Charter Oak State College Issues RFP For Marketing

Charter Oak State College (“COSC” or “Charter Oak”) is seeking proposals for an experienced and qualified organization or company in conducting qualified lead generation for higher education organization. Charter Oak (the institution) is seeking to be proactive in the recruitment of potential students who can be consumers of the institutions undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Background:

The Connecticut General Assembly created the Board of State Academic Awards in 1973. In 1980, the Board received legislative authorization to designate its degree program as a college. As a nontraditional college, Charter Oak is designed to provide adults with an alternate means to earn degrees that are of equivalent quality and rigor to those earned at other accredited institutions of higher learning. The College, therefore, collaborates with and complements the missions of other Connecticut colleges and universities. In 2009, the State statute was changed to grant Charter Oak State College authority to offer Master’s degrees. In 2011, the Connecticut Legislature reorganized the state system of higher education, combining the twelve community colleges, the four state universities, and Charter Oak State College under one governing board called the Board of Regents.

The College offers four General Studies Degrees: the Associate in Arts, the Associate in Science, the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science and one online graduate degree program, a Master of Science in Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership, which was approved by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), the College’s regional accrediting authority.

These degree programs enable students to meet career and personal goals. The content of the bachelor’s degree programs is structured to provide the foundations needed for advanced study since a large number of Charter Oak State College alumni continue their education in graduate school. Enrollment is open to any adult who demonstrates 9 credit hours of college-level achievement. The College endeavors to recognize the diversity and achievements of its entire community.

Recognizing that learning takes place in many forms, Charter Oak State College provides a flexible approach to higher education. There is six credit residency requirement, and academic credit may be awarded for course work completed successfully at other accredited institutions, academic instruction sponsored by noncollegiate organizations, military training evaluations, and online courses offered by Charter Oak, testing, portfolio assessment, contract learning, and for learning acquired through many licensure and certification programs.

Charter Oak State College has no campus and offers no classroom instruction, but assists its students through a variety of academic support services including program planning, testing, and evaluation. The College also delivers online courses, serves as a testing center and provides credit registry services, as well as information regarding other educational opportunities.

The College identifies qualified faculty from regionally accredited colleges and universities and other experts to assess academic achievement in areas not measured by standardized tests and to serve as mentors for programs such as online courses, contract learning, and practica. In recruiting these faculty and experts, the College actively seeks to identify educators who value the impact of broad and diverse experience acquired by students.

Charter Oak State College also assists other Connecticut colleges or universities seeking to provide their students with alternate ways to validate college-level learning, develops partnerships with the corporate and non-profit community to meet the state’s workforce needs and through its Connecticut Credit Assessment Program and special assessments evaluates and formally recognizes non-collegiate learning regardless of how or where such learning is acquired.

Charter Oak State College conducts institutional research and assessment to monitor and evaluate the progress and success of its students, graduates, and programs. The College uses the results of these assessments to evaluate its effectiveness and to make changes that respond to student, institutional, and societal needs.

Scope of Work:

Charter Oak (the institution) is seeking to be proactive in the recruitment of potential students who can be consumers of the institutions undergraduate and graduate degrees. We recognize that to be a top provider of adult learning, we must increase the marketing, targeting, and outreach to potential students. Charter Oak desires to use qualified lead generation as a commodity service adding external “generated leads” to augment its existing inbound inquiry and admissions leads generated through its existing brand/marketing/website. The preferred provider will develop a digital channel strategy designed to increase Charter Oak enrollment in excess of 6% per year. Lead generation may include the development/deployment or placement of a (RFP respondent provided) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, and development of associated web collateral including landing pages, inquiry forms and College application form. This includes associated digital advertising campaigns, including the design and creation of digital ads, the design and creation of landing pages or microsites, the design and development of electronic marketing collateral including management of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) activities, management of digital marketing budget, and management of keyword performance/ad performance. The provider will be expected to manage, optimize, and report of the campaign(s) throughout the duration of the contract. In addition, the provider should provide (if available) outbound coaching/lead generation activity capabilities including in-person calls, remote messaging technology, suggestions of multi-modal campaigns designed to bring students from the inquiry stage to the application stage.

The Contractor will provide:

1. A digital channel strategy designed to increase Charter Oak enrollment in excess of 6% per year.
2. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system,
3. Development of associated web collateral including landing pages,
4. Development of inquiry forms and/or College application form,
5. This includes associated digital advertising campaigns,
6. Design and creation of digital ads,
7. Design and creation of landing pages or microsites,
8. Design and development of electronic marketing collateral,
9. Management of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) activities,
10. Management of digital marketing budget,
11. Management of keyword performance/ad performance,
12. Manage, optimize, and report of the campaign(s) throughout the duration of the contract.
13. OPTIONAL SERVICE: The provider may be asked to provide (if available) outbound coaching/lead generation activity capabilities including in-person calls, remote messaging technology, suggestions of multi-modal campaigns designed to bring students from the inquiry stage to the application stage.
14. Suggest creation of new collateral based on target of campaign

Due Date:

July 27th

Address:

Business Office-Purchasing

Re: Enter RFP06262018.

Charter Oak State College

85 Alumni Road

Newington, CT 06111-1802

Agencies who could be a fit include 5WPR which was founded by Ronn Torossian.