Enrollment and retention rates have increased at Eastern Michigan University according to recently released figures.
Student credit hours increased 2.7 percent, but it’s less than the goal the university had set for this fiscal year’s budget of 3.4 percent.
Some students are wondering how this will affect them.
“It definitely seems like there are more people on campus, especially when it comes to parking,” Lindsay Rubin said. “But, if they didn’t meet their goal, how will the 0-0-0 initiative be affected?”
In a statement, President Susan Martin said the university knew it would prove to be a “challenging” budget, but it is working to keep it balanced through cost containment.
Zachary Owens, a junior, said he had his doubts about the 0-0-0 initiative working.
“The numbers say we’re doing good, but they also say we didn’t reach our target goal,” Owens said. “So can we afford it[ 0-0-0 intiative]? I think that’s what really needs to be talked about next. I just hope next year they don’t hit us with some crazy increase in tuition.”
Enrollment has increased 2.8 percent over last year. The total number of students enrolled at the university is 23,503. These figures add up to a year-to-year increase of 644 students.
The number of transfer students attending EMU also increased by 11.3 percent and returning undergraduate students increased 6.4 percent.
President Martin said the increase in enrollment shows “the appeal” of EMU’s academic programs and faculty.
Retention rates of first-year students also increased. Seventy-seven percent of freshmen returned to the university compared to 72 percent for the 2008 freshmen class.
There was also a 17.29 percent increase of freshmen in academically good standing with the university and a decrease of 25.8 percent of students on probation.
EMU also saw an increase in class standing of students reaching sophomore status with 11.7 percent.
More students also had a grade point average between 3.0-3.5.
Success has been attributed to the Holman Success Center, Academic Advising and other programs available to students at the university.
Miranda Stuart, a senior, said she utilized Holman Center all throughout her college education.
“I never was on probation or anything, but whenever I didn’t understand something I would go there,” she said. “Not a lot of people I know used it and I think it shows.”
At-risk students at the university are required to participate in the Promote Academic Survival and Success program. The program includes bi-weekly meetings with Holman Center academic success coaches, skill building workshops and mandatory academic advising.
The university also changed its approach to academic advising. A dual advising model was implemented. In the model, freshmen were aligned with advisers from specific colleges. This allowed the students to advise more students.
Kelley Ambers said she’s happy to see improvement in Academic Advising, but she hopes changes will be made for upperclassmen as well.
“I’ve always had a problem with the academic advising here,” she said. “I always thought it could be way better. That’s good they improved it for the freshmen, but it would great if they could change things for us taking upper level classes.”
