Adding new programs?
How are schools determining which new programs to add? Is there some bank of information available or are people "dipping their toes in" by trying new programs in a small way and then pouring in support if it gets some traction?
Timothy,
Sounds like you are doing a lot of the right things. Have you researched the viability of adding courses in medical massage or sports massage or spa massage? This expands the grads ability to get work. What about reaching out to resorts and cruise lines to train their staff? The courses you add to the occupational programs can also be offered as continuing education to licensed professionals and others who have the opportunity to learn about your school. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
We are a non-profit massage therapy school of long standing. We have struggled -- successfully for the most part -- with the changes in our industry as for-profit schools have entered the field and our local market. We have relied heavily on industry research papers on the future of massage therapy education from our professional associations. They provide great detail and have confirmed many of our gut feelings and trends we hear of anecdotally. They have proved invaluable for grant writing, fundraising and strategic planning.
Albert,
Interesting history. All the steps seem logical. But - were they researched and did you base your plans and changes in data? While it seems to make sense to add medical massage to massage therapy programs, the reality is, most massage therapists want to get into the workplace quickly and don't have patience for a 2 year degree. Perhaps they will take continuing education courses that focus on medical massage. Personal training makes sense, in a way, because when combined with massage therapy it is very powerful. However, your students and grads might not want to know all that information. So - why not ask your students and grads what they want. Ask your faculty and staff. They might all have answers as to how to develop your school to grow your school and serve your market. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
In the first 3 years of our existence, our program was toward a diploma in Massage Therapy; we then added on to that to offer an Associate Degree program in Medical Massage Therapy as well; I saw this as great in our mission to transition as a viable option for patients who utilize Western medicine yet are looking outside of medications or surgery; in other words, to go mainstream. 2 years ago, we also attempted to add a Personal Training Program and create a Wellness Division, consisting of Massage and Personal Training. It never got off the ground for some reason, and there is only one local competitor in the area for both disciplines. We recently were approved by NCBTMB as a school to offer CEU courses and are very excited about that! We just continue to look at what people want, what the growing trends are, and how we can set ourselves apart from the competition.
denise,
Hmmm. Sounds like you have a challenge. You have great ideas and where you work might not be able to consider them. Always interesting. For now you might want to consider thinking of ways to gain proof. Data is very valuable. I find it is easy to make a point when I have information to back it up. You might discover something new. It seems you like to do that. So looks like a chance to develop some new ideas. Good luck, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
One of my specialties is job development. I love placing an intern with a company so that the intern develops clientele and demonstrates good business development in a way that impresses the company to make a job offer. But the EC of our organization does not want to look at some of the new trends I've been unearthing in rehab/PT/boomer quality of life services related to a new program. I give them info on new companies opening in the area that have projected growth and a number of locations, and they consider this nebulous. they want "proof". I say sometimes by the time you have "proof," the wave has passed by.
denise,
You have identified all the issues surrounding program add decisions. Bottom line - will there be jobs for your grads now and in the future? You will have competition so how will your program be better? And, have you really researched the community to truly determine what training is needed? There may be jobs in your community that you don't know about. There may be special training that only employers know about. If you want that information you have to ask the right questions of a sufficient number of people. MaxKnowledge now has a program add course to assist you in this kind of research. You might find it will answer a lot of questions and provide how to's to get documented answers to your questions. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
We are in process of researching whether to add another new program. We are looking at workforce development statistics, potential clinical sites, availability of qualified instructors (qualified meaning they meet standards for the accreditation we will pursue). We got some conflicting information from the regulatory board who claim the market is saturated because there are 5 schools in the state, and from members of the community who say they are wait-listed for 2 years for one of the current schools. The board can offer no objective statistics for claiming saturation. It is harder to get supporting data when you are trying to lead the wave, not catch it after saturation, but it is important to have some solid stats so you don't build a program and find no one comes. Businesses featured in local business magazines have been helpful in saying why they started here in the field we are researching, and they are seeking qualified employees. You have to document everything and really look at it.
Deirdre,
You are so correct. A feasibility study is very important. It points to programs you haven't thought of and identifies if there are jobs for grads. While doing the study you reach out to the community and learn a lot from new relationships. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
When adding new programs it is very important to first do a fisability test to see if they would be worth investing in.
PATRICIA,
Good points.Schools are quick to plan new programs without doing their homework. This homework includes checking out the competition and seeing if there are actually jobs in your community for graduates. This takes talking to employers and potential employers, researching the training needs in your community, and much more. All this is a reason that MaxKnowledge is working on a new course about how to determine the feasibility of a new program. Watch for it. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
Great point, This is a very common mistake.
Last year we made the mistake of adding a new program that we thought would have been successful, but at the end it did not work so well.
We eventually came to the decision that we needed to reanalyzed our courses. so we come up with a list of thing to conceder before adding any other new course for example look at the market make some gone calls to see what most people would interested in taking.
So We have decided that we will not offer any new program without doing those preliminary things.
Hi Milo, Our first thought is that part of the feasibility study re new programs would include communicating with subject matter experts. Once it is determined that adding a new program makes sense you'll need an expert to direct the development of the program and work with marketing and other departments to help them understand what student market you are seeking and what students' special needs may be. So seems like you would be involved with subject matter experts from the start. Thanks, Susan
Does anyone have an opinion on hiring a Subject Matter Expert once a determination of a new program has been decided by the school ?
Hi Lisa, Good questions. When thinking about adding a new program there's a lot to reseach in an effective feasibility study. Is your competition offering the same program? What is the job outlook for grads in your area? What do employers want in a trained employee? What new business is being brought to your community. And yes, survey grads, employers, prospective employers, and more. And yes, we also have to keep looking at current curriculum to be sure it meets the needs of today's workplace. Often employers can tell you. Also consider continuing ed courses that can be offered. Good points. Thanks, Susan
In determining new programs to add, it is important to get feedback from your advisory board and graduate employers. Do they see any new trends in the industry which could lead to a new program or certification. Also, within your own curriculum, are certain subjects worth developing? We once surveyed our graduates to see if they could suggest useful topics to be included in course work. This could also be applied to new programs.
HI Christopher, Great great point. When adding a new program it is essential for the placement department to be involved. Are there enough jobs in the community so that students in every graduating class have the opportunity for work? In many communities the jobs are limited in certain fields. In some communities people don't like to drive more than 10 miles to a job. So it's important to survey every potential employer within 10 miles and ask them about annual job opening forcasts. If they tell you they hire 1 new person every few years, that's not good for your grads. And maybe that particular training program needs to be rethought. Thanks, Susan
I think we need to have the end in mind, Placement. When we think of adding new programs it's easy to forget, can we find jobs for our grads? instead we tend to think about can we enroll for this program.
Thanks, Paul! This is an excellent approach because it identifies core components of strategic and project planning:
Does the market warrant it?
Will students enroll in it?
Are we qualified to implement it?
Is the timeline realistic?
Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
Do we have the identified resources to make it work?
Jay Hollowell, MaxKnowledge
Guest Facilitator
