2009-2008
News Release
REF NO.: 0
SUBJECT: Grenfell: GRENFELL ACTING PRINCIPAL CLARIFIES ENROLMENT NUMBERS; COLLEGE PREPARES TO INCREASE RECRUITMENT IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
DATE: May 13, 2009
Recently the subject of Grenfell College’s enrolment numbers has surfaced in the House of Assembly and in the media.
“We would like to take the opportunity to get the real information out to the public,” said Dr. Holly Pike, acting principal, Grenfell College.
Grenfell College’s student enrollment reached its highest mark in 2005, with a total of 1,385 students during the fall semester. Since then, Grenfell’s enrolment has gradually dropped to 1,267 in fall 2008.
“There have been reports that Grenfell’s student numbers have dropped below the 1,000 mark, but this is not the case,” said Dr. Pike. “The enrolment numbers for this academic year are actually higher than they were six years ago.”
Regardless, like many universities across the country, Grenfell College is taking steps to ensure that declining demographics do not take a toll on future enrolment numbers, with specific focus on increasing national and international student cohorts.
Traditionally, Memorial University’s west coast campus has relied on local populations to maintain enrolment numbers. Given that the number of Newfoundland and Labrador high school students eligible to attend Memorial University is continually shrinking, it is time to look seriously at aggressive recruitment in national and international markets.
“The numbers are not new or surprising,” said Dr. Pike. “We have known for some time that regional demographic trends are working against our attempts to increase our enrolments and we have increased our out-of-province recruitment activities accordingly.”
Currently Memorial University is engaged in a university-wide contract with an internationally recognized firm, Noel-Levitz, which specializes in university recruitment and retention issues. The goal is to develop an undergraduate recruitment plan. A representative from Noel-Levitz has visited campus once and will be back later this year to engage in more detailed discussions.
“Grenfell College is also seeking additional funding to support student recruitment and to develop a marketing plan to “brand” Grenfell, which is anticipated to take place once the issue of Grenfell’s governance and autonomy is determined legislatively,” said Dr. Pike. “The drop in numbers overall is a concern, but we will continue to work on recruitment and retention strategies to address the issue.”
REF NO.: 0
SUBJECT: Grenfell: GRENFELL ACTING PRINCIPAL CLARIFIES ENROLMENT NUMBERS; COLLEGE PREPARES TO INCREASE RECRUITMENT IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
DATE: May 13, 2009
Recently the subject of Grenfell College’s enrolment numbers has surfaced in the House of Assembly and in the media.
“We would like to take the opportunity to get the real information out to the public,” said Dr. Holly Pike, acting principal, Grenfell College.
Grenfell College’s student enrollment reached its highest mark in 2005, with a total of 1,385 students during the fall semester. Since then, Grenfell’s enrolment has gradually dropped to 1,267 in fall 2008.
“There have been reports that Grenfell’s student numbers have dropped below the 1,000 mark, but this is not the case,” said Dr. Pike. “The enrolment numbers for this academic year are actually higher than they were six years ago.”
Regardless, like many universities across the country, Grenfell College is taking steps to ensure that declining demographics do not take a toll on future enrolment numbers, with specific focus on increasing national and international student cohorts.
Traditionally, Memorial University’s west coast campus has relied on local populations to maintain enrolment numbers. Given that the number of Newfoundland and Labrador high school students eligible to attend Memorial University is continually shrinking, it is time to look seriously at aggressive recruitment in national and international markets.
“The numbers are not new or surprising,” said Dr. Pike. “We have known for some time that regional demographic trends are working against our attempts to increase our enrolments and we have increased our out-of-province recruitment activities accordingly.”
Currently Memorial University is engaged in a university-wide contract with an internationally recognized firm, Noel-Levitz, which specializes in university recruitment and retention issues. The goal is to develop an undergraduate recruitment plan. A representative from Noel-Levitz has visited campus once and will be back later this year to engage in more detailed discussions.
“Grenfell College is also seeking additional funding to support student recruitment and to develop a marketing plan to “brand” Grenfell, which is anticipated to take place once the issue of Grenfell’s governance and autonomy is determined legislatively,” said Dr. Pike. “The drop in numbers overall is a concern, but we will continue to work on recruitment and retention strategies to address the issue.”
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