By Jennifer Powell, Director of Programs and Community Engagement,
Brainstorm Strategy Group
4-minute read
Higher education is entering a period of profound transformation. Changing demographics, shifting student expectations, resource constraints, labour market volatility, and changing international mobility patterns are challenging traditional assumptions about enrolment and growth.
More than a set of tactics, Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM) is the institutional strategy for navigating uncertainty and building long-term resilience. At its core, SEM is a coordinated, data-driven commitment to placing the student’s journey at the heart of the institution. Therefore, it is a shared process that must engage every person who influences the student experience—from a counsellor, a vice-president, or a professor, their work is integral to achieving enrolment objectives and mission.
SEM provides a framework for anticipating change, responding to evolving student needs, and aligning decisions across the institution. As we look ahead, the institutions best positioned for success will be those that treat SEM not as a short-term solution, but as a future-oriented strategy grounded in agility, insight, and intentional planning.
SEM as a Foundation for Institutional Resilience
Many institutions are still navigating the aftershocks of enrolment disruptions — from the pandemic to fluctuating international pipelines to new competition and credential alternatives.
Future-focused SEM helps institutions:
- anticipate demographic shifts rather than react to them
- align academic offerings with emerging employment trends
- strengthen the student value proposition
- make intentional investments in programs, people, and services
- ensure institutional sustainability over multiple cycles, not just one
Instead of chasing headcount, SEM asks a different question:
Which students will thrive here — and how do we support them to completion and success?
From Data Collection to Data-Enabled Decision Making
Nearly every institution now has access to dashboards, analytics, and predictive modelling — but the advantage lies not in having data, but in knowing what to do with it.
A forward-thinking SEM strategy uses data to:
- forecast program demand
- identify student groups at risk of attrition
- measure ROI of recruitment channels
- understand student decision drivers
- support culturally responsive and inclusive outreach
- inform both strategic and academic planning
Data enables clarity — but interpretation requires context, experience, and cross-functional insight.
SEM Through the Lens of Systems Thinking
Institutions are complex systems. Recruitment affects retention. Advising impacts persistence. Program design influences student belonging. Marketing shapes expectations that frontline teams inherit.
A systems-thinking approach to SEM:
- looks for patterns rather than isolated incidents
- recognizes how different campus functions influence each other
- supports distributed leadership instead of hierarchical control
- makes planning iterative and responsive
- encourages collaborative problem solving
This future-ready mindset allows SEM to function as the connective tissue across academic and administrative domains, helping the institution act as a unified organism rather than a set of disconnected units.
Agility as a Competitive Advantage
The pace of change in higher education is accelerating. Institutions that thrive will be those that cultivate structural agility — the ability to adapt quickly and purposefully as conditions evolve.
Future-oriented SEM empowers institutions to:
- test and refine new programs rapidly
- shift recruitment focus as markets change
- incorporate feedback from students and employers
- pivot communications and positioning
- optimize financial and resource planning
Agility is not improvisation — it’s guided adaptability grounded in mission.
Building for a Future Where Students Have More Choice
Students today are discerning consumers of education. They are evaluating:
- cost and return on investment
- flexibility and online options
- experiential learning opportunities
- career outcomes
- sense of belonging and support
- values alignment
SEM provides a comprehensive strategy to understand and meet these expectations — not just for traditional undergraduates, but for international students, working learners, mature students, and those navigating non-linear educational pathways.
A Forward-Facing Approach to Student Success and Institutional Health
The goal of SEM is not merely to fill seats — it’s to create an environment where students feel connected, supported, and equipped for their futures. And when students succeed, so do institutions.
As we move into a new planning cycle, SEM invites us to think differently:
- not just about tomorrow’s numbers, but about tomorrow’s needs
- not just about recruitment, but about belonging
- not just about institutional survival, but institutional evolution
SEM is the strategy that helps us future-proof our institutions — with intention, insight, and collective commitment.
