Competitive Advantages
If a student asks you how your institution compares to another competitive institution, what is a good way to respond to the question?
The student, if researching competitive schools, should be encouraged to visit all schools of interest and compare what is important to them.
tell them they are not in a postion to respond about other institutions
A safe answer is to stay focused on the facts of what our own institution offers and avoid attempting to offer information about another institution. As well, encouraging students to investigate all options available to them is a great form of "Best Practices."
Let them know that you are not a liberty to discuss other programs, but you can tell them about your program.
How does your school train/manage employees on the "best practices" you mentioned in your posts?
Respond in a fashion that gives accurate information on only your institution and encourages the student research or visit the competitive institution in order to satisfactorily answer the questions they may have.
Our response can only be given concerning our institution and what we have to offer. We have no knowledge of any other institutuion's practices, courses, etc. and should not encourage a discussion about that which we have no knowledge. The student should be encouraged to explore all possibilities and angles of his or her future career to make the best informed decision.
"Do your own research - it's a skill you'll need in your future professional career!"
We need to tell the prospective student that we can only speak for our institution and they should do their own comparisons. Researching all available information will help them to make the best decision for them.
I can only answer for what my institution may offer. I am not an employee of the other institution and I wouldn't want to give the student incorrect information regarding the other institutions program.
My response: "That is a very good question. One that I can't answer because I don't have full knowledge of what the other schools offer compared to what we offer. I can tell you that this school is/has ....etc...."
However, my position in this institution does not cause me to interact with potential students on that level.
Jennifer - I think that sounds like a good, positive way to address such questions.
This sounds like a good, tactful, approach to such questions.
"I have nothing bad to say about them. I would welcome you to compare program lengths, content, and total cost of the programs to what I have given you.
"I am familar with the programs offered by our institution and can answer all your questions about our programs."
We always can stand behind our institution and the programs offered by our institution. It is unethical to make assumptions and/or statements regarding the nature of any other school, regardless of the accuracy of that information, to prospective or currently active students.
I would let this student know that I can only tell him/her on what my institution has to offer. Then proceed to give information on the institution I work for.
I can't remember ever being asked by a student how "my" institution compares to another. Now, after taking the tutorial, I am sure I would encourage that student to do his own investigating.
I would suggest that the students investigates the school for themselves. I would suggest that I have no knowledge of particular practices or instructional methods of another school.
The more they investigate the better their knowledge will become.
