Steles Inscription for Rehabilitation of Yuntai Temple (Chinese – English)

重修云台寺碑记

云台古寺，巍巍乎八角危寨之巅，邈邈乎云霞拱日之台，秦砖汉瓦起宋檩，暮鼓晨钟越千年。而誌有华夏名刹之称焉。

是寺也，得形胜于天，沐佛光之灵，佑生民以福，其不名也诡矣。诗云：“寨仪八相成八角，寺号云台半入云。霞栖峰谷山河醉，风行沟壑百媚生。山起龙蛇称福地，泉鸣钟鼓忆韶声。莫道尘烟能蔽日，神定心清佛自真。”登斯寨，观斯景，则宠辱皆忘；入其寺，叩其音，则得失不惊。诚所谓佛心，佛性，不灭，不生。有心若镜，一磨心镜一天日；有性尚真，一柱清香一片霞。

典有云：释以修心，道以养性，儒以经世，此华夏之大乘也。礼佛修法，贵乎修心养性；克已渡人，不分出家入家；有千钟黍粟，不忘普天周济；秉箪食瓢饮，不忘吐哺凿冰；居显贵之位兮常怀黔黝之心，处卑微之地兮不夺匹夫之志。则天人和谐，山腴水润，此乃佛之大者也。

今者欣逢盛世，海晏河清。适崀山申遗之际，乃复修云台寺，以图重光古刹，以期彰显人文。遂而辟其旧址，宏其规制，新其栋庑，塑其金身。孟春发轫，荷月毕成。恢恢乎殿宇焕彩，煌煌乎宝相庄严。于是修其文，懿其德，祀其神，斯得之矣。

是为记。

（李儒春撰文)

Steles Inscription for Rehabilitation of Yuntai (Clouds Terrace) Temple

          The time-honored Yuntai (Clouds Terrace) Temple is on top of the soaring Baijiaozhai (Octagonal Fort), nestled in a terrace when mists and clouds embrace the sun. With archaic elements such as bricks, shingles, and girders tracing back to Qin, Han, and Song Dynasty, the temple has been chiming its bell over a thousand years. It is a temple of renown in China.

With a heavenly shape bathing under the aura of the Buddha, the temple has been blessing the folks with happiness. Therefore it will be unjustified not to have its fame. A poem describes as follows:

“The Bajiaozhai (Octagonal Fort) is so shaped that it extends into eight fronts,

the Yuntai (Clouds Terrace)Templeis so named that it reaches middle clouds.

The clouds hovering above mesmerize the mountains and rivers below,

the winds traveling across makes the valleys and cliffs glow.

The serpentine mountains and waving valleys provide a land of bliss,

the chiming bells and gurgling springs resound harmonious.

A flurry of earthly smoke may put a shadow to the sunshine,

but one’s truthfulness to the Buddha always remains divine.”

Upon climbing up such a mountain and witnessing such a view, one would have put behind the glory and humility alike; while upon entering the temple and feeling its vibe, one would have let go the gains and losses altogether. This is so-called Buddhist belief: one neither lives nor dies. With a heart like a mirror, one would polish it every single day; with a soul after truthfulness, one would follow the scent of the incense mixed with rosy clouds.

As the ancient canon records, “one relies on the Buddhism to nourish the heart, the Taoism to cultivate the mind, and the Confucianism to develop the aptitude to lead the world.” This is in the depth of Chinese culture. When practicing the Buddhism, it is important to nourish the heart and polish the soul. When it comes to self-abnegation to help others, there should be no differentiation between believers and non-believers. When one comes into possession of a great wealth, one should not forget to donate those in need. When one lavishes with food and water, one should not forget the hard times of hunger and thirst. One should always keep a humble heart after becoming a celebrity or high official; and one should maintain a noble mind during down times. As such, there will be a harmony within the universe, leading to the ultimate greatness of Buddhism.

People nowadays are blessed to be in a world prospering, the rivers are clean and the oceans are peaceful. In concurrence with the application for World Heritage Site of Mountain Langshan, the temple is rehabbed as an evidence of history and culture. The temple is rebuilt at its original site on a larger scale, with newly gilded decorations. The rehabilitation gets started in spring and completed in autumn. The reconstructed temple is glowing with colors and enchanting with awe. After its scripture is reestablished, its virtue promoted, and its gods worshiped, then the mission is accomplished.

