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Public Relations, Marketing, and Development

Version 2013-14 Approved by IEC, 4-30-13


Cerro Coso Community College

Natalie Dorrell

November 3, 2015



Executive Summary The Public Relations, Marketing, and Development Office works to support the college’s mission by meeting the information and resource needs that support the instructional and strategic goals of the college. The department facilitates engagement with multiple constituencies through digital, print, and event-based communications at all campus locations. Under the direction of the College President, this department is responsible for internal and external communications, public relations, public information, publications, web content, and resource development. The department is consistently bringing forward best practices in the areas of public relations, marketing, and development. Good progress has been made in promoting Cerro Coso Community College as a leader in higher education. Students are reporting a high affinity for the college. A new website was rolled out in the spring of 2014 to create a better first impression of the college. Advertising has been expanded into digital realms, and the department recently initiated a comprehensive rebranding of the college to include fresh new logos and shift in messaging to better communicate a relevant brand promise that improves the institution’s standing as a college of first choice.

Development efforts are designed to help ensure educational opportunities and academic development through financial and other forms of support; to establish scholarship programs and services that benefit students; and create fundraising initiatives that support the programs and services of the college. The need for support is greater than ever. Student fees and the cost of books and supplies continue to rise. The department puts a lot of effort into the development and awarding of scholarships that are essential to student recruitment and retention. The people, the programs, the projects at Cerro Coso require important investments to move the institution forward and the department works to secure the funds needed for success by presenting fundraising initiatives as giving opportunities to prospective donors through a variety of channels.

The CCCC Foundation has been restructured to increase the amount of work being accomplished. Donations have increased substantially, employee giving has steadily increased over the past five years, and the dollar amount awarded to students in scholarship increased 123% in the last year alone.

The department does need to be more calculated in planning and measuring for effectiveness. A tangible strategic marketing plan needs to be developed to drive collaboration among all stakeholders and help align the department’s various functions. The expectations and staffing of the department need to be reviewed.



Part 1 - Relevance 1. Department Mission

The mission of the CCCC Public Relations, Marketing, and Development Department is to support the

college mission by enhancing public awareness and participation in the college’s many programs,

services, and activities. The public relations and marketing functions of the department seek to increase

the overall visibility of the college and reinforce its brand and reputation within its diverse communities.

The development function serves to engage alumni, friends, donors, parents, students, prospective

students, faculty, and staff to treasure their association with the college, building relationships and

partnerships with community and business leaders that strengthen their support. The department’s

public relations, marketing, and development efforts strive to inspire those who are not directly

connected with the institution to take notice of its academic reputation and contributions.

2. Department History and Description

This is the department’s first comprehensive review; therefore, the department’s history and

description have been expanded for documentation purposes.

When Cerro Coso first opened its doors at the Ridgecrest campus in the fall of 1974 communications

and marketing were handled by the Director of Administrative Services and Outreach. The department

has always reported directly to the College President. An independent Public Information Office was

established in 1977 and staffing of the department hit an all-time high in 1988 with a Director,

Coordinator, Principal Department Assistance III (full-time), Department Assistant I (19 Hrs.), and 2 to 3

student workers (varied by semester based on availability).

The functions of the department have changed many times over the years and at one time included

facilities planning, construction, and bookstore operations. Today, facilities, construction, and

bookstore no longer remain a function of the department and budget cuts reduced the department to

one manager and an administrative assistant shared with three other administrators. Over the past five

years the department’s staffing has been increased to include the Public Relations, Marketing, and

Development Manager; a Department Assistant II; Department Assistant I (part-time) paid by the CCCC

Foundation; and a Web Content Editor.

Marketing channels have changed profoundly over the last decade dictating the department adapt

quickly to new marketing environments. In the 1980’s the major channels of distribution included:

radio, television, newspapers, and flyers. Today those channels have expanded to include the web,

email, and social media, and an increased need for interactive media such as video. The need for

content in these new distribution arenas added a new layer of responsibility to the college’s marketing

role, resulting in the addition of a Web Content Editor in 2011.

The department also coordinates the fund-raising efforts of the CCCC Foundation, which includes the

Coyote Club, and Alumni Association, and is responsible for cultivating, securing, and stewarding

institutional donations (scholarships, capital gifts, sponsorships, matching gifts, and volunteers) for

programs that are consistent with college priorities.



The clerical workload for the Cerro Coso Community College Foundation increased substantially when

KCCD started requiring independent contractor agreements, vendor applications, volunteer paperwork,

and insurance documentation for all foundation events and functions. The reinstatement of the athletic

booster’s organization and the move of athletic and nursing clubs into the foundation also resulted in a

significant increase in work for the department. In response to the increase in work a 15 hour a week,

10 month, Department Assistant I position, fully funded by the foundation, was added to the

department in 2013. This position provides clerical support for the CCCC Foundation.

A Department Assistant II was added to the department in the fall of 2015 to provide some much

needed relief to the manager who performed the majority of the routine clerical duties previously. The

department is currently functioning at capacity.

