Fall 2005 Enrollment - Spinning the Numbers
Headcount - Up or Down?
Washburn University recently reported record enrollment for the Fall, 2005 semester, based on an increased head count of ten.
The Fall 2004 enrollment highlights in the Washburn University news release dated August 17, 2005 reported a total head count enrollment of 7,400. The Fall 2005 enrollment figures reported a head count of 7,261, compared to the fall 2004 headcount of 7,251. It appears that these numbers are hard to capture, no doubt due to the fact that students tend to come and go.
More important than the specific head count is the real information that tends to get lost under a banner headline of "Record Enrollment." The fact is the rate of recent enrollment increases has flattened, perhaps sooner than the administration anticipated. So, some adjustments may be needed.
Credit Hours - DOWN
Tuition revenue at Washburn University depends on credit hours, not on headcounts. So, more significant than head count is the credit hour enrollment. Credit hour enrollment is down.
The FY06 operating budget assumed a 1.9% increase in credit hours. Instead the administration is reporting a 0.7% decrease in credit hour enrollment. It is interesting to note here that, last spring, a former board member expressed his fear that the high tuition rate increase might result in students enrolling in fewer credit hours.
Based upon the undergrad tuition rate of $164 per credit hour, this decrease, rather than an increase, in credit hours is worth approximately $700,000 in lost revenue.
Perhaps the administration will hold off spending the $300,000 included in the FY06 budget for the Transformational Experience program, given the fact that this has yet to be approved by the Faculty Senate. That seems like a fairly painless cut that puts the horse back in the barn and avoids any adverse impact on the students currently enrolled in classes.