Toronto

In this session, attendees will be encouraged to expose, name, and reflect upon the complex problems facing the post-secondary sector in Canada through a particular focus on recruitment, admissions, enrolment management, and student success.

Higher education is experiencing an unprecedented paradigm shift. The systems are broken, and the systems are working exactly the way they are designed. And yet, something different is possible: the new paradigm of higher education is emerging, and how we shape what form it takes is up to us. The session takes a systems-level approach with the following high-level thought prompt: “How do we re-wire post-secondary education for human flourishing?”

In this moment of disorientation and disruption, we need practical tools and theoretical frameworks to metabolize the discomfort of seismic change. To borrow educational philosopher Parker Palmer’s strategy, we need to “name, claim, and aim” this moment to counter despair, disengagement, apathy, and stagnation.

This session will provide the opportunity to engage in a “mini” Hope Summit – part of a pan-Canadian project that gathers luminaries from across higher education to engage in re-wiring institutions around human and ecological flourishing. Dr. Jessica Riddell, founder of Hope Circuits Institute and Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence, has been convening hope summits across Canada over the past six months since the publication of Hope Circuits: Rewiring Universities and Other Organizations for Human Flourishing (McGill Queen’s University Press, 2024).

This session offers attendees the language to go from moment to mindset to social change movement, equipping them with the robust hope necessary to re-wire their institutions and create a new paradigm of post-secondary education centered on human and ecological flourishing in its various forms.

Learning Outcomes

• Develop a shared vocabulary to engage in systems change illuminated by the guiding values of equity, empathy, justice, creative democracy, and civic intelligence.
• Equip attendees with the tools and resources necessary to take back to their contexts – departments, divisions, campuses, academic adjacent organizations, associations – to re-wire systems in real time this week, this month, and this year.
• Participants will have developed emerging “blueprints” (e.g., design principles, to-do lists, actionable plans, commitments to action) that they can use to create meaningful change in their own institutional and community contexts.
• A focus on blueprints for strategic planning/visioning for their unit and institutional recovery and renewal through a SEMM lens.

Is your admissions office set up appropriately to support your institution’s SEM initiatives and recruitment goals?

In today's competitive educational landscape, institutions face significant challenges in attracting students to sustain enrolment and diversification targets. The emphasis on international recruitment has correspondingly intensified. However, the dependence on international student enrollment is often exceeding current preparedness. This necessitates a strategic reassessment by administrators regarding admissions processes and implementing innovative changes in their operations while maintaining compliance with regulatory policies and governance standards.

This presentation will share the experiences, challenges, and insights gained by the admissions department at University Canada West in response to an institutional initiative aimed at substantial student population growth and demographic expansion, increasing its student population by more than 10,000 students within a 3-year period, demonstrating sustained growth even amid the challenges posed by the 2020 pandemic.

Learning Outcomes

• The central challenges to processing applications from international applicants (and how to overcome them)
• The benefits of restructuring Admissions (in alignment with institutional SEM objectives)
• The metrics and indicators used to assess the impact of operational changes

In today's dynamic educational landscape, Strategic Enrolment Management and Marketing (SEMM) is more critical than ever. Achieving SEMM success requires a collaborative approach, engaging leaders to front-line staff across various departments to work towards a unified vision. This roundtable is designed for institutional leaders seeking to build a cohesive and committed team dedicated to enhancing enrollment strategies and outcomes.

This session is an opportunity to exchange ideas, ask questions, and gain valuable insights from peers who have successfully navigated the complexities of obtaining SEMM buy-in. Whether you're just beginning your SEMM journey or looking to enhance your current strategies, this roundtable will provide the tools and inspiration needed to drive institutional success.

Discussion Topics:

• Building a Compelling Case: Learn how to articulate the importance of SEMM in ways that resonate with diverse stakeholders, from faculty to administrative staff.
• Collaborative Leadership: Explore methods for fostering a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility for enrollment goals.
• Overcoming Resistance: Identify common barriers to SEMM buy-in and practical solutions to address and overcome them.

Many Institutions have done the research, developed student personas, and use them in their marketing and communications. The work is done, and the team can now move on to something else. The issue is, that you’ve only just started. That’s because developing and effectively using personas, ‘buyer profiles’ and/or archetypes is a never-ending process that every institution needs to invest in yearly.