Part 2 – Appropriateness 1. Organizational Chart

2. Determination of Student or Service Recipient Needs

The efforts of the Public Information, Marketing, and Development Office benefit the college, its

students, and the communities served. The department seeks to build awareness of, engagement with,

and giving to the college, strengthening and sustaining its future.

Meeting the needs of six (Ridgecrest, Lake Isabella, East Kern, Bishop, Mammoth, and CC Onlin) active

and vastly different campuses is challenging. The Marketing Manager collaborates with college

personnel and departments across the service area to determine advertising needs and integrates the

requests made through the annual unit planning process each year to develop marketing strategies

throughout the year.

College President

Public Relations, Marketing, and

Development Manager

Department Assistant II

Department Assistant I

(Part Time) Paid by the Foundation

Web Content Editor



A Marketing Team was established in 2013 to develop and implement marketing strategies and activities

to increase awareness of Cerro Coso and the various programs and services offered, develop compelling

and innovative promotional and marketing materials to enhance and increase enrollment at the college,

and to coordinate marketing needs and efforts across its vast service area.

Marketing Team:

Public Relations, Marketing, and Development Manager

Director of the Eastern Sierra College Center

East Kern Campus Manager

Kern River Valley Campus Manager

Director of Counseling

Director of Access

Director of Admissions and Records and Financial Aid

Dean of Career Technical Education

Contract and Community Education Campus Manager

Director of Outreach and Student Life

Director of Distance Education

Graphic Designer

Web Content Editor

Faculty Representative

There is an established process for requesting media coverage and a form is available on the employee

tab of InsideCC, but it is rarely used, and a substantial amount of unanticipated needs and requests are

given less formally through email, in person, and over the phone. Media coverage is also a component

of the event planning form, and once approved, these forms are forwarded to the department for

scheduling and implementation purposes. The form is not always used, which lends opportunity to

provide more publicity on the processes and procedures for the scheduling of all college events both on

and off campus. Flexibility in marketing allows the department to respond swiftly to problems and

opportunities, but creates chaos with established timelines and tasks.

3. Department Function

The department has three areas of responsibility: Public Relations, Marketing, and Development. The

public relations function is responsible for maintaining a favorable public image of the college through a

strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between the college and

its many audiences. Marketing is the active promotion and selling of Cerro Coso programs and services,

including research and advertising. Development builds and secures external funding, volunteer

assistance, and good will among alumni, the community, corporate donors, individuals, and friends

strengthening and sustaining the future of the college.



Public Relations

The Public Relations function is about creating and maintaining a favorable public image for the college

and to increase awareness of its successes and goals through market forecasting, environmental

analysis, public relations, production of marketing material, and economic forecasting. Duties include:

Anticipate, analyze, and interpret public opinion, attitudes, and issues that might impact, for

good or ill, the operations and plans of the college.

Advise management and staff regarding communication, public relations, and marketing

issues, current and future, which impact the college, its personnel, and image.

Serves as the primary representative to the news media, responsible for organizing official

public appearances and events.

Write news releases, public service announcements, special interest stories, etc.

Establish and maintain internal and external communication networks for the college i.e.,

Coyote Howler; Community Reports; email, text, and phone messaging through Blackboard

Connect; Facebook; website; Twitter; Linkedin, etc.

Develop, implement, and maintain strategic college marketing and outreach plans.

Develop and prepare speeches, correspondence, talking points, announcements, and other

oral and written communications for the president and administration.

Meet and confer with personnel, administrators, students, and the public to obtain and

determine information appropriate for publication and promotion; collaborate with

administrators in the development and implementation of promotional and public relations

goals, objectives, strategies, timelines, and priorities.

Attend, photograph, and report on college-related events and activities.

Plan and manage area budget.

Create and maintain branding processes, standards, and guidelines.

Respond to requests for information about college activities, services, and status.

Develop, implement, and maintain crisis communication plans.

Assists with crisis communication.

Marketing

The marketing function requires developing strategies to involve various components: video, website,

social media, content creation, imagery, promotions, events and activities that are designed to increase

enrollment and support for the college. Duties include:

Write interesting and effective press releases, prepare information for media kits.

Responsible for content and maintenance of college portal, internet webpages, and social

media outlets.



Determine the need for general campus and specific program marketing; create and initiate

marketing and promotional campaigns to meet those needs.

Identify audiences and determine the best way to communicate public information and

develop and implement communication plans for all six campus locations.

Consult with advertising agencies and other outlets to coordinate promotional campaigns in

all types of media.

Develop and maintain the college’s image and identity, which includes use of logos and

signage.

Evaluate advertising and promotion programs for compatibility with public relations efforts.

Oversee the design and edit of promotional publications including: brochures, flyers, web

sites, posters etc.

Development

The development function of the department provides leadership in the establishment of policies,

procedures, and planning related to resource development through the CCCC Foundation. The

foundation’s fundraising goals are strategically aligned to assist the college in meeting its goals and

objectives, through periodic mission, vision, and goal setting that increases the value of the

Foundation’s assets that advances the college and its work. Duties include:

Assist the CCCC Foundation in the development of goals, strategies, and objectives.

Coordinate special events and fundraisers for the foundation, Coyote Club, and Alumni

Association.

Establish goals for soliciting funds; develop procedures for collecting and safeguarding of

contributions, and coordinate disbursement of funds.

