‘Alarmingly low’ CSU enrollment discussed at Stanislaus State year-end town hall
During the online End-of-Year University Town Hall held Tuesday, Stanislaus State President Ellen Junn spoke of “alarmingly low” enrollment seen at her campus and across the California State University system and what’s being done about it.
Even with the fall 2021 application deadline extended from November to Dec. 15, the number of new students who completed applications was down “considerably,” Junn said.
Gitanjali Kaul, Stan State’s vice president for strategic planning, enrollment management and innovation, shared a spring 2021 enrollment slide showing that as of Dec. 13, undergraduate enrollment is down 7% from last year and graduate enrollment is down 4.4%.
“We have open registration until Jan. 27, so I am still hopeful that these numbers will improve a little bit as we go from here,” Kaul said.
The outlook for fall 2021 enrollment is a lot worse, even though the CSU anticipates returning to face-to-face instruction by that time. As of Dec. 13, applications from first-time freshmen were down 40% from fall 2020, and transfer applications were down 30%.
But Kaul added that applications completed since the Dec. 13 data she shared improve the picture a bit. As of Dec. 14, the drop in freshman applications has improved to 33.6%, and that for transfer students has improved to 21%. she said.
“There’s a long way to go, but there’s a lot being done both on our campus and systemwide to help these numbers,” Kaul said.
All divisions of the university will be working to improve the picture, she said. Stan State’s Office of Admissions and Outreach is contacting students who have incomplete applications. Faculty members have offered to help figure out how to capitalize on what the university has to offer, Kaul said. “I think there’s a lot that we can do to promote our academic programs” and student life, she said.
Stan State also has to get the word out about scholarships available to students, Kaul added. “There are a lot of conversations going on at the moment, both at the system level and on campus, that give me hope” that by summer, the fall enrollment decline will not be so sharp.
Working to engage students
Junn added that the university is “reconceptualizing” everything it does in the way of outreach and admissions because the enrollment drop is “something the campus has not had to grapple with because we’ve always been over target.”
The president and members of her Cabinet took questions from those listening to the town hall, and one of them was whether Stan State knows why enrollment has fallen.
The system office is working to collect survey data from students who started but did not complete applications, Junn answered. She also has called emergency meetings with administrators of Stan State’s feeder colleges and top six feeder high schools.
High school counselors and district superintendents have given Stan State a lot of information, Junn said. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve reported, it has been harder for students — especially those who would be first-generation college students — to be motivated during this time of remote learning.
High schools are offering virtual sessions to help students apply for college and fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, Junn said, but they’ve not been well attended. This is despite counselors and teachers saying they almost feel like they’re stalking students to get them engaged — texting, emailing and “constantly bothering” them.
“It’s difficult because high school students are not enjoying the Zoom experience in some cases and because it’s just a different kind of environment right now,” the president said.
New testing protocol for students, employees
COVID-19 testing of university employees and students also was discussed during the town hall. The CSU chancellor’s office has instructed every campus to have a clearly defined and comprehensive protocol for its population after the holidays and into the summer and fall, Junn said.
The Turlock university posted on its website Tuesday morning its recently approved protocol for testing, sequestering and repeat testing for COVID-19, said Kellie Marshall, interim director of safety and risk management.
Testing will be offered on campus and at no charge. For the great majority, it is not mandatory, but anyone working on site at least one day per week is urged to test weekly, she said.
The CSU wishes it could require testing for all students and employees, Junn added, but for various reasons, it can only highly recommend it.
There are a couple of student groups for which testing will be mandatory, Marshall said. One is athletes who are returning to practice and, eventually, competition. The other is nursing students prior to weekly clinical courses.
Free testing on campus for general public Thursday
HRSupport, the same testing company the university plans to have serving students and employees starting in January, will have a pop-up testing site on campus this Thursday, Dec. 17, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will be in Parking Lot 11, east of Andre Lane, near the Naraghi Hall of Science.
The testing is being offered through the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency. The drive-through or walk-up nasal swabs will be available at no cost, according to the university’s website.
Appointments are recommended but not required. Anyone wanting a test can register in advance at Avellinocov2.com, which will expedite the process because when participants arrive, their information already will be in the system.
Those seeking tests are asked to bring a photo ID and insurance card, if applicable. Testing is available for all ages, though minors are required to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
To learn more, email covidtesting@hrsupportpros.com.
The full End-of-Year University Town Hall, which also included information on the Stockton campus and some opportunities for face-to-face instruction in the spring semester, can be viewed on YouTube.
This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 3:25 PM.
