B7: International Strategic Enrolment
Across the Student Life Cycle
Karen Strang, Nipissing University, Ontario
Sandra Schinnerl, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, BC
Clayton Smith, University of Windsor, Ontario
Questions
• Do you have experience with International
Strategic Enrolment Management?
• Does your institution have:
– an international student recruitment plan?
– an international student retention plan?
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Topics
•
•
•
•
•
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Overview of International SEM
A Case Study
I-SEM, Stakeholders & PLCs
University of Windsor Story
Summary
Resources
Questions & Comments
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Enrollment Management:
The Classical Definition
Enrollment management is an organizational concept and
a systematic set of activities designed to enable
educational institutions to exert more influence over their
student enrollments.
Organized by strategic planning and supported by institutional research,
enrollment management activities concern student college choice, transition to
college, student attrition and retention, and student outcomes. These processes
are studied to guide institutional practices in the areas of new student recruitment
and financial aid, student support services, curriculum development and other
academic areas that affect enrollments, student persistence and student outcomes
from college.
- Hossler, 1990
5
What is International Strategic
Enrollment Management?
 Using SEM principles in the context of
international students and how they
relate to your institution’s mission and
the educational goals of the students
recruited and enrolled.
-Braxton & Conroy, 2008
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SEM is Achieved by…
 Establishing clear goals for the number & types of students
 Promoting student academic success by improving access,
transition, retention, & graduation
 Enabling effective strategic & financial planning
 Supporting the delivery of effective academic programs
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SEM is Achieved by (Cont’d)…
 Creating a data-rich environment to inform decisions &
evaluate strategies
 Improving process & organizational efficiency
 Establishing top quality student-centered service
 Strengthening communications & collaboration among
departments across the campus
- Bontrager, 2004
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SEM Ethos






A shared responsibility
Integrated institutional planning
A focus on service
Accountability
Research & evaluation
For the long haul
-Henderson, 2005
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Importance of Assessment
DATA - What puts the “S” in “SEM”
 Transactional data
 Recruitment and retention analysis
 Assessment of strategies, services and
outcomes
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Creating a Data-Driven Enrolment Plan
The Enrollment
Data Agenda
Alumni Research
Enrollment Strategies
Active
Alumni
Placement Data
Graduate Rates
Graduated
Retention Data
Student Surveys
Engaged,
Satisfied
Alumni
engagement
Graduation/
Career Development
First Year Exp. &
Retention Programs
Retained
Financial Aid Analysis
Enrolled
Yield Data
Admission Statistics
Deposited
Applied/Admitted
Competitive Analysis
Market Research
Yield
Recruitment
Marketing
Prospective Students
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Case Study Discussion
• Read through the brief case study
• Working in groups of two or 3 discuss the
questions that follow the case study
• Be prepared to share an insight or suggestion
from one of your group members when we
discuss in a larger group
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Case Study Discussion
• Which initiatives would be considered part of
International Strategic Enrollment
Management?
• What suggestions do you have for the campus
units that did not get their initiatives funded?
• What types of benchmarking or assessment
tools would you suggest are put in place to
assist in making resource decisions?
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I-SEM & Stakeholders
(International - Strategic Enrolment Management)
Institutional commitment to I-SEM
Align with institutional vision and strategic plan
Budget must be focused and avoid duplication
Ensure human resources for all aspect of the I-SEM: promotion,
recruitment, retention, alumni
Who are your I-SEM committee members?
Reflective of key stakeholders
TOR - Goals - Measured Outcomes
Benefits of engaging stakeholders
Unified institutional approach
Understanding and appreciation of influence on department and
personnel
Intercultural competency development across the institution
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Stakeholder Engagement Objectives
(regarding I-SEM)
Objective or Aspect Why engage?