Maintain donor databases.

Identify and build relationships with potential donors.

Monitor foundation, alumni, and booster budgets, expense reports, and other financial data.

Monitor progress of fundraising drives.

Recruit sponsors, participants, and volunteers for fundraising events.

Secure commitments of participation or donations from individuals and corporate donors.

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with community members,

government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new

opportunities for students and the college.

Oversee the operations of the Foundation Scholarship Program and work with the Financial Aid

Department on criteria and distribution.

4. Department Relationships and Impact

Everyone plays a key role in marketing at Cerro Coso Community College. Promotion is only one

component of the marketing mix. Marketing includes the programs and services Cerro Coso offers, the



benefits, features, and costs for those programs and services, where and when they are offered, and

promotion.

The Public Relations Manager is responsible for cultivating and maintaining close and productive

relationships with the media, community, students, employees, and public interest groups, telling the

college story in relevant and convincing ways. This requires the manager be engaged in the

communities and keep up with the news as well as current events, trends, and developments that can

affect public opinions of the college. Due to its vast service area, the department relies heavily on

leadership at the centers and outreach to keep informed of stories, events, and publicity opportunities

on the respective campuses.

As the first point of contact for many students, the counseling department plays a crucial role in

promoting Cerro Coso offerings to teachers, school counselors, students, and parents and hosts a

number of marketing activities throughout the year to promote college programs and services. These

events include: Open Houses, junior and senior high preview days, elementary school tours and events

like I’m Going to College, college and university visits, parent nights, career exploration, etc. Leadership

at the centers and outreach plan and implement many of the same or similar types of recruitment and

retention activities. The Public Relations, Marketing, and Development Department provides support

for outreach efforts.

The department must also be prepared to face bad press and crisis situations involving external and

internal communications, quickly developing strategies and talking points to keep messaging consistent,

minimizing the impact. The department also responds to requests for information and serves as the

designated information source for the college.

Development efforts are designed to help ensure educational opportunities and academic development

through financial and other forms of support; to establish scholarship programs and services that

benefit students; and create fundraising initiatives that support the programs and services of the

college. The need for support is greater than ever. Student fees and the cost of books and supplies

continue to rise. The department puts a lot of effort into the development and awarding of scholarships

that are essential to student recruitment and retention. The people, the programs, the projects at Cerro

Coso require important investments to move the institution forward and the department works to

secure the funds needed for success by presenting fundraising initiatives as giving opportunities to

prospective donors through a variety of channels.

5. Service Recipients

With a vast service area of 18,500+ square miles, communication is vital in coordinating the public

relations, marketing, and development needs of all the campuses. Good public relations is about people

and relationships. The department must work collaboratively with college personnel, students,

community members, media, businesses, educators, donors, service organizations, and government.

The ability to form relationships and build good rapport with everyone is essential to the longevity and

vitality of the institution. This is accomplished by:



Being active participants in community forums and activites, listening and having conversations

and building rapport.

Telling college success stories – branding strategy.

Inviting the public to be active participants in educating their communities by offering

opportunities to provide fiscal, volunteer, and donor resources.

6. Usage and Satisfaction Data

Progress has been made in promoting Cerro Coso Community College as a leader in higher education.

Students are reporting a high degree of affinity for the college. 94.5% of students completing the spring

of 2014 CCSSEE Survey would recommend the college to a friend or family member. This is slightly

higher than the rate for medium sized colleges and slightly higher than the entire 2014 national CCSSEE

cohort. 83.8% of the students surveyed rated their educational experience at Cerro Coso ‘good’ or

‘excellent’.

A new website was rolled out in the spring of 2014 to create a better first impression of the college,

services, and programs. Analytics are run on the site regularly to evaluate use and visitors (Attachment

1). One way to identify the college audience is through traffic stats. These analytics tell who visits the

website, their geographic location, what browser they used, what they do when they are on the

website, how long they are on the website, what pages they are visiting, where they are dropping off

the website, and how many pages an average user is viewing. We can see how the user found the

website and how they interact with the site’s content. Since the launch of a new and responsive college

website in March of 2014, there has been an increase in mobile and tablet usage (Table 1).

Table 1

2015-2014 2014-2013 2013-2012 2012-2011 2011-2010 2010-2009

% (new

website)

% (old

website)

% (old

website)

% (old

website)

% (old

website)

% (old

website)

Desktop 80% 86% 91% 94% 98% 99%

Mobile 15% 10% 7% 5% 2% 1%

Tablet 5% 4% 2% 0.5% 0% 0%

Website New Users by Device

The number of first-time users during the selectd date range.

Date Range: March 17th to March 16th of each year

Source: Google Analytics - Cerro Coso Community College



The increase from 1% to 15% in mobile usage over the past five years may be due to the convenience

and accessibility of mobile devices. More people are accessing the college website using a variety of

devices and this kind of information is important in developing digital strategies for the college that are

relevant to existing and future generations.

