool. Additionally, when searching for the items students expect on homepages, it was determined that the items are not provided on a consistent basis, but it should be noted that items most often requested by students (as determined in past survey research) are in fact appearing most commonly on college and university Web sites. As with any study, this content analysis has several limitations that must be considered. Foremost, student information directories were only investigated if they were linked to the Web sites’ homepage. Links to student information
E.M. Will, C. Callison / Public Relations Review 32 (2006) 180–183
183
directories could have been present on pages other than the homepage. Other items, such as admissions requirements, might have been supplied in pages other than the homepage or student information directories. This limitation, however, was mandated by the focus of the study, which was to determine how institutions are making information readily available to students. Future studies may investigate deeper into the Web sites. The results of this study provide a framework universities and colleges can employ to compare their sites to the typical and ideal. In the end, the present study shows that efforts are being made to use the Web to communicate to students and provide the online information this demographic seeks, but the need for improvement exists.
Web presence of universities: Is higher education sending the right message online? Elizabeth M. Will, Coy Callison ∗ College of Mass Communications, Texas Tech University, Box 43082, Lubbock, TX 79409-3082, USA Received 16 September 2005; received in revised form 26 January 2006; accepted 22 February 2006
Abstract Web sites of the 3738 U.S.-based colleges and universities were sampled and analyzed to determine how higher education employs the internet to communicate to key publics overall and students in particular. Analyses revealed prospective donors are the most often-targeted public followed by faculty/staff. Prospective and current students followed. In better news to students, the five items students most often seek on the Web were the five most common items linked from university home pages. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Public relations; University; College; Web; Internet
1. Introduction As experienced Internet users, students go online for a variety of reasons, ranging from checking e-mail to shopping (Greenspan, 2003). In addition, students are researching and applying to colleges online. Reports show that the Web ranks second only to campus visits as the most important source for researching colleges (Abrahamson, 2000). This popularity of university Web sites then suggests that institutions of higher learning should put real effort into using the new medium as a communication tool. One way colleges and universities can do so is to have Web sites that provide the information students want in an easily accessible manner. Research has shown, however, college and university Web sites are poorly designed and reflect poorly on their hosting institutions. It has even been suggested that prospective students who find a Web site disappointing associate their e-experience with the quality and functioning of the institution itself and may terminate all inquiries about the college (Abrahamson, 2000). Overall, research has determined what prospective and current students expect to find on university and college Web sites (Mechitov et al., 2001; Ng et al., 2003; Poock and Lefond, 2001). Little research, however, has been conducted to uncover the extent to which universities are meeting the needs of Web-surfing students. 2. Results Of the 374 sites examined, 295 (78.9%) of the homepages were organized by a combination of function and target audiences, while 78 (20.9%) were organized by function. Only one site (0.3%) was organized by target audience alone. ∗
Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 806 742 3385. E-mail address: [email protected] (C. Callison).
0363-8111/$ – see front matter © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2006.02.014
E.M. Will, C. Callison / Public Relations Review 32 (2006) 180–183
181
The audiences targeted on the homepage included alumni and friends (77.4%), faculty and staff (52.4%), prospective students (45.6%), current students (40.5%), and parents and family (23.3%). Visitors (21.6%), students in general (16.2%), and the community (11.5%) also had sections designated for them on homepages. When the total number of student information directories specified for prospective students, current students, and students in general were combined, 64.9% of the homepages provided one or two student information directories. Functions provided on homepages and each function’s frequency were also investigated. Functions were organized into categories, including admissions, registration, financial, employment, administration and academic, campus, surrounding area, general, computer and online resources, news and deadlines, contacts, publications, and recreational activities. 2.1. Admissions The most frequently found admissions item on the homepages was a link to the admissions office (63.3%), followed by online admissions applications (20.4%), and downloadable admissions applications (5.6%). 2.2. Registration Class schedule (24.1%), registrar’s office (14.5%), online enrollment (9.9%), and transcript/student record links (5.1%) were the most frequent registration information provided on the college and university homepages. 2.3. Financial Financial aid (34.3%) and giving information (24.1%) were the primary financial items provided on the homepages. Links to foundation information (9.7%) and costs of attending the institution (8.3%) were frequently displayed on the homepages. 2.4. Employment The most frequent employment item provided information about employment opportunities at the institution(s) (33.2%). Only 1.9% of the homepages presented information about being an equal employment opportunity institution. Individually, student employment opportunities and internships were found on 1.6% of homepages. 2.5. Administration and academic Information pertaining to academic programs was present on 62.5% of homepages. Links to academics or colleges, schools, and/or departments were present on 59.5% of homepages. Many homepages provided links to the institution’s library (47.2%). Almost one-quarter of the homepages provided links pertaining to administration (24.7%) or learning/research resources (24.7%). Links related to major or degree information were offered on 22.3% of homepages. 2.6. Campus The most frequent item categorized as campus information was a link to various campuses (30.8%). Directions/maps were presented on 30.3% of homepages. Links concerning campus tours or visits (12.6%) and virtual tours (11.3%) were also provided. 2.7. Information about surrounding area Information about the area surrounding the higher education institutions was visible on the homepages. Community information (9.4%), weather conditions (6.2%), emergency information (2.9%), and state information (1.1%) were placed in the “information about surrounding area” category.
