It is very refreshing to see someone with the vision and
energy which has been displayed by our new Laurentian University
President, Judith Woodsworth. As a former graduate of Laurentian
(1972) and with three sons who all graduated with Commerce
degrees from Laurentian (1998, 2000, and 2002), it gives me
confidence in the future of our leading educational institution.
Let me provide a couple of comments as food for thought with
respect to the strategic marketing plan which will be developed
for Laurentian.
Laurentian University
Stands To Benefit Most From The Double Cohort Echo
While it is true that the double
graduating class of 2003 will place tremendous strain on the
post-secondary institutions across Ontario, it is my belief that
Laurentian University stands to benefit most from what I will
refer to as the 'Double Cohort Echo' which will be felt in the
fall of 2004.
With so many students vying for limited spaces in the fall of
2003, there will be many disappointed young men and women who
are turned away. What will become of them? Will their
dreams die?
Many will return to secondary school for another year in an
attempt to boost their marks in order to achieve the rising
entrance marks the following year. Some will take on
low-paying jobs. Most, if not all, will try to apply for
entrance to a university or college again the following year.
This will create another strain, albeit not as great a strain on
the educational institutions. Can they handle another surge
in enrolment so soon after the double cohort hits?
It is my opinion that Laurentian stands to benefit from the
development and execution of an
aggressive marketing campaign which should be in place as early as January
2003. This campaign should be designed to increase the awareness
levels across the southern portion of Ontario.
Some of the
students who are rejected this coming spring may look towards
Laurentian as an alternative in the fall, so it is important
that we put the idea into their heads as soon as possible.
However, Laurentian will likely have to turn applicants away this year
because of space limitations itself.
Nevertheless, we must remember
that many of the students who are rejected this spring will be
looking for space in the fall of 2004. Laurentian may not even
have been a consideration by these students before, but if we
can can develop a strategic campaign during the next twelve
months, we may begin to see Laurentian listed as one of the
three choices on more and more applications.
When the 'Double Cohort Echo' hits in the fall of 2004, many of
the students who are again rejected by their 1st and 2nd choices
will find Laurentian accepting them with open arms. This time,
instead of returning to secondary school or to the job market in
meaningless employment, they may decide to come to Sudbury to
attend Laurentian. On the other hand, many of the students just
may surprise everyone and list Laurentian as their top choice
once they see what the university and the City of Greater
Sudbury have to offer them.
One of the goals of the Greater Sudbury Marketing Alliance is to
develop a marketing strategy which allows Sudbury educational institutions such as
Laurentian to be promoted as part of the larger
picture. In other words, we know that students do not only
consider the educational facilities when selecting an
out-of-town university. They want to know what the City has to
offer as well. By effectively showcasing the strong points about
the Greater Sudbury Area, institutions such as Laurentian stand to benefit a great deal.
From where I stand, it would appear as if we are in for an
interesting three or four years as the Double Cohort bubble
moves through the post-secondary stream. Just wait until the
bubble bursts at the other end and all of those graduates begin
looking for jobs. That is another issue to be dealt with real
soon.
The goal of the Greater Sudbury Marketing Alliance is to
encourage students to come to Sudbury for an education and then
to stay here to begin rewarding careers after graduation. If we
can demonstrate the tremendous opportunities which exist among
local industries and businesses, perhaps we will reap great
rewards when the double cohort bubble bursts in a few years. In
the interim, we will do what we can to attract retirees who are
looking for a refreshing quality of life; tourists from Southern
Ontario who are looking for something different, yet still close
enough to home; and also sell some of our local goods and
services to the growing market of the Greater Toronto Area. By
the time the students graduate Sudbury will once again be
experiencing an economic boom which will accommodate their
needs.
Indeed, the future looks good. Now all we have to do is take
appropriate action to get there.
Special Editorial Comment