Based upon usage statistics, (Table 2) the top 15 Cerro Coso website links includes the homepage, the

CC Online current student page, the CC Online homepage, the class schedule page and the library page

Approximately 30% of college website users may have had the college homepage as their browser

default page, which may explain the drop-off rate after entering the homepage. Moodle website log-off

to the CC Online current student page also increases presence on the page. The library continues to be

an important service to college website users. There is a decreasing trend of website users to the

admissions page. This information allows the department to prioritize the assessment and updating of

website content and restructure to improve usability. From these analytics it can be determined where

to put critical information. Information that allows the department to develop strategies for search

engine optimization and even provides evidence on how social networks are linking to the website.

Table 2

Other forms of advertising are far more complex when it comes to measuring the return on investment

(ROI). How do we know the ad put in the newspaper led to a student enrolling in a class?

Session

User

Drop-off

Rate Session User

Drop-off

Rate Session User

Drop-off

Rate Session User

Drop-off

Rate

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/ 148,000 30% 147,000 33% 139,000 32% 152,000 30%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/cconline/current-online-students n/a n/a 4,410 84% 12,700 89% 18,300 89%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/cconline 13,230 18% 11,750 37% 7,735 23% 8,148 19%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/class-schedule 5,880 21% 5,480 25% 4,780 23% 5,870 27%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/library 1,970 26% 1,930 24% 2,835 19% 2,510 23%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/studentservices/admissions 2,097 30% 1,886 39% 1,300 51% 1,620 47%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/escc/mammoth 775 32% 1,400 33% 1,400 31% 1,510 40%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/academics/programs 1,480 34% 1,150 22% 1,170 30% 1,499 26%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/lac/exam-proctoring 773 41% 1,110 40% n/a n/a 1,360 37%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/studentservices/student-records/transcripts 1,400 48% 1,450 44% 1,510 43% 1,240 38%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/library/databases 800 23% n/a n/a 1,010 23% n/a n/a

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/studentservices/financial-aid 777 59% 1,260 54% 679 43% 1,050 52%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/cconline/cc-online-class-access 1,480 28% n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

https://inside.cerrocoso.edu/ 1,390 70% 876 71% 699 75% 998 64%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/studentservices/registration/important-dates 886 41% n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/athletics/baseball n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 985 31%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/athletics/baseball/2015-baseball-schedule n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 971 80%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/studentservices n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 824 34%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/studentservices/counseling n/a n/a n/a n/a 817 54% 824 53%

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/academics/college-catalog 862 43% 837 48% 769 51% n/a n/a

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/escc/bishop n/a n/a n/a n/a 647 33% n/a n/a

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/onecard n/a n/a 1,100 31% n/a n/a n/a n/a

https://www.cerrocoso.edu/studentservices/registration/important-dates n/a n/a 899 56% n/a n/a n/a n/a

Source: Google Analytics of Cerro Coso Website

Top 15 User Start Page for Cerro Coso Community College Website

Update: 6/4/15

Website Link

Apr 1st - Jun 30th, 2014 Jul 1st - Sept 30th, 2014 Oct 1st - Dec 31st, 2014 Jan 1st - Mar 31, 2015



Surveys like one recently conducted at an Open House in Tehachapi can provide tremendous insight into

how those in attendance heard about a particular event. Of the 23 responses received 34.78% said they

heard about it through a newspaper ad, 8.70% from a school automated recording, 21.74% from a

student, 34.78% other sources. While small these kinds of surveys provide a glimpse in how those in

attendance got the information.

Surveys can provide equally valuable information and allow us to best determine campaign strategies

for meeting target audiences. In another instance enrollments were measured at a particular location, a

postcard was sent out, and enrollment were consistently measured for three weeks to determine what,

if any, affect the postcard had on enrollment. Although it did not yield many, if any, new enrollments,

this kind of measure only measures enrollment effects and does not measure any branding influence

(creating an awareness of presence and image) the post card may have provided.

A recent branding survey provided valuable information about our brand awareness, usage, and

attributes ultimately leading the charge to create new logos that better represent the college and the

service it provides—higher education.

Evaluating market segments is critical to marketing strategy development to meet college strategic

goals. Dividing the market into geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral segments

allows the college to better position programs and services to meet specific student needs and desires.

Better targeting of future students means better returns on marketing investment, brand loyalty, and

assists the college in meeting equity gaps.

7. Department Costs

The Public Relations, Marketing and Development Department operates with a $50,000 general fund

budget annually which includes advertising for all campuses, non-instructional supplies and materials,

travel, food , dues and memberships, printing and duplicating services, and computer equipment and

does not include salaries.

The annual unit planning process and Marketing Team have substantially increased the awareness and

need for marketing, resulting in a large increase in the demand for the departments services. There is a

need to market individual programs; however, a limited advertising budget makes it difficult to do much

more than the general advertising of registration. The department has been able to augment some of

these needs by leveraging Career Technical Education (CTE) funds to help offset the cost of promoting

specific programs. However, this money only promotes programs that fall under CTE and creates an

unfair atmosphere for programs with no special funding.

