The Compass
Thursday, April 18, 2002
Talk ofECSV
By: Robin Reese and Inger Parker
ECSU Seniors bid a fond farewell to the University. They have looked back over their years at ECSU
and decide to share some things.
LaTonya Raynor
Social Work
“My most memorable moment at ECSU
will be when I was voted to become Miss
Senior Class for Coronation 2001.1 will also
never forget those professors in the Depart
ment of Social Work who have set the prepa
ration for the professional I am about to
become.”
Inger Parker
English
“I hope that I have been a good example to all
ECSU students, but especially young ladies. I would
like to leave everyone with the thought that we are
unique and should not measure our self-worth based
on anyone’s standards except Jesus Christ.”
LaTasha Copeland
Psychology
“My Most memorable
moment at ECSU was
my freshman year
when my parents and
my daughter spent
Parent and Family
Weekend with me. It
felt good to be able to
share that weekend
with them and not
alone.”
Kindred Davis
Criminal Justice
“I would like to
leave Elizabeth City
State University students
with morales of deter
mination and strong
work ethics.”
-Photos by Inger Parker
andJames Hill
ARE UNIVERSITIES FAILING TO PROVIDE
STUDENTS WITH THE SERVICE AND EDUCATION
THEY DESERVE?
New LRP Publications Book Says Colleges & Universities Fail to Provide Service -and Education - Students Deserve
PALM BEACH GARDENS,
Fla.—(BUSINESS WIRE via COLLE
GIATE PRESSWIRE)-2002—A
billion-dollar industry with no cus
tomer service. That loses up to 12%
of Its customer base annually be
cause of poor service but does little
about it. That puts employees’ de
sires before customers’ needs. That
believes its customers want to be
cheated. “That’s the condition of
most of American higher education,”
said Neal Raisman, Ph.D., author of
Embrace the Oxymoron: Customer
Service in Higher Education.
Colleges and universities have
been existing with no real concern to
the care of their customers - stu
dents - for years, according to Dr.
Raisman. “Many claim they do care,”
he said. “After all, they have student
services offices and even create
short-lived student programs. But the
reality is, many college employees
still believe the adage. This would
be a great place to work if the stu
dents weren’t here.’”
And their indifference has
caught up with them.
“Students and their parents are
paying increasing tuition payments
and getting less on their invest
ments,” Dr. Raisman said. “And in a
service industry like college, that
translates into the education itself.”
Long term, poor service affects our
society, culture, economy and
future by graduating poorly edu
cated citizens and workers, accord
ing to Dr. Raisman.
In the first book published on
the issue of customer service in
higher education, the former col
lege president investigates how
colleges and universities treat and
mistreat students - and what can be
done about it. In the 191-page
book, he discusses:
— How poor customer service
cheats students and can hand them
an inferior education.
— What do students really
want and expect from college. And
why they chose one college over
another (And it's not what most
academics think.)
— Why being ranked zero is
the best rating for a college, and
how some colleges have gotten
there.
— Why students do not count
as much as administrators, faculty
and researchers at some colleges.
— How administrators have
allowed students to become under
valued and even overlooked.
— How a lack of customer
service affects the bottom line - in
lost enrollments, transfers and low
return on investment and future
donations.
— What good colleges do to
make students feel valued.
— The 12 principles of “Good
Customer Service” in education.
— The “Field of Dreams” syn
drome in college marketing: “If we
build it and offer some classes, they
will enroll.”
— What a customer service
audit is and how it can help a college
understand what it can do to improve
the experience and education for
students.
Embrace the Oxymoron: Cus
tomer Service in Higher Education is
available for $39.95 plus $4.50 ship
ping/handling. To order or for more
information, call 1-800-341-7874, ext.
347, or access www.lrp.com/store
online.
With offices in Palm Beach
Gardens; Horsham, Pa.; and Alexan
dria, Va., LRP publishes various
resources for higher education pro
fessionals including Enrollment Man
agement Report, Campus Legal Advisor
and Title IX Compliance Bulletin for
College Athletics.
About the author: Neal Raisman,
Ph.D., is president and founder of
AcademicMAPS (Marketing, Advertising
& Positioning). Dr. Raisman was presi
dent of SUNY Rockland Community
College in Suffern, and SUNY
Onondaga Community College in Syra
cuse. He also served as an associate
provost at the University of Cincinnati, a
dean and a faculty member. He was a
Fulbright Fellow in France where he
worked with French administrators on
faculty development. He has authored
64 publications, appeared on Good
Morning America, CNBC, and speaks
and consults nationally and internation
ally on academic and marketing and
advertising issues.
Note: For a free media-review copy
of Embrace the Oxymoron: Customer
Service in Higher Education or to speak
with Dr. Raisman, call Gary Bagin at
561-622-6520, ext. 370, or e-mail.
Source:
LRP Publications
Contact:
Gary Bagin
LRP Publications
561/622-6520 (ext. 370)