BRANDING IOWA  U.

Wellmark. What if the Iowa College of Public Health at Iowa U. has its name changed to a health insurance company or Wellmark is part of its name?. Does this insurer impact on research, mission, and identity? Those were the questions asked by THE GAZETTE on last Independence Day. (Front page)

Since then a lot has happened, however it appears that not everything is truly resolved at the time of this writing. As Research Fellow for the Arlington Institute a Washington DC think tank, I continually look for articles and e-mail them to the institute. Five years ago, I stumbled on what might be a “hard wired” trend. (Snell & Mekies (2002 The commercialization of post secondary education, in College Student Journal) and another in ( Journal of Instructional Psychology (2002) called “Replacable Professors”)  Back then, there were already 10 years of research literature on the commercialization of high schools and colleges.

There appears to be a perfect storm for branding of colleges. First, across the USA legislatures have on balance generally cut funds or did not increase funds to large universities in either relative or real dollars. Additionally, the work within the university and the services to the larger community has increased. Further, colleges and universities are labor intensive and the latest technology is generally necessary (Snell,

Salaries may deter young future academics, Chronicle of Higher Education 1/24/90)

Undergrad and grad schools are ranked and Iowa U is generally toward the top. Tuition increases begin to leave out very talented middle income students. In the end, the schools need the money. The economic development department is always looking for new ways to attract financial resources. It doesn’t hurt that Iowa U. is a Big Ten school that resides at the tip of the Great Lakes. Is highly ranked and has a football team that since 1980 has been in the top 25 teams many times and a number of bowls...

Along comes a sponsor that may want to “brand” itself to a prestige school that can generate recognition, trust, and legitimacy. They may want to be attached to the best. It is Iowa University (or one of the best especially for the Midwest and from a small state with 3 good Regent’s universities.)

Wellmark is one name amongst the thousands upon thousands of brands that you see and hear in print, cable, internet, video, web 2. widgets, and all the surrounding signs in your world.

By now you are saying all the above is debatable. It may be, but if you want another account of this look in the Gazette on-line archives under my name for an article in 3/28/2004. It is entitled Pursuing private funding (name for sale) high school. It is on 10 A.

Branding counts. Iowa University is an attractive school. This type of story  has emerged all across the country and appears to be an ongoing trend...

Joel C. Snell Professor Emeritus Kirkwood College, Research  Fellow, Arlington Institute, Arlington Va.