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By Amy Geiszler-Jones

An independent study of education opportunities in south-central Kansas says WSU is the market’s clear leader.

When 1,000 current and potential students of community colleges and four-year institutions in the region were asked which school came to mind in seven "image statements," WSU topped the list each time.

Here’s how WSU fared:

• Best academic program (36 percent)

• Best at meeting needs of non-traditional students (13 percent)

• Best at accomplishing admin-istrative procedures, such as enrollment (27 percent)

• Best student services available (33 percent)

• Safest campus (16 percent)

• Best at offering required classes often enough (38 percent)

• Best value for the money (28 percent)

On nearly each statement, WSU far outpaced – sometimes by more than 20 percent – the other five post-secondary schools located in the survey’s six-county area. The margin was closest in the safest campus category.

And when interviewers asked students to name schools in south-central Kansas that offer post-high school courses, they heard "WSU" eight out of 10 times (79 percent) in "unaided" responses.

Approximately six in 10 (61 percent) named Butler County Community College. Friends University and Newman University came in at 56 and 45 percent, respectively.

Bruce Erickson, executive director for marketing and communications, and Marty Shawver, dean of undergraduate studies, say the results confirm what they and many others have suspected.

"It reaffirms what a lot of us have known or suspected but didn’t have the data to prove: that WSU is the dominant post-secondary institution in the region not only in our own minds, but in the minds of people in the region," Erickson says.

"The concept of best is subjective, but we clearly have a basis now to promote our programs using the results of this survey."

For Shawver, the results affirm what she’s heard from students in satisfaction surveys her area has conducted since 1996.

"We get consistently high ratings," she said.

The survey already inspired an ad concept developed by the Office of University Communications. The "clearly the best" concept, along with two other themes, is being tested this fall with current and potential students, teachers, counselors and parents.

But ads apparently aren’t the only thing this survey should inspire. Both Erickson and Shawver stress that the WSU community shouldn’t rest on the survey’s laurels.

"We can’t afford to take this and say, ‘Gosh, we’re good,’ and keep doing what we’ve been doing," Shawver says. "We’ve got to continuously improve."

Also, Erickson says, "We need to set goals to increase the margin of people who think we are the best."

The syndicated study was conducted last year by The Research Center, a subsidiary of The Wichita Eagle. In a syndicated study, parties with an interest in the survey purchase the final report.

The study covered Butler, Cowley, Harvey, Reno, Sedgwick and Sumner counties. The Research Center completed 4,922 interviews, including 1,000 18-minute phone interviews with current and potential students.

The survey also identified factors influencing students’ choices and reasons for pursuing post-secondary education.

Reasons ranged from "wanting to learn" to "employer offers tuition assistance."

The most important factors influencing students’ choices were quality of academic programs and quality of faculty.