1. Presentation Marketing of Online Programs (Marta Bailey) Information

Transcription

1 DATE: Monday 9 June 2013 TIME: 10:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. PLACE: Needles Hall, Room 3001 UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO SENATE GRADUATE & RESEARCH COUNCIL NOTICE OF MEETING AGENDA Item Action 1. Presentation Marketing of Online Programs (Marta Bailey) Information 2. Report on Recruitment of Research Graduate Students* (Meiering and Jeanette Nugent) 3. Co-chairs Remarks 4. Minutes of 13 May 2013* and Business Arising Information Requested by Council on Renewal of Senate-approved Centres a. Amended Code of Conduct for Board of Directors* - Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies b. Amended Report* - Centre for Applied Cryptographic Research 5. Amendments to Graduate Studies Calendar* Revisions to Regulations for Doctoral Theses 6. Curricular Submissions Academic Integrity (Judge and Bruce Mitchell) a. Memo* and New Course Forms* - Applied Health Sciences, Arts, Engineering, Environment, Mathematics, Science, Theology Applied Health Sciences (Hanning) b. School of Public Health and Health Systems* Engineering (Hasan) c. Graduate Diploma in Green Energy* d. Management Sciences* 7. Graduate Awards (Judge) a. Energy Council of Canada Energy Policy Research Fellowship* b. RBC Water Scholars Graduate Entrance Scholarship* c. Graduate Excellence Award in Computer Science * d. Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Doctoral Entrance Scholarship* Information Information Decision (SGRC) Information Information Decision (SEN) Decision (SGRC) Decision (SGRC) Decision (SEN) Decision (SGRC) Decision (SGRC) Decision (SGRC) Decision (SGRC) Decision (SGRC) 8. Other Business 9. Next Meeting: September 2013, meetings for to be scheduled * material attached SGRC to be approved on behalf of Senate SEN to be recommended to Senate for approval 4 June 2013 Mike Grivicic Assistant University Secretary

2 UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO Report on Recruitment of Research Graduate Students Prepared By: Task Force on Recruiting of Research Graduate Students May 2013

3 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 3 GOALS AND KEY RECOMMENDATIONS... 3 INTRODUCTION... 5 PROCESS... 5 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN FIT WITH UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO STRATEGIC PLAN SUPPORT FOR GRADUATE RECRUITING... 8 OTHER UNIVERSITIES... 8 UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO FOCUS GROUPS TIMELINE CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES FIGURES LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A: List of Contributors to Graduate Student Recruitment Task Force Appendix B: Excerpts from 2012 Council of Ontario Universities Position Paper on Graduate Education in Ontario Appendix C: Personnel and Practices for Graduate Student Recruitment at other Canadian Universities 31 Appendix D: Planning and Personnel in Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment (MUR) at University of Waterloo Appendix E: Excerpts of Marketing and Student Recruitment Practices Report from Noel-Levitz Appendix F: Priorities from Focus Groups Appendix G: Information for Working Group on Research Graduate Students Funding Appendix H: Points for Future Consideration of Central Information to be Provided on Best Practices for Graduate Student Recruitment, for Customization by Individual Academic Units Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 2

4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY There is a growing need for graduate education in the knowledge economy, which has been identified as a priority by the government of Ontario. The Ministry of Training, Colleges and University (MTCU) has targeted funding through to 2017/18 for increasing the enrolment levels of domestic graduate students. Although graduate enrolment has increased significantly since 2005, Waterloo has fallen short of its targets for growth in domestic doctoral student enrolment, resulting in a substantial loss of potential revenue. There may still be opportunity, however, to attract funding for growth going forward. Strengthening the recruitment of research graduate students supports the foundational pillars of Waterloo s Strategic Plan, in particular: academic excellence, research excellence and impact, graduate studies, and internationalization, and has potential also to improve co-operative education and entrepreneurship through graduate student interaction with undergraduates and industry. Graduate students both receive and provide training, and they play critical roles in all aspects of Waterloo s enterprise. Thus, taking action to advance Waterloo s reputation as a destination for graduate research is central to achieving Waterloo s academic mission to contribute to society. This report provides information on the status of research graduate student recruitment at Waterloo and comparator institutions, and makes recommendations for key strategic goals and actions to strengthen student recruitment. The report is organized into the following sections: Introduction Process Findings and Recommendations Environmental Scan Fit with University of Waterloo Strategic Plan Support for Graduate Recruiting at other Canadian Universities and at Waterloo Findings From Focus Groups on Graduate Recruiting Timeline Conclusions For convenience, we have summarized the key goals and recommendations here. Where appropriate, we have provided a rationale for the recommendations in the body of the report. We have also provided suggestions on how to implement change. GOALS AND KEY RECOMMENDATIONS GOAL 1: Enhance the quality and quantity of research graduate students at Waterloo. GOAL 2: Act on strategic priorities to raise the reputation and the practices of graduate student education and research at Waterloo. Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 3

5 RECOMMENDATION 1: Increase personnel support for graduate student recruitment. 1.1 Strengthen coordinated central leadership and web support for graduate marketing and recruiting through a new staff position with expertise in marketing (including web) and strategic recruitment practices. This position will collaborate with Marketing and Undergraduate Recruiting (MUR), and recruitment staff in the Faculties. 1.2 Increase personnel support in the Faculties for graduate student marketing and recruiting. RECOMMENDATION 2: Strengthen Waterloo graduate studies web presence. RECOMMENDATION 3: Improve communications on campus among personnel involved in graduate recruiting. 3.1 Provide information on best practices for research graduate student recruitment. 3.2 Establish mechanisms for communication among personnel involved in student recruitment. RECOMMENDATION 4: Improve key strategic recruitment practices. 4.1 Establish goals for timely processing of graduate student applications and admissions. 4.2 Strengthen the knowledge and implementation of the best practice of timely and personalized communications with applicants. 4.3 Enhance practices for making offers of admission to strong students by providing central financial support and sharing applications when an offer cannot be made in the original program. 4.4 Strengthen the recruiting of strong, current, Waterloo students. 4.5 Strengthen the recruiting of strong, international students. 4.6 Obtain, analyze and act on survey data. RECOMMENDATION 5: Establish a working group to examine funding for research graduate students. Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 4

6 INTRODUCTION The task force on Recruitment of Research Graduate Students at the University of Waterloo, was established by Sue Horton, Associate Provost, Graduate Studies, in order to: (1) Review the current state of recruitment of research graduate students at the University of Waterloo and comparator institutions; (2) Make recommendations on research graduate student marketing and recruitment. Members of the task force are: co-chairs, Liz Meiering, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Graduate Studies Office (GSO), and Jeanette Nugent, Associate Director, Graduate Recruitment and Admissions, GSO; and Meg Bauman, Graduate Recruitment Officer, Faculty of Engineering. A list of the many faculty and staff who provided input to the task force members is given in Appendix A. PROCESS The working group met extensively between January and May, Working group members had initial meetings with the Associate Provost Graduate Studies, the Associate Deans Graduate Studies from the six Faculties, Graduate Officers and Graduate Coordinators from a range of academic units to gain overview of the current status, practices and needs for the recruitment of research graduate students. It was clear that the situation regarding recruiting is highly diverse across campus, and there is a broad and deep need for support of recruiting efforts. The working group also gathered information on practices and support for graduate recruitment at selected comparator institutions from their web sites and contacts at these institutions. Data on the numbers of Waterloo graduate applications, offers, and admissions for domestic and international students over the last 10 years were reviewed, as well as information on effective recruiting practices (e.g. from Noel-Levitz 5, see also Appendix E). Information on past and current practices and outcomes in recruiting of undergraduate students was also obtained from an interview with the Director of Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment. Reports pertaining to graduate recruitment were reviewed, including data analyses through Institutional Analysis and Planning (IAP) at Waterloo and the Graduate Student Financial Support Report for the U15 universities 3. The working group also held three focus group meetings (Feb 20-21) with invitees from two different Faculties (Engineering and Science; Math and Environment; Arts and Applied Health Sciences) at each two hour session. A diverse group of selected graduate officers and graduate coordinators were invited. In total there were 40 participants from a wide range of research graduate programs: small to large, with differing proportions of masters and doctoral students, and domestic and international students (Appendix A). Participants were appreciative that the working group had been established and for the opportunity to share information (e.g. on best practices and strategies) and to give their input. The focus groups further confirmed that there is very extensive need for support in the recruitment of research graduate students; while specific needs are diverse, there are also clear common priorities (summarized in Section 4, with further details in Appendix F). Members of the working group also interviewed selected Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 5

