Table of Contents
Getting Started on GO2
GO2 is your “go to” website for all OUAC-related information and resources (other than applicant data and reports). Some areas of GO2 require an account and access approval to view them (like committee-specific pages, which can only be viewed by members), while others are public and can be viewed by anyone (like the Recruitment Calendar).
If you do not have a GO2 account, you can register for one using the New User Access Request Form.
Navigating GO2
We have grouped information within the Recruitment area of GO2 according to recruitment initiatives:
- Data Collection
- GCSR/SCSR
- Guidance Dialogues
- Information Sessions
- OUF
- OUInfo
- Professional Development
- Regional Fairs
Within each area, you will find information specific to that initiative, including:
- resources, such as event information, schedules, templates, quick guides, etc.
- page(s) for committees and/or working groups. Note: Access to these pages is restricted to committee members.
- archives with documents from previous years (e.g., reports, meeting minutes and documents), where applicable.
Under Recruitment > Recruitment Tools in GO2’s main navigation menu, you will also find:
- The Recruitment Calendar of Meetings and Events, which includes dates for meetings and events.
- Recruitment Resources, including OUAC contacts, this guide, the protocols for expense reimbursements and submitting documents to be posted on GO2, and the Recruitment Managers’ listserv.
- Marketing Tools to help you promote Ontario Universities’ Events (OUEvents).
- Workshop Resources, including resources for the annual Workshop conference and the Recruitment Onboarding Manual developed by the Professional Development Working Group.
Checklist for Getting Started on GO2:
- Note your GO2 login info and keep it somewhere safe for easy reference.
- Read this Guide to help you get the “lay of the land”.
- Complete the checklists included in each section of this Guide.
Recommended Pages to Bookmark:
GO2 website
Recruitment Calendar
About the OUAC
You can find general information about the OUAC and the services we provide under OUAC Resources in the top navigation menu of GO2.
You can also find the Schedule of Dates in the Favourites area of the GO2 home page. This schedule lists important dates and deadlines related to the Undergraduate application.
There is also information about how application fees are used on the OUAC’s main website.
The OUAC’s Role in Recruitment Initiatives
The OUAC covers some expenses for recruitment initiatives like the Ontario Universities’ Fair (OUF), the Ontario Universities’ Information Sessions and the Ontario Universities’ Regional Fairs.
The OUAC also oversees marketing, communications, social media, websites and various administrative tasks for these initiatives.
Call for Copy (CFC)
The OUAC coordinates several CFC processes for recruitment initiatives and applications.
Consult the Call for Copy Schedule for important dates and deadlines and the OUAC Call for Copy Guide for helpful information about the CFC process and OUAC style.
The OUAC will send separate instructions directly to university contacts for each CFC.
Contact the OUAC
You can find the appropriate OUAC contact to reach out to for each recruitment activity, website, committee and event on the OUAC Communications and Events Contacts page.
Follow us on social media:
Checklist for the OUAC:
- Make sure the OUAC has current contact information for each recruitment initiative and CFC. If you’re not sure, email OUAC Events to double check who the contacts are for your university.
- Follow us on social media.
- Review the OUAC’s mission and values.
- Review the OUAC’s distribution lists on GO2, and email OUAC Events if you would like to be added to any.
Note: Membership to some distribution lists requires your managers’ approval, or is restricted to members only.
Recommended Distribution Lists to Join:
- General Committee on Student Recruitment dist list: Used for general communication and meeting information for university recruitment initiatives.
- Bits & Bytes dist list: Used for the distribution of the monthly Bits & Bytes newsletter, which includes important updates, dates, deadlines and information from the OUAC.
Recommended Pages to Bookmark:
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
OUAC Communications and Events Contacts
The General Committee on Student Recruitment (GCSR) and Standing Committee on Student Recruitment (SCSR)
The GCSR is made up of recruitment staff representing all of Ontario’s universities.
The SCSR represents the GCSR and reports to the Ontario University Registrars’ Association (OURA).
