CBU invests in 58 Faculty Hires as it Undergoes Strategic Enrolment Management Exercise

For the first time in Cape Breton University history, the institution has embarked on a Strategic Enrolment Management exercise. This type of exercise is centred on expressing an institution’s overarching strategic priorities in terms of the optimal number and mix of students enrolled and seeks to align enrolment with the values of the organization. This process also helps guide human resource investments, campus space planning and budget planning. CBU has completed phase one of the exercise and will begin phase two on Friday, January 28, 2022.

“Phase one of the Strategic Enrolment Plan involved a deep dive into program structures, enrolment data, and market intelligence,” says David C. Dingwall, President and Vice-Chancellor. “Over 40 different meetings were held amongst task force members throughout the first phase of the exercise. Based on this analysis and consultation, it became clear that immediate investments in faculty hires are required in some program areas to ensure we maintain a quality student experience and meet program demand.”

Based on data, a mix of tenure track and term (no less than 12 months) investments, totalling 58 hires, will be made in the coming months. These hires include:

• Shannon School of Business – 22 total hires
• School of Arts and Social Sciences – 12 total hires
• School of Science and Technology – 7 total hires
• School of Education and Health – 7 total hires
• School of Nursing – 10 total hires

“These investments will give us the space needed to continue developing our Strategic Enrolment Management Plan while also being flexible and strategically focused,” says President Dingwall.

Under the leadership of Dr. Richard MacKinnon, Vice President, Academic, the exercise is being chaired by John MacKinnon, Associate Professor of Accounting and Dr. Rod Nicholls, Academic Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning, with the support of an enrolment task force. Phase two will include further investigation into existing program structures and new program development processes. It will also set targets in areas such as student retention, recruitment targets (by program), advising, and space requirements. The final result of Phase two, which will involve the collaboration of various administrative and collegial bodies, will be a multi-year Strategic Enrolment Management Plan.