7 GSO staff and faculty involved in recruiting, and gathered additional information on specific past and present practices and outcomes pertaining to research graduate student recruiting. Endorsement of this document was obtained from the Associate Provost Graduate Studies and the Associate Deans Graduate Studies in the Faculties. The working group would like to thank all the faculty and staff who provided important input to this process (Appendix A). FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1. ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN The training of research graduate students and the accompanying research activities are central components of the academic enterprise and the societal mission of the University of Waterloo. Over the past 10 years, the number of research graduate students at the University of Waterloo has approximately doubled (e.g. increasing from 810 doctoral students enrolled in 2002/3 to 1696 in 2012/13), while undergraduate student numbers have grown by ~30% to ~29,000 (Fig. 1). Nevertheless, the overall number of research graduate students and the proportion of graduate to undergraduate students at Waterloo are towards the lower end compared to U15 and G14 Canadian universities. For example, Waterloo is 10 th among the G14 in total research student enrolment (Fig 2). Also, considering eligible FTE masters and doctoral students, Waterloo is 9 th and among the smallest, respectively, compared to the U15 institutions (Fig. 3). The percentage of graduate students is 12.5%, 20%, 17%, and 18.9% at Waterloo, Queen s University, Western University and University of Toronto, respectively (Fig. 1). The growth in graduate enrolment at Waterloo, and elsewhere, reflects and supports development of the knowledge economy, as graduate education is increasingly required in the workplace (papers from the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) 1 and from the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) 6 ). Strengthening research and graduate student training are key elements in the Waterloo Sixth Decade Plan and its mid-cycle review (see Section 2). Supporting research graduate student training at Waterloo is in alignment with current as well as future needs for student training, locally and globally. The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) has been funding ongoing growth in eligible (domestic) graduate student enrolment through the Graduate Expansion initiative. Despite substantial growth, Waterloo has fallen short of its ambitious targets (Fig. 3) and, consequently, potential revenue from MTCU. For example, a shortfall in 2012 of 33 PhD students, each worth $26,228 per FTE in BIUs, represents ~$800,000 in lost revenue (excluding associated capital revenue). Phase III of this initiative is intended to add 6000 new spaces for domestic graduate students across the province by 2017/18. To date 600 of the 6,000 spaces have been allocated to institutions, and Waterloo has received only 16 of those 600 spaces. Thus, Waterloo is currently facing a major challenge, and opportunity, for growth in domestic research graduate students. Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 6

8 Beyond this current challenge, the Council of Ontario Universities has projected ongoing increasing demand and the economic advisability of further increases in enrolment for graduate students, both domestic and international. Pertinent excerpts from the 2012 Council of Ontario Universities Position Paper on Graduate Education in Ontario 1 are given in Appendix B. In light of the domestic and international needs and opportunities for graduate education, we therefore recommend the following overarching goal: GOAL 1: Enhance the quality and quantity of research graduate students at Waterloo. This goal is in concordance with the major pillars of the Waterloo Strategic Plan, described below. 2. FIT WITH UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO STRATEGIC PLAN Academic excellence is the cornerstone of Waterloo s mission. It is achieved by the commitment of the University community to the highest quality teaching, research, scholarship and services which support the academic enterprise (Waterloo Sixth Decade Plan 10 ). Research graduate students are key participants in all aspects of the Waterloo mission, as they both are taught and teach other students, and advance research, scholarship, connections to industry and service to the community. Thus, graduate students are essential and integral to the University s foundational pillars, in particular: academic excellence, research excellence and impact, graduate studies, and internationalization; and have potential to contribute also to enhancing co-operative education and entrepreneurship. In its Sixth Decade Plan 10, Waterloo has made a strategic commitment to grow in its graduate enrolment by recruiting students of the highest calibre, from Canada and abroad. Achieving this goal is linked to the additional strategic goals of pursuing new knowledge and scholarship through vigorous promotion and encouragement of frontier and reflective research, recruiting the highest quality academic support staff, and contribution to society through research intensity and breadth 10. In the ongoing mid-cycle review of the Sixth Decade Plan, one of the three key areas for advancement is research excellence and impact (Strategic Plan: , May ). A major goal is to increase the worldwide impact and recognition of University of Waterloo research. This is to be achieved by creating a new marketing and communications initiative to build profile for the wide and varied accomplishments of the Waterloo research community and continu(ing) to be an effective pipeline for high quality research to meet the needs of business, industry, government and civil society. Implementation of the recommendations in this report, which are focussed on the main objective of strengthening the recruitment of high calibre research graduate students to Waterloo, will concurrently strengthen the training of these students, the research enterprise at Waterloo, the contributions of the University to society, and the understanding and profile of the University in our community. This will Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 7

9 create a positive synergy, as increasing the calibre of graduate students will enhance the quality of the academic enterprise at Waterloo, and vice versa. GOAL 2: Act on strategic priorities to raise the reputation and the practices of graduate student education and research at Waterloo. In the next section, we review our findings of practices at Waterloo and comparator institutions and, based on these findings, make specific recommendations for actions to achieve the above goals. 3. SUPPORT FOR GRADUATE RECRUITING OTHER UNIVERSITIES There is strong support for recruitment of research graduate students at other leading Canadian universities. Key areas of support are highlighted below and additional details are given in Appendix C. For example, since 2006 University of British Columbia, Faculty of Graduate Studies has been running an initiative to enhance marketing of UBC Graduate Studies involving providing graduate programs with planning resources, logistical support and best strategies for enrolment planning and student recruitment. UBC has central positions for Manager, Web Strategy & Student Recruitment Initiatives and for Communications Manager reporting to the Assistant Dean, Student Administration and Strategic Initiatives in the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Central personnel provide support to departments on best practices, run workshops and provide time and expertise. Queen s University, School of Graduate Studies provides central support and funding for updating/creating program websites and for prospective students to visit Queen s, both activities recognized as best practices by Noel Levitz 5 (Appendix E), as well as other services including assistance with the development of recruitment materials. Administrative Officers in the School of Graduate Studies include Director, Admissions and Student Services, Director & Special Projects Manager and Coordinator, Recruitment Activities. Western University, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies has undertaken an extensive analysis of graduate studies marketing. Graduate Student Recruitment: Effective Approaches and Strategies, 2010, 42 pages including data and practices across many academic disciplines. Strategies include: Online Videos to promote research, the university and city; Open Houses; pool resources and create full tuition scholarships; set early first deadline for all programs of Feb 1 st with two additional deadlines of April 1 st and June 1 st ; Graduate School Orientation Lecture in Fall for undergraduate students; effective web presence; human touch once offers are made , phone, put in touch with faculty and current students; invite applicants to visit; strategic messaging about funding; career opportunities. Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 8

