Eastern’s greatest strengths, according to the results of the survey done by Stamats, Inc. and University Marketing and Communication, include personal attention, class size and the universities academic programs, said Jill Nilsen, vice president for external relations.

Stamats, a higher education research and consulting firm, sent a survey electronically via e-mail to alumni, current students, prospective students, and faculty and staff on Sept. 25.

The purpose of the survey was to ensure that the different groups that Eastern interacts with think about the university the same way it views itself.

The survey had 4,733 responses total, and of that were 145 prospective students; 1,660 current students; 447 faculty, administrators and staff; and 2,481 alumni.

Stacia Lynch, director of university marketing and communications, said the response rates overall were good.

“Obviously, we would love to have more information from prospective students, but right now that’s a very difficult group for us to contact and then engage in a meaningful way for this type of research,” Lynch said. “Those respondents may, or may not, end up here.”

Lynch said she felt positive about the results of the survey.

“We cannot move EIU forward without establishing a baseline,” Lynch said. “This survey allowed us to see and hear what our constituencies think about us.”

Nilsen said all four groups were asked a series of similar questions.

One part of the survey asked participants to rate their perceptions on a list of statements about Eastern on a scale of one to five, one being very poor and five being very good.

“The statements that received the most positive perceptions were that the campus was accessible, that people on campus are very friendly and that students receive personal attention from faculty,” Nilsen said.

Nilsen said the statement with the lowest evaluation was the accessibility of parking on campus.

In a fill-in-the-blank portion of the survey, participants were asked in one or two words what Eastern’s greatest weaknesses were.

One common answer was the location, Nilsen said. That Charleston is not a college town.

“Now, we’re not sure exactly what that means,” Nilsen said. “That’s something we have to look into a little bit more.”

The second most often weakness cited was parking.

Another portion of the survey asked for the most well-known academic program of Eastern.

“Overwhelmingly, every group cited education, teacher’s certification,” Nilsen said.

In another portion of the survey, 11 statements were given and participants were asked if they agreed with the statements, with one being strongly disagree and five being strongly agree.

“The statements that came out with these groups most strongly agreed with was that EIU’s a friendly supportive community and that Eastern has a proud history, and the third one was EIU has a bright future,” Nilsen said.

The statement with the lowest scores in terms of agreement was Eastern “is a backup or safety school for students,” she said.

“That’s positive because that was not the way people perceived us,” Nilsen said.

The final question of the survey asked if the participant would recommend Eastern to a friend or relative considering college, she said.

“This is the ultimate question in terms of loyalty,” Nilsen said.

She said 79 to 88 percent responded definitely yes, and 2 percent or less responded no.

“Stamats said this is outstanding results,” Nilsen said.

Eric Sickler, principal consultant for Stamats, said it is Stamats’ policy not to comment on proprietary client work.

Nilsen said now that the university has the results, she and Lynch have been discussing the next steps they need to take.

“We are developing an overall university marketing plan,” Nilsen said. “Part of that plan will be to talk about the good things happening in Eastern internally and the second part would be to tell the good things happening in Eastern to those external audiences.”

She said she hopes these goals will be fleshed out within the next few months.

“Stamats felt very positive about the results that we have here, but we know that we’ve got some work to do,” Nilsen said.

Lynch said the results of the survey showed her that the university was spot on with its approach.

Information from the results will be used as part of this plan.

“Of course, every institution has issues that need addressed, and we heard some of those loud and clear, too,” Lynch said. “Knowing what some of those issues are will allow us to examine what is within our control to change. You can’t change, good or bad, unless you’ve asked the questions.”

For example, one of the complaints shown through the survey is dissatisfaction with the parking.

“The president is committed to listening to what people have to say on this issue as evidenced by the panels in the fall semester,” Lynch said. “No one likes to search for a parking space, but the reality is that we’re listening.”

She said President Bill Perry is doing his best to understand the situation and implement positive changes.

“A university is a collection of disparate parts, a town within a town, and it’s important to listen to concerns and then, as citizens of the community, to find the best answer for the whole,” Lynch said. “You can never do any of that if you don’t have these conversations.”

Lynch said she thought the results of the survey matched what the university had been saying about itself.

“That was the best surprise,” she said. “I market Eastern based on what I feel are our strengths. It turns out that most of our respondents shared those feelings. I feel good about that. Even the bad stuff is not bad once you know what it is, give it a name and a face. Overall, we’re in a very strong position.”

Emily Zulz can be reached at 581-7942 or at eazulz@eiu.edu.