MOVING ON, STARTING OVERAACRAO SEM XXII, ORLANDONOVEMBER 5, 2012

Peter Dueck, Royal Roads UniversitySusan Gottheil, University of Manitoba

TODAY’S DISCUSSION Introduction: our institutional

trajectories How/why we became involved in SEM Moving on: first impressions,

challenges…and (even) pleasant surprises

The personal impact Lessons learned Discussion….other(s) experiences

CARLETON UNIVERSITY (OTTAWA, ONTARIO)

Comprehensive public university: ~23,000 undergraduate and graduate students

1994: appointed Assistant VP (Student and Academic Services)

“Easy in, hard out” reputation Early 1990s – 45% decline in enrolment 1994-5: grassroots revolt in Senate, mandate to

raise admission standards Large deficit; ongoing cuts in provincial grants

Funding tied to provincial grants and (capped) tuition

CARLETON UNIVERSITY (CONT’D) 1996: new President; review and evaluation of

programs and sharpened strategic focus 1997: appointed Assistant VP (Enrolment

Management); President looked to me for leadership

New portfolio; team- and morale-building SEM audit; market and research studies Established enrolment planning framework and

cross-functional teams

CARLETON UNIVERSITY (CONT’D) Institution-wide participation and buy-in Innovative strategies for: targeted and integrated

recruitment marketing; student financial support New markets identified Growth of international enrolment Annual SEM Plans for President – mostly focusing

on recruitment

CARLETON UNIVERSITY (CONT’D) Results:

1st-year registrants, increased by 59% (1998-2006) International registrants increased from 3.6% to 9.1% Admission averages increased from 72.3% (1993) to 82.2%

(2005) 2000’s: Additional focus on low persistence and graduating

rates Academic advising review; D/F/W analysis; review of

academic regulations; budget and financial counselling workshops

Results: increased retention of first-year students by 50% between 1994 and 2004

A SEM leader and expert?

MOUNT ROYAL COLLEGE (CALGARY, ALBERTA)

13,500 (credit) students – 85% in university-transfer; 43,000 Continuing Education course registrations

2006: appointed Associate Vice-President (Enrolment Management) heading up Enrolment Services

Importance of accessibility in mission and culture of institution

25%+ enrolment in “Open Studies” Mandate: to evolve into four-year undergraduate

university New program development/establishment Evolution of bi-cameral (Senate) governance “Face-to-Face” brand

MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY (CONT’D) Provost emphasized increasing Aboriginal enrolment;

little international enrolment (except for non-credit ESL) Provost led enrolment planning; my position

operational rather than strategic There was an established EM portfolio … BUT …

Reorganization required Poor use and understanding of data; lack of data-driven

decision-making Established SEM planning committees and cross-

functional teams CRM implementation

MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY (CONT’D)

Examination of Open Studies Policies and processes revamped and reviewed (e.g., on-line

withdrawals) New recruitment initiatives and admission processes

implemented Nimble response to enrolment shifts and pressures – led by

Provost Led institution-wide SEM Planning process – report and

recommendations tabled as I left Development of institutional collaborative partnerships

partially successful due to structural barriers Result: Fall 2008/09: total enrolment increased >10%

Fall 2010 applications: 25% increase

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA: PART IWINNIPEG, MANITOBA

Established in 1877 as the first university in western Canada; until 1967, the only university in Manitoba

UM became the ‘provincial’ university; comprehensive, medical/doctoral research; funded by block grant

Grew from 22,877 students in 1987 to 28,430 in 2011 Became director of financial aid and awards in 1987,

joining an active student affairs team Strong student support programs: Access Program, Peer

Advisors, health and wellness, career services, financial aid, Rhodes Scholars

No integrated coordinating SEM plan; no recruitment or retention targets; reacting to external forces

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA: PART I (CONT’D) First recruitment plan in 1997, by VP Academic; more of a

vision than a plan; no buy-in, no follow-through U1 established in 1999 to address transition in first year;

allowed students to defer program choice to 2nd year First SEM plan in 2004, focus on recruitment, esp. aboriginal

student recruitment, built by Student Affairs; aboriginal student recruitment officer hired

Second SEM plan in 2008, focus on retention but no sense of urgency

Rogue plan to ‘internationalize’ in 1999; built recruitment plan; grew international student population 304% in 7 years from 658 in 1998 to 2661 in 2005

SEM committee established in 2009, co-chaired by business dean and vice-provost (student affairs)

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA: PART I (CONT’D)

Economic crash of 2008 became major distraction; ROSE projects soaked up both staff and financial resources

SEM Committee first serious attempt to engage the community with SEM plan; draft passed by senate

Progress slow; almost stalled in the effort to focus UM’s identity, name significant strengths