10 Western U School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Web Coordinator -Communications and Student Success provides resources and information to support graduate programs in recruiting and retaining top students and postdoctoral scholars (hires on-campus Graphic Designer for marketing materials). Communications and Student Success supports graduate programs: Provide strategic advice and counsel surrounding web development, creative services (marketing, design and photography), social media and external communications Research and disseminate best practices in student recruitment, retention and communications Promote graduate education and research success at Western through web initiatives, media relations and graduate recruitment fairs Develop program websites and provide technical support for existing units Coordinate SGPS support for Western graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and graduate program administrators and leaders through the SGPS Development Series University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies has dedicated central personnel for marketing, recruitment, communications and websites: 12 related positions of 54 total (see Appendix C for titles of positions). In addition to central support for graduate student recruitment, there is a range of support at the faculty and departmental levels (see Appendix C). This support is essential to address discipline-specific needs. UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO In comparison with these other universities, the central support at Waterloo for graduate student recruitment is very minimal, while support in the Faculties and individual academic units varies greatly. There is currently no person responsible in the GSO (although staff in Recruitment and Admissions, and in Communications, have this as one of their many functions). Strategic goals are for Waterloo to continue to manage its undergraduate growth selectively, and grow aggressively in its graduate enrolment (Strategic Plan 13 ). At Waterloo, Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment (MUR) currently includes ~24 full-time staff plus additional contract and part-time staff (Appendix D), for a current undergraduate population of ~29,000 students. Strategies for undergraduate student recruitment are specific and supported by research (e.g. Appendix D, 2012 priorities). In contrast, marketing and recruitment staff for graduate students includes only 0.5 FTE staff in the GSO.. This support is for a total graduate student headcount of 5,126 (of which 3,641 are research students as of Fall 2012). The Working Group strongly recommends, based on the above considerations and the extensive feedback received from across campus, that additional support personnel and leadership in the areas of marketing and recruiting are essential to strengthen Waterloo s graduate profile. Consistent with this, the Sixth Decade Plan states To accommodate (graduate) growth while maintaining quality, Waterloo will have to increase the size of its staff 10. This will also complement ongoing initiatives to strengthen professional Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 9

11 and online graduate education, such as the recently completed Online Graduate Programs Marketing Communications Plan for RECOMMENDATION 1: Increase personnel support for graduate student recruiting. Implementation: 1.1 Strengthen coordinated central leadership and web support for graduate marketing and recruiting through a new staff position with expertise in marketing (including web) and strategic recruitment practices. Creation of this new position was approved by the Provost in April The new Manager position has a leadership role, and reports directly to the Assistant Director, Graduate Communications and Postdoctoral Affairs with academic leadership from the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies. The Manager also liaises on strategic direction and enrolment management priorities from the Faculty Associate Deans Graduate Studies and their Graduate Recruitment Specialists. The Associate Director Graduate Admissions in the GSO provides direction on admission related matters. The Manager also collaborates with IAP, MUR, Communications and Public Affairs (CPA), Office of Research (OR) and Centre for Career Action (CCA) to provide leadership and support for graduate websites. An outline of priorities for this recruitment specialist is given in Section 5. (Responsibility: Provost, Associate Provost Graduate Studies; Timeline: Immediate) 1.2 Increase personnel support in the Faculties for graduate marketing and recruiting. It is very clear from information gathered (see also Focus Group feedback in Section 4) that addition of just one central staff position will certainly not be sufficient. Increased personnel support in the Faculties is also essential, to act together with the central position and the departments. For the larger faculties it is likely that a dedicated full position for graduate recruitment is needed; smaller faculties might effectively share a position. At present there are: 1.0 Faculty-level graduate marketing and recruitment specialist in Engineering (since Feb. 2012), 0.5 graduate recruitment position in Arts (since April 2013), and <20% of a staff equivalent in the other Faculties (in these cases, feedback is that staff spend very little to no time on graduate recruiting). Without any central report, it has been difficult to leverage even this minimal level of support into effective action. Acting together with GSO staff, as well as Faculty level Associate Deans, Graduate Officers and Graduate Coordinators, the Faculty level recruitment staff will develop and help implement specific strategic recruiting plans in their units. It is recommended that Engineering and Arts act as pilot Faculties to assess specific approaches to strengthen recruiting. Graduate Officers in individual departments must also be involved, and it is strongly recommended that this be supported through increased recognition of service and teaching relief for recruitment activities. (Responsibility: Provost, Deans, Associate Deans Graduate Studies, Chairs and Directors; Timeline: Immediate) The specific priorities for the new staff recruitment specialists are developed in more detail in the following sections, along with a broader set of recommendations. Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 10

12 4. FOCUS GROUPS Focus group participants were provided with information from Noel-Levitz on the effectiveness of practices for recruiting research graduate students 5 (Appendix E), and a 2008 report from a University of Waterloo Graduate Student Recruitment Pilot Project on qualitative interviews with graduate students. It should be noted that research on best practices in graduate recruiting is at a very early stage compared to undergraduate recruiting, however, it is increasingly being pursued. Some key examples of practices found to be the most useful include: graduate program web pages, timely/effective communication with students, and student financial support. Based on the information gathered and feedback received by the working group from initial consultations and information gathering, the following questions were used as talking points for the focus groups: What is being done currently for recruiting in your area (faculty/department/program)? How well are current recruiting efforts working? What would you like to do in recruiting that is not being done now? What support is needed for recruiting, centrally or locally? What did we not talk about that we should have? The focus groups were well attended, with broad representation and participation (Appendix A). There is great diversity in the graduate student enterprise, and specifically research graduate programs, in terms of size, strength of reputation, composition of students (e.g. domestic/international; masters/doctoral), extent of support for recruiting, and recruiting practices. Participants expressed that it was useful to share information on best practices (many of which are being used, although to highly varying extents). Towards the end of each focus group session, the attendees indicated the specific issues in recruiting that they considered were the highest priority for support by voting (5 votes per person, on paper charts that were generated during the focus group discussions; all issues discussed and voted for were compiled and analyzed for trends, Appendix F). Clear common issues emerged, and are described below. Issue 1: Limited quality and quantity of applications and admissions of domestic students, particularly non-waterloo, and doctoral. From the focus group discussions it was clear that, although Waterloo has a significant number of high quality research graduate programs, the reputation of programs varies widely, and on the whole Waterloo is not seen as a strong graduate destination by domestic students. The main challenges relating to international students raised at the focus groups concern being able to identify as well as effectively recruit high calibre international students. Hence, reputation is vital. Issue 2: Communications to support graduate recruitment. A major issue for many academic units is a lack of people resources (in particular staff, though also faculty) to implement practices known to be important for recruiting e.g. updating web pages, timely and appropriate communication with students (potential and actual applicants, enrolled, and alumni). There Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 11

