McMaster University

McMaster University’s Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) faced challenges around the strategy, processes, and support tools for increasing enrollment through open enrollment programs and onsite courses. CCE believed the challenge was centered in three areas:

• Data and information – Information could not be accessed or appropriately leveraged from the existing systems. This hampered CCE’s ability to retain existing students and deliver targeted marketing to new students.
• Marketing – CCE was concerned that prospective students were not aware of the programs offered; were unable to find CCE online; and were not being engaged by current marketing efforts.
• Sales – Sales efforts were not generating adequate results and CCE wanted to identify improvements in the sales strategy and processes.

JMH worked with CCE in a discovery and assessment approach that evaluated processes, technology and people around:

• The approach and execution of marketing
• The approach and execution of business development
• The tools available and goals for data and information

JMH provided CCE with a robust, prioritized list of recommendations designed to improve marketing and sales as individual channels and highlight where the functions could complement one another, using data and information, to enhance overall enrollment.