Leatherneck Nation

Falling public university enrollment shows effects of state budget impasse.

From today's Chicago Tribune:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... story.html

UIS enrollment drops 8.7 percent compared to last year.

From the Springfield State Journal-Register:
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20170913/uis-e ... -last-year

Well, I think that may do it for the casualty report for Fall of 2017. I am not sure we will ever know what the effect of the budget problem was on freshmen numbers or retention. It is surprising that graduate student enrollment is up from last year and I wonder if it has anything to do with the time of student commitment? I know that Andy Borst was definitely addressing improvement in the process of enrollment and had recruited a very young and spirited group of counselors to take the "battle" to the high schools in an aggressive and meaningful manner. But below is the first point of Dr.JT's updated strategic plan with activities and programs listed below. You that have experience at the college/university level, what is missing or what makes total sense? I think renewed faculty involvement is definitely needed!

• Stabilize total enrollment of 10,000 students, while remaining dedicated to academic excellence and educational opportunity.
1. Expand enrollment in the High School Admissions Program.
2. Increase student enrollment from the 16-counties closest to the Western Illinois University Macomb and Quad Cities campuses.
3. Increase community college agreements and transfer student enrollment.
4. Achieve a 10% participation rate of currently enrolled students in Centennial Honors College.
5. Engage in corporate student recruitment.
6. Enroll 1,000 international students.
7. Participate in other activities designed to increase undergraduate and graduate student enrollment.
8. Continue to develop innovative strategies to address concerns of price sensitivity and elasticity.
9. Improve retention and graduation rates.
10. Engage in curricular efficiency studies to help examine trends influencing students time-to- degree.

Tere, Leatherface....what do you think? I know these goals need to be fleshed out! Help WIU help itself!

jc

wiu712 wrote: Wed Sep 13, 2017 12:43 pm Falling public university enrollment shows effects of state budget impasse.

From today's Chicago Tribune:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... story.html

Interesting to note that the Chicago area schools were the only ones that had increases to new freshman enrollment and the downstate schools all had decreases.

Increases in new freshman enrollment
+73% Chicago State
+23% Illinois-Chicago
+4% Northeastern
+3% NIU

Decreases in new freshman enrollment
-1% U of I
-7% SIU-Edwardsville
-7% Illinois-Springfield
-9% iLst
-14% EIU
-19% SIU
-21% WIU

That list is good, and makes sense, neckfansince71. I don't know if 1,000 International Students is achieveable in the current climate of the US. I recruited International Students for four years, and two questions were always asked-- will I be safe and welcomed, and how quick can I receive my degree. I agree, faculty and staff involvement is a key factor in recruitment. You can't expect admissions to sell every area as well as those directly involved can. Admission is a sales job, and needs assistance from faculty in selling their programs. I had a professor say to me once he wasn't a " bean counter", that was someone elses job. Sad, but, looking at his department he should have been out helping promote his program. A music chair, who didn't encourage the choir to sing at area high schools or at college events, and he couldn't understand why students weren't enrolling in his programs. His relationship with high school counselors was non existent. You don't show interest, you will lose students to those schools who do show interest.

I'm more interested if Western has had a" rebranding" in awhile. It costs money, but a new "brand" and it's promotion can really help change the way folks see you, along with all of the PR that accompanies it. It can really bring a lot of enthusiasm to the campus and lets people know the school is moving forward- especially in these times.

As far as the Chicago area schools picking up students. I woud be interested to see how much of a role community colleges played in these students going local for two years to save money, and then finish with local colleges for a degree. I thought I saw a number that said 40-50% of current four year college graduates attended a community college before transferring.

Neckfansince71 wrote: Wed Sep 13, 2017 3:54 pm The first point of Dr.JT's updated strategic plan with activities and programs listed below.

