The Williams School Selects Gowan Group!

The Williams School is a 6th-12thgrade independent school in New London, CT. Williams opened in 1891 and has been living its mission ever since. The School is committed to a strong liberal arts curriculum, which emphasizes outstanding writing, communication, problem-solving and collaboration skills. 

In order to continue its current strength and steadfast focus on children, Williams hired Gowan Group to perform extensive research and analysis of several elements of their program. Gowan Group has recently begun its work with Williams and will continue throughout the fall and into December. 

We are so grateful to be working alongside the fabulous and effective leadership team at Williams and welcome them as new clients.

Using Data to Determine and Market Your School's Value

With the current, erratic economy and enrollment being a constant challenge, building a sustainable business model for independent schools should be a focus for trustees, heads of schools and business managers. School sustainability finds itself at the intersection of program audits, data collection, income generation and stabilized tuition. The below presentation will explore how a comprehensive program audit can produce a more effective and efficient program and new income generation, which could lead to future tuition stabilization.

With both tuition and competition constantly increasing, it is imperative that schools accurately communicate their program's value. Value is the differentiator and by properly identifying it...schools can dramatically improve recruitment and retention. Our Research Department developed a satisfaction and importance survey to determine a school's value. Further, by analyzing the data, we can strategize ways in which to communicate with your different constituent groups AND to fit your school's brand. 

Below is a presentation we delivered at the AISAP Annual Conference in Nashville this Summer. Take a look and be in contact with us, if you want to have a free consultation and learn how your school can better identify and communicate its value. 

New and Noteworthy

ATTRACTING EXCELLENCE

Gowan Group is so excited to announce the hiring of our newest Managing Director, Marisa Soulios Felt. Marisa is a long-time friend of Gowan Group and she has enjoyed a wonderful career as a school leader and program transformer.  Marisa brings 20 years’ professional experience in education and is a lifer in independent schools. She served as Assistant Head of School at The Hamlin School in San Francisco and previously the Middle School Head at Hamlin School, Viewpoint School in Calabasas, CA and Middle School Director at Albany Academies (NY), where she helped shepherd the merger of the Albany Academy and Albany Academy for Girls.  

She has teaching experience at Buckley School, a boys’ school in New York City, and at Albany Academies, teaching second through eighth grade boys and girls.  Marisa is a graduate of Miss Porter’s School and of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and holds Master’s degrees from Hunter College (NY) in Elementary Education and Teacher’s College Columbia University in Private School Leadership.  

With Marisa being located in Los Angeles, Gowan Group expands its reach to the West Coast. She will be actively involved in Head Searches, Enrollment Management projects, Strategic Thinking and Program Development.

PARTNERING WITH THE BEST

When excellence is the goal, partnerships are important to create, especially when the partner is the best in the business. In order to offer a more comprehensive list of marketing services, Gowan Group has recently partnered with Bob Rytter and Jensen Design Studio. A full-service design firm, Jensen Design Studio works with independent schools on brand identity, video, print and web design. While they are based in Baltimore, their client list reaches far and wide across the country.

Partnering with Bob and his team, Gowan Group can now continue our renowned work in research, enrollment management, messaging and branding and ensure brand accuracy with beautiful graphic design, print and video design. Jensen Design Firm and Gowan Group have long been friends, but a partnership now is certainly good news for our existing and new clients. Please visit Jensen Design Studio web site and see their incredible work with independent schools and Institutions of Higher Education.

ACHIEVING GREATNESS

Recently, our work has become rather intense with many new comprehensive projects in marketing, branding, data collection and analysis, program evaluation, strategic planning, print work, graphic design and administrative searches. We are so grateful that Gowan Group has reached the success it has so far, and we thank so many of you and our clients. New hires, partnerships, clients hiring us for follow-up work and referral calls are all signs that we are doing good things for schools. I think Don Gowan would be proud.