Human behaviour evolves and changes over time. Therefore, so should your personas. Especially since they aren’t just for future students. Current students, Alumni, staff, community partners, etc. all play a part in the future growth of the institution. In this session, Sean will discuss a value-based approach to understanding and engaging with a mix of ‘audiences’. We will also discuss how each group impacts the institution and how other departments should be optimizing defined personas/profiles to deliver on their objectives.

Learning Outcomes

• A refined view of how to better understand key audiences
• New approaches to best define who they are
• Ways to keep personas fresh year-after-year

• Do you find enough opportunities to hear from peers with similar challenges?
• Could you benefit from voicing your issues and finding common ground with others?
• Is it possible that others have already solved the problems you're dealing with?

The SEMM community in Canada is still in its infancy – or perhaps its adolescence. We are a long way from having the shared resources, knowledge, networks, and strategies that have been developed in other countries. But sharing is absolutely critical to avoiding missed opportunities and making calculated strategic decisions.

In this special plenary session, participants will join groups of like-minded professionals to share their challenges, gain fresh perspectives, and learn from one another. Participants will discuss "what keeps them up at night" and share ideas of overcoming hurdles.

We'll also work collectively on generating ideas, and possibly even starting initiatives, to create new resources, activities, and opportunities for sharing in the future.

Join us for this opportunity to get energized by the collective knowledge in the room, grow your support network, and come away with new ideas to take home.

Students want to go to a school that understands them, and they are the first to notice when universities are out of touch on social media.

In Fall 2023, with one of the largest social accounts at McMaster University, we became the ones out of touch, almost losing the social community we worked so hard to build.

Now, after a hard reset and a newly developed social strategy, we're using our platforms to their full potential with platform-specific tactics, 80–100% student-generated content, and intentional collaboration with university partners. We've figured out how to market to students who don’t like being marketed to, all while balancing brand priorities and keeping students at the centre of our content. We’re giving students digital platforms where they want to develop connections and build a sense of belonging, which, in turn, results in stronger trust and a more engaged audience.

Attend this session to find out how we got here (and how you can, too!). We’ll share:

• How we learned from our mistakes to develop a robust social strategy
• How we rebuilt audience trust using a co-creation model for authentic storytelling
• Tactics you can use, like solutions for platform roadblocks and tools to keep your audience at the center of the content
• Qualitative and quantitative benchmarks to measure success

Learning Outcomes

• Solutions for platform roadblocks
• Co-creation model for authentic storytelling
• Qualitative and quantitative benchmarks to measure success

In this session, Bonnie Crocker, Senior SEM Consultant at Academica Group, and Janene Christiansen, Registrar and AVP of Strategic Enrolment at George Brown College, will address why applicants decline post-secondary offers and how institutions can respond.

Bonnie will provide a foundational overview of the SEM funnel and theory, focusing on reasons why applicants decline their offers. Drawing on academic research and high- level findings from the Acceptance Declined Survey (ADS)—a comprehensive research study examining reasons applicants decline your offer of admission—she will offer data-driven insights into why applicants make this decision.

Janene will share a case study from George Brown College, demonstrating how ADS research can be applied to refine recruitment strategies and improve conversion to enrolment. She will discuss how the recruitment team can make data driven decisions about engaging applicants in this phase of the enrolment funnel.

The session will conclude with an interactive discussion led by Bonnie, exploring how institutions can analyze these findings and adjust strategies to drive institutional change.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the SEM funnel, where, and why applicants decline offers.
• Gain actionable insights from the ADS research study regarding decliner behaviour.
• See how institutions can use these insights to adjust their recruitment and marketing activities.

This session is ideal for enrolment management professionals, recruitment teams, and institutional leaders seeking to enhance their understanding of applicant decision- making and implement strategies to convert more applicants.

Join us for an insightful workshop that delves into the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change’s strategic enrolment plan tailored specifically for high school audiences. This session will provide a comprehensive guide to our high school outreach initiatives, focusing on strategies to attract, engage, and collaborate with the next generation of students.

