Estimates COVID-19 pandemic will cut fall enrollment by 20% from the norm

Dr. Rita Cheng

In a story by Richard Morin of the Arizona Republic written May 23, Northern Arizona University says that it will be cutting salaries and putting some faculty members on furlough because of Covid19.  An email obtained by the Arizona Republic sent by NAU president Dr.  Rita Cheng stated that salary reductions are on the horizon for senior administration members  and  “some combination of university-wide tiered pay cuts and/or furloughs across other levels of the organization.”

Dr. Cheng estimated that NAU  may experience  up to a 20% decrease from the norm because of Covid19.

You may read the entire story written by Mr. Morin at the following web site: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2020/05/23/nau-furloughs-pay-cuts-faculty/5250911002/. 

Credit hour figure up 35.5% over last summer; headcount up 16.5%; new focus, pandemic, marketing combine to explain increase

The 2020 summer enrollment at Yavapai Community College is at a record high, according to a report by President Lisa Rhine given to the District Governing Board at its May meeting. It has eclipsed the record set back in 2010.

President Rhine told the Governing Board that the credit hour figures were up 35.5% and total headcount was up 16.5% when compared to last summer.  She credited the increase in part to a management reorganization put in place last fall, one that focuses more directly on increasing enrollment. The pandemic with the downturn in employment and improved marketing were also recognized as reasons for the enrollment increase.

You may view Dr. Rhine’s short enrollment report to the Governing Board in the video below.

Reasons given for decline include falling birth rate, international student enrollment decline, drop of about 100 students in the university’s hotel and restaurant management program, 100 fewer students attending the community campuses

In an article by Rachel Leingang, Arizona Republic, October 11, 2019 it was reported that enrollment had dropped at Northern Arizona University this fall for the first time in 14 years.  According to the article, “the drop fits into a larger trend of college enrollment falling nationwide as the birth rate has gone down.”

University President Dr. Rita Cheng gave  three reasons for the enrollment drop.  She said that NAU’s international student enrollment declined by more than 100 students. Kuwait, which was described as a major source of international students for NAU, sent significantly fewer this year. NAU officials told Ms. Leingang for the article that this “was because the Kuwaiti government believes the school has too high a number of their students already.”

Dr. Cheng also said that there was a drop of about 100 students in the university’s hotel and restaurant management program. According to Dr. Cheng, when the university reached out to students who stopped taking classes, they said they had found good jobs and wanted to keep working.

A third reason that might explain the drop was that about 100 fewer students are attending the community campuses operated by NAU.

This fall, the number of undergraduates across NAU’s campuses decreased from 27,078 to 26,513.

The only increase was with graduate students.  Enrollment for graduate students at NAU increased this fall by nearly 6%.

Source:  Article, Reporter Rachel Leingang, Arizona Republic, October 11, 2019. 

126 more students by headcount in fall 2019; 728 more credits being taken in fall 2019; but summer enrollment was down

Dr. Ron Liss reported at the October 8, 2019 Yavapai Community College Governing Board meeting that enrollment for the fall 2019 semester was slightly above the figure for fall 2018.  His data showed that there were 126 more students by headcount enrolled and that overall the students were taking 728 more credit hours than  the previous year.  (Please see video below.)

He also reported that there had been a substantial increase in the number of students in the 18 year old age range enrolling at Yavapai Community College this fall.

Dr. Clint Ewell, during the portion of the meeting devoted to increasing student tuition, commented that the summer session 2019 enrollment had been down  and that overall, the Community College was behind last year’s combined summer/fall enrollment. (Please see video below.)

Regular semester classes began August 19

Yavapai Community College has yet to provide the District Governing Board or the public with information regarding fall enrollment.  Nothing was mentioned about enrollment during the President’s report to the Governing Board at the Tuesday, September 10 general meeting.

Regular classes began at the two campuses and four centers August 19.

The College made its first fall enrollment report in 2018 in the middle of August  when speaking to the Sedona City Council.  At that time the College indicated that enrollment was “about flat” when compared to 2017.

