HA, 9/8/06 (update): USM enrollment falls off slightly - USM Forum -- Message Board

info · Status: Offline

HA, 9/8/06 (update): USM enrollment falls off slightly

info · Status: Offline

[By comparison...]

http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=227684&pub=1&div=News

NE MS DJ, 9/3/06

Region's universities show enrollment increases

STARKVILLE - Mississippi State University's enrollment grew by 105 students thanks to stepped up recruiting, a new leader and new "promise" scholarships to cope with rising costs.

New MSU President Robert "Doc'' Foglesong, who's been the school's top cheerleader and recruiter at dozens of events throughout the state and region, isn't satisfied. "In an ideal world, 300 to 400 (student) growth is good per year," he said. "I'm looking forward, not back to the next recruiting campaign."

There are now 16,206 students at Mississippi State based on preliminary numbers....

...Just days ago, 2,418 students were at MUW, up by 5.77 percent from a year ago. The final head count last fall was 2,285 students. Retention is up and so is the school's graduation rate, said Bucky Wesley, vice president for student services.

Ole Miss is projecting a 2 percent enrollment increase. Ole Miss reported 13,724 on the Oxford campus last fall and 16,947 including the medical center in Jackson. Final numbers will be released by the College Board soon....

Curmudgeon · Status: Offline

Let's not forget that enrollment last fall was down before Katrina so this is two years in a row of declines. When SFT came in, USM was a close second to MSU in enrollment and the USM summer school was the largest in the state. He will leave with USM in third place in both categories.

LeftASAP · Status: Offline

info wrote:

http://hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060908/NEWS01/60908028

...
The University of Southern Mississippi’s enrollment this fall shows a drop of less than 2 percent when compared to last fall before Hurricane Katrina hit South Mississippi.

The enrollment is 15,662, compared to 16,018 a year ago, according to figures released today.

...

I hate to pick nits, but [(16,018 - 15,662)/16,018] = .0222 = 2.22% which in "non Mader Math" is more than 2%.

LVN · Status: Offline

More than 2%, less than 2% -- who cares? Each faculty member is still expected to increase credit hours taught by 4% regardless, right?

I'm a little dim on how that will happen, but I'm sure there's a good explanation out there somewhere.

qwerty · Status: Offline

SFT was going to increase enrollment to 20,000. Remember?

I'd like to know what specific steps he did to make this happen. More money in recruitment? Scholarships? No way. The answer is "Nothing". All hot air. All talk, no walk.

This adminstration loves to talk about running USM like a business. I wish it was. When I worked in business, we had clear performance goals that didn't change by the week, and we were given the tools we needed to succeed.

This crew is blowing smoke. They are lousy academics and they'd get chewed up and spit out if they really tried making it in the for profit sector.

Bookie · Status: Offline

One thing about running a place like a business... You could hire qualified people on the spot, no interview, no anything. You come across them, you make an offer. That can be very beneficial. I know that doesn't mix well with the "let us all help make a decision model" but it does help one not lose good people to the turtle's-pace-searches that now occur.

Of course, the other end of this model allows administration to let people go just as swiftly. Oh well, so much for the business model.

qwerty · Status: Offline

Bookie wrote:

One thing about running a place like a business... You could hire qualified people on the spot, no interview, no anything. You come across them, you make an offer. That can be very beneficial. I know that doesn't mix well with the "let us all help make a decision model" but it does help one not lose good people to the turtle's-pace-searches that now occur.

Of course, the other end of this model allows administration to let people go just as swiftly. Oh well, so much for the business model.

Hire people on the spot? Yeah, maybe if the business is a local restaurant or auto repair garage.

Successful companies that rely on highly educated, creative workers hire carefully and collaboratively. They make decisions based upon consensus. Why? To be successful, they have to foster a trusting environment where talented and creative people will collaborate.

As for slow searches, maybe if the administration's turnaround time for approval of permissions to interview and hire were less than two months, we'd be able to speed things up.

As for letting people go, adminstrators don't have tenure. Remember, SFT did let people go "swiftly", as you put it, when he fired all the deans. And he hired his people in those spots. Where's the results?

Curmudgeon · Status: Offline

LVN wrote:

More than 2%, less than 2% -- who cares? Each faculty member is still expected to increase credit hours taught by 4% regardless, right?

