Building Bridges From Recruitment to Retention Blaine Jensen, Vice President Educational Services Kyle Baillie, Manager of ONS Eric Glanville, Student Development Coordinator
Overview ► History & Environment ► Structure of the Office for New Students (ONS) ► Advantages of this approach ► Challenges ► Recommendations ► The future
History & Environment: Douglas College ► Comprehensive Community College ► Significant Change Mandate Change (Degree granting) -(+)1200 FTE -New leadership -Booming local economy -Competition and Enrolment changes ► Student success focus mixes with marketing need OFFICE FOR NEW STUDENTS
Structure of ONS OFFICE FOR NEW STUDENTS VP Educational Services Manager, ONS Retention Coord.Recruitment Coord. Student Ambassadors Welcome Centres Communications & Marketing Facilities Faculty Academic Advisors Admissions, CEIT SEMCEOF
Structure of ONS OFFICE FOR NEW STUDENTS Staffing ► Manager ► 1 Staff Member -Coordination of Retention Activities -New Westminster Campus and area representative ► 1 Staff Member -Coordination of Recruitment Activities -David Lam Campus and area representative
Structure of ONS OFFICE FOR NEW STUDENTS Retention- Activities ► Welcome Centres (NWC/DLC) ► Student Ambassadors ► Fall and Winter Orientation ► The Connect Event ► Students at Risk ► Student Advocacy
Structure of ONS OFFICE FOR NEW STUDENTS Recruitment- Activities ► High School Recruitment PSIBC High School visits Direct Mailing Secondary Career Fairs ► Non-traditional Recruitment Education/Career Fair Community Events ► Pre-Arrival Communications ► Information Sessions ► Initial Communications & Tours ► Parent/Alumni Advisory Groups
Advantages of this Approach ► Consistency from first contact through first year in the Student Experience -Personnel -Messaging -Branding -Methodology ► Student Leadership Group involved in recruitment, CSL, & transition programs ► Localized decision making ► Opportunity to work with external partners to better prep students for Post Secondary occurs earlier
Challenges ► Conflicting needs of resources ► Broad knowledge base required by staff ► A wide range of committee and leadership responsibilities are required ► “Home” for any project remotely related to new students ► Little “down time” due to activity cycles ► Intensive cross institution relations required OFFICE FOR NEW STUDENTS
Recommendations ► Given authority to make decisions and work outside existing policy structures ► Staffing size large enough to recruit area specialists who are cross-trained to cover each other ► Acquirement of a recruiting Porsche
QUESTIONS? ► Kyle Baillie Manager, Office for New Students or ► Eric Glanville Student Development Coordinator or