• Stabilize total enrollment of 10,000 students, while remaining dedicated to academic excellence and educational opportunity.
1. Expand enrollment in the High School Admissions Program.
2. Increase student enrollment from the 16-counties closest to the Western Illinois University Macomb and Quad Cities campuses.
3. Increase community college agreements and transfer student enrollment.
4. Achieve a 10% participation rate of currently enrolled students in Centennial Honors College.
5. Engage in corporate student recruitment.
6. Enroll 1,000 international students.
7. Participate in other activities designed to increase undergraduate and graduate student enrollment.
8. Continue to develop innovative strategies to address concerns of price sensitivity and elasticity.
9. Improve retention and graduation rates.
10. Engage in curricular efficiency studies to help examine trends influencing students time-to- degree.

Tere, Leatherface....what do you think? I know these goals need to be fleshed out! Help WIU help itself!

jc

#9 needs to be #1 - we are horrid in both the retention and graduation rate. As I've said before, it's all about "fit." As it stands now, except for our student athletes, there's not much that helps build that sense of fit..

We have core values, in rank order, of (1) academic excellence, (2) educational opportunity, (3) personal growth, and (4) social responsibility. Quit trying to make us an elite cadre of students, e.g., #4 on JT's list. Focus on our history of value #2, educational opportunity, and value #3, personal growth. Be the place where even if you struggled in high school or on your placement tests, be are here to provide the kind of environment that helps you succeed. This still provides value #1, academic excellence, but to be excellent, you can only do it in a few things, not everything. Focus the university.

We have 12 signature programs listed: Accountancy, Agriculture, Biology, Engineering, Forensic Chemistry, Law Enforcement & Justice Administration, Musical Theatre, Nursing, Recreation/Park/Tourism Administration, Sports Broadcasting, Supply Chain Management, and Teacher Education. Our Teacher Education had declined greatly in terms of our competition, it needs leadership to make it competitive, and work to resolve the huge K-12 teacher shortage. Bring back Summer Music Theater, which was a hallmark program that provided not just our students with opportunity, but brought others to Western. Work with McDonough District Hospital to expand nursing to a full 4-yr program, not just RN to BSN, taking advantage of one of the largest in demand careers. Make these 12 signature our bread and butter, boosting enrollment in them, providing students with the opportunity to work directly with faculty, and use the other programs as interdisciplinary support programs. Master's degrees that support and follow from our Bachelor's programs are fine, but our focus should be on the undergraduate experience.

Also, I disagree that 10K is the ideal number, and actually think Goldfarb's 6K is more inline. Be the best 6K student university, say with 36 undergraduate degree programs in the state! Then the students you attract will truly want to be here, not just came because they could.

That said, as I've learned over the years, when I offer my 2 cents worth, the university gives me change back as they don't like my views as my views do not fit with their status quo, we've always done it this way, mentality.

NIU#1FBinIL wrote: Wed Sep 13, 2017 4:00 pm ...
Increases in new freshman enrollment
+73% Chicago State
...

While technically correct, this is an increase from 86 last year to 149 this year. If they keep increasing by the same %, in a few years they'll be under 1k students. Not sure how long a campus with that much overhead can survive with that few students.

ST_Lawson wrote: Wed Sep 13, 2017 9:26 pm

NIU#1FBinIL wrote: Wed Sep 13, 2017 4:00 pm ...
Increases in new freshman enrollment
+73% Chicago State
...

While technically correct, this is an increase from 86 last year to 149 this year. If they keep increasing by the same %, in a few years they'll be under 1k students. Not sure how long a campus with that much overhead can survive with that few students.

If Chicago State could latch on to that same free tuition bandwagon that the Chicago public community colleges is currently offering to high achieving students, they might be able to rebound.

I guess I will disagree somewhat with Tere on one issue. I don't know if I want Western to be recognized as the " school to go to if you struggled in high school or did poorly on admission tests". Being branded as that type of school will drive away the higher quality of applicant. Tallented students and the parents of talented students want their college to provide challenges to overcome and excel in a high quality academic structure. Otherwise, she makes some very good points.