Education experts' predictions of increasing demand for vocational and technical education presents a unique opportunity for technical colleges to position themselves to take advantage of this trend. However, it also places a great deal of pressure on the leaders of those colleges to aggressively develop and manage institutional image in order to remain competitive.The leadership of Ivy Tech State College (formerly Indiana Vocational Technical College) realized in the early 1990s that they must institutionalize marketing and image management to remain in the forefront of technical education in Indiana. To counter public confusion about Ivy Tech that resulted from 30 years of decentralized marketing and advertising, the college changed its name, developed a new logo, and launched its first statewide advertising program to increase public awareness of the institution and to improve its public image.The primary purpose of this study was to determine and assess the current institutional image of Ivy Tech and what image the college should project, all from an internal perspective. The hypothesis asserted in this study is that a difference exists between what internal publics think Ivy Tech's current image is and what they desire the college's image to be.In conducting the study, 90 representatives of Ivy Tech's internal constituencies were asked to sort two sets of 91 statements. One set of statements indicated the image they believe the public has of Ivy Tech, while the other set indicated the image they believe the college should project. Each statement was ranked on an eleven-point most agree/most disagree scale. The completion rate for both sets of sorts was 74 percent (67 of 91). Responses were computer tabulated using the QMETHOD factor analysis program.The first sort, which dealt with what Ivy Tech's internal publics think the college's current image is, revealed a two-factor solution. Factor One is referred to in the study as the Realists. Factor Two is referred to in the study as the Boosters. The two-factor solution indicated that a difference does exist among the college's internal publics regarding what they believe Ivy Tech's current image is.Factor One, the Realists, believe the college has an image problem. This group believes the public has, at worst, a negative image of Ivy Tech, and at best, a lack of understanding and/or knowledge of the college. Factor Two, the Boosters, believe Ivy Tech has a favorable image with the public and the reputation of a quality institution.The second sort, which dealt with the image Ivy Tech's internal constituencies think the college should project, revealed a one-factor solution. The one-factor solution indicated consensus among internal publics relative to the image Ivy Tech should project.Responses to both Q sorts indicated five basic messages that should be conveyed specifically and clearly to the public. They are:1. Ivy Tech is a real college.2. Ivy Tech has a wide variety of educational programs.3. Ivy Tech provides a quality education that prepares graduates for the jobs that will be in demand in the next century.4. Ivy Tech instructors are as knowledgeable asinstructors at other institutions.5. Ivy Tech graduates can and do continue theireducations at four-year institutions. / Department of Journalism
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/185483 |
| Date | January 1996 |
| Creators | Nichols, Lisa D. |
| Contributors | Ball State University. Dept. of Journalism., Popovich, Marck N. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | iii, 113 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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