You will find a helpful diagram in the SCSR Terms of Reference that illustrates how the GCSR and SCSR relate to each other and to other committees.
The SCSR’s Core Initiatives include:
- Data Collection
- Ontario Universities’ Guidance Dialogues (OUGD)
- Ontario Universities’ Information Sessions (OUIS)
- Ontario Universities’ Regional Fairs (OURF)
- Professional Development
- The Ontario Universities’ Fair (OUF)
- The Ontario Universities’ Info (OUInfo) website
- The Postsecondary Information Events (PIE) Calendar
Tip: If you are interested in getting involved but are not sure where to start, the GCSR is a great place to dip your toes into the collective recruitment waters.
Checklist for GCSR/SCSR:
- Become familiar with each of the SCSR’s Core Initiatives to gain a foundational understanding of why we do the things we do.
- Review the SCSR’s Terms of Reference, which describe the different committees, their purpose and how they are connected.
Ontario Universities’ Recruitment Events
The OUAC supports universities and the SCSR in their collective recruitment initiatives, including the following recruitment events:
The OUAC also posts promotional resources for recruitment events for guidance counsellors on the Guidance website every year (usually in the summer).
You can find brand guidelines for Ontario Universities’ Events (OUEvents) on the OUAC website.
If you are not sure who does what, or what you should be doing for any of these events, reach out to the OUAC’s primary contact for that event.
Ontario Universities’ Fair (OUF)
The OUF is held annually in the fall (September/October) at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC). It is one of the largest educational fairs in North America.
It began in 1997 as a way to help high school students gather information about Ontario’s universities. Each participating university and partner has a booth on the exhibit floor at the OUF. The event is an opportunity for students and supporters (e.g., parents, guardians, counsellors, etc.) to speak with representatives from Ontario universities about programs, campus life and anything else that may help them make a decision about which Ontario university to choose.
The OUAC provides the OUF’s administration and logistical support, accounting, communications and promotions, and other business services, along with an event planner. We work with the OUF Steering Committee (OUF-SC) to provide oversight and guidance for the event.
OUF Resources and Links
Ontario Universities’ Regional Fairs (OURF)
The Regional Fairs travel across the province each fall, offering fair-style events in many Ontario regions. At each Regional Fair, every participating university has a table with at least 1 representative to answer questions. Regional Fairs are a great opportunity for students to gain information about Ontario’s universities and speak to university representatives.
The OUAC assists with Regional Fairs administrative tasks, and helps with communications and promotions (e.g., social media, emails to schools, the website) and pays fees related to transportation (i.e., buses) for recruitment staff and venue rentals. The OUAC works with the OURF Working Group (OURF-WG) to provide oversight and guidance of the events.
Regional Fairs Resources and Links
Ontario Universities’ Information Sessions (OUIS)
Ontario’s universities introduced virtual events in 2021, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The “virtual OUFs” evolved into the Information Sessions, which allow prospective students and their supporters to connect remotely with the universities they are interested in.
The OUAC provides administration and logistical support, accounting, communications and promotions and other business services. We collaborate with the Ontario Universities’ Information Sessions Working Group (OUIS-WG) to provide oversight and guidance for the Information Sessions.
Information Sessions Resources and Links
Ontario Universities’ Guidance Dialogues (OUGD)
Guidance Dialogues are virtual sessions offered in the spring and fall for the Ontario guidance community. Guidance Dialogues also offer guidance staff the opportunity to raise any questions and/or concerns they may have.
The OUAC coordinates the publication of the Guidance Dialogues Resource Guide and communicates event details to the Ontario guidance community. We also provide administration and logistical support, accounting, communications and promotions and other business services. The OUAC collaborates with the Ontario Universities’ Guidance Dialogues Working Group (OUGD-WG) to provide oversight and guidance for Guidance Dialogues.
We send instructions for how to update your information for Guidance Dialogues to the contact your university provided.