We will highlight our targeted marketing approaches, the significant impact on undergraduate student recruitment, and the high levels of student engagement fostered through these efforts. The workshop will also provide an in-depth analysis of our program structures, partnerships, and curriculum resources designed to meet the needs and interests of high school students.

Participants will gain insights into our established metrics for success and the tangible outcomes achieved. The workshop will emphasize the critical importance of building robust university-high school partnerships and illustrate the mutually beneficial relationships among university recruiters, high school educators, and young learners.

Learning Outcomes

• Learn new ways to engage the high school audience.
• Increase your undergraduate recruitment efforts and support your strategic enrolment tactics
• Enhance your professional skills and development through project management, partnership building and strategic enrolment

Recruiting, enrolling, and supporting graduate students is generally very different from working with High School students and others entering undergraduate programs.

We'll start this workshop with some of the most recent findings about graduate students' interests and experiences. From there, we'll launch into a collaborative discussion about the challenges of recruiting and supporting graduate students. We'll also discuss the pressure to expand graduate programs to accommodate more international students and the challenges this presents.

Last summer, I signed up for the recruitment email list of (almost) every Canadian university. Over the last recruitment cycle, I have received (and read!) over 400 emails. Now I’m ready to share what I’ve learned.

If you’ve ever wondered what other institutions are doing, if you should change your email marketing strategy, or how you could improve your recruitment emails, this session is for you. We’ll dive into what’s happening across the country (who’s sending emails? How many? How often?), explore what type of content institutions are sending to prospective students, showcase some of the most creative ideas, and evaluate how well we, collectively, are adhering to email best practices and where we can improve. With (disguised) examples galore, this presentation will get your brain buzzing about next year's strategy and tactics.

The annual Brainstorm Report survey collected opinions and insights from 24,700 current university and college students in 2024.

This massive research study includes students across all disciplines, years of study, and levels of study.

For 2024, the study dives deeper than ever into students' attitudes towards their post-secondary institution; their use of (and thoughts about) AI; and, their plans for after they graduate.

This presentation will provide a first look at what we've learned in 2024 about evolving student views about their education choices, student experience, and intentions for the future.

Whether your focus is recruitment and enrolment, marketing and communications, or ensuring student success, you'll find invaluable current insights in this feature presentation.

Want a deeper understanding of who your prospective students are, and what factors have the greatest impact on their decision to engage with, apply to and (hopefully) enrol at your university/college?

Many possible paths emerge from the moment a prospective student hears about your institution to the moment they decide to apply or accept an offer. Without mapping out your users’ (or in this case – your prospective applicants’) goals, motivations, and pain points at each stage of their decision-making journey, you might not cross their path at all.

In this presentation, we will share how colleagues across the Marketing and Communications team at Wilfrid Laurier University as we embarked on an institution-wide user journey mapping and persona development project to build empathy for and understanding of our future undergraduate student audience.

Learning Outcomes

• Key learnings identified from our Gen Z student’s journey and examples of how we’ve translated insights to action in our marketing strategies
• Gaps in audience knowledge we identified along the way and future research areas of interest
• Partner engagement, including how to identify and engage key university stakeholders to take an active role in actioning the learnings
• Research and project methodology to use as your own framework, including a snapshot of the final user journey map and persona deliverables for your own inspiration!

A sales mindset in student recruitment is not about being pushy, short-sighted, or pushing a prospective student towards a program that isn't a good fit for them – it’s the opposite. It’s about aligning your mission to support your prospective students, by clearly communicating your school's value proposition, deeply understanding their prospective students’ needs and interests, and by investing in long-term relationships.

It is a student recruiter's job to be a great listener, behave ethically and authentically, and to address their prospective students’ concerns directly, providing solutions to their challenges. It’s also their job to focus on numbers – leads, conversions and re-engagements, among others – and to watch their enrolment numbers grow while accolades from campus partners flow in.

Join us for this workshop as we discuss the importance of reframing student recruitment to one of a sales mindset and explore how doing so will not only improve your schools recruitment and enrolment results, but will also lead to recruitment staff retention and fulfillment.

There is abundant research showing that access to PSE varies by sociodemographic characteristics, there is less up-to-date information on students’ experiences during their studies and their outcomes once they enter the labour market.