2014/2015 General Advertising Budget 2015/16 General Advertising Budget:

Ridgecrest Campus $13,100 Ridgecrest Campus $14,000

ESCC Bishop Campus $5,000 ESCC Bishop Campus $6,000

ESCC Mammoth Campus $3,000 ESCC Mammoth Campus $3,000



KRV Campus $3,500 KRV Campus $4,000

East Kern Campus $3,000 East Kern Campus $3,500

Tehachapi Campus $3,500 Tehachapi Campus $3,500

At this time, the department purchases paid advertising from the following vendors across the service

area:

16 Newspapers

6 Radio Stations

3 Cable Stations

2 Phone Books

2 County Maps

3 High School Year books

Ridgecrest Chamber Monthly Newsletter

Special Edition Ads – Perspective Magazine, Economic Outlook Conference, Graduation Inserts,

Awards Programs

1 High School Sports T-shirt Ads

3 High School Sports Posters

Advertising for Career Technical Education Programs have allowed the department to expand

advertising to include:

Movie Theater

Facebook

Google

Newspapers – Full Page (All Sites)

Web Advertising

Medical Directories

Advertising costs are rising along with the increase in marketing channels which places a greater burden

on existing fiscal and personnel resources. There are two broad approaches to capturing attention in

advertising: pay for it or earn it. Earning attention without purchasing advertising, which gives access to

an audience, requires much more personnel time and attention. Telling the success stories of students,

staff, and graduates places a heavy burden on department staff to track, interview, write, and release.

Using existing fiscal resources more strategically requires data collection, analysis, and planning to

achieve specific goals and objectives that also results in more personnel time and attention, but is

necessary to identify new market opportunities as well as new competitive threats.

Public Relations and Development is a strategic, integrated method of managing relationships to

increase understand and support among an educational institution’s key constituents, including alumni

and friends, government policy makers, the media, members of the community and philanthropic



entities of all types. Stewardship is critical to retaining donors and cultivating future giving. This

includes timely acknowledgement of gifts, ensuring gifts are used appropriately, monitoring the impact,

and personal communication. The physical costs are minimal and absorbed by the department’s

budget. The CCCC Foundation budgets for fundraisers and foundation expenses including: printing

costs, postage, supplies, and one part-time 15-hour, 10 month Department Assistant I position but does

not pay for the manager’s role in development directly impacted by the work of the foundation

Part 3 – Currency 1. Staffing

Currently the Public Relations, Marketing, and Development Department consists of four employees:

Public Relations, Marketing, and Development Manager – Reports to the president of the

college, is responsible for managing the areas of internal and external communications, public

information, publications and printed materials, and administrates Foundation and Alumni

Relations Association. Serves as an ex-officio board member of the Cerro Coso Community

College Foundation.

Web Content Editor – Reports to the public relations, marketing, and development manager,

implements and manages web content using a content management system, implements social

media strategies, provides training and technical support to staff and faculty in association with

our web presence, develops and writes text for publication in print and on the web.

Department Assistant II – Reports to the public relations, marketing, and development manager

and performs clerical duties for the department including: proofreading a variety of reports,

letters and memos; disseminates releases to media; maintains calendars and schedules of

activities, meetings, interviews and appointments; coordinates department activities with other

departments, the public, and outside agencies; composes routine correspondence related to

assigned area; assists in gathering information for reports; processes purchase orders and

invoices for payment; maintains filing systems; provides information and forms to the public;

collects and processes appropriate information; serves as a receptions answering telephones

and provides information to the general public as required.

Department Assistant I – Reports to the public relations, marketing, and development manager.

This is a 15 hour a week, 10 month position paid for by the CCCC Foundation to provide routine

clerical services to the Foundation. Responsible for coordinating Foundation general and

committee meetings; processing purchase orders and invoices for payment for the CCCC

Foundation, including Alumni Association, Boosters, and athletic and nursing clubs; composing

routine correspondence; maintaining records; answering phones; answering Foundation

questions; taking meeting minutes for the Foundation and committees; assists with event and

campaign coordination.



The department is functioning at capacity and additional assistance will be needed to maintain and

increase development and marketing efforts in support of the college’s need for increased human,

monetary, and physical resources.

2. Professional Development

Training is essential for department success. The department budgets for staff development needs

annually. The manager stays current with emerging technologies and draws on best practices in

marketing, public relations, and development by participating in professional development

opportunities which include:

KCCD Leadership Academy – Graduate

Asilomar Women’s Leadership Skills Seminar

Community College Public Relations Officers (CCPRO) – Member/Annual Conference Attendee

National Council for Marketing and Public Relations Council (NCMPR) – Member/Conference

Attendee (Only attend when held in California)

Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) – Member/Resource

Development/Conference Attendee/Participate in Webinars regularly

Center for Resource Development (CRD) – Member/Resource Development

Network of California Community College Foundations (NCCCF) – Member/Conference Attendee

Community College League of California – Conference Attendee

Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA) – Member/Resource

Department support staff are encouraged to participate in staff development activities on and off the

campus, and individual staff development goals are identified in evaluations with recommendations for

achievement.

3. Physical Resources

Facilities are safe and sufficient to support and assure the integrity and quality of the department. Any

additional equipment or upgrades are planned for through the department’s annual budget. An

enormous amount of storage space is required by the department to warehouse fundraising supplies

and equipment. The current storeroom located on the first floor of the main building 115A is adequate

and provides the staff with acceptable access.

