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Andrew Drinkwater

Setting Enrolment Targets in Higher Education - Part 3: Where do Institutions get Stuck? Common Pitfalls in the Enrolment Target-Setting Process.

Many people I speak with feel they don’t know how to set a high quality target that is informed by data and research. Instead, they end up using what they used last year, with some difference over time. Most years, this method will work. But it carries some risks.

Setting Enrolment Targets in Higher Education - Part 2: How do Enrolment Targets Become Reality?

In the last blog, we discussed how targets are created.

Announcing HESA x Plaid: Data with Purpose

Today we are announcing a new partnership with Higher Education

Reflecting on my First Term as an Adjunct Professor

There are four key roles when teaching a class: preparation and research, teaching in class, assignments and marking, and administration.

Setting Enrollment Targets in Higher Education - Part 1: What Are Enrollment Targets—and How Do We Set Them?

Good targets follow the SMART principle: Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time-bound. But enrolment planning layers on additional complexity that SMART alone doesn’t capture.

AI-Cademy Canada: Five Takeaways on AI in Higher Education

AI is changing everything in higher education, but that doesn’t mean every institution needs to dive in headfirst. Thoughtful, strategic adoption is key. At Plaid Analytics, we’re working with universities to ensure AI is useful, ethical, and impactful.

Announcing Course Forecast

Announcing Course Forecast: an innovative tool that brings multi-year, scenario-based planning capabilities to course offerings. Designed to help institutions stay agile, Course Forecast provides key insights that support efficient, data-driven decisions in a dynamic enrolment landscape.

Brace for Impact: Projecting International Enrolment Declines in Atlantic Canadian Universities

The ripple effects of international enrolment declines will be felt across budgets, programming, and staffing. Yet, hard times have often been the catalyst for strategic reinvention.

Navigating Program Closure in an Era of Budget Cuts

Conducting analysis in advance ensures that program closure decisions are strategic, transparent, and aligned with the institution's long-term goals. It helps academic leaders make data-informed choices, mitigate risks, and optimize resources while maintaining quality and supporting student success.

Mentorship in Unexpected Places

Following my post on careers not being linear, this week I was hoping to write about the value of mentorship. Sometimes life throws you a curve ball that hits harder than you expected.