The Griffon News

The waiting list for housing was, at one point, up to 90 students, the classrooms are crowded and hallways are becoming almost claustrophobic… This can only mean one thing: Western is experiencing a record number of enrollment for the fall semester of 2008.

A total of 5,470 undergraduates are currently enrolled at Western this semester, which sets a record for the fourth fall term in a row.

Institutional Research Analyst Judy Fields explained why and when enrollment is apt to increase.

“When employment goes down, our enrollment tends to go up,” Fields said. “We have to adjust classes about every year to accommodate [the students].”

Jeanne Daffron, associate vice president of academic and student affairs, said that faculty and administration had monitored enrollment all summer.

“We try to always kind of look forward to it, so it doesn’t catch us off guard,” Daffron said. “We did add seats and courses and sections.”

The number of full-time students is 3,825, which is a 5.5 percent increase from last year.

A total of 63,032 credit hours – a 4% increase from last fall as well as a record – are being taken by the undergraduates.

The headcount for first-time full-time freshmen is 949.

Western has 1,606 full-time males and 2,219 full-time females this semester, meaning 662 males and 983 females are enrolled as part-time students.

The number of graduate students has grown as well. The number has increased to 65 students from 41 since last fall, which was the first year graduate programs were offered at Western. This amounts to a 59% increase.
Among all the positive outcomes of a university with high enrollment numbers, Daffron said the money issue is one of them.

“Of course that’s one source of revenue for us,” Daffron said.

Though, she modified the fact that Western is not just in the money-making business; it is important, for our region, to have well-educated citizens ready to go out in the job market.

“It’s important for the economic development for our region,” Daffron said. “We’ve called ourselves an emerging University.”