4. Technology

Emerging technologies and new hires may dictate the need for new equipment or furniture that will be

addressed in the department’s annual unit plan. Existing technology is sufficient to support and assure

the integrity and quality of the department’s work at this time.

5. Marketing

Marketing is a component of the annual planning and program review processes, and as a result is

widely recognized by college departments and programs. However, there are populations within the



college that may not be aware of the marketing services and advertising procedures of the institution,

especially adjunct instructors or new staff hires not part of the planning processes.

The Career Technical Education (CTE) Department has invited the department manager on occasion to

present on marketing at CTE workshops, and this has helped in generating understanding of the

activities, processes, and resources the department offers.

More departments and programs need to utilize the services of the department to ensure branding

standards and quality production. There is room for improvement within the Marketing Department to

better promote the services it provides and process implementation.

Part 4 – Achievement of Administrative Unit Outcomes 1. Achievement of Administrative Unit Outcomes

AUO 1:

Target: 70% of students will report a high degree of affinity for Cerro Coso Community

College.

Assessment Method: CCSSE – Question 26 – Would you recommend this college to a friend or family

member? Question 27 – How would you evaluate your entire experience at this

college? Student Satisfaction Survey Question – I feel proud to be a student at Cerro

Coso Community College? Cerro Coso Community College is a name I trust.

Assessment Date: Spring 2014 & Spring 2015

Recent Results: 2014 CCSSE Results: 94.5% of students responded “Yes” they would recommend the

college to a friend or family member. 83.8% of students surveyed rated their

educational experience at Cerro Coso ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. 2015 Student Experience

Survey Results: 83.78% students responded they agreed or strongly agreed they are

proud to be a student at Cerro Coso Community College (CCCC). 87.03% agreed or

strongly agreed they trust the education they received from CCCC will prepare them

for future success.

AUO 2:

Target: 70% of students surveyed will report that they were aware of college programs,

services, and activities.

Assessment Method: Marketing Survey

Assessment Date: Not completed

Recent Results: N/A

AUO 3:

Target: Increase monetary donations to the college and/or foundation by 10% every year.

Assessnent Method: CCCC Foundation and college donation records: Foundation contributions/donations –

general increased participation in foundation fundraising activities. Ticket sales net

assets.

Assessment Date: Annually



Recent Results: Since 2013 the foundation’s net assets have increased 15.76%. Staff contributions

through the Employee Giving Campaign increased 124% since 2010.

AU0 4:

Target: Initiate a comprehensive rebranding of the college to include fresh new logos and a

shift in messaging to better commnunicate a relevant brand promise that improves

the college’s position of being a college of first choice in the service area.

Assessment Method: Branding survey completed in the spring of 2015 that included college branding

strengths and weaknesses for initial data points and reassess after the launch of the

new brand.

Assessment Date: Spring 2015

Recent Results: The branding survey provided valuable information about the college’s brand awareness, usage, and attributes, ultimately leading the charge to create new logos that build on the value proposition and core offerings of the college.

AUO 5:

Target: Host two donor campaigns a year, one in the fall and one in the spring, increase

alumni activities, building alumni volunteer database.

Assessment Method: Increased alumni donations and participation by 5%

Assessment Date: Fall 2015

Recent Results: The spring 2015 campaign yielded an increase in alumni donations over the

previous year’s donations. Anything over nothing is something, but the return

really didn’t pay for the campaign resulting in a loss to the association.

AUO 6:

Target Continue to review and update scholarships to increase awards and amounts. Create

a program of donor stewardship, recognition, and engagement. Lead Foundation

planning efforts that support the college strategic plan.

Assessment Method: Increase in scholarship awards and amounts.

Assessment Date: Fall 2015

Recent Results: Foundation scholarships awarded to CCCC students increased from $30025 in

2013/2014 to $69025 in 2014/2015 a 130% increase.

Assessment History Summary

SLO # Target Semester Met? Semester Met? Semester Met?

AUO 1 70% SP14 Yes SP15 Yes

AUO 2 70% FA14 No

AUO 3 10% FA14 Yes FA15 Yes

AUO 4 Completion SP15 Yes

AUO 5 2 Campaigns SP15 Yes FA15 No

AUO 6 Increase FA14 Yes FA15 Yes



a. Gaps and Improvements Made

AUO 2 - Improve public awareness and participation in college prgorams, services, and activities

Target - 70% of students surveyed will report that they were aware of college programs, services, and activities.

Assessment Method: Marketing Survey

Results: Not completed.

Outcome Gap: This measure of success does not warrant an independent marketing survey but would

be better met by adding the question to an already exisiting assessment like the CCSSE or student

experience, or a more targeted surveys like web usability.

Action Plan: The outcome was revised in the 2016/2017 annual unit plan to move from a general

marketing survey that yields little useful information to an exisiting more specific targeted survey to

optimize research information.

AUO 5 – Improve alumni base, interactions, and relationships to increase donor receipts by 5 percent

during the 2014-2015 school year.

Target: Host two donor campaigns a year, one in the fall and one in the spring, increase alumni

activities, building alumni volunteer database.

Assessment Method: Increase alumni donations and participation by 5%.

