Learning about and enrolling in Ryerson University programs has never been easier, thanks to the creativity and dedication of Susan Vercruysse, winner of the university’s first-ever Linda Grayson MAC Achievement Award.

The new annual award recognizes the contributions of a Management and Confidential (MAC) employee who has demonstrated excellent service delivery and commitment, and positively impacted the lives of students, staff, faculty or other community members. Vercruysse, associate director of communications and recruitment in Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment, is being acknowledged for the many advances she and her team have made in leadership, customer service and innovation that have enabled Ryerson to engage with prospective students in more efficient and meaningful ways.

“I feel very honoured. I can’t imagine not sharing this acknowledgement with our entire office, because it’s only through the contributions of each person that we have been able to move ahead,” said Vercruysse about the award, which consists of a certificate and a $2,000 monetary prize.

President Sheldon Levy announced Vercruysse’s award at Ryerson’s first MAC conference, organized by Human Resources. Following the presentation, Julia Hanigsberg, vice-president, administration and finance, spoke about the People First initiative and commended Vercruysse for her impact on Ryerson and future students. “Your commitment to student engagement and your achievement in building an effective team have delivered outstanding results,” said Hanigsberg.  “I can’t imagine a more fitting recipient of this first award – we’re very proud of you.”

Vercruysse and her approximately 20 team members are responsible for modernizing the university’s admissions process through Choose>Ryerson, a centralized online portal for all admission communications. The digital approach has enhanced workflow efficiencies, reduced operating costs and allowed for more relevant communications with the university’s 30,000 annual applicants. Vercruysse also introduced IntelliResponse, an “instant answer” tool that provides a 24/7 online self-service experience, which has saved students time and reduced inbound-call volume.

As Ryerson’s applicants become increasingly tech-savvy, Vercruysse has evolved her department’s outreach efforts through new and social media. Her team uses Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest, and the WhyRyerson blog to inform and interact with potential students. As well, Vercruysse helped Ryerson become the first university to have its admissions handbook available as an iTunes store app.

To effectively manage her team—which handles almost 100,000 phone calls per year—as well as outreach to local secondary schools, Ryerson’s presence at the Ontario Universities Fair, and national as well as international recruitment, Vercruysse focuses on making every communication count.

“We take care with each interaction, whether it’s with a student who got an offer and is excited, has a question on Twitter, or is disappointed that they didn’t get into their program,” Vercruysse says. “We are dealing with people’s hopes for their post-secondary education future, and everyone in this office gets that.”

In addition to recognizing the Linda Grayson MAC Achievement award winner, the half-day MAC conference offered professional development and networking to about 150 attendees, with presentations by Valerie Fox, director of the Digital Media Zone; Chris MacDonald, director of the Jim Pattison Ethical Leadership Education and Research Program; and Heather Willis and Melanie Panitch, co-chairs of the Access Ryerson Advisory Committee.

For more photos, please visit http://www.ryerson.ca/hr/recognition/LindaGraysonAward.

Sharon Aschaiek (www.cocoamedia.ca) writes about higher education trends, issues and opportunities.