Outputs
Outcomes
Create an I-SEM
strategy
-produce
institutional policy
for I-SEM involving
all levels
-awareness and
buy-in across
administrative and
academic
departments
-align with strategic
plan
-view as a form of
risk management
To ensure
stakeholders
contribute to:
-knowledge and
understanding of ISEM
-shared
understanding of
the
influence/impact
on departments
and staff
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Cycle of Stakeholder Engagement in the I-SEM
Agenda Setting
- use feedback from all
stakeholders
- to identify progress or barriers
- set targets or strategy for
future initiatives
- developing ideas, expressing views
- current data
- influence of IS on academic and
admin departments
- support services – retention
Review
Evaluation
Future
- meet regularly
- seek stakeholder views on
implementation and refine plan
Implementation
Analysis
I-SEM
Formulation
- research I-SEM model
- stakeholders and decision
makers come together
- identify challenges and
opportunities
- workable solutions, gain feedback
- implementation of policies
- increase in financial or human
resources
- which dept. is the mobilizing unit?
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SEM & Professional Learning
Communities
• CBIE PLCs
– Facilitate discussion and document sharing
– Discuss major issues/concerns
– Share best practices
– Share resources, statistics,
– Undertake projects
• e.g. templates or agreements to work with agents,
• e.g. use of “Imagine Study au/in Canada” brand
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The University of Windsor
Story
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A look at Student Recruitment
 Formed a Working Group
Internal challenges
External challenges
Conducted a financial audit and operational review
 Commissioned an external benchmarking study
from a US-based higher education consulting firm
– Education Advisory Board
 Obtained consulting services from a UK-based
international higher education consulting firm Global Higher Educational Consulting, Inc.
A Multi-Channel Plan
1. Adopt a broad-based student recruitment model
that discontinues exclusivity with a single
recruitment firm and identifies major student
recruitment agencies that operate successfully
in key markets, such as China, India, the Middle
East and South Asia.
2. Develop in-house capacity to encourage direct
applications and to manage applications and
offers efficiently. This will involve making
infrastructure investments in such areas as web
and social media, international marketing,
admissions, and study permit advice.
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A Multi-Channel Plan (Cont’d)
3. Develop a range of transfer articulation
agreements with university partners around the
world that will permit students to enter the
University (both graduate and undergraduate)
with advanced standing through 1+3, 2+2 and
3+1 links.
4. Establish local University offices in key markets,
such as India and China, to market and recruit
students directly. Such offices could also
support in-country university partnership and
research development, alumni outreach and
institutional advancement.
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A Multi-Channel Plan (Cont’d)
5. Develop a University pathways program for
students who have not reached the University’s
entrance requirements. This will involve
teaching English language, study skills, and some
academic coursework. This could also result in
the development of a pre-master’s pathways
program.
6. Explore the delivery of part or whole programs
outside Canada. This will result in brand
awareness and the development of articulation
links in other countries.
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A Multi-Channel Plan (Cont’d)
7. Develop ways to use alumni as ambassadors
for the University in recruiting new students
(e.g., recruitment fairs abroad).
8. Create more connectivity between the
recruitment program and the Faculties,
especially the deans, and senior
administration to ensure both transparency
and accountability.
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Agent
Agent
Agent
Agent
Agent
Agent
Fairs
Regional Office
(R#4)
Regional Office
(R#4)
Regional Office
(R#4)
Alumni
Overseas
Programs (R#6)
Pathways
(R#5)
Articulations
(R#3)
University of Windsor International Student
Recruitment Infrastructure/In-house Capacity
(R#2)
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A Look at Student Retention
• Conducted a study of international student
retention:
– Qualitative
– Quantitative
• Participated in the International Student
Barometer
Our Purpose
• To identify the factors that contribute to
attrition of international students at the
University of Windsor to determine what
might be done to improve the success and
persistence of international students
academically, through support initiatives and
in our student recruitment program.