This inscription is for the rehabbed Yuntai (Clouds Terrace) Temple.

 

(The inscription was written by Li Ruchun and Translated by Zeng Kefeng & Jiao Jinping)

 

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Tips for Writing and Revising Poems

48 Tips for Writing and Revising Poems

            Getting started

1.       Take notes when lines or phrases come to you. Look for connections between them. Should they be added to the poem you’re working on to make it richer and less predictable?

2.       Find poets you love and read them to identify strategies you can borrow.

3.       Read poets you dislike to see what to avoid in your own work.

4.       Let yourself write junk. Lower your standards. Then look through the junk to see if there lines, phrases, or words worth saving. Any writing you do feeds into future writing.

 

Deciding on Subjects

5.       Something should be at stake in the poem. Something should matter.

6.       Is there a personal story you’ve told a half dozen times or more? That belongs in a poem or story.

7.       Trust your own experiences; they make the most compelling writing.

8.       Inventing situations and details when necessary; don’t assume that what happened and was significant to you is automatically significant to readers.

9.       Keep writing. It’s OK to write over and over about you obsessions ot see how your new work has changed what you can do with you obsessive subjects.

10.   Establish rules for your poems, such as writing 9 syllables per line, using three stresses (emphasized syllables) perline, or six random words (such as raspberry, Utah, lips, aluminum, thimble, and oak).

11.   Identify the poem’s literal situation. Would anything be gained by making it clearer to the reader, perhaps through a title change, epigraph, or dedication”?

12.   Look for a core of emotion in every poem. What feelings are in your poem? How can you make them clearer and stronger? Let anger speak.

13.   Don’t stick too closely to a moral or general purpose that’ rigid or schematic. Follow the poem where it wants to go; it usually knows more than you do.

14.   Try new forms, perhaps villanelles or sonnets.

15.   Base your poems on images (which can be seen, touched, tasted heard or smelled), not abstractions (general ideas such as honesty and truth). Think in images.

16.   Write with vivid specific nouns and strong verbs.

17.   Try cutting –ing to see if that makes your verbs stronger.

18.   Write for this century, avoiding archaic (outdated) words and unusual word order.

19.   Say something new or at least say something in a new way, avoiding clichéd thinking or wording. Cut and replace most familiar language. Observe your world. To say something new, you have to see something new.

20.   Trust accidents. How can you use them to make a poem go in a surprising direction?

21.   Embody your ideas; add a couple of body parts.

Choosing Titles

22.   Know what your title is doing for your poem.

23.   If the poem is mysterious, consider a straightforward title. IF the poem is straightforward, consider a title that doesn’t give too much away.

24.   If you can’t find a title, look five lines from the end of the poem.

            Determine Where to Start and End lines

25.   Start or end lines strongly or do both.

26.   Use line break to surprise the reader or control the flow of your poem.

27.   Don’t make every line a sentence.

             Considering the Poem on the Page

28.   Should the poem have regular stanzas with the same number of lines in each one or irregular stanzas or stanzas at all?

29.   Would dropped lines or open form with scattered lineation work better with the images and rhythms of your poems?

 

Making other Formal Decisions

30.   Think associatively – What’s it like? Move from one association to another as a dream does.

31.   Metaphors are stronger than similes, but strength isn’t always what you want.

32.   If you feel you’re making points too strongly, recast some of them as questions. Don’t overstate. You are not the Great Teacher or Great Authority, just another person who might be worth listening to.

33.   Keep tense and person consistent unless you gain something by switching.

34.   Avoid sing-song rhyme for its own sake; Don’t say what you don’t mean just for the sake of rhyme: listen to the music in your poem, the repeated sounds that aren’t at the end of lines. Are repeated sounds adding to the music of your poem or detracting from it?

35.   Read the poem aloud; listen for rhythmic patterns you should emphasize or deemphasize; use rhythm to communicate meaning. Record yourself reading.

36.   Identify the method or structure of your poem. Is it narrative or lyric?

37.   Try to make the opening and closing the strongest parts. Cut the beginning of the poem to where it really begins. Generally avoid closing with a moral or generalization, especially if one that’s already familiar to people.

