Colleagues,

As we continue our work to strengthen Memorial and position the university for long-term success, I am pleased to share that we are launching the development of a Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM) Plan.

This is an opportunity to become more co-ordinated, strategic and intentional in our approach to recruitment and retention.

It is critical work because, as President Morrison and I have said before, strengthening enrolment is one of Memorial’s highest priorities. The number of students we attract, retain and graduate influences every aspect of university life, including our academic mission, student services, research environment, physical infrastructure, workforce needs and financial sustainability.

We are encouraged by the new student enrolment indicators we are seeing for this fall, but responsible planning requires us to look beyond a single year. Memorial must continue to respond to the cumulative effects of successive years of enrolment decline, demographic trends in Newfoundland and Labrador, heightened competitiveness in the Canadian post-secondary landscape and dramatic changes to the international student market.

Developing a SEM plan will empower us, as a community, to address these challenges head-on. The goal is an evidence-informed approach for how Memorial will attract, support, retain and graduate students to ensure the university remains strong, relevant and sustainable in the years ahead.

Specifically, the project is intended to:

• Establish clear enrolment priorities and targets.
• Improve recruitment, retention, progression and graduation outcomes.
• Strengthen Memorial’s use of data in decision-making and planning.
• Support co-ordinated enrolment planning and accountability across the university.

I will be convening a steering committee of academic and administrative leaders to help guide the planning process, as well as multiple working groups to provide pan-institutional perspectives and to ensure the work continues apace. Decision-making authority remains with Memorial University’s established governing bodies, and the steering committee will provide regular updates to Senate to inform decisions. Senate, which has general charge of all matters of an academic character, retains decision-making authority with respect to the academic dimensions of enrolment management, in consultation with academic leaders and the Board of Regents, which exercises its responsibilities in accordance with the university’s governance framework.

Equally important will be the active engagement of faculty, staff and students across the university community. We need your collective knowledge and diverse perspectives to inform a plan that is deeply and uniquely Memorial.

This is a Memorial-led planning process supported by external expertise through AACRAO Consulting, an organization that has worked with 36 institutions across Canada, including Dalhousie, Simon Fraser, the University of Victoria and the University of Saskatchewan. Their role is to provide advice, facilitation and technical expertise. The SEM initiative will be informed by the university community and responsive to Memorial’s specific circumstances.

More information about the project is available online. We expect work to continue throughout the fall and winter semesters, with regular updates throughout the process, as well as opportunities for faculty, staff and students to participate actively.

At its core, strategic enrolment management is about students. It is about ensuring that the people who choose Memorial have every opportunity to succeed here, graduate with confidence and make meaningful contributions to their communities and professions. I look forward to working with you as we shape that future together.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer Lokash