Guidance Dialogues Resources and Links
Postsecondary Information Events (PIE)
PIE can be fair-, presentation- or panel-style events that are organized and hosted by high school guidance counsellors. These events provide an opportunity for students and their supporters to learn about university programs and campus life from university representatives. All Ontario universities are invited to PIE, but it is not guaranteed that all universities will attend. Universities are responsible for connecting with schools regarding their attendance.
The OUAC hosts the PIE Calendar and the PIE Booking Form, which guidance counsellors use to book events. Counsellors use the PIE Calendar to coordinate regional PIE and plan joint events with other counsellors. The PIE Booking Form opens in the spring and most events are held between late September and late November.
The OUAC sends weekly reports to university representatives to let them know when PIE are booked.
PIE Resources and Links
- PIE Booking Form
- PIE Calendar
- PIE Calendar Terms of Reference
- PIE Core Initiative Summary
- PIE FAQs
- PIE University Contacts
- PIE web page
Checklist for Recruitment Events:
- Review each event so you are familiar with the collective recruitment events.
- Email OUAC Events to let us know if there are any changes to your university’s recruitment contacts.
Recommended Pages to Bookmark:
OUEvents website
Data Collection
Collective recruitment events and initiatives provide universities the opportunity to collect data from future students who attend recruitment events and/or visit the OUInfo website, which the universities can then use to help them in their recruitment efforts.
The OUAC works with the Data Collection Steering Committee (DC-SC) and each functional committee with data collection responsibilities (e.g., the OUF-SC, OURF-WG) on all aspects of data collection for collective recruitment events.
The OUAC manages data collected on behalf of the universities.
Data Collection Resources and Links
Checklist forData Collection:
- Review the instructions for data collection at each event, where available.
- Make sure you know how to retrieve and download data for each recruitment event and that you have the access required to do so (e.g., OUAC Portal access).
Ontario Universities’ Info (OUInfo)
OUInfo is a bilingual website that provides information about universities and their programs.
Universities are responsible for updating their information on OUInfo using the OUInfo Dashboard. The OUAC OUInfo Editor helps universities with these updates and is responsible for the website’s annual CFC process (instructions are sent for this process).
Content on OUInfo is finalized in August for the upcoming cycle, but universities may update their information throughout the year as it changes.
The OUAC promotes OUInfo to students and guidance counsellors, so they are aware of it as a research tool.
OUInfo is guided by the Ontario Universities’ Info Editorial Board (OUInfo-EB) of appointed members who represent the Ontario university and high school guidance counsellor community.
How are OUInfo and the Application Different?
Students use OUInfo to research universities, while they use the Undergraduate application to apply to universities.
Although OUInfo and the Undergraduate application contain the same or similar program information, the websites are managed independently from one another. Therefore, you must ensure the same updates are made both on OUInfo and in the application.
OUInfo Resources and Links
Checklist for OUInfo:
- Spend some time familiarizing yourself with the website.
- If you are your university’s OUInfo contact, update your university’s information throughout the year, as needed, and during the CFC process using the OUInfo Dashboard.
Recommended Pages to Bookmark:
OUInfo
OUInfo Dashboard
Professional Development for Recruitment
The Professional Development Working Group (PD-WG) coordinates professional development for the GCSR members each year, including the Workshop conference.
Workshop Conference
The annual Workshop conference is a collaborative initiative involving new recruiters, seasoned recruiters and managers from all of Ontario’s universities. It is meant to educate recruitment staff on the current postsecondary education landscape and provide an understanding of a recruitment officer’s role within that context. It focuses on skills development related to those elements of a recruitment officer’s role that are common across all universities.
The conference seeks to present ideas, concepts, examples and projects related to university recruitment with a strong emphasis on safety, wellness and professional conduct.
Professional Development Resources and Links
Checklist for Professional Development:
- Suggest topics for professional development to the PD-WG Chair.
- Be prepared to deliver and share your knowledge and experience with other recruitment professionals.