EXTREME MAKEOVER CE EDITION Heather McRae & Ratka Janjic

THE BIG DECISION From decentralization to centralization Formation of a new School of Continuing Education Hiring of a dean for the School Five existing units joined the School/the Centre for Professional Nursing Education remained with the Faculty of Health and Community Studies

OUR MANDATE The School of Continuing Education was established at MacEwan University in 2014 as the home of innovative education experiences and credentials that complement and enhance MacEwan’s diploma and degree programming and pedagogy.

GOVERNING PRINCIPLES We believe that continuing education:  Includes the development and implementation of quality programs and services  Is connected to the university and the community  Is fiscally accountable and sustainable  Encourages partnerships and collaboration  Is both innovative and flexible in its delivery approaches

GOVERNING PRINCIPLES For our learners:  It is a lifelong pursuit that is transformative, relevant, practical, accessible, engaging, inclusive and responsive  It involves both personal and purposeful learning and empowers individuals to pursue their goals

GETTING READY 5 units from 4 faculties/schools Did not know each other Had not worked together previously No shared conceptualization of continuing education Confusion re: financial mandate (centralized budgeting system) A faux registration system

WHAT GOES WHAT IS ADDED MEE (a “temporary” registration system that did not serve the needs of CE students) Fragmented marketing approach (11 publications) No unified vision No collective understanding and knowledge of certificate program development Centrally collected revenues In house development of an integrated registration system (PeopleSoft) Hiring of a new marketing manager Shared vision and mission – plan of action Hiring of a new education development director to work with CE, e-learning and teaching and learning departments Revenues allocated to program codes

THE BLUEPRINT...

THE BLUEPRINT Aligning of existing units  Courses and activities that do not directly align with the vision and mission of the SCE and MacEwan University’s comprehensive institutional plan will be restructured or discontinued and new courses will be developed Org structure bases on function and form  Identify organizing units within the SCE: professional and continuing studies; academic and language preparation and the conservatory of music

THE BLUEPRINT Name changes to reflect new program focus

THE BLUEPRINT Admin titles and duties to align with program focus  Organize program administrative staff based on the following general categories: coordinator, program manager and program assistant and work with human resources and other stakeholders in the development of titles and job descriptions. SCE align with existing University governance and structure  Maintain alignment and integration with the policies and business practices of MacEwan University. Establish a school council Support registration and data management system and procedures Maintain the brand standard in all publications and promotional materials

THE BLUEPRINT Develop new credentials  Offer new and existing credentials based on market interests and needs following the requirements outlined in MacEwan University’s academic policy for credentials Develop cost recovery and revenue generation models  Modify existing and develop new programs and services that meet cost-recovery requirements based on existing and anticipated market demand  Maintain viability of existing programs that support the vision and mission of MacEwan University

DECISIONS…DECISIONS

BUY OR BUILD? Buy a CE registration system? OR Build a system that integrates with current ERP?

ALIGN WITH EXISTING ERP The University already implemented PeopleSoft as their ERP solution a few years ago and has experienced team of technical experts with extensive knowledge to lead and support the project:  Unique design features  Integrated registration system  Maintaining connections to central system

PROJECT GOALS Integrate systems and automate business practices:  Minimize the administrative burden (manual processes)  Align with the strategic direction  Informed decision making  Timeliness and accuracy of financial information  Integration of information between SCE and the university  Enhance the student experience  Programs sustain their competitiveness and achieve growth plans  Provide a sustainable, cost-effective solution  Flexible, agile and responsive to enable credit and non-credit course offerings

 Visit our new website on July 15 – MacEwan.ca/Explore  New School of Continuing Education program guide – July 15  New registration system goes live in July – Phase 1  Celebration events for SCE scheduled July - Oct

THERE IS ALWAYS MORE TO DO…  Develop a change management and communication plan  Identify training needs and training plans  Develop a strategic marketing plan  Identify partnership opportunities – internal and external  Identify new growth opportunities  ERP project - Phase 2

REFLECTIONS ON THE WORK TO DATE  Find your champions  Overestimate the time and cost required for change  Respect the past – share the stories and memories  Celebrate as much as you can!

STAY TUNED FOR MORE RENO’S…