Sean Corp, Communications Lead

The Center for Academic Innovation is a valuable resource and strategic partner when anticipating current market needs, considering future demand, and evaluating potential new learner populations.

The center’s customized market research services are helping schools and colleges across the university navigate the complex program development process. It offers data-driven insights that shape strategic decisions about what to offer next and how to deliver it.

“Academic units already have a strong sense of their goals and the students they serve today,” said Sarah Dysart, chief learning officer at the center. “Where we come in is when a unit wants to explore new opportunities—an online degree, a professional certificate, a stackable credential—and needs to understand if there’s real demand, a sustainable model, and how to make it all align with their strategic goals.”

Market research projects are supported through the university’s Academic Innovation Fund. School leaders work closely with the center to evaluate potential market research projects and ensure that time and money are invested in programs that exhibit high potential. 

The center’s market research efforts have grown over time into a cornerstone of its support model, helping units think beyond what exists today. Though many think of market research as a service, it is based on longstanding relationships with school and college leaders.

“When evaluating a new program, which is a significant investment, you need to know who your learners are, where they are, and what they need. A piece of that support for students is building a program that reflects the job market and the competencies employers are looking for. That’s where we can be most helpful,” Dysart said.

By leveraging internal market research capabilities and services from external firms, the center tailors its methodology to best meet its partners’ needs. The center’s team uses a mix of labor market analysis, benchmarking, surveys, and focus groups to provide partners with actionable insights. Among its most widely used tools is Lightcast, a labor market data platform that helps identify job posting trends and emerging skill demands, and draws upon IPEDS data for institutional education statistics.

Recent projects have included a market feasibility study for a new degree and related non-degree programs for the School of Social Work, an analysis of certificate demand for the School of Kinesiology, and audience research for the Ford School of Public Policy’s online Master of Public Affairs. The center supports the College of Engineering and the Center for Innovation in Detroit with program strategy and labor-market alignment research.

When the School of Social Work was exploring the potential of a new online Master’s in Social Impact Leadership, market research from the center proved vital to developing the program. 

“The center’s research was incredibly helpful for us to understand the educational landscape and give nuance to questions about the market,” said Katie Richards-Schuster, associate dean for undergraduate programs and strategic initiatives and associate professor at the school. 

“Engaging with CAI and the market research team helped us feel confident about our approach and provided us with valuable insights that allowed us to transition from an idea to a program,” she said. 

Research timelines vary based on complexity. Secondary research can take only a few weeks, while complex multimodal research can take several months. The emphasis is on understanding where targeted research can best assist academic unit leadership in decision-making. 

Supported by the Office of the Provost, the center’s market research function is part of a broader initiative to help the university innovate with intention. “We’re not here to make decisions for units,” said James Cleaver, the center’s chief marketing officer. “We’re here to extend their capacity, provide meaningful data, and help ensure that new initiatives are grounded in evidence and aligned with both academic strategy and learner needs.”

In the past few years, more units have explored a strategic portfolio approach to their academic programs involving a combination of non-credit and credit online programs that appeal to learners’ needs while offering the desired level of depth and flexibility. 

As interest grows in portfolio-based approaches—combining degree and non-degree offerings into flexible pathways—Cleaver said the demand for strategic research is only increasing.

“Michigan’s schools and colleges are thinking more expansively about how to serve learners across a lifetime and in a format that meets the needs of today and tomorrow,” Cleaver said. “That kind of vision requires strong evidence, thoughtful planning, and a clear understanding of where opportunities exist. That’s where our partnership becomes most powerful.”