THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES AND THE MARKETING PROCESS OF INSTITUTIONS: A CASE STUDY

Melanie Powell Rey
Kimberly K. Powell
Southern University and A & M College
ABSTRACT
Assessment of student learning and engagement is not new to higher education institutions, particularly business schools. For example, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), an accrediting body for business schools, devoted less than 10% of the accreditation criteria and sub-criteria to assessment prior to 2003. This newfound emphasis on assessment is a result of greater public accountability on behalf of state legislators, private donors and taxpayers who are holding colleges and universities accountable for justifying funds that are quickly diminishing in the area of higher education. This level of accountability is further heightened by financial pressures and other priorities, such as healthcare, K-12 education, and crime prevention, have caused state and federal governments to accept the argument that a college education should be viewed as less of a public investment to an educated citizenry and
more as a consumer good of primary benefit to the student.
Consequently, the higher education market has become increasingly competitive for resources such as students and external funding. In an effort to address the challenges associated with increased competition for students and resources, this theoretical study will explore how one Business School has leveraged its assessment results from its Graduate Exit Survey, along with employing components of the Identity Salience Model of Relationship Marketing Success theory in order to develop relationship marketing based strategies designed to retain and recruit students
and garner greater resources.