Low freshman enrollment generates plans for future
Rebecca Sullivan
Issue date: 9/10/01 Section: News
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Upperclassmen will have fewer new faces to learn than usual this year. With only 115 freshman enrolled, the Class of 2005 is the smallest incoming class in a long time.
Because the average number of incoming students has hovered in the mid-one hundreds for the past few years, many are wondering what caused this sudden drop in enrollment. Hood College, at approximately 1600 students, including graduate and adult students, is a small school, so such a drop has great potential to damage the college.
Financially, the decreased enrollment is not offering a very positive outlook. According to Vice President of Financial Services Paul Melanson, the enrollment situation has affected both tuition and residential income, but it is not yet clear just how badly revenue has been affected. Changes in enrollment will still show over the first few weeks, as some students leave or join the student body, but there is little doubt that the shortage of new students will affect the revenue.
Even before he came to campus, Volpe was concerned with enrollment at the college. "Most who visit Hood feel good about what they see,? he said. "Our challenge is to bring more prospectives to see how outstanding this college is."
Not surprisingly, increasing enrollment has become a top priority of the new president. To combat the decrease, there have been several changes in the structure of recruitment and enrollment. In addition, recruiting will become more aggressive, including an alumni recruitment program.
To help the process, there are at least five new people at work, including a new financial director, a new international recruiter, and new Dean of Admissions Dr. Susan Hallenbeck. Hallenbeck said that there are already 1,000 more new prospectives than at this time last year. Her enrollment goal for next year is to have one hundred fifty new freshmen sitting at convocation, and she is confident of succeeding with this. "The thing about Hood is we've been a great well-kept secret, but we need to stop being so good at keeping secrets," she said.
Both Hallenbeck and Melanson agree that with the energy of the new staff, as well as the new Class of 2005, the enrollment problem should be remedied for next year.
Because the average number of incoming students has hovered in the mid-one hundreds for the past few years, many are wondering what caused this sudden drop in enrollment. Hood College, at approximately 1600 students, including graduate and adult students, is a small school, so such a drop has great potential to damage the college.
Financially, the decreased enrollment is not offering a very positive outlook. According to Vice President of Financial Services Paul Melanson, the enrollment situation has affected both tuition and residential income, but it is not yet clear just how badly revenue has been affected. Changes in enrollment will still show over the first few weeks, as some students leave or join the student body, but there is little doubt that the shortage of new students will affect the revenue.
Even before he came to campus, Volpe was concerned with enrollment at the college. "Most who visit Hood feel good about what they see,? he said. "Our challenge is to bring more prospectives to see how outstanding this college is."
Not surprisingly, increasing enrollment has become a top priority of the new president. To combat the decrease, there have been several changes in the structure of recruitment and enrollment. In addition, recruiting will become more aggressive, including an alumni recruitment program.
To help the process, there are at least five new people at work, including a new financial director, a new international recruiter, and new Dean of Admissions Dr. Susan Hallenbeck. Hallenbeck said that there are already 1,000 more new prospectives than at this time last year. Her enrollment goal for next year is to have one hundred fifty new freshmen sitting at convocation, and she is confident of succeeding with this. "The thing about Hood is we've been a great well-kept secret, but we need to stop being so good at keeping secrets," she said.
Both Hallenbeck and Melanson agree that with the energy of the new staff, as well as the new Class of 2005, the enrollment problem should be remedied for next year.