Setting Us Up for Success

—From the desk of Brier Albano, Associate Vice-President, Student Success 

We’ve talked about the strategic enrolment (SEM) framework and plan, now it’s time for the Strategic Enrolment Management Response Team. It’s going to feel a little gray—and that is purposeful. To be responsive, the team needs to organically build to the needs of the institution. The team needs to change, grow and listen a lot in the next few years, but we need a place to start. At this time, we anticipate that the team will hold two main roles: research and support.  

When we talk about research, we are not only talking about ensuring that the college has the information it needs to know the opportunities and challenges for enrolment planning and goals but also looking at ideas from across the college on pain points, solutions and creative approaches. The SEM Response Team will provide a living environment for enrolment initiatives or concerns. We will look into why, what or how behind issues to review and ensure that we either fix or mythbust the things driving us crazy!

Some of the best solutioning has come from our college community. Last year, an instructor emailed hello@ as a test to see if they would receive a response. They were very unhappy when they didn’t receive one. But reviewing the records, every email that was received (almost 50 to 100 every day) had been responded to within one or two business days! The email wasn’t even there! By working together, we found that some emails were being blocked. By identifying the issue, we were able to correct the situation fast! It had likely been happening for years, but with so many emails making it through, it was almost impossible to identify!  

The SEM Response Team, as mentioned above, will be that place for the things that need attention that don’t fall anywhere else, the things that never seem to be fixed or the rumours that aren’t getting put to bed. The team’s role is to problem-solve and respond to issues that we just haven’t been able to work through or clearly identify, so even if we can’t problem-solve it right away, we will be able to in the future as budget or opportunity presents itself. 

The second role of the SEM Response Team will be to support. Once we know where our pain points are, let’s try to get them fixed. It may mean advocating for a reallocation of budget for something that will support the whole college. It may mean reviewing processes to see what is being missed. It may mean bringing in an educational resource or utilizing internal resources to get the right information to the right people.  

Through the great work of the Teaching & Learning Centre, we’ve seen how providing resources can make the work we do easier and more informed and invigorate creativity. The SEM Response Team will build on this legacy of best practice, but on the side of enrolment. Enrolment science is an academic profession too, just like andragogy (adult education), and ensuring we have the right resources, training and knowledge within the roles we have at the college to do the things that make the most impact without creating side-of-desk workload is something that can benefit us all. Especially students.  

This won’t be the end of hearing me talk about SEM. Over the coming months, you’ll hear more about all seven stages of SEM from the framework. You’ll hear about opportunities to learn more. You can invite me to meetings, ask me questions… flood my inbox! Tell me your stories!  

I’m committed and accountable to this plan, and I’m confident we can grow something great from it.