182
E.M. Will, C. Callison / Public Relations Review 32 (2006) 180–183
2.8. General information about institution An About “ ” or “About Us” link was present on 70.5% of homepages. The institution’s philosophy, mission, and vision of the institution (10.7%), a message from the President (9.4%), quick facts (7.8%), and a welcome (6.2%) were identified on homepages. 2.9. Computer or online resources Of the computer and online resources offered, personal online accounts (27.3%) appeared most frequently on homepages. Personal online accounts were followed in frequency by e-mail access (23.9%), technology support (10.5%), Blackboard (9.7%), and online services (6.4%). 2.10. News and deadlines News and events were offered on 79.9% of the analyzed homepages. Academic calendars were present on 38.6% of the homepages. 2.11. Contact information Information to contact the institution was found on 86.3% of the homepages. Campus directories (31.4%), request for information (17.4%), and comments/feedback (10.5%) were the next most frequent types of contact information provided on homepages. 2.12. Publications The institution’s catalog was found on 20.6% of homepages. School media (7.5%) and student handbooks (6.2%) were also present on homepages. 2.13. Recreational activities The most frequent items categorized as recreational activities were athletics (42.9%), campus life (33.0%), and extracurricular activities (10.2%). 3. Discussion and conclusion This investigation provides a glimpse of how higher education institutions are using the Web to facilitate student relations. A greater portion of homepages was organized by a combination of functions and target audiences, suggesting higher education institutions realize it is critical to target audiences on the homepage. Further analysis of the homepages revealed alumni and friends, followed by students, are the most important audience to colleges and universities. The fact that alumni and friends were targeted most often suggests that institutions find alumni and friends to be more important than students and other audiences. This finding also implies that postsecondary institutions view their Web sites as a way to keep connected with their alumni, which can boost donations to an institution’s endowment or foundation. From simply looking at university Web sites, it might also be assumed that the institutions are more interested in obtaining money from alumni than attracting new students or providing services to current students, faculty and staff, parents and family, or visitors. Of the students targeted on the homepage, prospective students were targeted most often, suggesting postsecondary institutions view their Web sites as a promotional or recruitment tool. Additionally, when searching for the items students expect on homepages, it was determined that the items are not provided on a consistent basis, but it should be noted that items most often requested by students (as determined in past survey research) are in fact appearing most commonly on college and university Web sites. As with any study, this content analysis has several limitations that must be considered. Foremost, student information directories were only investigated if they were linked to the Web sites’ homepage. Links to student information
E.M. Will, C. Callison / Public Relations Review 32 (2006) 180–183
183
directories could have been present on pages other than the homepage. Other items, such as admissions requirements, might have been supplied in pages other than the homepage or student information directories. This limitation, however, was mandated by the focus of the study, which was to determine how institutions are making information readily available to students. Future studies may investigate deeper into the Web sites. The results of this study provide a framework universities and colleges can employ to compare their sites to the typical and ideal. In the end, the present study shows that efforts are being made to use the Web to communicate to students and provide the online information this demographic seeks, but the need for improvement exists.