2008 fall enrollment down 3.57 percent

Number of students this semester lower than last year, but higher than predicted

Eastern Michigan’s fall enrollment, or number of students currently enrolled in classes is down 3.57 percent when compared with totals from Aug. 28, 2007.

As of Aug. 26, 2008, 20,688 students are registered for classes, 765 fewer students than were registered at this time last year. The total number of credit hours students have registered for, however, is down only 3.35 percent from last year, from 225,566 hours last year to 218,002 currently enrolled.

According to Bernice Lindke, Interim Vice President of Enrollment Management, the numbers do show a decrease in enrollment from last fall, but changes are being made to turn this trend around.

“I don’t think we’re in trouble,” Lindke said. “Some of the changes we’ve already put in place for the next academic year will lead to higher enrollment.”

New University President Susan Martin has seen daily increases in the enrollment numbers, but acknowledged that solutions must be addressed. “Do I think it’s a problem? Yeah,” Martin said.

She said enrollment at Eastern is down compared to past years, but this year’s budget was created in expectation of such a decrease in students.

“Our enrollment has declined the past few years; we’re down about 50,000 credit hours from where we were at our peak,” Martin said. “We built the budget expecting to be down, and right now that’s better than our forecast, so we’re gaining now.”

Lindke said some of the decrease she’s seen this year, particularly in students from higher GPA levels, could be due to changes made to the National Scholars Program, which awards scholarships to incoming freshmen from states other than Michigan or Ohio.

She also said some students may be delaying registration later than in previous years.

“Students may be delaying registering to see if they have the financial resources to afford it,” Lindke said.

According to President Martin, Eastern needs to seek stable revenue through two sources: tuition and state appropriations.

“To fund student activities and infrastructure improvements we need to have a stable budget, which means we need to have a stable revenue pattern,” Martin said.

Lindke said several changes are being implemented to improve enrollment for upcoming semesters, including changing the National Scholar competition to bring more potential students to campus.

“I think our recruiters in Ohio will bring in more Ohio students,” Lindke said.

She also said that assigning more recruiters to bring students from Ohio and a making a push to enroll more transfer and second-degree students will help increase enrollment.

“We’re working to get more return-to-learn students,” Lindke said. “These used to be considered non-traditional students, but are becoming more of our traditional students.”

In the future, lower enrollment numbers could mean cuts to university programs or require increases in either tuition or state funds.

“We’d have to tighten our costs or look for other revenue sources,” Lindke said.

President Martin remains hopeful saying that Eastern has a great capability to fill a need in our region.

According to her, accessible faculty and smaller class sizes, when combined with the wide array of student activities and opportunities of a larger school, will help draw more students to Eastern.