13 was an appreciation of the opportunity for and value of sharing best practices information, from outside (Appendix E) and on campus. Thus, there is a clear need for personnel to organize more effectively both people and information/resources for recruiting. This includes disseminating information relating to strategic planning and priorities, and how to identify and act on these priorities. Issue 3: Obtaining and assessing data to inform strategic planning. A major priority for a substantial proportion of focus group participants was to obtain more detailed and validated data on the effectiveness of specific recruiting practices. Direct information from students is essential for strengthening recruiting. Both general and Waterloo program-specific data are needed, but unfortunately, objective and quantitative information is extremely limited. Survey data have been used extensively to inform and strengthen undergraduate recruiting at Waterloo (personal communication, Tina Roberts, Director of MUR). At the graduate level, to date there has been a 2008 Waterloo Graduate Student Recruitment Pilot Project, and some information obtained on student satisfaction from the Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey (CGPSS) 2 and International Barometer Survey. Thus, additional, high quality, and specific data are needed to inform strategic actions for graduate student recruitment. Issue 4: Effective processing of applications and timely offers of admission. There is a large spread in the processing practices and times of graduate student applications and in the timing of offers of admissions. Some units make offers on a timeline that is comparable to other strong competitor institutions, but a large proportion do not. Long processing times for applications (especially, but not only international) is an important issue in some but not all faculties. The efficiency of the application process and evaluation (through multiple levels of potentially redundant scrutiny) was questioned. The consequences are that many strong students may have received and accepted an offer from other institutions well before hearing from Waterloo. Issue 5: Limitations in funding for students. The most common issue raised, across most academic units and all faculties, is limitations in funding to support research graduate students. Particular areas for increased institutional support suggested by participants included establishing central pools of funds for recruiting strong students, and TA funding. It was clear that this very difficult and complex issue cannot be resolved quickly or simply, and that it requires further investigation. Based on the input received from the focus groups as well as the information obtained from a range of sources (described above and below), we make the following additional Recommendations for priorities for recruiting personnel (Recommendation 1) and to leverage existing resources for recruiting. RECOMMENDATION 2: Strengthen Waterloo graduate studies web presence. Rationale: The web is a critical vehicle for enhancing Waterloo reputation and is a dominant mode of communication for graduate student recruitment (Noel-Levitz best practices, Appendix E; Waterloo Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 12

14 2008 Waterloo Graduate Student Recruitment Pilot Project; Graduate Recruitment at Other Canadian Universities, Appendix C). Enhancing web presence is a major goal in the Waterloo Strategic Plan 12. The question "How did you first learn about Waterloo" is asked on our on-line graduate studies application. Our results show that 1,495 admitted students in research-based programs for 2012 answered the question as follows: Web 42% Current advisor or professor 28% Friend or relative 22% Publication 3% Attendance at an education fair 3% Attendance at a conference 1% A survey of the current state of Web pages relating to graduate studies and research found that this is highly variable across campus. Implementation: Establish a central admissions web site. Improving and updating department and faculty web pages will require participation of faculty (Graduate Officers, supported through recognition of service and teaching relief) and staff to prepare and implement effective content, which will be an ongoing process. This will require a coordinated plan including people involved in graduate recruitment in the GSO, Faculties and individual academic units, as well as MUR and CPA. (Responsibility: Recruitment Specialists in GSO and Faculties, Associate Deans Graduate Studies; Graduate Officers) RECOMMENDATION 3: Improve communications on campus among personnel involved in graduate recruiting. 3.1: Provide information on best practices for graduate student recruitment. General information on best practices for graduate student recruitment should be provided centrally. Such information will, of course, require further development in the individual academic units for effective implementation. Providing best practices information will involve establishing organized communications for ongoing revision, dissemination, and strategic prioritization of general and unit-specific best practices for graduate student recruitment. (Responsibility: Associate Provost Graduate Studies, Recruitment Specialists in the GSO and Faculties) 3.2: Establish mechanisms for communication among personnel involved in student recruitment. Currently communication among personnel involved in recruiting is quite limited and very fragmented; improved communications are key for the effective use of resources to support recruiting. Information needs to be shared between faculty and staff, within and between academic units, and between graduate and undergraduate recruiting and communications. A plan for communications will be developed by the central recruitment specialist together with the Associate Dean Graduate Studies in the GSO, with input from personnel involved in recruitment across campus. The communications will Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 13

15 include, for example, sharing information on best practices (Recommendation 3.1), as well as information gathering and analysis on the effectiveness of recruitment practices (see Recommendation 4.6). (Responsibility: Recruitment Specialist GSO, Associate Dean Graduate Studies GSO) RECOMMENDATION 4: Improve key strategic recruitment practices. 4.1: Establish goals for timely processing of graduate student applications and admissions. In some units on-campus, application deadlines are similar to those of other institutions (e.g. Feb. 1), but some units deadlines are much later. Also, some other universities process applications much more quickly. For example, at UBC, the deadline for processing of recommendations is much earlier. The deadline for guaranteed consideration by the Faculty of Graduate Studies of recommendations from graduate programs for North American students to be admitted for Fall registration is April 1 st, while Waterloo s recommendation deadline is August 1 st -- four months later. 14 Consequently, many students receive, and must accept or decline, offers of admission (and scholarships) from other institutions before (applying to or) receiving an offer from Waterloo. The current practices put Waterloo at a disadvantage, particularly for recruiting high caliber students who are likely to receive multiple, early, and attractive offers. It is highly recommended that all units review the deadlines at comparator institutions and modify as appropriate their own deadlines and timelines for reviewing applications, identifying strong applicants, and making offers. It is recommended to establish earlier goals for timely responses to inquiries, applications and admission decisions. (Responsibility: Associate Provost Graduate Studies, Associate Director Graduate Admissions GSO, Associate Deans Graduate Studies in the Faculties) 4.2: Strengthen the knowledge and implementation of the best practice of timely and personalized communications with applicants. Effective communication with students is one of the top best practices (Noel Levitz 5, Appendix E; 2008 Waterloo Graduate Student Recruitment Pilot Project; Focus Group feedback). This includes prompt, informative, welcoming, and personalized communications involving staff and faculty, as well as online communications or campus visits for selected applicants. There is a very wide range of communications practices on campus which should be evaluated for strategic areas for improvements. (Responsibility: Recruitment Specialists in the GSO and Faculties) 4.3: Enhance practices for making offers of admission to strong students by providing central financial support and sharing applications when an offer cannot be made in the original program. These practices are already being used effectively in some units on campus. For example, in some departments and faculties financial support for a student is guaranteed through a central mechanism so that for top students a timely offer of admission can be made prior to identification of a specific supervisor. It is recommended to investigate how such mechanisms can be implemented more widely. (Responsibility: Associate Provost Graduate Studies, Associate Deans Graduate Studies in the Faculties, Recruitment Specialists in the GSO and Faculties) Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 14

16 4.4: Strengthen the recruiting of strong, current, Waterloo students. Rationale: One way to increase the calibre of domestic recruitment that may be particularly effective is to increase the recruitment of current, strong, Waterloo students. While it is certainly desirable also to attract strong external students, commonly the majority of graduate students are internal, e.g. at the University of Toronto ~70% of graduate students were previously enrolled there 7. For NSERC scholarship competitions, although Waterloo ranks ~5 th among Canadian institutions in the number of awards held, it is among the lowest nationally in the proportion of awards made to students applying from a given institution compared to the number of awards actually held at that institution (Fig. 5). Thus, among the G14, the University of Waterloo is the largest net exporter of NSERC scholarship students. Similarly, for OGS scholarships, Waterloo is a net exporter of scholarship students, lagging the University of Toronto, as well as Western, Queens and Guelph (Fig. 5). In addition, while the % of students completing Masters is among the highest at Waterloo compared to the U15 (82.9% compared to average of 75.2%), the % promoted to PhD is among the lowest (4.8% compared to 7.8%, Fig. 6). Implementation: Internal recruiting efforts may target undergraduate, research masters, and professional masters students. Effective practices for recruiting such students may involve exposing them to research, through undergraduate projects, co-op placements, and advanced courses, which will concurrently enhance undergraduate education. Information sessions for students on campus are also commonly used. We may also increase direct transfer of our own masters students to doctoral programs, and increase direct admission to doctoral programs from undergraduate degrees. These actions may also decrease the time to degree completion, a government and Waterloo goal. In setting enrolment targets for doctoral and masters students, it is essential to consider also graduate student training outcomes and job prospects as well as financial support (see Reports from The Commission on Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers 6 ). (Responsibility: Associate Deans Graduate Studies, Recruitment Specialists in the GSO and Faculties) 4.5: Strengthen the recruiting of strong, international students. Continue to enhance the use of faculty/staff with international expertise to improve the assessment and recognition of high quality international applicants. Establish better mechanisms for making timely offers to high quality applicants. Explore mechanisms to provide financial support for making offers of admission to high calibre international students, for example, using Trillium and Vanier scholarships. (Responsibility: Associate Deans Graduate Studies, Recruitment Specialists in the GSO and Faculties) 4.6: Obtain, analyze and act on survey data. Rationale: Results of the Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey (CGPSS) indicate overall satisfaction with education at Waterloo that is comparable to the average for U15 peers (Waterloo PIR ), with some units having considerably higher and others considerably lower satisfaction (2012 Horton report). Gathering, analyzing and disseminating campus-wide and unit-specific data is a prerequisite for effective strategic planning and actions to raise the quality of graduate experience and training, and increase Waterloo reputation, which are key actions for recruiting. Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 15

