A new booth design and continued engagement by faculty, staff, and students helped draw a record response to the UWindsor presence at the Ontario Universities’ Fair, last weekend in Toronto.

“We garnered contact information from a record number of prospective students,” says Chris Busch, associate vice-president, enrolment management. “We trust that will lead to more applications and eventually, greater registration.”

Busch notes that interest in Windsor rose while overall attendance at the fair fell.

“Even though 20,000 fewer people came to the fair, we recorded 40 per cent more prospects over last year,” he says.

He points to the new set-up, with video elements highlighting student experiences in a range of academic programs, as helping to draw attention: “Our booth was more dynamic than ever before.”

When visitors entered the UWindsor space, they found a café-style atmosphere to encourage individual conversations with faculty and service staff members.

“Our people are our real secret,” says Busch. “Their welcoming presence brings a little bit of the Windsor vibe with us to Toronto.”

Now, he says, the student recruitment team will go to work converting prospects into applicants. The next major milestone in the process is fall open house on Saturday, November 3.