38.   Try revising the poem in a different person (using “she” instead of “I”, for example) or tense ( the past tense instead of the present).

39.   When a word or line is repeated, be sure its meaning deepens.

40.   Cut transition such as “then”, “next”, “however”, “but” and “and”. They don’t all have to go, but poems usually jump from image to image (as movies do) rather than move smoothly and logically.

 

Living with the Poem

41.   Print it. Put it by computer or wherever you work so that you can continue to consider word choices and line breaks.

42.   You need to have a crush on a poem in order to work on it, but it helps to recognize that crushes may not last. After awhile, you’ll have a different outlook on your poem and may want to recast it in other terms, cut it, rearrange it, or add to it.

43.   Write enough to satisfy the reader. Don’t stop short, but don’t belabor your ideas either.

44.   Be willing to kill your darlings. What do you like best about the poem? Is there a chance it detract from the rest the poem by calling attention to itself? Examples might be unusual or poetic words or changes in ordinary word order .Don’t choose language and details just to impress yourself or others.

45.   Give readers rewards early and often. Know what kind of rewards your poems offer.

46.   Look at the self you present in your poem; is there a way to be less self congratulatory, to make yourself complicit, involved in a questionable act?

47.   Welcome ambiguity. Move through it to truth. Originally comes from writing honestly.

48.   Hate the inexact. Write for the ear and the eye, the mind and the heart.

 

 

 

Marketing MLA at LHUP to China

Marketing the Master of Liberal Arts Program at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania to China

Capstone Project

by Jinping Jiao 

Project Respectfully Submitted to the Committee of Lock Haven University in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Liberal Arts

Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Ellen P. O’Hara-Mays

Capstone Advisory Committee members:

Dr. Jennifer M. Creamer

Dr. Charles M. Jenkins

Dr. Marlene Jensen

Dr. Joan Whitman-Hoff

 (Members are listed alphabetically)

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania

Table of Contents

Preface

Purpose of the Project

Objectives of the Project

Question of the Project

Hypothesis of the Project

Acknowledgements

Chapter I – Introduction

Background of Liberal Arts

Background of the MLA Program at LHUP

MLA Program Review

MLA Graduation Numbers and Enrollments from 1987/88 to 2008

Chapter II – Research Methodology

Literature Reviews

Research on the International Students’ Needs

Quantitative Methods – International Student Survey

Quantitative Methods – Master of Liberal Arts Alumni Survey

Qualitative Methods – Interviews

Chapter III – Benchmarking with Peer Institutions

Research on the Master of Liberal Arts Colleges and Programs

Establishing Peer Universities

Chapter IV – Partnerships with China

Beijing Technology and Business University (BTBU)

Nanjing University

Changsha University of Science Technology

Canvard Institute, BTBU

Chapter V – Marketing Plan

Research on Marketing Strategies

SWOT Analysis of the MLA Program at LHUP

Marketing Plan for the MLA Program at LHUP to China

Bibliography

Appendix

1. MissionStatement
2. Online or Traditional Delivery
3. Admission Criteria
4. Master of Liberal Arts Degree Requirements
5. Capstone Procedures
6. Graduate Assistantships
7. Course Offerings
8. Tuition
9. Substantive Criteria and technical Criteria for Full Membership of AGLSP
10. IRB approval
11. Consent Form
12. International Student Survey
13. Master of Liberal Arts Alumni Survey
14. Interview Questions
15. Additional Graph of Graduate Students in the MLA Program at LHUP

Preface

This Capstone paper is devoted to marketing the Master of Liberal Arts Program (MLA) at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania (LHUP) to China, especially targeting the four established partner universities — Beijing Technology and Business University (BTBU), Canvard Institute,Nanjing University, and Changsha University of Science Technology. This paper begins with a general introduction of the MLA Program, then traces back its history, analyzes the present situation, and finally attempts to draft a marketing plan for increasing Chinese student enrollments in the near future from the perspective of a current student in this program. The strategies and marketing plan are primarily based on the MLA documents, the responses of two surveys (the MLA alumni survey and international student survey) and the successful experiences of seventy peer universities in the membership of the Association of Liberal Graduates Studies Program (ALGSP). This paper contains five chapters, a bibliography, and fifteen appendices. The principal investigator and author is Jinping Jiao, the primary advisor and co-investigator is Dr. Ellen P. O’Hara-Mays, and the four advisory committee members (Readers) are Dr. Jennifer M. Creamer, Dr. Charles M. Jenkins, Dr. Marlene Jensen, and Dr. Joan Whitman-Hoff,. The author has incorporated many of their suggestions, much to the benefit of this project. This project is intended strictly as a learning experience. The inclusion of statistics, surveys, and examples etc. do not in any way constitute an endorsement of LHUP. 