17 Implementation: The new personnel in the GSO and Faculties will provide leadership and support for information-based strategic planning at the university-wide and local levels. Sources for obtaining information may include: 1) external consultant e.g. Academica/Noel-Levitz/Hobson; 2) surveys e.g. International Barometer/CGPSS/non-confirmed surveys, partnering with MUR and other institutions; Waterloo Survey Centre; Quest (significant initial work has been done on this in the GSO, some additional work is needed for appropriate and effective implementation, key contact, Tracey Sinclair, Assistant Director, Graduate Admissions and Records Systems). The GSA should also be consulted. Information from existing and new surveys needs to be used more systematically. It is recommended to pilot strategic data-based planning exercises in Engineering and Arts, with dissemination of the results to advance effective practices across campus. (Responsibility: Associate Deans Graduate Studies and Graduate Recruitment Officers in Engineering and Arts; Timeline: Engineering , Arts ) RECOMMENDATION 5: Establish a working group to examine funding for research graduate students. Feedback from the focus groups clearly indicated that funding was a major limitation across campus for advancing research graduate student recruitment. A pervasive theme was that increased financial support from the university is needed, for example, through teaching assistantships or scholarships. The working group therefore sought additional information on sources and levels of funding, through IAP, the 2012 Graduate Student Financial Support Report from the U15 Data Exchange 3, and Performance Indicator Reports for Waterloo 8 and University of Toronto 7. The initial information obtained suggests that levels of institutional financial support may be relatively low at Waterloo. Also, other sources of funding, in particular linked to industry, may have good prospects for increasing financial support (for more information on initial findings see Appendix G). It is beyond the scope of this task force on recruiting to make detailed recommendations on funding. However, given its key importance for Waterloo s strategic goals in graduate studies and research, we strongly recommend to investigate the issue of funding in detail, and promptly. (Responsibility: Provost, Associate Provost Graduate Studies; Timeline: Immediate) 5. TIMELINE April 24, 2013 Approval of GSO Central Recruitment Manager May 14, 2013 May 22, 2013 June 10, 2013 Endorsement by Graduate Operations Committee Presentation to Deans Council Presentation to Graduate Senate Research Council Summer 2013 Hire GSO Central Recruitment Manager Fall Fall Phase 1: Develop Recruitment Plan and budget, begin implementing Phase 1 strategic actions. Establish working group to examine funding for research graduate students Phase 2: Ongoing implementation of the Recruitment Plan, including assessment of recruitment outcomes. Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 16

18 The Recruitment Plan will be a set of clear goals with associated strategies and action plans that lead to the achievement of the student enrolment goals. Priorities already identified include: 1) enhanced web presence, 2) improved communications on campus including best practices for recruitment; 3) improving key practices, particularly to achieve domestic student enrolment targets, through timely admissions, effective communications with applicants, focussing on strong applicants; and 4) obtaining data for strategic planning. Leads will be the Graduate Recruitment Staff and Associate Deans of Graduate Studies in collaboration with academic units, IAP, MUR, CPA, OR and CCA. Budget needs will be defined through the planning process, and can be anticipated to include additional resources for personnel, web updates and data analysis. CONCLUSIONS Waterloo has grown significantly in graduate student enrolment, doing well in an ad hoc way, and developing pockets of excellence in graduate studies. Going forward, the university has ambitious strategic goals to enhance graduate education and research. To reach these goals, increased support for graduate student recruitment is essential. The support for graduate student recruitment has not kept pace with growth, and is very limited, for example, in comparison to support for undergraduate recruitment. Thus, there is great scope to strengthen graduate recruitment. Investment in recruitment works; for example, strategic recruitment plans for undergraduate and international graduate students at Waterloo have been highly effective. Now is an ideal time to build graduate studies and research given Ontario priorities and a growing knowledge economy. We need to better promote research at Waterloo, highlighting our successes and resources, through financial investments in personnel and student support. This will enable well informed strategic planning to recruit high calibre graduate students. Attracting these students will support Waterloo s foundational pillars and so enhance its myriad valuable contributions to society. Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 17

19 REFERENCES 1 Council of Ontario Universities Position Paper on Graduate Education in Ontario, Feb. 2012, COU No. 860, ISBN No , --position-paper-(1) 2 Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey (CGPSS) 2010, Research programs (Masters and Doctoral), Selected analyses by Faculty, Sue Horton, April 2011 (see also information at CGPSS site: ) 3 Graduate Student Financial Support Report, for Internal Use Only, Prepared July 2012 for the U15 Data Exchange 4 Online Graduate Programs Marketing Communications Plan for Noel Levitz report on 2012 Marketing and Student Recruitment Practices for Master s-level Graduate Programs 20Student%20Recruitment%20Practices%20Report%20for%20Master's- Level%20Graduate%20Programs.pdf 6 Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers, Summary: In order for the United States to maintain its leadership role in global innovation and discovery, our country must continue to develop highly skilled human talent. The Commission on Pathways Through Graduate School and Into Careers, jointly sponsored by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and Educational Testing Service (ETS), guided a research effort examining issues on career pathways. The 14-member Commission, composed of industry leaders, university presidents, graduate deans and provosts, identified the appropriate questions, data sources and experts to consult regarding: graduate student knowledge of career options how students learn about career opportunities the role of graduate programs and graduate faculty in informing and guiding students along the path to professional occupations career pathways that individuals with graduate degrees follow see also related research at the CGS web site, including: The Path Forward: The Future of Graduate Education in the United States, University of Toronto Performance Indicators 2011 Comprehensive Report. shared/assets/pi_2011_comprehensive_visual4477.pdf Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 18

20 8 University of Waterloo Annual Performance Indicators Report University of Waterloo Mission Statement 10 University of Waterloo Sixth Decade Plan 11 University of Waterloo Sixth Decade Plan Mid-cycle Review Final Report 12 University of Waterloo Sixth Decade Plan Mid-cycle Review Draft May 7, University of Waterloo Strategic Plan 14 University of British Columbia Recommendation deadlines vs University of Waterloo Recommendation deadlines Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 19

21 FIGURES Figure 1. Graduate Enrolment at the University of Waterloo A) Undergraduate and graduate enrolment. B) 10 year enrolment history for masters and doctoral students. Numbers include all graduate students, including research and professional. Source: Waterloo Performance Indicator Report 2012 (see References for web link). The percentage of graduate students at Waterloo, Queen s University, Western University and University of Toronto is 12.5% (Waterloo Performance Indicator Report ), 20%, 17% (Appendix C) and 18.9% ( total 15,287), respectively. A) Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 20

