Enrollment Updates

[sealhall74]

I believe WESTERN once upon a time was all things that I listed. Is it possible to become what we once were?


 

Honestly...without significant increases in state investment...I'd say highly unlikely. Not impossible, but highly improbable.
Better funding helps the facilities look better which helps instill pride in the institution, confidence in it's stability and longevity, and allows the university to provide the services that students need and want. All of that will make it more likely that students who have a range of similar options choose to come here.


 

One thing that would help IMHO is for all public universities to be under the same financing umbrella system along with each university having some sort of academic identity which sets it apart from the others (science, technology, health, arts, teacher prep, online, etc.)  I know there are some who think WIU and EIU would always get short-changed in such a scenario but I disagree.  Sure the flagship UofI would get a lot but I think the others would benefit in the long run as well.
 

[wiu712]

WIU enrollment down nearly 600 students, officials shift focus to strengthen class profiles.
From WGEM-TV:
https://www.wgem.com/2023/09/14/wiu-enr ... -profiles/
 
 

[Tere North]

WIU enrollment down nearly 600 students, officials shift focus to strengthen class profiles.
From WGEM-TV:
https://www.wgem.com/2023/09/14/wiu-enr ... -profiles/
 
 

 

A 7.5% decline in enrollment compared to Fall 2022 with only a 58% freshman retention rate is abhorrid.

UIUC, UIS, NIU, SIUC, and ISU all reported record high enrollments incoming freshman. 

I'm an Aggie, so in my terms, we are not even sucking hind tit, hell, we aren't even in the same pasture. 

If the BOT does not make a huge statement by announcing a new presidential search at the September Board meeting, you can kiss any opportunity to right the ship good bye.

As interim Martin Abraham had us turning in the right direction, but the BOT decided to cast him aside in favor of a train wreck led by a lack of success leader.
 

[wiu712]

Fall 2023 Total Student Enrollment:
https://www.wiu.edu/IRP/enrollments/202 ... 20FL23.pdf
 
 

[Tere North]

Fall 2023 Total Student Enrollment:
https://www.wiu.edu/IRP/enrollments/202 ... 20FL23.pdf
 
 

 

For perspective, comparing Fall 2023 with Fall 2022.

Macomb Total Enrollment - down 8.25%
Quad Cities Total Enrollment - down 1.36%
Overall Total Enrollment - down 7.46%

Total Undergraduate Enrollment - down 5.35%
Total Graduate Enrollment - down 12.22%

Total Freshman Enrollment - down 17.99%

 

[wiu712]

1,375 Freshmen in the Fall of 2022 became 796 Sophomores in the Fall of 2023.

Not good.  Not good.
 

[vatusay]

1,375 Freshmen in the Fall of 2022 became 796 Sophomores in the Fall of 2023.

Not good.  Not good.
 

 

This is terrifying for Macomb and closely surrounding areas. 

 

[sealhall74]

1,375 Freshmen in the Fall of 2022 became 796 Sophomores in the Fall of 2023.

Not good.  Not good.
 


 

This is terrifying for Macomb and closely surrounding areas. 

 

 

Are we doing exit debriefs or surveys?  I hope so.  Otherwise, how do you know what the problems are?

[ST_Lawson]

1,375 Freshmen in the Fall of 2022 became 796 Sophomores in the Fall of 2023.

Not good.  Not good.

 

This is terrifying for Macomb and closely surrounding areas.

 

Are we doing exit debriefs or surveys?  I hope so.  Otherwise, how do you know what the problems are?

 

We did know this was coming fairly well in advance. Last fall we accepted a large number of students that either had no intention of going to class or trying in any way, or showed up entirely unprepared for college (and I think, for whom some of the advisors had no idea would need as much help as they did). The university decided to go the direction of "headcount at any cost", and the university got burned by it. One person lost their job because of it and the office in charge of enrollment management was restructured. I have a feeling that those and other changes that have been implemented recently will help the retention rate going forward, but it remains to be seen how much that will hurt freshman enrollment over the next few years.
 

[Tere North]

This is terrifying for Macomb and closely surrounding areas.


 

Are we doing exit debriefs or surveys?  I hope so.  Otherwise, how do you know what the problems are?


 

We did know this was coming fairly well in advance. Last fall we accepted a large number of students that either had no intention of going to class or trying in any way, or showed up entirely unprepared for college (and I think, for whom some of the advisors had no idea would need as much help as they did). The university decided to go the direction of "headcount at any cost", and the university got burned by it. One person lost their job because of it and the office in charge of enrollment management was restructured. I have a feeling that those and other changes that have been implemented recently will help the retention rate going forward, but it remains to be seen how much that will hurt freshman enrollment over the next few years.
 

 

The President supported the buy the bodies approach. He needs to go. If the BOT doesn't make that clear at the Sept Board meeting, the ship has sunk.