To the University Community,
I am pleased to share with you that, after many months of extensive consultation, Cape Breton University has finalized its first strategic enrolment management (SEM) plan. The plan has been received by the University Senate and has the full support of the Board of Governors. Thank you to Dr. Rod Nicholls and John MacKinnon for their leadership on this important initiative and to all those who contributed to its development. You can read the full plan here.
Implementation of the SEM plan has already started. In early 2023, a small implementation team was announced, a Senate SEM Working Group was formed, and Provost SEM and Student Success Committees were created. Simultaneous to the SEM exercise, several quality assurance external reviews took place in 2022-23 which revealed opportunities to improve student success through enhanced synergy amongst academic support units. Now, as we sharpen our focus on our SEM goal and work collaboratively to improve the student experience, a phased in approach to strengthen our enrolment functions and better align our operations with academic planning will unfold.
At this time, I am happy to announce that Becky Chisholm will take on expanded responsibilities in a new role as Associate Vice-President, Enrolment Management and Student Experience, reporting to the Vice-President Academic & Provost. This division will include teams in marketing, recruitment, student affairs, housing, health services and athletics and recreation to form an effective and efficient student experience unit, strategically aligning those functions with academic leadership. This group will work collaboratively with colleagues across campus, especially the Office of the Registrar and Deans’ offices, to drive the actions within the SEM Plan and lead initiatives to improve student engagement and success. Under Becky’s leadership, SEM principles will guide our decision-making going forward, ensuring that student success remains at forefront.
Becky has worked at CBU since 2007 in progressively more responsible roles in student recruitment, communications, marketing, and public relations and has contributed to many student success initiatives during her career. She is known as a collaborative and caring leader who is committed to improving the overall experience for CBU students through thoughtful discussion and innovative solutions. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Cape Breton University, a Bachelor of Public Relations and a Master of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University, and, in 2023, she completed a Graduate Certificate in Strategic Enrolment Management from Royal Roads University. She has served on the President’s Executive Committee since 2018 and is a member of the SEM implementation team, Chair of the Student Success Committee, and a member of the SEM Provost Committee and Senate SEM Working Group.
Please join me in congratulating Becky as she takes on this exciting new opportunity.
Yours very truly,
David C. Dingwall
President & Vice-Chancellor