With the start of each school year, a new group of freshmen students and transfers move in to experience life on Baker’s campus. Even though official enrollment numbers will not be recorded until mid-September, the final outcome looks as if it may be record-breaking.
“As of right now, we are cautiously optimistic,” Judy Smrha, assistant dean for institutional effectiveness, said. “There are a lot of new freshmen students this year. The number of transfers is about the same, which is not unusual. We anticipated with the economy these numbers would have diminished.”
The official number of freshmen students will not be known until Sept. 20, although Louise Cummings-Simmons, vice president for enrollment management, said she anticipates the total number of new students to be more than 300. The delay in assessing complete numbers is to ensure active status on each student.
While nothing was considerably changed for recruitment this year, sports helped to play a role in its success.
Terri Blake, senior assistant director of admissions, said the increase in numbers, especially in men, might be linked to the university adding a wrestling program this year.
The new sport and other new opportunities have helped the admissions office in attracting prospective students.
"We worked hard this year," Blake said. "There were a lot of phone calls made and personal interaction. The cycle never ends, and our job is never done."<br/>Summer enrollment days are an important factor in beginning to count the number of incoming students. All but one of the six summer enrollment sessions were filled to the quota. Summer enrollment days are an important factor in beginning to count the number of incoming students. All but one of the six summer enrollment sessions were filled to the quota.
Summer enrollment days are an important factor in beginning to count the number of incoming students. All but one of the six summer enrollment sessions were filled to the quota.
“There are six summer enrollment days, and we cap them at 42 each,” Admissions Events Coordinator Linda Gastelum said. “For the first five we had 42, and then the last had 33.”
The preliminary percentages of the freshmen male-to-female ratio show a drastic increase in men. With this escalating number, a wing in Irwin Hall has been set aside for men.
“I’m thinking this is the first time men have ever lived in Irwin,” Associate Dean of Students Teresa Clounch said. “It definitely is since I got here three years ago. We need to thank the engineer construction folks for their infinite wisdom when they designed Irwin to be suite-style, that way all of our (residence halls) could be co-ed.”
Due to the increased enrollment projections, people may assume the recession was not enough to stop new students from coming to Baker. However, hard times did make it so some students were unable to return to the university, but Smrha is hopeful Baker will see them back soon.
“Baker students can expect to see a lot of new faces on campus, and not as many as the same familiar faces,” Smrha said. “Once the economy levels off though, we hope to see those students back.”