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Methodology
 Pre-Study environmental scan
 Pilot study
 Focus groups
 Service provider interviews
 Faculty interviews
 On-line survey: students
 On-line survey: faculty
 On-line survey: service providers
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Differing Perspectives
Factor
Faculty
Service
Providers
Students
Language
1
1
-
Culture
2
2
1
Racism & Discrimination
3
3
4
Frustration,
Disorientation &
Confusion
-
-
2
Facilities & Services
-
-
3
...but agreement on Language and Culture
Factors Affecting Retention
Social
Environmental
Linguistic
International
Student
Familial
Economic
Academic
Cultural
Smith & Demjanenko, 2011
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Australia
Malaysia
Canada
Netherlands
Estonia
New Zealand
Finland
Singapore
Germany
South Africa
Hong Kong
Sweden
Ireland
UK
Italy
USA
209,422 international students responded to the 2011 survey
from 238 institutions in 16 countries ; 6.227 students
surveyed at Ontario universities
The ISB: University of Windsor, Ontario
Universities & Canada
Satisfaction
UW vs. ISB
UW vs. Ontario
UW vs. Canada
Benchmark
2010
2011
Change
2010
2011
2010
2011
Arrival
82%
82.4%
0.4%
1
-0.4
1
-0.6
-
-0.5
Support
85%
89.2%
4.2%
-3
-0.8
2
1.3
-
0.9
Learning
83%
82.7%
-0.3%
-1
-2.1
1
-2
-
-2
Living
74%
76.2%
2.2%
-3
-2.6
1
-1.3
-
-1.6
Our strengths are arrival and support
2010
2011
Arrival
• Areas of Strength:
– Registration
– University orientation
– Financial (banking) information
• Areas of Improvement:
– First night
– Condition of accommodation
– Meeting faculty members
– Social activities
i-graduate, 2011
Support
• High Institutional Usage/High Satisfaction:
– Student Centre
– International Students’ Centre
– Student Health Services
• High Institutional Usage/Low Satisfaction:
– Cashiers
– Graduate Studies
– Market Place (Student Centre)
i-graduate, 2011
Learning
• High Institutional Usage/High Satisfaction:
– Quality lectures
– Learning support
– Learning spaces
• High Institutional Usage/Low Satisfaction:
– Work experience
– Career advice (faculty)
– Research activity
i-graduate, 2011
Living
• High Institutional Usage/High Satisfaction:
– Sports facilities
– Social activities
– Eco-friendly
• High Institutional Usage/Low Satisfaction:
– Financial support
– Transport links
– Earning money
i-graduate, 2011
Next Up
• Development of an international student
retention action plan
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Summary
1. Assessment is key to determining the success of
initiatives we undertake. Benchmark progress
and let data drive decision-making.
2. Resources must be allocated to ensure that the
strategies put in place have a lasting impact on
students.
3. The enrolment funnel and student life cycle
experience may be different for different groups
of international students. Strategies need to be
customized.
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Summary (Cont’d)
4. Retention is another word for “home away from
home”.
5. Racism draws a distinction between experiences in
which international students thrive or survive the
student experience.
6. We need to work collaboratively across our campuses
to develop shared, institution-wide definition of
campus internationalization.
7. Share ideas, concepts, tools and processes with your
Canadian counterparts ... create a PLC - I-SEM (CBIE
Professional Learning Community focused on
International Student Enrolment Management).
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Resources





British Council: http://www.britishcouncil.org/
Canadian Bureau of International Education: http://www.cbie-bcei.ca/
Canadian SEM Website: www.uwindsor.ca/sem
European Association of International Education: http://www.eaie.org/
I-Graduate: International Student Barometer: http://www.igraduate.org/services/international-student-barometer-and-studentbarometer/
 NAFSA: http://www.nafsa.org/
• Stakeholder Engagement Toolkit (source: REVIT project from EU)
http://www.revitnweurope.org/selfguidingtrail/27_Stakeholder_engagement_a_toolkit2.pdf
• Stakeholder Engagement Practitioner Handbook - article "Leading for
Results" (source: Canadian conference in Banff)
http://www.banffcentre.ca/leadership/library/pdf/LC7_Stakeholders_artic
le.pdf
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Questions & Comments
• Karen Strang, karens@nipissingu.ca
• Sandra Schinnerl, Sandra.Schinnerl@kpu.ca
• Clayton Smith, csmith@uwindsor.ca
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