The word around campus in recent days is that FAMU has accepted approximately 3,600 sudents for the fall 2006 semester. While on its face that might sound like a nice size freshman class, the truth is, the national average for converting admitted students into actual students is 50 percent. At FAMU, in recent years, that average has been around 38 percent.
If that number held true, FAMU could be looking at an incoming freshman class of about 1,368. If that number held up that would make FAMU's 2006 freshman class 794 students smaller than last years.
According to published reports, a month ago only 2,400 students had applied for admission to FAMU. By contrast in 2003, 7,881 students had applied to FAMU and of those 5,018 were admitted and 2,676 actually enrolled. See famu enrollments statistics: FAMU Applied, Admitted, Registered Data
If in fact FAMU has, indeed admitted 3,600 student for the fall 2006 semester, it would appear that we have admitted all who have applied. The concern here would be the quality of the students we are enrolling. Unlike, during the Humphries years where FAMU once recruited the "best and brightest" and the avg. GPA and SAT scores of first time freshman enrolled continued to soar each year. It appears that in order to hold enrollment steady that FAMU officials have desperately begun to admit "whoever applies".
Also, given FAMU's continuous decline in enrollment over the past few years, we can most certainly say good bye to our claim as the #1 producer of African Americans with baccalaureate degrees. But an even worse consequence of the enrollment decline is the budget hit that FAMU will take by a drop in enrollment, since the state funds the University based on enrollment head count.
SGA has already begun to feel the effects of the enrollment decline this semester when many student organizations had their budgets cut, because of projected revenue from A&S fees did not materialize.
While Provost Debra Austin is slated to present a recruitment plat at the next BOT meeting, it will be far too late to stop the bleeding for the upcoming fall semester, as many high school seniors are making their choices now.
Is there a breakdown of in-state vs. out-of-state enrollment? I'd venture to guess most of the decline is with out-of-state enrollment. Have you seen what it costs to attend FAMU if you are out of state? Try $80,000 over 4 years. The reality of that number, coupled with so few resources for recruitment, were like Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hitting within a month of each other. Something was bound to suffer.
ReplyDeleteBrother Brown,
ReplyDeleteGood question. However, FAMU's enrollment stats don't support your claim. Out-of-State enrollment held steady last year. Take a look: http://www.famu.edu/oir/le_inout_state.html
Well, if the ratios hold to form, we are talking about 2,800 in-state and 700 out-of-state students applying so far.
ReplyDelete7,000 fewer in-state students year-over-year? It begs the question, "What's going on at Florida high schools?" Are counselors doing FAMU in?
Let's not lay the blame at the doors of counselors at Florida High Schools, yet.
ReplyDeleteThe University has NOT actively recruited in the last 3-4 years anywhere, especially in the state of Florida. Furthermore, if you allow students, teachers and counselors to make decisions to attend FAMU based upon the constant negative media circulating throughout Florida on a regular basis, the fault is the University.
Major corporations do not rely on yesterday's reputation/accomplishments to move forward today or in the future. They actively market their product.
please don't place the blame on others. If FAMU had been recruiting like we did in the late nineties and enrollment was dropping, I would be inclined to listen to arguments stating otherwise. This new FAMU admin has not made recruiting a priority as evidenced by the comments of one of the Bryant administration's strongest supporters Roosevelt Wilson. They were so busy doing everything else that they forgot a school needs students.
ReplyDeleteIn Corporate America, we may not be hiring, however, we still attend recruitment fairs and maintain a presence on our major campuses.
ReplyDeleteIt's about keeping our company in the minds of future hires.
Has FAMU been maintaining those relationships and keeping high schools, rising seniors and seniors informed and up to date on FAMU and what it has to offer.
But a drop that precipitous means someone is out there saying, "don't go to FAMU."
ReplyDeleteThere's always someone out there telling students not to attend FAMU. It might be that students are finally realizing that an education at FAMU is no different than an education at any other University in the Florida State University system. And since FAMU is obviously no where nearly as efficient as the other major universities, then there is no reason to attend FAMU.
ReplyDeleteThat is also what leads to the 300-400 students leaving FAMU every semester.