Growing a student body at the university level comes with certain challenges. All efforts at Eastern Kentucky University focus on reversing a trend of enrollment declines.
A drop in enrollment can be traced to more than the significant impacts associated with COVID-19. The number of potential students in a priority service area, eastern Kentucky, has been falling. EKU Vice President for Student Success, Engagement, and Opportunity Tanlee Wasson said projections put enrollment down this fall by a little over 2%, but there’s uncertainty. “Everything is so delayed. Students made their decisions later. They’re coming to orientations later. All those things. We really don’t feel solid in the projections yet. The numbers are changing like they never have before this late in the cycle.”
Wasson said the hope is to reach flat enrollment as soon as possible. The EKU administrator noted the goal is to grow from here and not get any smaller. Wasson said one area of focus involves a recruit back effort. “We extended some deadlines. Changes some processes to make it a little easier for them, so they’re not having to do appeals in such a onerous way as in the past. So, we’re trying to make it easier to get those students back in. Because we know based on what we see in their performance that they should still be here.”
Wasson said, in a typical year, those in her department would have a feel for fall enrollment by the end of February. But, Wasson noted this has not been a typical year and an idea about enrollment remains difficult.
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