This project focuses on PSE completion rates and labour market outcomes for Ontario students from differing sociodemographic groups using data from Statistics Canada’s Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (ELMLP) and its various linkages.The study was guided by the following research questions:

1. How do postsecondary non-completion rates vary by Indigenous or racial identity, disability status and household structure?
2. How do earnings outcomes one year after non-completion vary by Indigenous or racial identity, disability status and household structure for both postsecondary completers and non-completers?

Findings from the analyses showed significant disparities for Indigenous, Black, West Asian, students with disabilities and those receiving financial aid.

This presentation will delve into these findings to highlight that many students who encounter barriers entering PSE also face compounded challenges throughout their academic journey and beyond. They are less likely to graduate and less likely to see positive labour market outcomes, indicating a pressing need for targeted support and interventions to ensure equitable access and success for all students in Ontario’s PSE system.

Learning Outcomes

• Participants will learn about emerging and novel data linkages that can be used to explore student outcomes in Canada
• Participants will learn how various intersecting factors can impact students at different stages of the post-secondary to work pipeline

Effectively targeting and communicating with the right students are key challenges in recruitment marketing that can be lessened by effectively using artificial intelligence.

This presentation will include one or more education partners and uncover how AI is being used to target and recruit students.

SchoolFinder Group will share some of the powerful (and FREE!) AI tools they have developed for both clients and non-clients. The tools will help schools assess their current marketing initiatives and both current and future program mix using insights from their community of over 1.2 million students.

This session will explore the following key areas:

• How AI is being used in postsecondary institutions
• Leveraging AI to uncover insights from your enrolled student data
• Competitive program trends that will help you shape your recruitment efforts
• AI-generated program student personas
• Utilizing generative AI for student communication and inquiries

In today’s competitive higher education landscape, a deep understanding of student needs, preferences, and expectations is crucial for successful recruitment, enrollment, and retention. To stand out, institutions must go beyond traditional methods, fostering collaboration between marketing, enrollment, and teaching & learning teams to create tailored, student-centered experiences that resonate with modern learners.

This session, featuring research from Anthology and insights from Georgian College, explores how institutions can differentiate themselves by aligning recruitment and learning environments to reflect the evolving needs of students. Leveraging data from over 1,000 students in Canada, we’ll discuss the role of emerging technologies, including AI, and how institutions can refine both the enrollment and learning journey to create a more personalized, supportive, and engaging experience.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand how marketing and enrollment can partner with teaching & learning to differentiate your institution.
• Identify opportunities to leverage student data and technology to enhance both recruitment and learning experiences.
• Gain actionable insights on aligning institutional offerings with student expectations and needs.

George Brown College started its Strategic Enrolment Management Plan in late 2022 and launched it in late 2023. Knowing data governance and that users need information to make decisions on SEM initiatives was key, this session will share our journey on our path to having a culture where not all data is necessarily shared with everyone, but the right data is shared with those who need it for decision making. Data analytics and dashboarding became key in providing the right information at the right time at users’ fingertips.

Learning Outcomes
Will explore best practices, pitfalls, and cultural roadblocks we overcame to get the institution to gain a common understanding of the use of data in SEM.

SEMM is complex; LinkedIn is not.

LinkedIn advertising is your one stop shop to build your institution's brand, reach the applicants you need, fill your programs, and measure the results of your investment.

With 90% of higher ed graduates, 120k schools, and 64m students and recent grads on LinkedIn, we've got insights to share - especially on Gen Z, our fastest-growing group!

Among many other insights, our proprietary research reveals that 72% of Gen Z'ers shortlist 3 or fewer institutions early on, and 93% stick to their shortlist when choosing.

Join us for this leading-edge session to learn how the best schools across North America are leveraging LinkedIn to get in front of Gen Z, find high-quality applicants, and fill the seats you need to fill.

Learning Outcomes

• SEMM is complex but LinkedIn offers a 1-stop shop for SEMM, from brand building, to creating new program support, and acquiring high-quality students for existing programs
• How Gen Z uses LinkedIn differently than previous generations, and why you should care
• In-depth examples of how leading-edge institutions are leveraging LinkedIn advertising to achieve a variety of goals

Now that access to permanent residency is much less assured by attending post-secondary in Canada, institutions have to analyze more carefully what drives international students' decisions to enrol here. While increasing our understanding of this market, we also have to generate new ways of representing our individual and collective brands abroad.

