Last reviewed by SCSR: January 2026, Joshua Craig, Chair, Ontario Universities’ Information Sessions Working Group (OUIS-WG)
Table of Contents
Mandate
As per the Standing Committee on Student Recruitment Terms of Reference (SCSR TOR), Article XI, Section 1 – Ontario Universities’ Information Sessions (OUIS) serve a broad student-centred audience in the same vein as the OURF and the OUF.
The OUIS are intended to provide virtual access for prospective students in Ontario to all universities.
The OUIS events will be held in the spring. The best effort will be made to accommodate major days of civil and religious observance.
Initiative Lead
As per the SCSR TOR, Article II, Section 4g, the OUIS-WG Chair, in collaboration with the OUAC, is responsible for planning and executing the Ontario Universities’ Information Sessions (OUIS) events, as referenced in Article XI.
Interested Parties
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| GCSR | The member institutions provide the mandate to the SCSR and are the first level of approval required for changes to the SCSR TOR. The GCSR reports to the Ontario University Registrars’ Association (OURA). |
| SCSR | The SCSR is voted into their positions by the GCSR at the AGM and is responsible for overseeing and executing the collective initiatives stated in the GCSR TOR. The SCSR acts on behalf of the GCSR. |
| OUAC | The OUAC is an ex-officio member of the SCSR and provides administration, communications and publicity support for OUIS. |
| Data Collection Steering Committee (DC-SC) | The DC-SC is responsible for providing data collection best practices and data collection implementation for the OUIS events. |
| Guidance Counsellors | Guidance Counsellors, as a key influencer, are integral in disseminating information about the OUIS to high school students and families. |
Associated Documents and Resources
All documents are stored under Recruitment – Information Sessions.
These items include documents and resources such as:
- Information Sessions Resources
- OUIS-WG meeting notes
- Survey results
- Marketing logos
- OUAC Communications and Events Contacts
- Resources to Promote Ontario Universities’ Events
Strategic Considerations for Review
| Consideration | Consultation/Action | Target Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Revisit event format: The OUIS-WG will revisit the format of the spring virtual Information Sessions event, with a focus on increasing interactivity and discoverability for attendees. Specific focus will be placed on implementing shorter presentations to enhance engagement. | OUIS-WG, SCSR, GCSR | April 2026 |
| Improve event discoverability: The OUIS-WG will work closely with the OUInfo website redesign team to ensure that university-hosted virtual events are easily discoverable to students and those who support them (families, guidance counsellors, etc.). | OUIS-WG, SCSR, OUAC | August 2026 |
Appendix – Completed Improvements
| Improvement | Consultation | Date Completed |
|---|---|---|
| Spring event pilot: The OUIS-WG organized the first spring event for Wednesday, May 22, 2024. The event specifically targeted prospective students in Grade 11 and younger, and used the same 2-hour, 4-presentation schedule that we use in the fall. In total, we had 2,908 registrants for the spring event, which was about half of the total registration for the 2 fall 2024 sessions combined. Similarly, engagement measures (total and unique page views and outlinks) were 40-50% of fall 2024 numbers. The fact that registration and attendance for this new event were on par with fall ones is a promising sign. The OUIS-WG has scheduled a second spring event for 2025, scheduled for Thursday, May 22. | GCSR (December 2023, January 2024) | May 2024 |
| Spring event as part of regular work: Following the meeting of all Ontario University Registrars on September 26, 2025, the decision to shift the timing and frequency of OUIS sessions was made. Going into effect in 2026, we will no longer host collective fall virtual Information Sessions, focusing instead on our individual fall offerings. The collective, in turn, will focus on hosting a single spring virtual Information Sessions event targeting Grade 10 and 11 students. | Ontario University Registrars, SCSR, GCSR | December 2025 |
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