Spring enrollment numbers
increase
 By
Kurt Esposito
Assistant Campus Editor
On Wednesday, Purdue University Enrollment Services
released the enrollment numbers for the 2001 spring semester, and the
statistics show that the number of students attending Purdue increased
slightly from last spring semester.
The number of students attending the University
this semester is 35,132. That is an increase of 363 students from the
34,769 students that attended during the 2000 spring semester.
Doug Christiansen, assistant vice president for
enrollment services, said that 35,132 is within .8 percent of the projected
goal for this semester — 34,840.
Even though the number of students this semester
increased, Purdue is trying to decrease the number of students attending
the University because the faculty and resources have been stretched
thin due to large class size. With an enrollment decrease, Purdue hopes
to best utilize the faculty and resources.
The goal is to decrease the number of students
attending the University from the 37,871 in fall 2000 to 37,500 in the
next few years.
Christiansen said that returning students account
for the fact that this semester's numbers are higher than the last spring
semester. Purdue also received 33 less students than it did last spring
semester, which fits into the projected range of accepting 30 to 40
less students this semester.
The University has decided to limit the amount
of incoming freshman it accepts each year. As a result, Purdue will
most likely stop accepting applications by March 1.
The office of admissions also raised the requirement
for subject matter taken during high school and tightened its requirements
for class rank, grade point average, grades in degree-related courses
and grade trends. The average SAT score accepted by Purdue has increased
by 28 points from last spring semester.
As another way to decrease the number of students,
Purdue created the enrollment management group two years ago.
"What we're really about is managing enrollment
so that we use it as wisely as possible, and we use our resources as
effectively as we can and guard the integrity and quality of our academic
programs," said Tom Robinson, vice president for student services.
Christiansen said the two main goals are to make
sure the incoming students are successful and to make sure that once
admitted they receive high-level schooling and maintain that success.
Fewer numbers of students will result in smaller
classes, which will allow faculty to do more one-on-one work with the
students.
The number of students allowed into each school
and department depends on the demand to attend that school or department.
Christiansen said, "The main goal is to look at
the capacity and demand and to manage that to most effectively support
each of the academic schools."
The schools and departments that have been influenced
the most because of their high demand are the School of Management and
the departments of nursing, computer science, computer graphics and
computer technology.
Christiansen said the other factors that determine
how many students are granted admittance each semester depend on the
current number of students returning, the number of students that graduated
last semester and the number of students that will graduate this semester.
Christiansen said it is a balancing act to make
sure that the size of the University is not too small while at the same
time making sure that the University is not so big that it limits the
students in having access to the available opportunities.
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