22 B) Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 21

23 Figure 2. Research Graduate Student Enrolment at G14 Universities. Waterloo ranks 10 th among the G14 Universities in research student enrolment. This suggests a relatively lower level of research intensity and focus at Waterloo. Enrolment growth may support Waterloo s strategic priorities, in particular, to enhance research and graduate studies. Graduate Student Financial Support Report, for Internal Use Only, Prepared July 2012 for the U15 Data Exchange 3, Fig. 13, re-plotted to remove institution name. Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 22

24 Figure 3. U15 Masters and Doctoral Student Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Student Enrolment The data include domestic and international students. Source: Waterloo Institutional Analysis and Planning, Dean s Council presentation, March Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 23

25 Figure 4. Graduate Enrolment and MTCU Target Shortfalls. Overall, not reaching target for 2012 represents ~$800,000 in lost revenue (this excludes capital revenue). Data provided by Institutional Analysis & Planning, from Deans Council presentation, March 2013 Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 24

26 Figure 5. Percentage of Awards Held At versus Made to All Applicants from a Given Institution. Data for NSERC Awards andogs Awards,. Data from NSERC, OGS, and GSO, compiled by GSO staff and Liz Meiering. The data suggest that while Waterloo students have been very successful at obtaining awards, compared to Canadian peers Waterloo is a net exporter of scholarship students. This recommends that strategies be considered to attract more strong internal and external students. Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 25

27 Figure 6. Percentage of Masters Students Graduated or Transferred to PhD is Relatively Low at Waterloo Compared to Other Canadian Universities. Data from Waterloo Performance Indicator Report Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 26

28 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A: List of Contributors to Graduate Studies Recruitment Task Force Appendix B: Excerpts from 2012 Council of Ontario Universities Position Paper on Graduate Education in Ontario Appendix C: Personnel and Practices for Graduate Student Recruitment at other Canadian Universities Appendix D: Planning and Personnel in Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment (MUR) at University of Waterloo Appendix E: Excerpts of Marketing and Student Recruitment Practices Report from Noel-Levitz Appendix F: Priorities from Focus Groups Appendix G: Information for Working Group on Research Graduate Students Funding Appendix H: Draft suggestions for best practices for recruiting, for customization by individual academic units Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 27

29 Appendix A: List of Contributors to Graduate Student Recruitment Task Force Graduate Studies Office: Sue Horton, Associate Provost, Graduate Studies Lynn Judge, Director, Graduate Academic Services Marta Bailey, Assistant Director, Graduate Communications & Postdoctoral Affairs Ray Legge, Incoming Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Registrar s Office: Tina Roberts, Director, Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment Waterloo International: Nello Angerilli, Associate Vice-President International Institutional Analysis and Planning: Daniela Seskar-Hencic, Acting Director Jennifer Kieffer, Institutional Analyst Sam Schmidt, Institutional Analyst Faculty Focus Group Participants - January 23, 2013 Associate Deans, Administrative Assistants, Faculty Recruitment Coordinators: Applied Health Sciences - Rhona Hanning, Tracy Taves, Chantel Franklin Arts - Linda Warley, Carolyn Nelson, Wendy Philpott Engineering - Meg Bauman Environment - Lori McConnell, Steve Krysak Mathematics - Michelle Manios, Heather Steinmetz Faculty and Department Focus Group Participants - February 20 and 21, 2013 Associate Deans, Graduate Officers, Admin Assistants, Graduate Coordinators, Recruitment Coordinators: Applied Health Sciences - Denise Hay, Kinesiology; Rhona Hanning, AHS; Ron McCarville, Recreation and Leisure Studies; Ewa Niechwiej-Szwedo, Kinesiology; Tracy Taves, AHS, Tracie Wilkinson, Public Health and Health Systems Arts - Rita Cherkewski, Psychology; Catherine Dubeau, French Studies; Dan Gorman, History; Randy Harris, English; Wendy Philpott, Arts; Anindya Sen, Economics; April Wettig, Global Governance and Political Science Engineering - Judy Caron, Chemical Engineering; Annette Dietrich, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Wendy Fleming, Management Sciences; Bruce Hellinga, Civil and Environmental Engineering; Hamid Jahedmotlagh, Mechanical Engineering; John Zelek, Systems Design Engineering Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 28

30 Environment - Jean Andry, Environment; Brent Doberstein, Geography and Environmental Management; Lori McConnell, Environment; Sanjay Nepal, Geography and Environmental Management; Jennifer Nicholson, Environment and Resource Studies; Robert Shipley, School of Planning Mathematics - Shai Ben-David, School of Computer Science; Mary Lou Dufton, Statistics and Actuarial Sciences; Michelle Manios, Mathematics; Nico Spronk, Pure Mathematics; Heather Steinmetz, Computer Science; Changbao Wu, Statistics and Actuarial Science Science - Jonathan Blay, Pharmacy; Vivian Choh, Optometry; Jennifer Collins, Biology; James Forrest, Physics/Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology; Mario Gauthier, Chemistry; Martin Laforest, IQC; Carol Ptacek, Earth and Environmental Sciences; David Rose, Biology; Linda Stadig, Guelph-Waterloo Physics Institute Facilitators - Liz Meiering (Assoc.Dean/Chem), Jeanette Nugent (GSO), Meg Bauman (Engineering) Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 29

31 Appendix B: Excerpts from 2012 Council of Ontario Universities Position Paper on Graduate Education in Ontario Demand for graduate spaces is expected to exceed the 6,000 spaces as the baby boom echo generation reaches the age of entrance to graduate programs The oldest boom echo member is 30 years old now and the youngest is 16 (note: ages are adjusted from numbers for 2012 in Paper to 2013). Combined with the demands of the economy for more advanced education and continuing trends in increasing postsecondary education participation rates, the boom echoers will drive the demand for graduate education in Ontario. Graduate programs in Ontario universities have experienced continued growth over the last decade There is no evidence that growth rates will slow over the next few years. If current growth rates continue, we project that Ontario will be adding almost 10,500 eligible-for-funding graduate students by : 7,000 master s students and 3,500 doctoral students. If Ontario s graduate enrolment in were at the current average of the rest of Canada, there would be approximately 50,000 more spaces (in contrast to the 6,000 spaces that the province has committed to fund). Interprovincial Comparisons of University Enrolment (2008) 21 Graduate students provide a valuable resource in supporting undergraduate education in institutions. However, the ratio of undergraduate and graduate students in Ontario is also very low. For each 100 undergraduate students, Ontario educates only 16 graduate students in comparison to the average of 23 students for the rest of Canada. Ontario lags behind four other provinces: Quebec (30), British Columbia (23), Alberta (23) and Newfoundland and Labrador (18). 22 Research shows that despite the increased growth rate in graduate students in Ontario, the gap with the United States at the master s level has widened on a per capita basis. As of 2008, the United States produced twice as many master s graduates per 1,000 population in comparison to Ontario. Given the wage premiums of master s degree graduates over bachelor s degree holders, the gap with the United States likely contributes to Ontario s lower levels of productivity and innovation performance. 23 Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 30

32 Appendix C: Universities Personnel and Practices for Graduate Student Recruitment at other Canadian 1. University of British Columbia There are ~10,000 graduate students pursuing masters and doctoral studies in over 250 graduate degree programs. University of British Columbia Graduate Recruitment Initiative Supporting programs in attracting and retaining outstanding graduate students Since 2006 the Faculty of Graduate Studies has been running an initiative to enhance the marketing of UBC Graduate Studies. The Graduate Recruitment Initiative (GRI) provides graduate programs with planning resources, logistical support and best strategies for graduate enrolment planning and student recruitment. Planning. Facilitating strategic enrolment and recruitment planning processes within graduate programs. Research. Conducting, collecting and disseminating research on trends related to choice of graduate programs, international student mobility and best practices in graduate student recruitment. Marketing/Promotion. Promoting UBC graduate education and research to prospective students and international academic, public and private organizations through enhanced web presence, advertising in key publications, and media relations. Outreach. Working with graduate programs to identify and implement successful recruitment outreach activities; providing financial and tactical support to program recruitment efforts. Evaluation. Assessing value and impact of recruitment activities. This site contains a range of information, tools, strategies and templates related to graduate student recruitment. Please browse and let us know your suggestions for additions and improvements. You will only be able to access this information from within the UBC network. Graduate Recruitment Initiative Why Recruit? Stages of Recruitment Quick Tips for Better Recruitment Plan Your Recruitment Recruitment Strategies Enhance Your Website for Recruitment Social Media Short-term Research Programs Downloads, Resources & Contacts Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 31