Purpose Statement

This project is a great opportunity for me to know about the past and present of the Master of Liberal Arts Program at Lock Haven University, and similar liberal studies programs at peer universities. As an alumnae-to-be, I attempt to apply what I have learnt from the courses in the Master of Liberal Arts Program, and do some research on marketing the Master of Liberal Arts Program to China in the hope of improving Chinese student enrollments for the Master of Liberal Arts Program . Since I have been in the Master of Liberal Arts Program at Lock Haven University for two and a half years as a full-time student, I have greatly benefited from this program and wish more students can take this great opportunity.

Objectives of the Project

• Explore the history of Masters of Liberal Arts (MLA) Program at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania (LHUP).
• Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the MLA program.
• Compare the MLA Program at LHUP with other peer institutions in membership with Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs (AGLSP) and other schools those are attractive to international students.
• Conduct interviews with third-party marketing groups to determine the best format for the program (online, face-to-face, blended, etc.)
• Perform an on-campus survey for Chinese students to observe their impression of the program.
• Through a marketing analysis determine what strategies might be used to successfully market MLA to China.
• Develop a marketing plan to attract more international students from China, targeting three cities (Beijing, Nanjing, and Changsha) where LHUP current partner universities are located. Among these four partner universities, the best targets might be students from Beijing and Changsha who have a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts. The newly established partnership – Canvard Institute could be another potential market for the Master of Liberal Arts at Lock Haven University.

Question of the Project

How can more Chinese students be attracted to the Master of Liberal Arts Program at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania?

Hypothesis of the Project

If the needs of international students are best met, if the marketing plan developed in this project for the Master of Liberal Arts Program at theLock Haven University can be implemented successfully, then more Chinese students will be attracted to the Master of Liberal Arts program at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. It is also hypothesized that higher enrollment would increase the overall benefits for Lock Haven University.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr. Ellen P. O’Hara-Mays for serving as the primary advisor. Dr. Jennifer M. Creamer, Dr. Joan Whitman-Hoff, Dr. Charles M. Jenkins, and Dr. Marlene Jensen’s make up of advisory committee. Their instructions, guidance, suggestions, investigations, inspirations, and encouragement are highly appreciated. I audited Dr. Marlene Jensen’s Marketing class in the fall of 2008. Dr. Charles M. Jenkins, Dr. Jennifer M. Creamer, Mr. Jerry Falco, and Trachanda Brown accepted interviews for this program. Dr. Christine Offutt approved the IRB request and gave the author valuable advice on its modification for the design of the surveys and interview questions. Mrs. Rosana Campbell helped with the survey on MLA alumni and international students. Office of Graduate Admission, Planning and Assessment, Alumni, and the library provided with the detailed data and valuable information for this project. I also would like to thank all those who have loaned and sought materials for this project. My gratitude also goes to all the people who participated in the surveys and interviews.

Chapter IV — Partnerships with China

Lock Haven University has a very long history of close contact with China, which can be traced back to 1970s. The first MLA alumnus from China was enrolled in 1990. For more than a decade, the number of former MLA Chinese students has been increasingly grown. They have had great impact on the cooperation between the partnership between LHUP and China.China has a great potential to send more student to MLA in the near future. This research intends to document and examine the legacy of LHUP cooperation withChinaand to promote the vision of research and innovation as well as to promote the university’s goals for international development and collaboration, particularly for the MLA program and the exchange programs.

Beijing Technology and Business University (BTBU)

1. General Introduction from the IIS Web Page   

Founded in 1950, the Beijing Technology and Business Universityis a multi-disciplinary institution of higher learning subordinate to Beijing Municipality. The BTBU plays an important role in the provision of qualified business management personnel for government and industry and specialty personnel for science and technology, research and educational institutions. Its average enrollment totals more than 23,000 students and there are over 1300 academic and non-academic staff. Aside from its contacts with Lock Haven University, the BTBU also has exchange agreements with almost 60 universities in countries across the world. It maintains an international exchange office to provide support services to these students.

