Sheridan | Get Creative
Sheridan | Get Creative

SEM Summit - September 2018


Please find a summary of all takeaways we gathered at the Summit below.
Multi-Channel, Targeted Communications

Multi-Channel, Targeted Communications


Building on Sheridan’s existing “Get Creative” brand and related brand pillars, ensure the messages communicated to prospective students are aligned with the brand promise and are consistently conveyed in audience-relevant terms and via preferred communications channels.

Summary of Common Themes

» a. Address the need for regular internal communications and information sharing so that student communications strategies and tactics are well understood.
» b. Build community participation in establishing messaging and communications (within a framework that includes governance, process, transparency and content consistency) that are both relevant and resonant with our student populations and reflect the unique value proposition of our programs and Sheridan as a whole.
» c. Ensure brand positioning is clearly understood and defined internally so that we can ‘live the brand’ and articulate in ways that is relevant to our audiences.
» d. Gain alignment and leverage Sheridan’s broad expertise (IT, faculty and finance) in technology decisions that serve our prospective and current students.
Optimizing the prospective Student Pipeline

Optimizing the prospective Student Pipeline


More aggressive, targeted and audience-relevant strategies at each stage of the prospective student pipeline in attracting, recruiting, admitting and enrolling new students.

Summary of Common Themes

» a. Improve faculty/student connections with prospective students early in the recruitment/admission process with an intentional allocation of resources to increase the opportunity to be proactive and less reactive (ex. Faculty release time to support recruitment with ties to specific initiatives/strategies identified in advance)
» b. Integrate creative campus into our recruitment strategy
» c. Develop and implement an interactive inquiry utility (app) as well as an interactive & user-friendly website
» d. Ensure internal systems can address very straight-forward business practices (ex. fee payment)
» e. Need for the institution to develop a long-term enrolment strategy wherein institutional priorities can be identified (enrolment capacity/ideal size; demographic mix; program distribution)
» f. Need to address the confusion of our institutional identity – with both internal and external stakeholders.
» g. Need to better understand who our students are
Early Alert, Intervention and the beginning year experience

Early Alert, Intervention and the beginning year experience


Proactive and targeted approach to identifying students at-risk early and directing them to the appropriate supports.

Summary of Common Themes

» a. For the faculty development strategy, consideration for part-time faculty is of utmost importance, especially in the areas of when/how the development sessions would be offered (online formats versus in-person, on weekends/evenings, frequency/availability of the offerings, etc.) and consistent compensation practices across the College.
» b. Faculty members must be involved in the creation of the development program.
» c. For the early alert and foundational skills strategies, it is imperative that existing best practices from across the College are identified and taken into consideration prior to creating anything new. General Arts and Science/Pre-Health Sciences, PSB, and areas within FAST were highlighted as programs/Schools that have already engaged in the idea of embedding foundational skills into curriculum.
Integrated Services and the student experience

Integrated Services and the student experience


Define and advance a ‘signature student experience’ that personifies Sheridan’s brand values and distinctive learning experience.

Summary of Common Themes

» a. The need to design and actually live a unique Sheridan student experience has to be authentic. The notion of the student experience and streamlining services to the students will only survive and thrive if it’s authentic, start to finish. Authenticity = Sustainability
» b. The notion of ONE Sheridan – the inclusion of/training for/engagement of ALL of our employees is critical, including part-timers, CAPS, etc.
» c. The importance of streamlined/efficient/up-to-date IT systems/applications, etc.
» d. The need to align institutional priorities so that we’re all ‘rowing in the same direction’ and focus on the student experience
» e. The importance of making sure we understand what students REALLY need and want (important for us to challenge our own assumptions and look at the data, what the students are really saying, etc.)
» f. The need for one authoritative source of information for everyone to use to refer students, provide up-to-date communication, etc.
» g. Also in terms of communication, the need for more and/or improved communication – with a particular focus on how we might be more effective in communicating with students and with each other.
Program Development and Review

Program Development and Review


Ensure needs of target student populations align with program/curricular design and delivery to enhance student-program enrolment fit.

Summary of Common Themes

» a. The purpose of the annual program reporting process and how the reports are used should be clarified and communicated to stakeholders. These reports should be integrated into other decision making processes, including planning and budgeting.
» b. There should be a higher level of engagement of key stakeholders (such as faculty, students, and other service departments) in the annual program report process.
» c. The annual program reports should be disseminated more broadly.