33 2. Queen s University 3,500 full-time graduate students; 20% of total enrolment; 56 graduate departments/100 programs Recruiting the Best Graduate Students to Queen's The School of Graduate Studies works closely with graduate units to develop and support recruitment strategies. Much of our focus on recruitment is to attract the highest quality candidates possible. The School provides the following support: Assistance with website development Providing subsidies for graduate units to host campus visits for promising graduate students or for faculty/staff to attend external information sessions. Coordinating Queen's involvement in a number of graduate student recruitment fairs across Canada Assistance with the development of recruitment materials Recruitment resources available through the School of Graduate Studies (254KB) Equipment & Materials banner, desktop display, graduate program inserts print materials Other Recruitment Assistance: 1. Student Visit & Recruitment Funds (current allocation of funds based on program full- time domestic enrolment) to assist programs to either invite prospective students to visit Queen s or for Queen s Professors to attend information sessions or fairs at conferences. Allowable expenses include meals, accommodation and travel for the prospective students or faculty/staff member, and events associated with visits to Queen s campus. Contact Colette Steer at " grad.recruitment@queensu.ca" if you are unsure about your department s allocation. 2. Program websites: In summer, the SGS will once again offer assistance in updating or creating program websites using Queen s content- management system WebPublish. The SGS will be hiring 1-2 students who know this system well and will be able to produce a new site for up to 10 programs (or update existing ones). The SGS will pay the cost of the student s time. There is no cost for the WebPublish software. Note that we don t only help with the graduate section of the departmental websites. We want the whole website to be consistent, to look good and to work well. As per call to Queen s University, School of Graduate Studies on April 10, 2013: Colette Steer, Coordinator, Recruitment Activities one full-time position in central office to assist graduate programs with marketing and recruitment; hires 2 full-time co-op students each summer to update central and departmental websites; hires 1 part-time graduate student for writing for the web and promotional materials (template); hires 1 part-time graduate student to interview and write articles on current students Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 32

34 3. Western University 4,770 graduate students (17% - 10% Masters, 7% PhD) out of 27,525 total enrolment. Graduate Student Recruitment: Effective Approaches and Strategies, University of Western Ontario, 2010, 42 pages including data and practices across many academic disciplines Strategies include: Online Videos (YouTube) to promote research areas, Faculty members, the University and city; Open Houses; print materials; monthly graduate program meetings; pool resources and create full tuition scholarships for all students with 80% or greater advertised as Get your next degree for free ; set early first deadline for all programs of Feb 1 st with two additional deadlines of April 1 st and June 1 st ; evening Research Lecture series by researchers and graduate students based on themes very effective as students want to speak directly to supervisors and other graduate students; Graduate School Orientation Lecture in Fall for undergraduate students (over 100 attended); Careers Beyond Academia as part of Graduate Research Day; not recruiting enough domestic PhD students sent faculty and graduate student volunteers to job/recruitment fairs across Canada face-to-face contact; created six Entrance Scholarships with preference to out of Province students (20+ superb applications); funding to grad programs for their own initiatives; effective web presence- ask our current students; human touch once offers are made , phone, put in touch with faculty and current students; department specific events; invite applicants to visit and meet potential supervisors; what is important to new students research projects, facilities, supervisor, student life, surrounding area/city; need to increase/bolster space and funding to increase numbers; emphasize your programs key strengths; strategic messaging about funding; career opportunities - holders of graduate degrees have the lowest unemployment rate and the highest average weekly income of any other category, Employer demand for holders of master s and doctoral degrees; Trillium Scholars profiles posted on website. Western U School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Web Coordinator -Communications and Student Success provides resources and information to support graduate programs in recruiting and retaining top students and postdoctoral scholars. (Hires on-campus Graphic Designer for marketing materials; reports to Director of Administration.) Communications and Student Success supports graduate programs in several areas: Provide strategic advice and counsel surrounding web development, creative services (marketing, design and photography), social media and external communications Research and disseminate best practices in student recruitment, retention and communications Promote graduate education and research success at Western through web initiatives, media relations and graduate recruitment fairs Develop program websites and provide technical support for existing units Coordinate SGPS support for Western graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and graduate program administrators and leaders through the SGPS Development Series 4. University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies There are ~15,000 graduate students, representing 19% of total enrolment. Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 33

35 udent+services.pdf Role of central U of T graduate studies office (SGS) in: Recruitment GradSchool Website Testimonials Fact Sheets Admissions Guide Recruitment Fairs & Information Sessions Weekly Chat Sessions Conversion Video Virtual Advisor Recruitment Listserv & Portal Community Application and Admissions Non-standard admissions Annual audit of graduate student files File Assessment module piloted in System enhancements this year - file assessment reports - system generated admission recommendation form - improved security and referee experience U of T has their own on-line application - not through OUAC Dedicated central personnel for marketing, recruitment, communications and websites: 12 related positions of 54 total Director, Student Services Management of Student Services Recruitment, Admissions, Registration, Enrolment Associate Director, Student Services - Student Systems & Records Management of Student Services Recruitment, Admissions, Registration, Enrolment Student Systems Recruitment & Admissions Officer Student Recruitment Admissions Inquiries International Credential Assessment Communications Officer Communications projects Website consulting, updating Coordinate SGS calendar production Review and edit calendar entry proposals Communications Associate Website updating with calendar content SGS Style Guide & Toolkit SGS calendar production Communications projects Graduate Education Research Officer Graduate and undergraduate data for cyclical UTQAP reviews (degree programs, units, collaborative programs) in collaboration with the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs Graduate education research and surveys e.g., Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey (CGPSS) Data analysis and reporting for decanal and other staff (at SGS and across UT), and external data exchange groups (e.g., U15) Web Developer Application Development Web Testing Technical Assistance (OAA, FOE, Programs DB) Assistant Web Developer Application Development & Testing Technical Support (SGS databases including Online Admissions Application, Postdoctoral Registration etc.) Web Testing Student Services Officer Admissions & Registration (Standard & Non-standard Inquiries) Program Checks Graduation SGS Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 34

36 Policy and Procedures Communication and Outreach Student Services Officer Admissions & Registration (Standard & Non-standard Inquiries) Program Checks, Graduation SGS Policy & Procedures Website Content Manager, Student Services (including forms) Student Services Audit & Report Student Exchanges Administrative Assistant Opportunities Database Website updates Delta Kappa Gamma Administrative support to Director of Student Services Faculty-Level Support for Graduate Student Recruitment U of T - Executive Assistant to Vice Dean of Grad Studies Engineering faculty-wide recruiter not a strategist they would like more of a position like Meg Baumann s in Engineering at Waterloo using her job description to go forward Alberta - Coordinator to Associate Dean of Engineering in Research McGill Recruiter position that works in Engineering and Research Office - strategist for targets, budget - reports to Associate Dean UBC Middle-Management position - ½ time recruiter for FOE; works with central UBC grad office UBC - Faculty of Science maintains faculty level website; central office works with Faculty of Science for print pieces, lots of recruitment goes on with individuals at program level. Director, Communications is responsible for the development and execution of the Faculty's strategic communication program, the delivery of targeted messaging across electronic, print and social media. These include the Faculty alumni magazine, websites, electronic newsletters, donor vehicles, student collateral, and media. Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 35

