Across Canada, postsecondary institutions are being asked to solve an increasingly difficult equation. Government funding has been constrained. International enrolment has declined. Competition has intensified. However, expectations for growth, innovation and revenue generation continue to rise. For many institutions, continuing education (CE) has become a critical part of the answer. Universities are looking to CE units to expand programming, engage new learner markets, generate revenue and respond quickly to workforce needs. At the same time, CE leaders are expected to accomplish these goals with limited resources and lean teams.
The question is no longer whether continuing education can help institutions navigate financial uncertainty. The question is how CE units can build the capacity needed to meet growing expectations without continuously adding staff, systems and costs. At Brock University, we faced this challenge head-on. While every institution's circumstances are different, our experience offers one example of how scale, strategic alignment and operational discipline can help a continuing education unit do more with less.
The "One-Person Band" Problem
At a recent national conference for the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE), my colleague Barb Mercer and I described a challenge that many CE leaders know well: Too often, continuing education units are built around the idea of the "one-person band."
We attempt to recruit one or two staff members who can develop programs, market offerings, manage budgets, support learners, analyze data, oversee operations, build industry partnerships and navigate institutional processes. We expect individuals to be experts across a wide range of disciplines, then wonder why growth becomes difficult to achieve and sustain.
The reality is that sustainable growth rarely comes from asking people to do everything. It comes from creating structures that allow talented people to focus on what they do best. That realization became a key driver in Brock University's continuing education strategy.
Building Scale Through Strategic Integration
In 2021, Brock University established Professional and Continuing Studies (PCS) with a mandate to expand lifelong learning opportunities beyond traditional degree programming. The university recognized a growing opportunity to serve learners seeking professional development, upskilling and reskilling opportunities through noncredit education. Rather than treating these offerings as isolated initiatives across campus, Brock chose to create a centralized structure capable of supporting growth.
The process was not simply about launching new programs. It involved extensive consultation, strategic planning and the implementation of systems that could support registration, payments, learner services and program delivery at scale. In 2022, Brock's English as a Subsequent Language (ESL) unit was integrated into PCS, bringing together two noncredit areas with complementary goals and learner audiences. As the model matured, additional noncredit activities were centralized within PCS, including continuing teacher education and other programming areas that had previously operated within separate faculty structures.
The objective was straightforward: create sufficient scale to support specialized expertise, shared infrastructure and consistent learner experiences across multiple program areas. The result was not simply a larger department. It was a more sustainable one.
Growth Requires More Than Scale
Scale created new opportunities, but it was only part of the solution. To operate effectively as an entrepreneurial unit within a larger university environment, we also needed to improve our internal processes and make strategic decisions about where to invest our resources. Several priorities emerged.
First, we streamlined program development and approval processes to improve responsiveness to industry and community needs while maintaining academic quality and institutional oversight.
Second, we leveraged existing institutional technologies wherever possible. Rather than creating separate systems for noncredit learners, we utilized tools already familiar to the university community, including our learning management system and digital credentialing platforms. This approach reduced costs while creating a more seamless learner experience.
Third, we aligned administrative workflows across different program areas. Standardizing processes reduced duplication, improved efficiency and allowed staff to focus more time on activities that directly support learners and growth.
Finally, we invested selectively in technology that enhanced capacity. Technology alone does not solve organizational challenges, but when paired with staff buy-in and clear objectives, it can significantly increase efficiency and effectiveness. This is something we continue to review and identify as a priority in all the work that we do.
Three Lessons for Continuing Education Leaders
While Brock's experience is unique, several lessons may be applicable across the sector.
1. Build capacity through scale
One of the greatest advantages of bringing multiple non-credit activities together is the ability to support specialized roles. A smaller standalone unit may struggle to justify dedicated positions in marketing, operations or learner services. A larger integrated unit can distribute those resources across multiple program areas, allowing specialists to focus on their strengths rather than forcing generalists to cover every function.
Growth is not simply about increasing revenue. It is about creating the operational capacity necessary for long-term success.
2. Be strategic about what you pursue
In a resource-constrained environment, focus matters. Continuing education units cannot be everything to everyone. Institutions that attempt to chase every opportunity often find themselves stretched too thin to excel in any area. The most successful CE strategies are often built around institutional strengths, community needs and areas where the university can offer distinctive value. Strategic growth requires saying no as often as saying yes.
3. Communicate the strategy, not just the results
Revenue growth and enrolment numbers are important, but they rarely tell the whole story. Throughout our development, PCS has made a deliberate effort to communicate not only what we are doing but why we are doing it. Sharing our vision, business rationale and long-term strategy with senior leaders, faculty partners and governing bodies has helped build trust and create alignment.
Not every decision will be perfect. However, stakeholders are far more likely to support change when they understand the reasoning behind it. Transparency creates buy-in. Buy-in creates momentum.
The Work Is Never Finished
Brock University's continuing education journey is still evolving. The growth we have experienced demonstrates the value of creating scale, improving operational efficiency and aligning noncredit activities around a shared vision. At the same time, the pressures facing higher education continue to change, and today's solutions may not be sufficient tomorrow.
Continuing education leaders must remain focused on innovation, strategic investment and operational excellence. We must continue identifying opportunities to improve processes, leverage technology effectively and create meaningful learning experiences for increasingly diverse learner populations.
Doing more with less is not about asking people to work harder. It is about building systems, structures and strategies that allow organizations to work smarter. For institutions navigating financial uncertainty and growing expectations, that distinction may be more important than ever.
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