Wednesday, June 28, 2006

N.M. Tech expects steady enrollment

Argen Duncan El Defensor Chieftain Reporter, aduncan@dchieftain.com

Although other New Mexico four-year universities are expecting a very slight drop in fall enrollment, New Mexico Tech's numbers will likely remain steady, the director of admissions said.

However, Mike Kloeppel said other universities have a different way of tracking expected enrollment, and no one is sure of how many students will actually come.

He won't know how many students will attend in the fall until the semester starts, but the number of students who were accepted and paid an attendance fee indicates a good enrollment.

At the end of May, Tech had 306 paid applications. This is four fewer than last year and one fewer than the last three years' average of 307, Kloeppel said.

"On average over the last three years, we're right on," he said.

For Tech's summer session, registrar Luz Barreras said 749 students are currently registered. This isn't a final count because the university has several short courses, special programs aren't included and registration is still open.

At the end of last summer, Tech had 810 students. Barreras expects to have about the same number at the end of this summer.

Kloeppel said the Admissions Office doesn't recruit for summer school, and the university has limited course offerings because most professors are gone.

Fewer students are enrolling in college this year because of a strong job market and flat high school graduation rates.

In the states where Tech recruits, fewer seniors are graduating, so not as many people are focusing on an engineering or science degree, Kloeppel said. Vice President of Student and University Relations Ricardo Maestas said New Mexico rates have dropped 2 percent to 3 percent.

Also, Kloeppel said with a good job market, more students take community college classes and work. More enroll full-time in four-year universities with a weak job market.

"And that's just typical," he said.

He thinks Tech is maintaining its student numbers because recruiters do a very good job of focusing on the type of student who would succeed at the university.

Also, he said Tech attracts students who want to study there and are more focused on their goals, which leads them to research their college choices more. Many are second- or third-generation scientists or engineers.

"They're used to knowing what they want and how to get there," he said.

Over the next few years, the oil and gas situation may change, altering students' perspective. More students may decide to study in-state, Kloeppel said.

Recruiters and others will keep trying to increase the numbers, in accordance with the university strategic plan.

"It's not going to be an easy goal by any means," he said. "But that's what a goal is: you shoot for the stars and see where you end up, and then you adjust that goal."

Maestas said he plans to become more aggressive in encouraging students who apply to enroll. With New Mexico's flat graduation rates, the university may recruit more out-of-state, become more aggressive in-state and involve faculty and students in the work.

"And so we're looking at a variety of other things," he said.

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