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New brand capturesPSU’s sense of place, and the possibilities it offers students

With the launch of its integrated clusters model, Plymouth State University (PSU) seeks to set the pace in higher education, offering students a dynamic, four-year course of experiential learning that combines theoretical and practical education in ways that will equip them for success the minute they cross the University’s threshold into the working world or graduate school. Such a bold initiative demands a rallying cry that will unite the University’s various constituencies in a shared vision of the future, and in the new branding and tagline, “See Further Up Here,” people across the University believe that the call has been answered.

To formulate the new brand, PSU hired the Manchester-based marketing communications firm m5 Marketing, the New Hampshire office of Group m5, a leader in marketing strategies in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. The m5 team began its work in early 2016, conducting a brand analysis and doing competitive research. They also created an archetypal student, “Brendan,” whose needs and interests helped to inform the brand’s development. Brendan—who could just as easily have been “Brenda,” notes m5NH Vice President Colleen Cowette—was an intelligent student in search of his niche and willing to try different things.

The team also made a deep dive into the University, meeting with current students, faculty, staff, alumni (both undergraduate and graduate), and other stakeholders in a series of focus groups designed to get a feel for who Plymouth State really is and what it wants to accomplish. “Student recruitment is a big part of the new branding initiative,” explains Cowette, “so we wanted to get our arms around what sets this place apart – its vibe, its culture, its ‘secret sauce’if you will.”

Not your traditional educational experience
After reviewing the assembled data, team members realized that the integrated clusters model dovetailed nicely with the feedback offered by various constituents and coalesced around a few central themes. “Plymouth State is in a beautiful, rural location that offers residents a sense of clarity; you’re a bit off the grid and not inundated with the white noise of society to the same degree you would be in a city,” says Cowette. “We also heard repeatedly that it’s a very welcoming community with a spirit of collaboration that’s highly treasured.” PSU gives students the space to explore their interests and realize their vision and offers them educational opportunities that stretch far beyond the four walls of the classroom. “In other words,” says Cowette, “it’s not your traditional educational experience. Both literally and figuratively, one can see further up here.”

Members of the University community concur. “I see the new brand as a positive change for the University and an outstanding reflection of the potential represented by the new integrated clusters model,” says Ryan Patten ’14, PSU’s assistant director of admissions. “‘See Further Up Here’ not only alludes to our beautiful physical location in the mountains of New Hampshire, but also hints at the array of opportunities inherent to this new approach to learning: students can explore their passion, try different paths, and gain practical experience with the way things work in the real world.” Patten has been sharing word of the new model with potential students and their parents since last September and says that the response has been overwhelmingly positive. “Everywhere you look in higher education these days it’s the same, so students and counselors are excited about the changes and want to be a part of it. I see the clusters initiative as having a very positive impact on enrollment.”

Possibilities for the future
PSU Interim Director of Union Operations Sara Noyes is equally enthusiastic. “Every day my staff and I work on retaining our students, and the integrated clusters approach is a really easy sell—it’s different, it’s interesting, and it’s going to give our students the edge they need to succeed in the world.” Integrated clusters offer a host of possibilities for students to develop their knowledge and skills, Noyes asserts, and enable them to gain a marketable education through an integrated approach to learning. “Careers are complicated and rarely linear,” Noyes observes, “and ‘See Further Up Here’ underscores the idea that students will be able to identify new opportunities and imagine possibilities for the future that they might otherwise have missed.”

“I’m proud to be at Plymouth State right now,” says Associate Professor of Philosophy Maria Sanders. “Higher education is going through a big transformation across the nation, and as a philosopher, I’m always seeking the bigger picture.” The University’s physical location is incredibly important, Sanders continues—particularly for students seeking face-to-face interactions with faculty in a residential setting—and “See Further Up Here” captures that sense of place as well as the inherent possibilities of a PSU degree. “With the new integrated clusters model, we’re preparing students to be lifelong learners who have the skills and experience they’ll need to move and change with the times, and that’s incredibly exciting.”

Sanders is also an attorney and delighted by the opportunity to increase her focus on applied ethics through the integrated clusters model. “I want to get my students out of the classroom and into new environments. Students often talk about doing a year abroad, but this country is an incredible open lab as well, with all sorts of opportunities for learning right on our doorstep; for example, what better place to study environmental ethics than in the mountains or lakeside? The clusters model is where higher education needs to be and ‘See Further Up Here’ speaks to what we’re trying to build.”

Amanda Whitworth, director of dance at PSU, is also enthusiastic about the possibilities inherent to the clusters model and the branding that will carry it. “The integrated clusters approach to learning will help students look down the road past graduation day,” Whitworth asserts. “This educational model encourages curiosity and thinking outside the box, and the new branding is better aligned with that concept of continued curiosity and lifelong learning.” A degree is just a springboard, says Whitworth, a mechanism for allowing students to develop skills that will carry them to the next level. “The integrated clusters model is incredibly exciting because it encourages collaboration, not only with other departments within the University but also with entities in the community.

Connecting in new and innovative ways
“The arts are, by nature, highly collaborative,” Whitworth continues, “so I’m very familiar with this method of operation, but the integrated clusters model incentivizes faculty in other departments across the University to connect in new and innovative ways, which is fantastic.” For example, says Whitworth, she has a colleague who works in dance and criminal justice and is using the arts as a means of rehabilitation in Sing Sing, a high-security prison in New York. The two have been discussing hosting an academic conference around dance and criminology. “PSU’s brand is full of possibility,” Whitworth enthuses, “and the new tagline really pushes you along on that forward trajectory.”

Alumna Tina Schumacher ’00 has experienced the possibilities inherent to the Plymouth State community firsthand. Schumacher came to Plymouth as a non-traditional student, arriving in New Hampshire from California with few local connections. “I was making big changes in my life and wanted to get my degree,” says Schumacher. “I threw myself into life here—I got involved in academics, sports, and clubs and got to know many members of the faculty and administration. Everyone was welcoming, encouraging, and supportive and I never felt like an outsider.” For Schumacher, “See Further Up Here” perfectly encapsulates that experience. “To me, that tagline says ‘As a student, your opportunities are limitless.'” And Schumacher contends that sense of possibility doesn’t end on graduation day. After earning her degree, Schumacher remained in Plymouth, serving as an educator with the local non-profit Voices Against Violence and working closely with University faculty and staff on violence prevention education. “As an alumna, ‘See Further Up Here’ speaks to my long-term opportunities in this community as well. I view Plymouth as my home and I want to stay involved.”

“It’s important for people to understand that a brand is not just a logo and a tagline—it’s an emotional connection between an entity and its constituents, and there’s no sector more in need of a strong, clear brand than an institution of higher education,” concludes Cowette. “A college degree is a serious investment, and it’s incumbent on any institution to give students a sense of what they can expect to receive for their money. A well-articulated brand is a powerful tool for making a successful match and connecting the right people with the right university.”
–Lori Ferguson

Lori L. Ferguson is a freelance writer based in southern New Hampshire. She enjoys writing on lifestyle and health and wellness topics, as well as all things artistic.

Tags: brand integrated clusters M5 M5NH Maria Sanders open labs Sara Noyes See Further Up Here tagline Tina Schumacher