LHUP students enroll in courses specially designed for international students attending the BTBU. All courses meet for two/three hours per week and count for two/three semester hours of credit, with the exception of Mandarin Chinese, which meets for six hours per week and provides 6 semester hours of credit.

2. Analysis

The College of Propagation and Art is very similar to a liberal arts program, which makes it a possible market target for the Master of Liberal Arts Program at Lock Haven University. Department of Foreign Language and International Business is also a possible student source for the MLA Program at LHUP. BTBU also maintains an international exchange office which facilitates the cooperation between BTBU and LHUP.

Nanjing University

1. General Introduction from the IIS Web Page   

Nanjing University is one of China’s key comprehensive universities and it functions directly under the Ministry of Education. It is located in the ancient capital of six dynasties –Nanjing.  With its multi-disciplinary structure and highly qualified faculty, Nanjing University, founded in 1902, is one of the leaders in educational operations among Chinese institutions of higher learning. Nanjing University is one of the most active universities in China in its international academic exchanges. Since 1979, it has set up links with more than 180 universities and institutions in nearly 30 countries, employed over 1,800 foreign scholars to teach and give lectures, held more than 120 international conferences, and more than 2,500 teachers have been sent aboard to pursue higher degrees and conduct research. In the meantime, more than 6,000 international students have studied at this university. As a successful model of Sino-US educational cooperation, the Center for Chinese and American Studies has received attention and acclamation from the leaders of both countries and has become well known in the academic world.

2. Analysis

There has been no exchange student either to or from Nanjing University since the fall of 2005. The probability to attract more students from Nanjing University to the MLA program may be a little less than the other three partner universities in China, but it is still very likely to attract some Chinese students from the neighboring universities in Nanjing City since LHUP has a long existing popularity in that area.

Changsha University of Science Technology

1. General Introduction from the IIS Web Page

Changsha, located on the Xiangjiang River, is the capital of Hunan Province, and is home to about 3 million people. Long noted as an important literary and educational center, it boasts several institutions of higher learning, including Changsha University of Science and Technology.

Changsha developed as an agricultural market on the fertileHunan plains,China’s most capable rice growing region. Food has played a particularly important role in the city’s 3,000 year history. The region’s spicy cuisine is legendary and is said to fire the blood of revolutionaries in the region, including Mao Tse Tung, who was born in the province.

Changsha University of Science and Technology was established in 1957 as an engineering institution of higher learning. Located in the heart of the city, the university enrolls a student population of 33,000. It boasts a strong contingent of excellent teachers of engineering, finance, accounting, the arts and the sciences. It is also noted for an especially dynamic Department of English, and School of Liberal Arts that have cooperated with Lock Haven University in facilitating student exchanges since the program began in 1990. The university maintains an international exchange office and a director who provides support services to LHU students and communicates directly with LHU’s Institute for International Studies. The international exchange division at Changsha University has developed a prescribed program of study for LHU student participating in the exchange.

2. Analysis     

The increasing number of exchange students in recent semesters from Changsha University of Science and Technology indicates that it is highly possible for the MLA Program to attract most Chinese students from Changsha Hunan. In the fall of 2008, there were four exchange students from Changsha University of Science and Technology. One of these four extended the exchange program and continued the study at LHUP in spring of 2009, and seven more came to LHUP as exchange students. More importantly, they are not just limited in business studies, for example English, International Business, journalism, which appears to be more closely related to the MLA Program. It is expected that there will be 10 more exchange students coming to LHUP next semester from Changsha University of Science and Technology. It would be a golden opportunity to market the MLA Program to them before and after their arrival.