This workshop will combine a look at relevant research about what drives the decisions of international students (and how those drivers may vary by region or country) with a discussion among participants about their experiences and how their institutions are responding.

Join us for the facts, the discussion, and some creative thinking on new approaches.

Student Services or Student Success? What’s the difference? It’s amazing to see how one word changes the approach an institution might take supporting current students. It’s key that students are provided new spaces to flourish, updated programming to manage their academic needs, and more personalized support services to help with their mental health. It’s even more important that institutions do everything they can to ensure they come back, graduate, and achieve their desired level of success as an alumnus.

A student that graduates after having a positive experience at your institution could potentially become a brand ambassador, and give back in many ways. If they have a great experience in their first year, they’re bound to come back the next year. However, they’ll only do this if they’re successful and were supported in both their academic and personal journey. In this session, Sean will discuss retention best-practices, introduce a ‘Customer Success’ mindset, and outline effective approaches that could drive effective retention and elevate student success.

Learning Outcomes

• Refined view of Student Success
• Retention framework that could drive big or small changes
• Insight from other sectors that effectively use Customer Success

This workshop explores how we decolonize the work in our institutions. Indigenous Education Departments face the challenge of working with colleagues who are afraid of change, afraid of what these changes mean to their work, and afraid they aren't qualified to do this work. We all need to move beyond these fears to a space where we can demonstrate that we're all in this together. It is only through this collaboration that we can create a safer space for First Nation, Metis, and Inuit students. This all-hands-working-together journey begins even before we meet our prospective students. It begins with the stories we tell and the truths we hold ourselves to. It is easy enough to say we've done something, but it is another to have done it, and done it in a good way.

Embracing Change (through action): *NLC's decolonized career exploration project to show how this work can be done.

Building a Community of Belonging (through action): *Indigenous Cultural Safety Programs, representation, dedicated cultural spaces.

Fulfilling the Truth of Our Stories (through action): *Tokenism, acknowledging the history of education in Canada, building relationships, and ensuring the proper resources are in place. The story of Gathering Places.

Learning Outcomes

• Participants will gain the confidence to engage in decolonization work in the post secondary setting
• Participants will learn the process of implementing Indigenous holistic methods for career exploration workshops
• Participants will better understand the challenges facing many First Nations, Metis and Inuit students in pursuing post secondary education

In recent years, Canadian student recruitment has faced unprecedented challenges, and the future promises its own set of unique obstacles. Whether you've been in the industry for a few years or a few decades, adaptability and innovation have never been more crucial. How can you remain agile and true to your brand in this ever-changing environment? How can you diversify your approach and mitigate risks while staying aligned with your SEMM strategies? How do you pivot and develop new tactics on the go? Join us as we explore how to navigate these turbulent times and position your institution for success.

Discussion Topics:

• Reducing Dependence on Primary Source Markets: Explore strategies to diversify your recruitment sources and reduce reliance on traditional markets
• Embrace Your Identity: Learn the importance of confidently showcasing who you are as an institution, without apologies
• Aligning Identity with Strategy: Discover how to harmonize your institutional identity with your recruitment tactics
• Nurture Your Core Strengths: Ensure you don't overlook your fundamental strengths while expanding your recruitment efforts

This roundtable session will bring together industry leaders to identify key internal tensions and challenges that impact strategic enrolment management and marketing (SEMM) success.

Participants will engage in a collaborative discussion exploring current strategies and best practices they've experienced for navigating and mitigating these challenges.

Delegates will leave the session with new ideas, an improved network, and the ability to foster a more cohesive and effective SEMM approach within their own school.

The annual Brainstorm Report survey collected opinions and insights from 24,700 current university and college students in 2024.

This massive research study includes students across all disciplines, years of study, and levels of study.

For 2024, the study dives deeper than ever into students' attitudes towards their post-secondary institution; their use of (and thoughts about) AI; and, their plans for after they graduate.

This presentation will provide a first look at what we've learned in 2024 about evolving student views about their education choices, student experience, and intentions for the future.

Whether your focus is recruitment and enrolment, marketing and communications, or ensuring student success, you'll find invaluable current insights in this feature presentation.