Acadia University Admissions, enrollment departments between rock, hard place

Admissions, enrollment departments between rock, hard place
Admissions struggles to keep numbers up

By Joanna Solomon

Acadia University

The Athenaeum

September 28th, 2006
Vol. 69, Issue 03

The population of Canada has a reputation for being particularly well-educated. Significant funding goes into our schools and universities. Unfortunately, since the demographics of Atlantic Canada are rapidly changing, fewer students each year are entering into post-secondary education. Over recent years, there has been a steady decrease across the board of about 4-5%.

What contributed to this? According to Shawna Garrett, Acadia’s Director of Enrollment Management, there are a couple factors. Perhaps we can attribute the low numbers this year to the poor economy province-wide. Less money is being put into the universities, which means that government is not subsidizing education as heavily as some other provinces, and students are bearing the weight of hefty tuition prices across Canada, especially in Nova Scotia.

Another interesting statistic is that 60% of university students are female. Garrett pointed out that some males are either bypassing university altogether, or they acquire a two-year diploma and find a job out west, where the economy is booming. This lure of immediate employment contributes to the lower number of students applying to universities all over Canada, not just at Acadia.

But the fact remains that Acadia’s enrollment in 2006 has dropped a dramatic 21% since last year. Enrollment rates peaked in 2003 as a result of the double cohort year and targeting marketing in Ontario specifically. Relative to that year, it is no surprise that enrollment has decreased since then.

Unfortunately, Acadia can’t sit back and wait for the numbers to rise again. Garrett explains that Acadia needs to compete to stay in the game – there are 11 other universities and colleges in Nova Scotia all hoping to attract the same population of graduating high school students.

“Students now are savvy,” notes Garrett. ”Times have changed,” and students now are making the universities fight for their enrollment.

Acadia employs a multitude of tactics to encourage students to attend. Last year, the “administration kicked in half a million dollars to merit based scholarships,” says Garrett. In total, Acadia offered 2.5 million dollars to incoming and returning students. But competing universities raised the bar even higher this year: Dalhousie, for example, offered a total of 13 million.

The cost of an Acadia education is an obvious hurdle with which the University is struggling. “The average [tuition] in Nova Scotia is six [thousand],” explains Garrett, while the national average is only four thousand. This year marks Acadia’s most expensive year yet, hitting a record-breaking $8,000.

On the bright side, Acadia’s rate of retention is steadily improving, as reported by Dr. Gail Dinter-Gottlieb’s address during the Open Hour on September 12. The university is working hard to improve the lives of its current students, hoping that word-of-mouth will increase enrollment in the future.

Programs such as the academic support for students on probation and the accommodations provided for those with learning disabilities have been hugely successful. These programs along with other new resources, such as a first-year advisor, are giving a larger percent of the student body a chance to be successful here.

Garrett views improving enrollment as a campus-wide initiative and would love to “get current students engaged in the recruitment process.” She suggests that when students visit their old high schools over vacations, they could bring packages of materials about Acadia and help promote it to both rising students and guidance counselors.

Acadia also puts an emphasis on keeping family connections strong within the community, as seen with the alumni scholarships, and since “current students are so valuable to recruitment,” Garrett recommends passing along the name and email address of any relative or high school student who expresses interest so that Acadia can follow up.