Last week the page one headline in the Topeka Capital Journal read “WU sets fall record.” The story was referring to how Washburn University broke a 2005 enrollment record.
Headlines like these were played out at virtually all the regents institutions across Kansas because all universities saw enrollment increases except University of Kansas and Emporia State.
ESU had the largest enrollment decline out off all universities with a 4.4 percentage drop, and this makes four straight years of enrollment declines.
With most of the universities posting increases, this causes us to ask what in the world is going on at ESU.
We have heard reports that enrollment declines are due to the community not being appealing, to budget cuts, to out-of-date facilities and more. However, with ESU President Mike Lane resigning last school year, it has left us with few answers to the problems.
Interim President Ed Flentje has not attempted to sugar coat the bad news but has said this needs to get everyone’s attention and we can do better.
ESU is currently without a permanent president and foundation director. ESU is standing still and it could not happen at a worse time. Education is rapidly being transformed and while we wait for our top positions to get filled the other state universities are moving rapidly forward.
On a bright side ESU has launched a new marketing and media relations plan that took three years to put together. The university is hoping the integrated Powered by Excellence marketing plan will increase enrollment. However we won’t see the impact until the fall semester of 2012. Also, the Regents approved three programs for ESU that could help bring new students.
Flentje took classes at ESU 50 years ago. He was surprised at how the benefits of an ESU education are still small class sizes, quality accredited programs, affordable education and professors getting involved.
There is much work to do to get ESU enrollment going in the right direction. In the meantime we all need to do our part to sell ESU to prospective students.