Deans surveyed in 2010-11 to identify optimal enrolment numbers, including international students

Results showed appetite for growth at graduate level; reluctance to set targets at any level

Pathway college (ICM/Navitas) established in 2010 as additional pathway for international students and to help control attrition

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA: PART II 2010: appointed Vice-Provost (Students) overseeing Student

Affairs First impressions (siloed structure; insular; provincial; not

nimble; too many faculties) Unique first-year program in Canada (University 1) Convinced was coming to a strong SEM institution … Peter

was there! SEM long established, theoretically, but no traction, little

attention paid to expertise on campus Under-resourcing over past 20 years

No CRM, no data-based decision-making Proliferation of different sets of academic policies, processes, sets

of data

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA: PART II (CONT’D)

Not student-friendly Difficult to know what was happening in faculties (e.g.,

articulation agreements) No SEM planning … not much real planning at all But change was afoot … Institutional Strategic Plan (2010)

Enhancing the student experience and Indigenous achievement two of four pillars

SEM Planning re-booted – committee structure re-established; goal-setting begun; education of entire campus community

I am seen as leading the project – “you (literally) wrote the book!”

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA: PART II (CONT’D)

Re-discovering old enrolment policies (1970, 1984), re-visiting enrolment targets

Planning underway to harmonize and simplify academic policies – including admissions and progression

Discussions with Deans, Associate Deans Focus on student success (D/F/W analysis; S.I.

pilot projects; advising review) International, Indigenous and graduate student

enrolment key goals “5 stages of data grief” – poor student

outcomes 2012: 3% increase in enrolment

ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY Established in 1995; offering applied degrees only 3,385—4,885 (including offshore) students in 2010 610 master’s degrees awarded in 2011 (>63% of

total); compared to 645 at UM (<13%) Boutique university; “Canada’s university for

working professionals”; proud of being different, niche role

Undergraduate ‘degree completion’; years 3 and 4 Compressed programs; two years in 12-18 months Programs include: business, leadership,

communications & culture, peace & conflict, environment & sustainability; tourism

ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY (CONT’D) Provincial grant amounts to about 30% of total

revenue; compared with 57% and 62% at UM Funded on preset ‘per student’ grant (with 500

students now unfunded); market-driven growth funded by student tuition

Relatively large offshore ‘affiliate’ programs Total budget managed centrally; when targets

are not met, budgets for ‘cost centres’ shrink; enrolments affect expenditures directly

New programs subject to market review; new offerings given 3 years to prove viability

Flexible (PLAR-like) admission for 30+ percent of students for both undergraduate & master’s programs

Average age of students generally ranges between 38 & 42

ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY (CONT’D) 3 modes of program delivery: on campus,

online, blended (online with intense residencies) Enrolment targets and maximums set annually SEM Committee established 2011; targets

reviewed monthly program by program, line by line

Explanations sought for attrition beyond low preset allowances; mitigations planned

Pathway college (ISC/Study Group) established in 2011 for international students; ESL/years 1 & 2/PMP

Aggressive growth planned; 50% in five years; 14% growth in Q1 2012 (April-June); pressure on campus resources (space, food service, residence)

COMMON THEMES

Shaping enrolment intentionally and strategically

Collaboration, partnerships with academic and administrative colleagues

Focusing on both access and success of students

Identifying key issues, policies and processes that need to be addressed

Building a cohesive team and common vision across institution

PERSONAL IMPACTS … Stepping out of your “comfort zone” Leaving your

Team Administrative and academic colleagues Friends Home City

Family life Energy to “start over” Is it worth it?

LESSONS LEARNED Institutional mission, vision, values Institutional leadership Formal SEM structure Institutional culture Building partnerships Institutional funding and budgeting Being strategic, making choices You can’t be a “change agent” unless you take

risks and change too

DISCUSSION

PERSONAL LESSONS LEARNED:BRIDGE’S TRANSITION CHECKLIST

1. Take your time—personal reorientations cannot be rushed.

2. Arrange temporary structures.3. Don’t act for the sake of action.4. Recognize why you are uncomfortable.5. Take care of yourself in little ways.6. Explore the other side of change, whether

changes are chosen or not—consider the possible benefits of forced change or the personal cost of change that was chosen.

PERSONAL LESSONS LEARNED:BRIDGE’S TRANSITION CHECKLIST (CONT’D)7. Find someone to talk to—in order to help you put into

words your dilemmas and feelings so that you can better understand what is going on for you.

8. Find out what is waiting in the wings of your life; transitions clear the ground for new growth.

9. Use this transition as the impetus to a new kind of learning; what you are going to become will require understandings and skills that you may not yet possess.

10. Recognize that transition has a characteristic shape—and that the turmoil between the past and the future can lead to a new orientation.