COMMITTEE: Admissions and Recruitment MEETING DATE: Dec. 6, 1999 PERSON PRESIDING: Esau Waters REGULAR MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE: Cotter, Moss, Walsh, Waters EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE: Ajose, G. Clayton (for Muller), McDiarmid, Morrison, Powell, Sessoms OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE: ACTIONS OF MEETING Description of action: Powell reported on this year's freshman class and on projections for the future. This fall, ECU enrolled 3,258 freshmen, the largest class in school history. The average SAT is 1016; the average GPA is 3.2-3.25; some 700 were out of state students; and 1,048 were transfer students. The African-American student enrollment is the largest ever, at about 13%. The chancellor says that the demographics do not support this kind of growth; we don't know where the growth is coming from, but it will be slowed down in the next few years. Next fall's enrollment should be about 3,000, with about 2,460 in-state students, with a predicted average SAT of 1025. The university is searching for three administrative positions, which will have an effect on admissions and recruitment: Director of Marketing; Director of Enrollment Management; and a Director of Orientation. The Director of Enrollment Management will have a coordinating responsibility for financial aid, admissions, housing, dining, etc. We are anticipating a freshman class enrollment in 2001 of 3,100, with a larger percentage of out of state students than at present, but the increases are in the hundreds, not the thousands. The nontraditional students and Web-based courses will be where the growth is; enrollment in the Weekend University is shrinking, because some units are backing out of the program. They [Business was one example] have decided that they can't support the sections and still conduct their regular schedules. Sessoms: The chancellor has not disagreed with the decision of the Business School to back out of Weekend University. The nontraditional market is always a big draw, especially with extension and evening classes. McDiarmid: What other nontraditional areas are in high demand? Sessoms: Allied Health and ITEC; the professional schools could have a presence on the Internet and people would enroll. Education offers several ways to take courses: interactive TV and Internet courses all over eastern N.C. The units offering courses in the Weekend University are all volunteer; there has never been a mandate from the university. The growth of nontraditional student enrollment will continue to 2008 in DE courses, some at the expense of traditional extension classes. We have the highest enrollment in extension classes this fall. Waters: Is anyone overseeing all these activities on campus? Sessoms: There are interweaving committees and several oversight committees on campus to maintain quality; I have more than a page of committees. The faculty is well represented on them. Walsh: How are DE students accepted? Powell: Each person has to apply the same way, regardless of being a traditional student or in a DE program. The immunization requirement excludes students in the Weekend, extension classes, and those taking less than four hours. Waters: What methods, such as 2-way feed and live video, are used to teach DE students? Sessoms: Probably just about every method somewhere on campus. Some programs that go to community colleges have the instructor conduct via interactive TV from different campuses during the semester. Walsh: Is there a policy to take a certain number of hours on campus? Sessoms: The MS in ITEC students can graduate without coming to campus. Walsh: Is this good for ECU? Sessoms: In terms of alumni loyalty, the older students are less likely to be loyal than traditional students are anyway. ECU probably has a more comprehensive structure than any other school in N.C. Walsh: When will DE students be counted in the headcount? Sessoms/Powell: When the enrollment 107 line is rolled into 101 functions, but then they would lose that identity. Powell: If students are brought in as transfers or as freshmen in January, they don't count for the out of state cap. Walsh: What is the attrition rate for freshmen? Powell: About 22%; the overall retention rate for the university is 72%. [Some discussion about what the national average is.] Powell: Admissions are up in the Charlotte area, down in Winston-Salem; we recently held receptions in Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro that were very poorly attended. The number of transfer classes is going down since the articulation agreement was signed, but it is expected to go up. Community colleges are being extremely aggressive about keeping their students the full two years, but some departments here [Art was mentioned] say that the students need to come in their second year. Dr. Russell, from PCC, met with Dr. Eakin about that policy. Clayton: As there is more pressure on state schools to enroll more freshmen, the quality of students at community colleges may go down slightly. Powell: We have not returned to the size of high school classes of 4-5 years ago. Powell: The positive aspects of recruiting for ECU are the campus atmosphere, compared with metropolitan areas, such as College Park. We can create the image out of state, although the hurricane has hurt recruiting, but in-state, we fight the image created by the parents and aunts and uncles of prospective students. In summary, we have enrolled the largest freshman class in history, while maintaining quality. For 2000/01, we will try to maintain the size and raise quality. We will have new staff with responsibility to see that growth occurs. We will continue to be aggressive in the Crescent. Raising admissions would not go against our mission; we're not denying admission to ECU. When you raise standards, you create demand. Description of action: Approval of minutes of Nov. 1, 1999 (after gaining quorum): Walsh moved to approve; Moss seconded. All in favor; minutes approved. Description of action: Unfinished business: Resolution on recruiting international students. McDiarmid: Since the university is hiring someone for enrollment management, should we wait for the resolution on international students? Various members: That may not be part of the person's responsibility. Waters: The sub-committee that was going to work on it was Warren, Tovey, and Cotter. Cotter: We haven't met; I'll ask Warren about scheduling a meeting. Completion date/Follow-up action required: Will bring it to the committee for the February meeting. NEXT MEETING: Feb. 7, 2000 ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED: Resolution on recruiting international students