BSU on-campus enrollment down, total up

(Editor's note: A story in published Sunday, Sept. 13, quoted Ball State University professor Marilyn Flowers as saying freshman enrollment had declined about 17 percent between 2009 and 2014, and that total on-campus undergraduate enrollment was down about 12 percent in that same period. BSU says first-time, on-campus freshman enrollment was down only 7.4 percent and that total on-campus undergraduate enrollment dropped only 2.8 percent during that time. Flowers responds: “The freshman enrollment was body count and total enrollment was full-time equivalent. I got my numbers from BSU@work and I don’t think they are wrong.” BSU spokeswoman Joan Todd responds: “We stand by our total numbers ... which are accurate and verifiable.”)

MUNCIE — On-campus enrollment at Ball State University has dropped for the fourth consecutive year, but overall enrollment is up as the number of online students grows.

The school has 16,602 on-campus students this fall, down from 18,241 in the fall of 2011.

That means 1,639 fewer students are taking classes on the main campus this fall than four years ago, a decrease of 9 percent.

One faculty member is calling the trend “pretty worrisome,” another says it is typical for schools such as Ball State and a third attributes the decline to the high cost of a college education and concerns over student debt.

The university issued a news release last week headlined, “Ball State sees a 2.6 percent increase in total student enrollment for fall 2015.”

It reported that total enrollment had increased from 20,655 last fall to 21,196 this fall, but didn’t explain that total enrollment includes thousands of exclusively online students. Total enrollment this fall is down compared to four years ago when it was 22,147.

Julie Hopwood, who took over as BSU’s interim vice president for enrollment services eight months ago, told The Star Press, “The decline in on-campus enrollment and the increase in admissions standards over the past five years was part of an overall enrollment strategy.”

She added that the school is creating a long-term enrollment management strategic plan based on contemporary best practices.

Recruitment of students for fall of 2016 is being based on a comprehensive approach that includes undergraduate, graduate, online and distance education, transfers and international students, Hopwood said. In addition to its main campus, Ball State operates an Indianapolis Center.

The news release also reported increases compared to last year in the number of new students (up 6.3 percent), graduate enrollment (up 8.3 percent), undergraduate transfers (up 6.6 percent) and online enrollment (up 14.9 percent).

In addition, the average SAT score for this year’s freshman class and the percentage of freshmen who earned academic honors in high school also are up from last year. But the number of new freshmen is down 3.2 percent.

The last time on-campus enrollment dipped below 17,000 — to 16,901 — was in 2008.

Last fall, Tom Taylor, BSU’s then-vice president for enrollment (whose resignation new President Paul W. Ferguson accepted several months later), told The Star Press:

“We had a couple of years of larger-than-anticipated freshman classes who are passing through the system, and as we noted, our four-year graduation rates have been steadily improving, which means that students are not returning for a fifth year of studies.”

He added: “We have been raising admissions standards while aiming to maintain a steady-sized freshman class.”

Ione DeOllos, an associate professor of sociology at BSU, told The Star Press: “Students worry about the growing levels of indebtedness they have when they graduate. I would expect the higher costs of an education, ranging from tuition, fees, rooming costs and the costs of books, all work to encourage students to look for alternatives ... (that would) range from starting at community colleges, finding cheaper institutions, working full-time and going to school part-time and taking advantage of institutions which offer the best scholarship package.”

Joe Losco, a political science professor at BSU, says several factors will likely continue to impact enrollment at universities like Ball State in coming years, including a drop in high-school-age students, too much higher-education capacity for the number of college students heading to college, and the attraction of millennials to urban campuses in larger metropolitan areas where internships and part-time employment are plentiful.

Marilyn Flowers, a BSU economics professor, called BSU’s enrollment figures “pretty worrisome.”

She told The Star Press: “Our department met with Ferguson last fall and pointed out that freshman enrollment had declined a little over 17 percent between 2009 and 2014, and that total on-campus undergraduate enrollment was down a little over 12 percent in that same period.

“Ferguson acknowledged that this was a serious problem, said that BSU lacked an enrollment management plan and seemed to indicate some seriousness about dealing with the issue.”

During his recent fall address to faculty and staff, Ferguson said BSU must “look at a very strong and significant enrollment model. We want ... to ensure we have good solid revenue growth ...We have really got to step up our recruitment and retention.” The new enrollment plan, he added, will “make us a lot more stable and a lot more visionary.”

Contact Seth Slabaugh at (765) 213-5834.

Ball State enrollment

(On campus)

• 2010 ... 18,183

• 2011 ... 18,241

• 2012 ... 17,851

• 2013 ... 17,225

• 2014 ... 17,005

• 2015 ... 16,602

(Total enrollment, including online)

• 2010 ... 22,083

• 2011 ... 22,147

• 2012 ... 21,053

• 2013 ... 20,503

• 2014 ... 20,655

• 2015 ... 21,196