Transforming an Online Program With Academic and Marketing Upgrades
Everspring began working with California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) in 2016 to enhance and grow their online MBA. Until then, the program had been operated by a failing OPM company. The university needed help enhancing the program’s courses and growing its enrollments in a highly competitive MBA market.
Operational Excellence
Across the board, Everspring helped the program upgrade its technology, including systems that supports marketing, enrollment management, academics, and student services. These upgrades enabled streamlined program operations and data integration, as well as broader capabilities in course delivery and marketing.
Academic Enhancements
First, Everspring migrated the program’s courses from their existing platform to the Canvas LMS. Next, Everspring worked with program faculty to clarify and implement a theme—called Responsible Business—designed to unify the program and provide academic cohesion across courses. This included revising courses using the Everspring Quality Rubric, which focuses on elements essential to learning engagement, such as instructional delivery, course character, digital behavior, accessibility, workload, and learner objectives.
Enrollment Growth
Everspring implemented its marketing technology stack and executed an integrated, multi-channel marketing strategy to generate prospective student leads from within the surrounding community, with a focus on growing enrollments among the area’s diverse population. Everspring also carried the Responsible Business theme through the program’s marketing materials and messaging to highlight the university as a regional leader in preparing graduate students for the business community and differentiate its online MBA in the market.
Pricing Model Transition
Initially, CSUMB chose a revenue share pricing model, enabling Everspring to make substantial investments in the program’s technology and support services. The program’s improvements and growth would not have been possible without this investment. In 2022, Everspring transitioned the program from revenue share pricing to fee-for-service pricing with no change in services provided and no disruption to program operations.
- Market research and program design
- Marketing and lead generation
- Enrollment and admissions management
- Student success and retention
- Instructional design and course development
- Faculty help desk, training, and on-demand support
- Reporting and program analytics
- 2016 to 2022: Revenue share
- 2022 to present: Fee-for-service
- Annual online enrollment nearly doubled, from approximately 97 new students per year to 140–150 new students per year.
- The first cohort fully on the new LMS technology reported a jump in their satisfaction score from 3.6 to 4.6 on a five-point scale.
- After Everspring implemented the Responsible Business program theme, per-page satisfaction scores increased from 4.2 to 4.7 on a five-point scale and the program’s net promoter score (NPS) increased by 26 points.
- The enhancements and revisions Everspring implemented to the program enabled CSUMB to confidently seek AACSB accreditation.
4,000+ qualified leads per year
Median salary increase of $20k for graduates
Profound Regional Impact
As a result of Everspring’s work, the program’s student profile shifted dramatically to include a population that is 66% female (compared to only 36% of MBA graduates worldwide) and a substantially greater proportion of racially diverse students, particularly Latina students. Additionally, 88% of the program’s students are over the age of 25. Given the program’s goal to target prospects throughout the state of California, 89% of students are in-state.