Along with enrollment numbers, the student retention rate on the Baker University; Baldwin City campus has gone up.

Those that entered in the fall of 2009 as freshmen have a record retention rate of 93.4 percent.

Those that were freshmen during the fall of 2008 have a retention rate of 71.1 percent and those that entered as freshmen during the fall of 2007 have a retention rate of 58 percent, while students who entered during the fall of 2006 have a retention rate of 55.9 percent.

“I’m so excited about our enrollment numbers and the retention we had from fall to spring,” University President Pat Long said. “I think that’s really a good sign for us.”

Enrollment numbers were given to the U.S. Department of Education after the 20th day of classes, which was Feb. 23.

“The U.S. Department asks all schools, this includes K-12 as well as higher ed, to create a count,” Judy Smrha, assistant dean for institutional effectiveness, said. “As I tell people, counting enrollment is like asking someone how much they weigh, which means it depends when you ask me.”

Baker has been submitting enrollment numbers on the 20th day for years.

"One could say we've been doing it since the dawn of time," Smrha said. ?<br/>This spring, 719 fewer students are enrolled at Baker University as a whole than there were last spring.This spring, 719 fewer students are enrolled at Baker University as a whole than there were last spring.
This spring, 719 fewer students are enrolled at Baker University as a whole than there were last spring.

Although there are 49 more students at the Baldwin City campus and nine more students at the School of Nursing in Topeka, the School of Professional and Graduate Studies is down 440 students and the Graduate School of Education is down 337 students from this time last year.

“I think the retention numbers for this campus, for spring, look very good, in particular the fall ’09 first-time freshmen cohort,” Smrha said. “The fact that we’re above 90 percent is really great. We’ve not been, in the past five years, as high as 93 percent.”

With a record retention rate for first-time freshmen, Smrha is confident that BU is doing something different to retain students.

“One likes to think that it was more than just luck, that you did something to create it,” Smrha said. “I know that the university has devoted resources to worrying about and paying attention to retention in a way that we haven’t as intensively in recent years so there is the activity happening. “

There are 999 students on the Baldwin City campus, 170 at the School of Nursing, 1,582 at the School of Professional and Graduate Studies and 1,041 at the Graduate School of Education. The university total as of Feb. 23 was 3,792 students.

"The offset of us doing well on this campus is to make sure our other three schools are doing well," Long said.  "School of Nursing is doing very well. SPGS is holding steady, but the Graduate School of Education is going to be down all year."<br/>