Results: An alumni donor campaign was rolled out in spring 2015

Outcome Gap: The spring 2015 campaign yielded an increase in alumni donations over the previous

year’s donations. Anything over nothing is something, but the return really didn’t pay for the campaign

resulting in a loss to the association.

Action Plan: This outcome was revised in the 2016/2017 annual unit plan to be accomplished in the

following manner:

1. Form an alumni committee or task force within the CCCC Foundation board

2. Establish an active Alumni Association Board of Directors

3. Develop a three year strategic plan for alumni engagement

b. Summary of Administrative Unit Outcome Achievement

The Public Relations, Marketing, and Development Department strives to improve public awareness and

participation in college programs, services, and activities. Good progress has been made in promoting

Cerro Coso Community College as a leader in higher education. Students are reporting a high affinity for



the college. A new website was rolled out in the spring of 2014 to create a better first impression of the

college, the services, and programs. Advertising was expanded into Tehachapi, movie theaters, and

Facebook. Specialized campaigns were completed for OneCard, Parking, Business, CTE, GradGuru and

Construction.

The department also initiated a comprehensive rebranding of the college to include fresh new logos and

shift in messaging to better communicate a relevant brand promise that improves the institution’s

position of being a college of first choice in its service area. A branding survey provided valuable

information about the college’s brand awareness, usage, and attributes,

ultimately leading the charge to create new logos that build on the value

proposition and core offerings of the college. The shield, a symbol of stability,

longevity, tradition, boldness, and confidence, represents Cerro Coso’s strong

commitment to student completion. Whether it be one class, updating job skills,

completing a certificate or degree, or transferring to a four year university, the

college is dedicate to helping students realize their educational goals. Long a

symbol of victory in Roman culture, the laurel leaves in the new logo exemplify student achievement

and success. The new brand and logos are a celebration of, and preparation for, Cerro Coso’s continued

growth as a college of first choice, while also honoring the institutional convictions and hard work that

brought them to where they are today.

Paid media opportunities are much more finely segmented and targeted. The college can now

personalize ads, offers, and site experiences based on all kinds of targeting parameters or captured

information that qualifies prospects; this degree of precision increases relevancy, cost, and personnel

time. Digital marketing is very data-driven and most of the activity is highly traceable which requires a

tremendous amount of time and human resources to monitor and control. It also requires an ever

changing understanding ahead of time of what makes for good creative and smart digital strategies,

managing ecomplexity, and measuring real impact.

The department also provides vision, leadership, strategic direction and administrative oversight to the

Cerro Coso Community College Foundation. The CCCC Foundation has been working very well under a

new structure and bylaws, which has resulted in a tremendous increase in the amount of work being

accomplished. The foundation's net assets increased in 2013/2014 and remained stable in 2014/2015.

Six new scholarships have been established since 2013. Employee giving has steadily increased annually

since 2010. Scholarship awards to students have significantly increased over the past four years. The

foundation awarded an unprecedented $69,025 in scholarships to CCCC students in 2014/15. The

significant increase in the number of scholarships awarded to students, resulted in the need for the

foundation to hold a separate student scholarship awards luncheon for the first time in October of 2014.

The Manager leads CCCC Foundation planning efforts to align fundraising goals with college strategic

plans and initiatives. Every year a target is set and measured against previous years and submitted

through the department’s annual unit plan. The foundation has been successful in meeting previous



year’s percentage increase goals, but that will become more difficult to obtain as the amount donated

each year continues to grow. Foundation fundraisers, meetings, and activities have increased

considerably impacting the workload of the existing staff.

The alumni play a key role in branding, boosting the schools rankings, and long-term health by providing

increased enrollment and needed resources. An active alumni program would include fundraising

campaigns and events, cultural events and activities, regular meetings, scholarships and recognition

programs, benefits, career services, homecomings and reunions, networking opportunities, etc.

Progress in developing an active viable alumni base has been slower than anticipated. The strategy for

success was revised in the 2016/2017 annual unit plan.

The department is functioning at capacity and additional assistance will be needed to increase

development and marketing efforts in support of the college’s needs for increased human, monetary,

and physical resources. The addition of a full-time Department Assistant II has provided relief to the

manager who previously performed most of the routine office duties. It is anticipated that progress will

be made in developing an active alumni association in the next few years—an area where more

opportunities exist; however, progress will be severely limited without additional staff. It just isn't

possible to hold more campaigns, fundraisers, events, recognitions, etc., with the existing staff.

Appropriate department staffing levels and priorities need to be assessed and addressed.

Fiscal Gaps

Distance Education Marketing Budget and Online Enrollment

Fiscal Year 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Marketing Budget for Distance Education $0 $0 $0

Total College Certificate/ Degree Completers 424 385 473

Total College Student (1st day) 20,649 20,189 18,235

Total Online Student (unduplicated, 1st day) 6,858 6,782 6,457

First Time Student (unduplicated, 1st date) 628 1,151 1,142

Total College Student (duplicated, census date) 23,444 24,684 23,444

Online Student (duplicated, census date) 14,399 14,591 13,026

Continuing Student (unduplicated, 1st date) 4,554 4,112 2,018

Returning Student (unduplicated, 1st date) 3,069 2,830 1,117

First Day Enrollment for Online Veteran 229 185 175

Students in online classes represents 55% of the college’s total enrollment and CC Online is treated as a

virtual instructional campus of the college, yet currently, no budget is allocated for the promotion of

online classes and programs. Digital marketing is expensive and any attempt to increase enrollment in

the online environment through advertising will result in the need to create a budget for the promotion

of Distance Education classes and programs.



