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Photos courtesy of Northern College. Used with permission.
Creating an Institution Wide Strategic Enrolment Management and Marketing (SEMM) Plan
Case Study
Overview
Northern College partnered with Duklas Cornerstone Consulting Inc. (DCC Inc.) to develop a forward-thinking Strategic Enrolment Management and Marketing (SEMM) Plan that would position the institution to better attract, engage, and retain learners over the next five years. With a clear mandate to build internal alignment and create a shared vision, DCC Inc. worked in close collaboration with executive leadership and stakeholders across the College to deliver a data-informed, action-oriented roadmap for long-term success.
Scope of Work:
The DCC Inc. team led the full development of the SEMM Plan through a comprehensive and inclusive process that included:
- Campus-Wide Consultations: Engaging staff, managers, academic leadership, executive leaders, and a board member representative in various consultation sessions and interviews to ensure diverse perspectives shaped the plan.
- Benchmarking Survey: Designing and delivering a community-wide survey to assess internal perceptions of the College’s current enrolment and marketing efforts.
- Foundational Review and Environmental Scan: Conducting a detailed SWOT analysis of the local community, demographic shifts, foundational documents, and statistics to establish a baseline understanding of the current state and potential opportunities to help inform an intentional roadmap for moving forward.
- Strategic Plan Development: Creating an evidence informed, five-year SEMM Plan featuring actionable, measurable recommendations aligned with institutional priorities.
- Implementation Planning: Building detailed, year-by-year implementation plans to support each strategic priority, enabling Northern College to translate vision into execution.
- Communications and Engagement: Designing a polished SEMM communications document for both internal and external audiences, along with a full rollout framework to guide orientation and engagement for staff and faculty.
Ongoing Change Management & Communications Support:
As with all DCC Inc. engagements, change management and communications support were key pillars of success. From stakeholder engagement and survey feedback loops to crafting the final SEMM narrative and implementation tools, the project was rooted in clear, intentional communication designed to build awareness, understanding, and shared ownership of the plan. The DCC Inc. team designed the SEMM plan to align with the College’s branding as well, ensuring quality delivery of the final product.
Outcome:
The SEMM Plan equips Northern College with a strong foundation and clear direction for managing enrolment strategically and communicating its distinct value proposition to prospective learners. With a collaborative roadmap and a detailed communications rollout in place, the College is well-positioned to realize its vision and respond to evolving learner and community needs.
“Duklas Cornerstone Consulting brought the experience, structure, and expert insight we needed to bring our SEMM vision to life. Their team facilitated meaningful conversations across the institution and helped translate those ideas into a clear, actionable plan. The result is a practical and inspiring framework that reflects our community’s aspirations and will guide us confidently into the future.”
— Dean Lessard, Senior Vice-President, Academic, Northern College