Canvard Institute, BTBU

1. General Introduction from the brochure of Canvard Institute Technology, Beijing and Business University:           

Canvard Institute is one of the initial independent colleges in Beijing. Its establishment was applied by Beijing Technology & Business University (BTBU) and approved by the Ministry of Education. Beijing Jiacheng Yuanjing Investment Co., ltd provides all kinds of official facilities and construction funds for college development as a cooperator. Canvard Institute offers 4-year undergraduate courses, focus on cultivating the talents in the area of Economic Management and Modern Service. The enrollment plan was formulated by National Educational Department and Canvard arranges the enrollment on net. Since 2004, there have been approximately 5400 students here now. The departments of disciplines include economics sciences, business administration, foreign language, international insurance; marketing; business English; advertising (planning and management direction); accountancy; international finance; international trade & business; statistics. Both liberal arts and science are all within the scope of enrollment.

2. Analysis     

The visitors from Carvard Institute came to LHUP in February 2009. They showed keen interest in the cooperation with LHUP. It is expected that three to five exchange students will come to LHUP in the coming fall semester (AY 09-10). These students have to pay the full tuition fees and housing, different from those from BTBU. In this way, LHUP can benefit financially more or less. According to the introduction from the Beijing visitors, the students from Canvard Institute are generally from a better financial background compared to those from BTBU, so it would provide the financial security for the prospective students to complete their studies at LHUP.

Conclusion    

The overall impression of Chinese undergraduates on campus is that most of them are planning to apply or transfer to other graduate schools, but very few show interest in the Master Programs at LHUP, particularly the Master of Liberal Arts Program. They strongly desire to extend the exchange program to seek the chance to pursue a higher degree in the United States. It would be a challenging job to stabilize the current Chinese students and use some strategies to attract them to the MLA Program at LHUP.

Chapter V – Marketing Plan

Research on Marketing Strategies

“Marketing research is the process of defining a marketing problem and opportunity, systematically collecting and analyzing information, and recommending actions.” (P205, Marketing). The marketing researchers is to find out the marketing problems and opportunities for marketing improvement, and one important task is to overcome obstacles and to “obtain the information needed to make reasonable estimates about what consumers will or won’t buy” (P206, Marketing). For this project, the marketing product is not tangible like most products since it is the Master of Liberal Arts program. Through quantitative and qualitative research methods (surveys and interviews), and a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis for MLA program, I will attempt to design a strategic marketing plan for this program.

Five steps of marketing research are usually included in a plan: define the problem; develop the plan; collect relevant information, including secondary data and primary data; develop findings; and take marketing actions. It is the responsibility of the university to implement the marketing research and monitor how the decisions turn out. This project is primarily conducted by a current student in the Master of Liberal Arts program. It is hard to say whether the university will give this plan any consideration, so the plan’s implementation is omitted in this paper.

SWOT Analysis of MLA at LHUP

            SWOT is “an acronym describing an organization’s appraisal of its internal strengths and weaknesses and its external opportunities and threats” (P43, Marketing). The purposes of SWOT analysis are to “build and consolidate the strengths, correct the weaknesses, exploit more opportunities, and avoid disaster-laden threats” (P44, Marketing).

1. Strengths:

Based on the documents, survey results, and some of the author’s personal experience and observance, the Master of Liberal Arts Program at LHUP demonstrates the following strengths:

• Flexibility with class selection for the adult learners which reflects the mission of the program perfectly. It is believed to be an important component of the nature of the liberal arts or liberal studies.
• Freedom to take courses and designing a Capstone Project. Faculty members spend a great deal of time and show unusual patience to contact, guide, and listen to students’ concerns.
• Highly educated and experienced professors in the MLA Program.
• The Core Research Seminar is a required course which provides concrete and viable research methodology for the Capstone Project.
• Small size class in the program. The active interaction between students and faculty members facilitate their relationship not only academically but also personally. Some professors’ admirable personality had a great impact on the students.
• Intense one-on-one communication with the advisory committee during capstone development helps students accomplish the last and most important step for the Master of Liberal Arts degree.
• Approachable and helpful faculty members establish a wonderful reputation not only for current students but for prospective students (as described by an alumnus, “MLA faculty is more eager to work with students”).
• Affordable tuition is one of the selling points for Master of Liberal Arts Program.
• Advanced technologies and facilities are a competitive advantage over most other competitors.
• Flexible workload and study space for students which benefits the non-English speaking students. Language proficiency is an important factor for the academic performance.
• Perfect combination of art and science, online education and face-to-face instruction. It is a great chance to take the classes the students were interested in undergraduate study but missed. The hybrid approach, both on-line and face-to-face enhances the students’ computer skill and interpersonal communication skill at the same time.
• This program helps the students to become a deeper thinker, a better writer/debater, an effective communicator, and a professional researcher.
• Alumni surveys reflected that the students become more creative and open-minded after the studies in the MLA Program.
• “…gives a unique opportunity to examine subjects that would not be examined in other fields, like Science Fiction and Biotechnology” (quotation from an MLA alumnus).
• Insightful literature, science, ethics, and humanity courses are professionally designed, scientifically structured, and exclusively tailored for graduate level only. Thought-provoking and real-life related group-threaded-discussion makes it an exemplary feature for the MLA Program.
• Existing unique logo for the Master of Liberal Arts Program.