4. Achievement of Course Student Learning Outcomes

N/A

a. Gaps and Improvements Made

N/A

b. Summary of Student Learning Outcome Achievement

N/A

Part 5 – Action Plans 1. Effectiveness and Efficiency

The department doesn’t have recognized methods and metrics for determining effectiveness and

efficiency. Identifying and developing useful measures and metrics for evaluating the department’s

effectiveness and efficiency is one of the initiatives to be addressed in the department’s 2016/2017

annual unit plan. Effectiveness is slightly easier to quantify by measuring the services the department

provides and if they meet the objectives and/or expectations of the college. The department is making

excellent progress in meeting the goals and objectives as identified in its annual unit plans. Overall

department trends show an increase in the demand for web support and web content, continued strong

demand for marketing, publicity, and information dissemination throughout its geographically large

service area and an ever increasing need for human, monetary, and physical resources.

2. Current Strengths

Marketing, public relations, and development have become more important than ever before, as

colleges become increasingly more competitive and enrollments continue to decline. The world of

marketing and communications has grown to be quite complex over the past two decades, especially

due to divergent communications technologies. The department keeps current and implements best

practices in marketing, public relations, and development, that build relationships on trust and respect,

dealing with people in an open straightforward way, and represents the organization in a positive and

professional manner, using intuition, logic, and creativity. Flexibility and understanding are exercised to

optimize department outcomes.

Professional development can be time-consuming, but is essential to the department in keeping current

on emerging technologies, best practices, changing rules and regulations, and overall effectiveness and

success.

3. Improvements Needed

Meeting the public relations, marketing, and development needs of six vastly different campuses spread

across our immense service area is challenging. If we want to achieve different results than what we’ve

seen in the past, we must make a profound decision to do things differently. The department needs to

build a stronger more impactful marketing program that includes: less boomerang marketing, throwing

something out there and hoping it returns; and develop more strategic marketing that expand

opportunities for students and reinforces the institutions role as the community’s college. This will



require the department be more calculated in planning and measure for effectiveness. The expectations

and staffing of the department need to be reviewed. The never ending to do list, to many things, too

many ideas, too many missed opportunities, and constant state of overwhelm are running the

department. Developing a tangible strategic marketing plan will drive collaboration among all

stakeholders and help align the department’s various functions.

4. Response to Previous Action Plans – N/A

5. Three-Year Department Goals

The three-year and six-year goals listed below connect to the college strategic goals #2: Advance

Student Equity Measures, #3: Ensure Student Access, #4: Enhance Community Connections, and goal

and #6: Strengthen Organization Effectiveness. Improving internal processes and providing consistency

throughout the college service area will ensure improvements to institutional effectiveness, and

department practices.

Identify and develop useful measures and metrics for evaluating the department’s effectiveness

and efficiency. The college public relations, marketing, and development manager will be

responsible for ascertaining and implementation of measure and metrics. The goal is to

complete and implement these measures and metrics to provide data points for the 2017/2018

annual unit plan and identify trends in the next program review.

Redevelop an active alumni program that will increase Cerro Coso’s standing as a college of first

choice leading to increased enrollmemts, improved brand promise, and provide valuable

human, fiscal, cultural, and physical resources. The college public relations, marketing, and

development manager will be responsible for overseeing the development of an active alumni

program. The goal is to develop a plan in the fall of 2015 to begin implementation in the spring

of 2016. It will take several years to get this program up and running and fully functioning.

Lead CCCC Foundation planning efforts to support college goals, objectives, and strategies. The

public relations, marketing, and development manager is responsible for leading foundation

planning efforts and will assist the foundation in meeting it’s three year goals .

Conduct a website user survery and make improvements to the college website improving the

user experience. The public relations, marketing, and development manager will work with the

web content editor to accomplish this goal by fall 2016.

Develop a viable college marketing plan that guides the promotion and growth of the

institution. The public relations, marketing, and development manager will work with

stakeholder leadership to accomplish this goal for implementation in spring 2017.



6. Six-Year Department Goals

Develop, maintain, and continually renew the financial resources necessary to sustain the engagement of

alumni in the life of the college to the benefit of the college. The department manager will work with the

alumni board to accomplish this goal over the next six years.

Strengthen the reputation of Cerro Coso Community College and enhance its visibility through new and

exisiting media channels including the development of a common college application that engages

students in planning, applying, and interacting with the college on handheld devices. The department

manager will work with district information technology, budget committee, foundation, and alumni

personnel to implement this strategy over the next six years.

Part 6 – Supporting Documentation 1. Quantitative Performance Measurements of Unit

2. Qualitative Performance Measurement of Unit

3. Copy of the Department’s Most Recent Unit Plan.

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