Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s enrollment decreased for the fifth consecutive year to 20,350 students, and the unknown status of the Monetary Award Program grant for the fall 2010 semester could force that number even lower.
Victoria Valle, assistant vice chancellor for enrollment management, said efforts have been increased to both recruit students to the university and to keep them here.
“The other thing we’re doing is we’re not making the assumption that when a student leaves us, they’re gone forever,” Valle said. “We’re making some substantial efforts to get students back who may have left.”
Valle said they would find out where students have gone after leaving the university, discover if they have any interests in coming back and then make efforts to bring them back.
Heather Eldridge, a sophomore from Murphysboro studying accounting, said she does not know if she could afford tuition at SIUC if the MAP grant does not continue to be funded.
“Tuition keeps going up, MAP grants are reinstated, but who knows how long they will be reinstated for,” Eldridge said. “That’s a big issue.”
Eldridge said she has considered going to John A. Logan College if the grant does not return.
Valle said the loss of the grant would be devastating to the university, and it would be difficult to recover in its absence.
“Quite frankly, the university doesn’t have any funding to match that,” Valle said. “What we’re hoping is that the program is funded in a real and substantial way.”
Shetara Sawyer, a freshman from Chicago studying pre-medicine, said she is considering going back to school in Chicago because she is not sure if she could get into the program she wants: fashion design.
“They want me to do too much to get into the program,” Sawyer said. “They told me my ACT scores were too low, so they said if I get a 3.0 (GPA) this semester, then I could possibly get in.”
Sawyer said if she were able to get into the program, she would probably stay at the university; otherwise she would likely transfer to the Art Institute of Chicago.
Valle said in order to better retain students, they must find out how to keep students engaged.
“We find that the students who are more engaged, both in the classroom and outside the classroom, are the ones who we tend to keep,” Valle said.
Valle said retention begins with recruitment, and it would be vital to bring students to the university with the same traits as those who have succeeded.
Valle said it is also important to help students with any needs they may have.
“If those are academic needs, we provide the support that they need,” Valle said. “If they’re social needs, we let them know what’s available for them on campus.”
Latoya Gordon, a junior from Chicago studying early childhood education, said the reason most of her friends have dropped out have been their own fault.
“They weren’t even attempting to go to class,” Gordon said. “If a person really wants to go to school and get their degree, then they can do it. But, if they’re not going to work for it, they’re not going to make it.”
Gordon said she has never even thought of leaving SIUC, and she plans on graduating in May 2011.
Lorenzo Fitzgerald, a senior from Maywood studying radio and television, said he would do whatever it takes to come back in the fall and get his degree, even if the MAP grant does not continue to be funded.
“Regardless of if it’s back or not, I’m going to have to finish,” Fitzgerald said. “I’ll have to try and get a few more scholarships or grants.”
Stile Smith can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 259 or sts34@siu.edu
