When an institution is facing difficult enrolment circumstances, it is critical that they avoid falling into an “enrolment dilemma,” writes Theresa Billiot (Little Priest Tribal College). Billiot explains that an enrolment dilemma—when efforts to increase enrolment come at the cost of student retention and satisfaction—can easily arise when an institution is engaged in recruitment efforts for the sake of survival. However, failing to implement strategies that support students through to graduation can also have consequences for the institution’s financial sustainability. Billiot encourages institutions to pursue a more holistic approach that treat sretention metrics as equally important to new enrolments. While acknowledging that this is a difficult balance to strike, the author asserts that the future of institutions hinges on their ability to treat students as individuals rather than statistics.
