Dive Brief:
- Research suggests college campuses associated with widely reported scandals are likely to see decreased applications from potential students.
- Incidents like sexual assault, hazing, murder and cheating are likely to resonate with students as accessible, widespread pieces of information which can impact college choice.
- Of the 100 schools surveyed, 75% were classified as having at least one campus scandal, with murder as the number one incident receiving prominent media coverage.
Dive Insight:
With increasing focus on sexual assault and safety of students studying abroad, campuses are more vulnerable to coverage and stakeholder criticism than ever before. It only takes one one incident to rock a campus community with scandal, so institutions should be ever vigilant about promoting public safety resources and increased student responsibility.
No official can predict or prevent a student's actions or the consequences of the same, but with some schools using predictive analytics to monitor potential student issues, and the increasing possibility of campus violence in states with, or considering campus carrying laws, leaders must balance opportunities and threats to determine priorities in helping students to be smart and safe on campus.