Largest incoming classes and largest total enrollment in University history

In a news article released by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on August 23, 2019 and prepared by Jason Kadah, it was reported that its residential campuses in Arizona and Florida were set to welcome their largest incoming classes and highest total enrollment numbers in University history.

The Prescott, campus is expecting 850 new students, which is a 23 percent increase over last year. This will push total enrollment to almost 3,000 students—The highest number since the campus opened in 1978. Additionally, this incoming class has the highest academic profile ever (average GPA of 3.74 and average SAT of 1260), as well as the largest female percentage ever at 28% of the student body.

According to Kadah, “students at the Prescott campus come from 48 states and 62 countries. 23 percent of the student population is from Arizona—a number that has grown significantly over the past five years due to scholarship dollars for high-achieving Arizona students, the campus’ new STEM Center and Planetarium, and more students from the Prescott area. 50 students who went to high school in the Quad-City area are enrolled for Fall 2019 classes. The campus offers a total of 24 undergraduate and three graduate degree programs.”

Source click here :  

Students will be guaranteed face-to-face courses for at least three years

Yavapai Community College Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, Ron Liss, announced at the March Governing Board meeting that a new experimental program aimed at enhancing enrollment on the east side of the County on the Verde Campus would be rolled out this fall.  The experiment will guarantee a student enrolling in a General Education program that all of the courses needed to complete it will be available face-to-face on the Verde Campus for at least three years. 

The guarantee applies regardless of the number of students who are actually taking a course face-to-face.

Students may also take the course online if they choose to do so.

The program will begin in the fall 2019 and Dr. Liss anticipates an initial small enrollment.  If the experiment is successful, it is anticipated that the number of students in face-to-face classes on the Verde Campus will increase.

East side (Verde Valley) enrollment using credit hours increased by 703, out-of-County shows decline

As noted in an earlier post, Yavapai Community College analyzed enrollment trends over the past four years of students taking credit classes using credit hours and zip codes and reported the results of the analysis at the March Governing Board meeting.  The analysis included students taking face-to-face classes and those taking classes on-line.  It found that on the west side of the County there was a drop of 2,767  student credit hours in the last four years enrolling for fall courses (35,504 down to 32,737). 

However, enrollment of students on the east side of the County (Sedona, Cottonwood, Camp Verde, et. al.) for fall courses increased by 703 student credit hours over the past four years (8,900 up to 9,603).

Out-of-County students who take most classes on-line showed a decline in credit hours.

East side (Verde Valley) enrollment using credit hours remains about even; out-of-County shows decline

Yavapai Community College analyzed spring enrollment trends over the past four years of credits taken by students  using zip codes and reported the results of the analysis at the March Governing Board meeting.  The analysis included students taking face-to-face classes and those taking classes on-line.  It found that on the west side of the County there was a drop of over 4,000 student credit hours in the last four years (36,538 down to 32,345). 

However, enrollment of students on the east side of the County (Sedona, Cottonwood, Camp Verde, et. al.) using credit hours as the measure remained relatively constant (8,897 up to 8,938).

Out-of-County students who take most classes on-line also showed a decline (5,413 credit hours down to 5,350).

Representative Paul Chevalier suggested that with additional marketing effort enrollment could be increased on the east side of the County and the Community College could draw more out-of-County students.  The Vice President of Instruction & Student Development, Dr. Ron Liss, agreed.

It should be noted that although Dr. Liss did not have the exact number available, during an interview with the Blog he stated that he believed that students taking face-to-face classes had declined on the east side of the County while enrollment in on-line classes had increased.

Announces that nearly 13,000 first-year students are enrolled; largest freshman class ever

Arizona State University reports that there has been a 12% increase from last year in its freshman enrollment.  It says that preliminary enrollment figures show about 13,000 incoming freshmen.

The University also reported that this year’s freshman class is the “most academically inclined” in the school’s history.  It said that 55% of the students received a top academic scholarship offered by the University.  The incoming class also boasted higher average SAT scores than their predecessors, with an average of 1210 compared with 1190.

The freshman class consists of 62% Arizona residents.