2. Weaknesses:

Since the following contents were drawn mostly from the MLA documents and alumni surveys, some of them do not reflect the current status of the MLA.

• Some courses’ scheduling is controlled by individual department not by program needs.
• Not enough evening courses.
• Not enough dependable rotation of courses.
• Difficult to find target customers.
• Not enough summer offerings.
• Lack of clerical support.
• Program director/coordinator needs recruitment help.
• A greater variety of classes are expected, particularly, graduate-only classes.
• More philosophy classes and more face-to-face graduate courses are expected to be offered in future.

3. Opportunities:

• The current economic recession (2009) may bring more applicants to the MLA Program.
• More competitive job market requires a higher degree (Master’s) for the job seekers.
• Beautiful and peaceful campus attracts many international and non-resident students who pay more tuition fees, which may result in a greater profit for the university.
• Multicultural atmosphere bring richness to the campus. The student can experience an exotic life without going abroad, and even can take “a world of opportunities” (From Homepage of LHUP Website) through Study Abroad programs.
• More and more exchange students from China and one more partner school in China– Canvard Institute.
• Location of LHUP – serene and naturally beautiful campus and surroundings. Create slogans like “Safe as haven, serene as heaven” and “Located in the middle of nowhere, leading to the world everywhere.” (Lines drafted by the author.)
• Launching of Study Abroad Program.

Threats:

• Neely concludes as follows in The Threat of Liberal Arts College:  “The marketplace threats to liberal arts colleges, in sum, are from within and without.  So-called merit aid, which is actually a host of discounting techniques, is a stark effort to buy market share of high-quality students (p42).” This still applies in MLA program at LHUP.
• Bad economy is a double-edged sword. It is an opportunity, but it also may prevent some excellent students from continuing or being enrolled by LHUP for the financial reason.
• Aggressive competition from other liberal arts universities and neighboring universities with higher rankings or more widely-spread reputation.
• Professional and vocational education and training takes away many potential the MLA applicants.
• Homeland Security Policy is a barrier for international students.

Marketing Strategies and Plan for the MLA Program at LHUP to China

1. General strategies for the MLA program

These are some detailed strategies in general, based on the international students’ demands from the surveys, suggestions from MLA alumni, second-hand MLA documents, and from the comparison with those 70 universities in ALGSP with similar liberal arts/studies program.

       Faculty

• Faculty exchange with the partner universities in China to facilitate the cooperation. Vice President from Canvard Institute addressed this desire repeatedly at the meeting this February.
• Initiate a Student Handbook for MLA students, including the most important information in it, so the director can save a lot of time to respond students’ inquiries.

Curriculum

• Specify the General Studies. Divide into smaller concentrations or specialties which interest different group of students and offer some more life-related practical courses.
• More flexibility classroom of locations and scheduling is desirable.
• Multiple modules to offer more options, e.g. short-term summer study-abroad program, in week instead of semester.
• Study abroad program for MLA students – to London/Paris/Italy is expected to get started soon.
• More specific optional concentration tracks for personal and professional preparation.
• Establish a Study Abroad program for MLA students, not only to attract them come to LHUP, but also to send them abroad, resulting in more new students coming to LHUP.

