Familiar news was in store Friday afternoon — University of Idaho’s undergraduate enrollment declined once again.
Dipping 2.6 percent from last fall, the decline resembles a larger nine-year trend in Idaho public four-year colleges, according to the release. Additionally, resident undergraduate enrollment dropped 3.7 percent this fall.
Yes, this almost decade-long trend paints a clear, unresolved statewide picture. However, this should not be used as an end-all, be-all excuse to cover up the university’s own shortcomings.
When the best news comes in the form of student retention that “remained steady” — decreased to 81 percent compared to 82 percent last year — there’s a serious problem still not being addressed.
Fall 2008 enrollment was 12,307. Fast forward 10 years, and the university is down 466 students at 11,841. Both resident and non-resident categories have seen a similar decrease. These numbers have remained stagnant, and with President Chuck Staben leaving the university after his contract expires next June, they are unlikely to change anytime soon.
The first priority should be stability in the form of a long-term president. Staben has been with the university only since 2014, and was a finalist for the University of New Mexico president position in 2017.
“We have made many positive changes to our overall student recruitment processes over the past year and while we are disappointed these improvements have not immediately resulted in an increase in enrollment, we recognize we need to stay the course and continue moving forward until the changes take hold and yield results,” Staben said in Friday’s release. “We know we are making progress in key areas, including retaining the students who are already part of the Vandal Family.”
Based on the last 10 years, it may not be the wisest decision to stay this course. If “making progress” comes in the form of a 1 percent drop in retention, we may need to reconsider the definition.
UI needs a president with a clear, long-term plan that balances both enrollment and retention. Who knows? Maybe someone who doesn’t bounce from university to university will have a better grasp of the bigger picture.
The university has repeatedly changed its narrative over recent years. Instead of a focus on what actually needs improvement, there is far too much emphasis on what is doing slightly better than usual. Not only does this create a false sense of security, but it dodges the problems altogether without even considering potential solutions.
It’s no surprise enrollment is down. Stability aside, the current economic landscape is not great and college tuition has continued to rise. Full-time resident tuition is $7,864, while non-resident tuition is $25,500 per year.
While Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) enrollment has increased 55.4 percent, the program only encapsulates 724 total students and lowers tuition to 150 percent of the in-state rate — a mild $11,796.
Not everything is a state issue. Not everything can simply be blamed on state trends and long-running statistics. Whether the administration chooses to believe it or not, some issues need to be addressed from the top down.
The university should begin with a stable plan that puts students first. If declining enrollment continues to pick up traction, more students will begin to consider other universities — perhaps those with a more transparent, long-term plan and the results to back it. No one wants 10 more years of stagnation. It’s now or never.
— MR