UCAN and US News... a new competition
For every student and parent who has been waiting for a new way to compare one college or university with another, there's a new way to do that announced yesterday. This one is sponsored by NAICU (National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities) as a way to help banish a competitor from the land. Otherwise known as the annual ratings issue of US News and World Report.
You'll find the entry page at http://www.ucan-network.org/
About 450 school profiles exist now along with a list of about 150 that are still forthcoming "within the week."
People who read the press release (http://www.ucan-network.org/id.11,id2.654/default.asp) will know right away that UCAN is limited to several hundred private colleges and universities who have joined together to develop "the first national consumer information resource created and provided directly to students and parents by colleges and universities themselves."
Alas, students and parents who happen upon the UCAN (University and College Accountability Newwork) website and don't happen to read the press release might waste some time searching for public universities.
- The front page for UCAN doesn't mention anything about the NAICU sponsorship or tell visitors that searches won't work for public institutions. So the claim that this is a place to "Get the facts for a smart college choice" isn't quite accurate if you think that making a smart choice includes looking at some public institutions. Plenty of room exists to add the private college qualifier. Let's hope that's done soon.
The new UCAN listings offer a marvelous marketing research opporunity.
- When you arrive at the start page of your favorite college, you'll see a link to a "What Makes Us Special?" feature. The link leads to a place on the college's website. And so market researchers with time to explore will be able to see just how well the UCAN participants do in setting themselves apart from everyone else.
Of course, some people love ratings. And those folk will continue to buy the annual US News issue. And, since US News has something for just about everyone, many colleges will continue to tout the results on their websites for a high finish in one of the categories available.
And so it goes. Choice is a good thing. So UCAN must be a good thing. I'm looking forward to a report six months from now that tells us how many people have used the site and, in my dreams, how many searches were done for each of the participating colleges.