December

Brand audit: MSU Denver reputation at all-time high

76 percent of respondents perceive the University positively, an increase of 6 percent from 2013.

By Dan Vaccaro

December 13, 2016

MSU Denver’s reputation continues its upward trajectory – that was the key takeaway from the University’s most recent brand audit. Chief of Staff Cathy Lucas presented the latest findings at the Board of Trustees meeting on Dec. 9.

The audit, conducted by Corona Insights, found that MSU Denver’s brand perception has grown from an average of 70 percent positive in 2013 to 76 percent positive in 2016. Respondents included students, alumni, faculty, staff and local business leaders.

“Overall, this was a very positive set of findings,” said Kevin Raines, CEO of Corona Insights. “To me, the fact that the University’s reputation appears to be rising, or continuing to rise, among all key audiences is a very positive sign.”

The findings showed current students were very positive about the institution. Alumni were extremely positive, indicating that their degrees are transferring well to the workplace.

Faculty and staff views were also positive, but less so than other constituents, a result that Raines says is typical as internal audiences are generally more critical than external.

President Jordan hailed the results as a “remarkable achievement.”

“I think the fact that our reputation has grown exponentially in recent years is a direct result of the work of our faculty and staff,” he said. “We are well on the way toward reaching our goal of becoming the preeminent public university in the nation.”

Raines said the primary challenge for the University going forward is taking further steps toward the goal of preeminence without sacrificing the gains made in its current market niche of being a good educational value.