MLA Web page

• Update the website information (ongoing).
• Publish  well-written Capstone paper (or just the abstract, research findings, conclusions) on MLA’s own Web page, even posting the authors’ pictures with their permission. The alumni may obtain a sense of achievement; in the meantime, the future graduates can follow the good examples. If they are of great quality, it is possible that higher caliber applicants will be attracted to MLA program.
• Design a slogan for the MLA program to display its uniqueness. For example: “Thinking Leader; Leading Thinker” (drafted by the author).
• Add sections like “Quick Facts,” “Greetings from the Dean,” “Newsletter of MLA,” “Successful Alumni,” etc into the Web page.
• Post graduate video/ PowerPoint/ photos/ quotation/ vita/ philosophy on the Web page if possible to make a vivid and free advertisement for the MLA Program.
• Graduation slideshows or video for those who can see their beloved ones if they missed the commencement/forum, or just to recall it whenever they like. For prospective students, they can have a chance to get some impression what kind of real life they are going to experience.
• Design a letter from Dean, or Introduction of Dean in a word form or in a video form and put it on the Website.
• Make MLA students’ files or portfolio etc. available online; communicate with students via Facebook, Skype, MSN, etc. in addition to face-to-face contact.
• Create a theme for the MLA Program. For example, “Change, Identity, and Leadership” is for Graduate Liberal Studies at Duke University.
• Post writing tips for term paper, especially for Capstone Project online.
• Ask students to attach a short final essay to Capstone to share their real experiences in this program with other current students or with the future students, and post it on the web page, including their successful stories or frustrations in the MLA Program to share happiness and sadness, in order to improve productivity and efficiency.
• Website can be translated into different languages such as Chinese, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, French, and Russian etc. so that global influence will be more widely spread throughout the world.

Online delivery

• Explore the online availability to allow the Chinese students to take all the courses online in their home country. They can get a Master’s degree like the part-time students in the United States.

Recruitment effort

• Get more feedback or reviews from the MLA alumni.
• Take advantage of current LHUP students and MLA alumni for recruitment, to conduct word-of-mouth marketing for the MLA Program.
• More recruitment efforts are needed. Try to open a position of administrative assistant, or staff assistant, or a specific recruiter, or Chinese student advisor etc.
• Creating some new partnerships in China, for example, Hunan Normal University  may provide source for the MLA applicants. Attached High School to Hunan Normal University may be sources for undergraduate applicants, leading to possible MLA applications.

Service

• Offer Internship for MLA  graduates too. Seek more assistance from Career Service for those who want to find a job.
• Keep the tradition of a Chinese Workshop to promote Chinese culture. The Chinese New Year celebration can be more widely promoted.
• Provide more community service learning opportunities: Rotary Club presentations, Hunger Bowls, etc.
• For language barrier of international students, casual after-school English language classes or meetings can be possible options to improve the language proficiency of the non-English speaking students.

2. Targeted “Customers” from China for the MLA Program

In summary, the targeted “customers” from China for the MLA program are as follows: those students who are from a comparatively better economic background since they perhaps don’t worry about getting a job after graduation; those who have a strong curiosity about the world; those intend to be life-long learners and desire to develop a meaningful philosophy of life; those who desire to travel abroad and to great places (since LHUP is close to big cities or scenic spots such as New York City, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Atlantic City and Niagara Falls etc); those who love natural beauty and long to experience a country style life; those who are less dogmatic and more open-minded; and those who aims at becoming leaders rather than workers. Overall, the MLA can promote the fact that this program is designed for those are extraordinary people persons, not just average ones. It can advertise along these lines: MLA students are nontraditional and will be trained to be thinking leaders, leading thinkers, knowledgeable generalists, and exceptionally flexible global citizens.

Conclusion

            In conclusion, the MLA program is a “product” that is not so appealing to many Chinese students. They don’t realize that the curriculum of a liberal arts college is the best preparation for their life and career. Since the MLA teaches the students to think critically rather than just to obtain field-specific knowledge or skills, the MLA allows them to have greater career flexibility than those who are narrowly trained for a specific profession. The MLA is “selling” what is needed but not necessarily what the students want. It is recommended that LHUP increase the marketing and admissions budgets in order to reach the prospective or targeted students and persuade them that a liberal arts education is really what they want. The MLA Program is also being pressured by student demands to provide more services and better amenities to those students. The need to focus and adapt to contemporary changing forces and circumstances is very imminent. The fundamental problem lies in the financial capacity for covering the marketing costs from LHUP. MLA marketing job is so urgent and intimidating despite that it remains a unique embodiment of a certain ideal of educational excellence.

P.S. Part of this paper had been removed by the author.