Liberal Arts College Pioneers Program For Working Adults

Faced with a growing number of working adults in its service area, North Central College, a traditional liberal arts college in Naperville, Ill., 30 miles west of Chicago, organized a new program for weekend learning.

North Central College's "Weekend College," scheduled Friday evening and Saturday classes in an intensive six-week semester format and contracted with Public Communications Inc. to assist in marketing the new concept.

PCI conducted advance research on other competitive offerings and organized a year-long marketing communications plan which included: direct mail information pieces designed and mailed to area residents; a series of newspaper ads in local media and Chicago editions of Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report; and feature articles in Chicago metropolitan area media.

The first-term enrollment target for North Central's Weekend College was exceeded by 25 percent and the second term was nearly double that level. A by-product of the campaign: increased enrollment in North Central's traditional day and evening courses.