Colleges And Universities Facing Uncertainty When It Comes To Fall Enrollment Numbers

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI)- We are roughly three months away from the start of the fall semester at area colleges and universities, and many are still waiting to find out what the college experience will look like on campus or online.

In 2019, Mississippi University for Women saw a 3.8 percent increase in enrollment, which equals 2,813 students.

Now, university leaders are hoping that number will remain the same or increase in the midst of this global pandemic.

“We want to remain optimistic that student enrollment will either remain the same or even increase, but it’s way too early in the game to tell,” said Dwight Doughty, coordinator for international student services and admissions.

Doughty said while they’re uncertain about fall enrollment numbers, one thing that is certain is they’re seeing a high volume of students filling out online applications to enroll.

“Despite the pandemic I believe that students are still interested in achieving their academic goals,” said Doughty.

MUW is preparing as if students will return to campus. That’s why the university is using innovative ways such as virtual tours, online orientation, and webinars to help them connect with prospective students.

“These methods have allowed us to keep students engaged for the days and weeks to come leading up to registration and classes starting,” said Doughty. “We have a phrase that we’ve started called “the W anywhere,” these innovations have allowed us to make The W accessible no matter where students are.”

Universities aren’t the only ones faced with enrollment challenges.

East Mississippi Community College President Dr. Scott Alsobrooks said he expects enrollment to take a slight dip when the fall semester begins.

“I think there’s a lot of uncertainty, a lot of people might fear getting back into the classroom,” said Dr. Alsobrooks.

The school president said they’re offering both online and face-to-face classes this fall, and students can choose whichever option fits them best.

“Tuition at a community college is already much cheaper than a university, so even if it’s a university student that might be a little fearful of going back to a university campus, they can enroll with us online and get the same type courses and save themselves some money, and then transfer those courses back to the university,” said Dr. Alsobrooks.

While enrollment is expected to be down early on, Alsobrooks expects that number to quickly surge as people look to develop or find a new skill to get back into the labor market.

“We are going to have those offerings out there for students, or those people that might be displaced from the labor market that want to find their way to the Yokohama’s, or the Paccars, or any of these great companies that have been recruited to this area by the Golden Triangle Development Link,” said Alsobrooks. “We want to help them solve their human resource issues and keep them at full employment, so we’re going to have classes. We are going to have lots of classes.”

MUW has created a task force to decide when students will be able to return to campus.

At EMCC, Dr. Alsobrooks said they are waiving all ACT requirements and current students will not have to pay off their current bill to enroll for the upcoming semester.