37 Appendix D: Planning and Personnel in Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment (MUR) at University of Waterloo Recruiting the class of 2013, Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment January 2012 Objectives Target students with 80 % or better. Expand Waterloo s recruitment presence around the globe by confirming key countries/cities and ensuring a greater presence within these areas (20 % by 2017). Expand our Canadian marketing efforts by confirming key cities/regions and ensuring a greater presence within these areas. Approach Build on-campus partnerships to enhance recruitment efforts (e.g., Faculties, Schools, University Colleges, Alumni Affairs, Student Success, Co-operative Education & Career Services, Communications and Public Affairs, Creative Services, faculty and staff training, current students, etc.) focus on efficiencies and effectiveness. Leverage external partnerships with influencers, including parents and counsellors; monitor what others are saying about Waterloo; and seek further opportunities to be talked about. Focus research initiatives; develop baseline metrics; and improve the collection, use, and mining of data, in order to anticipate and respond to a changing marketplace and to ensure that resources are being used effectively. Guiding principles strategy development Commit to a student-centred approach, focussing on high-touch customer service and conversations. Apply Waterloo visual identity and brand framework to achieve objectives, ensuring clarity of our message: innovation (ideas start here). Leverage technology to achieve objectives, including using digital strategies to engage in conversations. Develop strategies in such a way that messaging is customized and targeted to the stages of the enrolment management funnel. Create opportunities that enable students to visualize their experience at Waterloo, both on campus and virtually. Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 36

38 Marketing & Undergraduate Recruitment (MUR) Personnel April Director, Marketing & Undergraduate Recruitment - Tina Roberts Marketing & Recruitment Specialist, Applied Health Sciences Chantel Franklin Marketing & Recruitment Specialist, Arts - Amy Meredith Marketing & Recruitment Specialist, Environment - Steve Krysak Marketing & Recruitment Specialist, Science - Amy Geddes Administrative Coordinator, M&UR - Luanne McGinley Communications Associate Director, M&UR Communications - Julie Kalbfleisch Project Manager, Integrated & Interactive Media - Amilyn Kebezes Project Manager, International Marketing & Communications - Allison Wells International Communications Associate - Co-op student - (shared with Andrew Smith) Project Manager, Marketing & Communications - Andrew Smith Web and Systems Specialist - Vadim Kononov (contract, replacing Jaymis Goertz on secondment) Technical Associate Co-op student Communications Associate Co-op student (shared with Beth Bohnert) Web and Systems Specialist - Brad Galway (part-time contract) Recruitment Director, International - Julie Hummel Manager, Strategic Partnerships -Tony Munro International Recruitment Manager - Karuna Ausman Senior International Marketing & Recruitment Specialist - Michelle Burlock International Marketing & Recruitment Specialist - Mirjana Radulovic Visits Associate Director, M&UR Visits - Julie Hummel (interim) Manager, Liaison - Valerie Herteis (replacing Jody Berringer on maternity leave) Liaison Officers (7) To be determined (contract, August - November 2013) Manager, Visitors Centre Kathryn Fedy (on secondment until July 26, 2013) Assistant Manager, Visitors Centre Co-op student Student Ambassadors (35) Manager, National Liaison - Amelia Burton Manager, College Pathways - Heather O Leary Admissions & Recruitment Officer College Pathways - Mathew Brown Admissions & Recruitment Officer College Pathways - Matthew Colphon Co-ordinator, Communications & Liaison - Bonnie Bender-Vargas TOTAL: 24 full-time staff [4 Co-op students + 1 part-time contract + 7 Liaision Officers for Visits (on contract) + 35 Student Ambassadors for Visitors Centre (on contract)] Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 37

39 Appendix E: Excerpts of Marketing and Student Recruitment Practices Report from Noel-Levitz 20Student%20Recruitment%20Practices%20Report%20for%20Master's- Level%20Graduate%20Programs.pdf Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 38

40 Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 39

41 Appendix F: Priorities from Focus Groups The full results for voting of focus group participants on priorities for recruitment are summarized in an Excel file, which will be reviewed by the new Recruitment Specialist in the GSO to inform next steps in strategic planning. In addition to the issues described in Section 4 of this report, we highlight the following feedback. 1. Funding Funding not competitive, not at a guaranteed level, not stable Supervisors need funding to accept students Funding is low for Masters Funding issues: not enough supervisors Funding needs to match PhD completion rate 2. Resources Central strategy to provide guidance to Faculty & department - customize for each Faculty audience Resources for staff are needed Not enough resources for recruitment efforts/staff Communicating career outcomes 3. Applications and Admissions Low Canadian applicant numbers Not attracting students from top ranked Canadian universities Applications sit for too long - no personal communication Application processing time - too long Early offers - should be automatic above a certain average Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 40

42 Appendix G: Information for Working Group on Research Graduate Students Funding Establishing additional central (university, faculty or unit, as opposed to individual professor-based) funding for making timely (i.e. sufficiently early and quick) and attractive offers to strong applicants may be particularly effective for advancing strategic targets for research graduate student enrolment. University-based scholarships are highlighted in recruitment strategies at Western and Queen s, but information on the value of this strategy needs to be explored further. New mechanisms for funding such as the Provost Experience Award, are very important and need to be explored further. Following the focus groups, the task force obtained some additional data on funding support for students. For example, data for chemistry and physics departments across Canada show that the proportion of support from research assistantship, and the level of tuition, respectively, are the highest at Waterloo. This clearly limits the number of students that can be supported, and suggests the levels of institutional support at Waterloo are relatively low. Data from the Graduate Student Financial Support report, which is specific to research students (masters and doctoral), also provide an indication that institutional support for students at Waterloo may be relatively low. The data in the report show that on average, across Canada and for all disciplines, internal fellowships/scholarships account for ~$3,500 and ~$6,000 (25.2% of total) of annual financial support for masters and doctoral students, respectively (Fig. XA, is Fig 8 of report); ~56% and 66% of students receive this type of support. Also, 19% (12) and 12% (8) of doctoral (masters) students are supported by federal and provincial scholarships, respectively (Appendix A, Fig. XB, is Fig. 9 of GSFS). It may be that these types of support are relatively low at Waterloo, however, there are large variations between academic units in the specifics of financial support. Additional unit-specific data are available from the GSFS survey and should be examined further to develop a strategy for enhancing support. Additional pertinent data to examine with respect to capacity for growth are the sources and levels of funding for university research. The levels of various sources of funding for research at Waterloo have been ranked ~9-15 among the U15 (University of Toronto Performance Indicator Report 7 ). Sources of funding need to be examined further, to inform strategic priorities and actions at the institutional and unit-specific levels to increase funding. For example, funding in association with industrial partners may be an accessible target for funding growth, which would complement Waterloo s strategic goal to strengthen partnerships with industry. Figure G1. Funding Sources Supporting Research Masters and Doctoral Students. A) U15 average financial support for research masters and doctoral students from different sources of funding and B) % of students receiving financial support from different funding sources. From Graduate Student Financial Support Report, for Internal Use Only, Prepared July 2012 for the U15 Data Exchange, Figures 8 and 9. GSFS data are also available averaged by faculty, and these should be examined further and compared with funding sources at Waterloo to develop strategies for enhancing funding to strengthen graduate student recruitment. Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 41

43 A) Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 42

44 B) Task Force Report on Graduate Recruiting May 2013 Page 43