I'm a little dim on how that will happen, but I'm sure there's a good explanation out there somewhere.

I care. The only way a mistake like this could happen is if someone in PR can't do simple arithmetic with a calculator or some big bucks person in PR intentionally lied to put a positive spin on the story. You pick it. Either way it's a big problem, and it's emblematic of the Thames administration.

info · Status: Offline

[Today's spin on the data...]

http://hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060909/NEWS01/609090318/1002

HA, 9/9/06

FRESHMAN FUEL CHANGING PERCEPTION
USM enrollment rebounds

The University of Southern Mississippi's fall enrollment is off slightly compared to last year, but officials said Friday the rebound is remarkable considering the blow the university sustained from Hurricane Katrina....

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060909/NEWS/609090362/1001/news

CL. 9/9/06

USM's enrollment rises despite recovery

Special to The Clarion-Ledger

STUDENTS IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI — many of whom were severely impacted by Hurricane Katrina - are returning to class in near pre-hurricane levels at the University of Southern Mississippi this fall....

LeftASAP · Status: Offline

LVN wrote:

More than 2%, less than 2% -- who cares? Each faculty member is still expected to increase credit hours taught by 4% regardless, right?

I'm a little dim on how that will happen, but I'm sure there's a good explanation out there somewhere.

Well, LVN, I care. Precision in thinking is one aspect of clear thinking. When I saw that error I figured either the H.A. reporter made the mistake or P.R. set up that for positive spin to the story. Today's H.A. article indeed is spinning off of the page as a big positive outcome for all of the football fans on campus today. Reminds me of the enrollment announcement made on ESPN that we were the largest school in the state. SFT has come down a notch or two since that one.

LeftASAP · Status: Offline

info wrote:

[Today's spin on the data...]

http://hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060909/NEWS01/609090318/1002

HA, 9/9/06

FRESHMAN FUEL CHANGING PERCEPTION
USM enrollment rebounds

The University of Southern Mississippi's fall enrollment is off slightly compared to last year, but officials said Friday the rebound is remarkable considering the blow the university sustained from Hurricane Katrina....

....

Did you notice this in the H.A. article?

"These figures reflect "duplicate" enrollment - a student taking classes at more than one campus is counted more than once. The unduplicated head count is 14,759 - off 100, or less than 1 percent, from pre-Katrina levels."

So the real enrollment is only 14,759. Forget the last statement about the "100 or less than 1%" because they never supplied the actual numbers to check these spin statements. The statement, if true, means the pre-Katrina unduplicated count was only 14,659. A long way from 20,000 and moving in the wrong direction.

Incredulous · Status: Offline

The story the HA won't tell you is that USM Hattiesburg enrollment is about 400 less than it was in 2001. That is how USM fell to #3 in enrollment. The hurricane that damaged USM is not named Katrina.

LeftASAP · Status: Offline

From USM News:
http://www.usm.edu/pr/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=104&Itemid=2

Fall 2006 Preliminary Enrollment Information

The University of Southern Mississippi

Location 9/6/05 Total Students9/6/06 – 10th Class Day

Hattiesburg 13,145 13,080

Gulf Park 2206 1843

Stennis 79 77

Jackson County 453 464

GCRL 53 54

Meridian 73 61

Other 9 83

TOTAL HEADCOUNT 16,018 15,662

LVN · Status: Offline

Curmudgeon wrote:

I care. The only way a mistake like this could happen is if someone in PR can't do simple arithmetic with a calculator or some big bucks person in PR intentionally lied to put a positive spin on the story. You pick it. Either way it's a big problem, and it's emblematic of the Thames administration.

Yikes! I guess I should have posted the "sarcasm alert" -- my point was, of course, that the expectation of increased SCH production by faculty is impossible given the actual enrollment increase, but that probably doesn't bother the people who came up with the "goal" of ever-increasing teaching loads.

Invictus · Status: Offline

LeftASAP wrote:

So the real enrollment is only 14,759. Forget the last statement about the "100 or less than 1%" because they never supplied the actual numbers to check these spin statements. The statement, if true, means the pre-Katrina unduplicated count was only 14,659. A long way from 20,000 and moving in the wrong direction.

I have never understood how the universities get away with reporting duplicated enrollment. It is misleading to everyone concerned, including the very people who are supposed to be "informed decision makers."

"Propaganda all is phony."