"The College of Architecture currently faces several reputational challenges as it seeks to implement its strategic plan that took effect in 2014," Tech said in a posting on its website on Tuesday. "Student enrollment levels in the undergraduate architecture program need significant improvement. Ratings by the college’s own faculty on academic quality of the college and its research contributions show similar opportunities for improvement."

Tech also hopes to enhance student enrollment and increase philanthropic support.

"Successfully addressing these challenges will require multi-faceted and sustained efforts by the college over time," Tech said.

The College of Architecture's brand is not now sufficiently differentiated from its competitors, and its current name does not reflect the college’s diverse disciplines or actively support its positioning to key target groups, Tech says.

SCOPE OF WORK

The goal of this project is to generate recommendations for the college’s:

  1. (1)  Differentiated positioning relative to its competitors (encompassing its 5 schools)

  2. (2)  Newname

  3. (3)  Majormessagingthemes

  4. (4)  Communications implementation plan (including public relations, digital media, advertising, direct marketing and/or other promotional tactics)

These objectives are ultimately aimed at: (a) enhancing student enrollment, particularly by increasing enrollment of undergraduate students in the architecture program (b) communicating more effectively with industry and alumni; and (c) increasing philanthropic support from the friends and alumni community.

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Current Reputational Challenges

The College of Architecture currently faces several reputational challenges as it seeks to implement its strategic plan that took effect in 2014. Student enrollment levels in the undergraduate architecture program need significant improvement. Ratings by the college’s own faculty on academic quality of the college and its research contributions show similar opportunities for improvement (as referenced in the Georgia Tech Reputation Study 2012). 

An earlier reputation study (2006) showed that academic peers generally viewed the College of Architecture as “good”, but not in the top tier. They rated the college 3.7/5 on “national prominence” (based on research, scholarship and creative activity). Prospective students interested in architecture rated the college’s academic reputation as lower than competing programs at other universities.

Successfully addressing these challenges will require multi-faceted and sustained efforts by the college over time. This RFP addresses a single component in that undertaking, i.e., how the college can best position itself to its primary target groups (prospective students, alumni, donors, prospective faculty, relevant business professionals). Positioning and promotional challenges include the following:

  1. Lack of a fully developed brand messaging strategy that positions the college (encompassing its 5 schools) in a way that favorably differentiates it from its competitors
  2. Current name that does not reflect the college’s diverse disciplines or actively support its positioning to key target groups
  3. Promotional limitations (including direct marketing, public relations, etc.), due to lack of effective positioning to serve as the guidepost for these initiatives