Fall 2012 applications selecting UWindsor as their first choice up six per cent

Expanded recruiting efforts and a broader provincial profile are just two of the reasons UWindsor has experienced a six per cent increase over last year in applicants selecting UWindsor as their first choice, topping the provincial average increase of two per cent.

Dave Bussière, assistant provost, admissions and recruiting, says a new approach to student recruitment has significantly helped increase interest in UWindsor.

“We’re crediting a number of factors, including a 50 per cent increase in high school visits by our Liaison and Student Recruitment staff this fall,” Dr. Bussière says. “This is in addition to expanded faculty and student participation in the Toronto University Fair, exceptional efforts by our deans and a greater coordination of efforts between our recruiting and advertising departments.”

He added that a new advertising campaign with expanded reach into such areas as malls and theatres brings the UWindsor message even closer to students.

“These numbers show that we are having considerable success in sharing the UWindsor story with students making post-secondary decisions, and that we seem to be reaching them in a number of different ways,” Bussière says. “High school students may hear great things from our liaison people during school visits, but they are also hearing these same things from friends and siblings who are already attending UWindsor and this is reinforced by our advertising campaign.

“These students want to be assured that they’re making the right choice and the combined efforts of our faculty and staff to help students and their parents make informed decisions is really the driver of this year’s recruiting success.”

Some highlights within individual faculties include:

  • The Faculty of Engineering is up by 29.4 perc ent across all areas, generated by interest in the opening of the Centre for Engineering Innovation this fall.
  • The Odette School of Business is up 10.8 per cent compared to the provincial average of 5.9 per cent.
  • The School of Nursing is up 11.9 per cent.
  • The Faculty of Science is up 8.7 per cent with significant gains in biology, computer science and physics.
  • The Faculty of Arts and Social Science is up 6.5 per cent with strong numbers in political science, social work and the new digital journalism program.