Introduction
Overview
Attending
a University for the first time is a scary and costly affair for
millions of incoming freshman and graduating seniors yearly. It is a
known fact that each year students will graduate from high school
with every intention of relocating out of their parent’s home into
their first dormitory room on campus or off campus apartment. Ashford
University can improve their image, ease the stress of parents,
faculty, students, and make a profit by incorporating a relocation
moving team to help assist. This would appeal to students who have a
misconception regarding college relocation, relocating to another
state to go to school, or future faculty members that won’t have to
worry about their relocation process to a new job alone. Relocating
can be a genuine experience that is full of life or it can be like a
car wreck that occurs during rush hour traffic. Ashford University
needs to consider incorporating a relocation moving team that works
directly with the Ashford in order to gain a bigger presence on
campus, and improve awareness nationwide. Ashford has the opportunity
to be the first college to offer a moving relocation service to its
entire student and faculty body.
Statement
of Problem
Two
months after high school most students will attend a university for
the first time ever. There are several problems associated with
incoming freshman and new faculty members attending Ashford. The
first problem is in order for freshman students to attend Ashford’s
Universities physical campus they would need to relocate their
personal belongings from one of the 50 states to Clinton, Iowa. This
is a point in time that most parents are happy about because their
child is going to a university but dislike as well because of the
stress and overall cost attributed with the relocation of their
child. The second problem is when a new faculty member is hired at
Ashford they will need to relocate their belongings from their
respective state due to the commitment associated with being a
instructor at Ashford University. By having a Relocation service at
Ashford this can ease the stress of teaching and relocating at the
same time so the instructor can focus primarily on their teaching
responsibilities. The general problem associated with both students
and faculty when relocating to Ashford University is relocation cost,
stress dealing with a new environment and the overall general
relocation process.
Body
Proposed
Plan
There
are several dynamics that will cater exclusively to incoming freshman
students, transfer students, and former, current, or new faculty
members at Ashford University. Ashford’s enrollment has
significantly increased since 2005 with the amount of students who
attended the physical campus of 637 students and only 20 students
attending online in 2005. (Mcglynn, 2009) Ashford currently has over
46,800 students who attend class online or at the physical campus
located in Clinton, Iowa. One solution that Ashford will capitalize
from is offering a relocation package that is an additional service
for incoming freshman students, transfer students, and former,
current, or new faculty members at Ashford University. This is a
moving service geared exclusively for Ashford and will only costs
$500 for students and $1000 faculty. Faculty members will be required
to have a free in home estimate completed because typically faculty
members have more household items than students. All moving
companies offer a free in home estimate so this service should not be
an issue to fulfill. The free in home estimate will give the third
party mover a better assumption of their items list. This service
is a first come first serve basis in order to maximize the use of
relocation service. Since Ashford has a website for students and
teachers who attend the university remotely or directly we can tap
into both markets and offer relocation services as a way to get a
buzz about Ashford’s new moving program. Incoming freshman
students, transfer students and new faculty members will have the
option to go to Ashford’s website and request a move quote for
“community pick-up” in which they will go online to input an
item list that describes what all will be picked up and the
relocation team will email confirm a day and time for pick-up. There
are moving software’s which are used by all major van lines in
order to effectively combine shipments of household items and
effectively move them throughout the entire 50 states. The best
software for Ashford University is called “Granot Moving System.”
This same process will work for Ashford once an incoming freshman
student, transfer students or new faculty members goes online and
inputs there contact information, origin address, exact moving list,
and pick up date into the system it will generate a state by state
direct pick up. This means that a computer will generate routes to
be picked up by Ashford’s Relocation Team ranging from farthest
away first then work back to Clinton, Iowa. The best way for Ashford
to capitalize from this entire process is to have a 3rd
party relocation company enforce these moving processes in accordance
to Ashford Universities hiring guidelines, policies and procedures
already set forth.
Typical
Move Process:
Step
1: Student or Faculty member goes to Ashford website and inquire
about move.
Step
2: Input Contact information, item list, email, phone, origin address
or sign up for free-in-home estimate
Step
3: Third party consultant will call student and schedule date of pick
up based on dynamics of Granot moving system.
Step
4: Student or Faculty member receiving email confirmation regarding
pick up date for their move to Ashford.
This
service will attract parents because of the ease of accessibility
regarding signing up online, input household item, wait for an email
confirmation compared to the parent having to rent a truck and do it
themselves. Ashford moving service will save parents and students
drive time, money, ease stress levels which for incoming students are
high due to the new environment, transfer students because they
typically will move off campus because they have already adapted to
college life and living on their own and know how to live on their
own. This service will allow parents and students more time to spend
with each other because they won’t have to worry about departing
too early to go to Ashford ultimately giving parents more time with
their child before they embark on the Ashford University journey.
This service will attract prospective faculty as well because it will
allow them to have a clear mind regarding moving all of their
belongings to a new environment. Again relocating does not have to
be a headache if an effective plan of action takes place such as this
proposal describes.
Limitations
There
are several limitations that can cause severe hiccups within this
entire process. One limitation is regarding effectiveness within a
small amount of time in order to get this service up and running.
This service will need exactly three years in order to develop into
another great service Ashford offers. Another limitation is
regarding the effectiveness of a third party relocation service. If
the relocation service does not cater exclusively to the Ashford
community there will be room for error regarding time and space
availability. If Ashford contracts a third party relocation team it
will imperative that the company works only with Ashford only.
Another limitation is when people confirm a move and don’t follow
through with the move process. This will slow down the entire move
process and could possibly obstruct the company if occurred to often
within a community pick-up at each state. Another limitation is if
enough students don’t trust the effectiveness of the program then
this would be a waste of time.
Conclusion
A
relocation service on campus that works directly with the university
this would increase the overall college appeal to students who have a
misconception regarding college, relocating to another state to go to
school or future faculty that won’t have to worry about performing
the relocation to a new job alone. Relocating does not have to be a
headache in rush hour traffic. With proper planning, an effective
third party relocation service and belief in the relocation process
listed above. Ashford University needs to consider incorporating a
relocation moving team that works directly with the university in
order to gain a bigger presence on campus, and improve awareness
nationwide. Ashford has the opportunity to be the first college to
offer a moving relocation service to its entire student and faculty
body.
References
Ann McGlynn (August,
2009). Retrieved March 3rd
2012:
http://qctimes.com/news/local/article_80fc6bac-904f-11de-b85a-001cc4c03286.html
Lannon, J. M.
(2008). Technical Communication (11th ed.). University of
Massachusetts, Dartmouth: Pearson
U.S. Department of
Education (2007). Retrieved March 3,2012:
http://collegestats.org/college/ashford-university/financial-aid
U.S. Department of
Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2011). Digest
of Education Statistics, 2010 (NCES 2011-015), Table 246.
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