New Mexican universities have seen increased enrollment this fall, and they’re chalking it up to online courses, new recruitment practices and, above all, the economy.
With roughly 10 percent more students attending, representatives from Eastern and Western New Mexico universities, CNM, New Mexico State and UNM all say the economy has encouraged New Mexicans to return to school.
Viola Florez, cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Higher Education Department, said a combination of the stimulus bill and the increasing need for a college degree in the workplace have contributed to the enrollment trend.
“They’re figuring out that they really do need to go to college,” she said. “Today’s jobs require a minimum of a high school degree, and most of them require a college degree. I think that a lot of our recent high school graduates are doing their college degree.”
Florez said stimulus funding has given students more opportunities for financial aid.
“The stimulus funds have increased Pell Grants and work-study funding,” she said. “That, also, is always a support for our students and that has been made available to them.”
UNM Vice President of Enrollment Management Carmen Alvarez Brown said the economic crisis has been a factor in the University’s nearly 6 percent enrollment increase, but new recruitment efforts also helped.
“I need to be realistic,” she said. “What percentage of the (increase) is the economy and what percentage is attributed to our efforts? And I would say half and half.”
Brown said enrollment management now does on-the-spot admissions and has improved e-mail communications.
Candy Guzie, associate director of Institutional Research at NMSU, said Las Cruces was not hit particularly hard by the economic crisis, but NMSU still saw almost an 8 percent enrollment increase. She said more courses offered online and higher branch campus enrollment helped NMSU’s overall enrollment increase.
“Economics is a condition that we’re all dealing with,” she said. “Fortunately, for the institution, you actually see people taking the opportunity to go to school or start a different career or something.”
ENMU spokesman Wendel Sloan said the small university in Portales had the largest enrollment in their 75-year history this fall. He attributed this to people returning to school because of the recession but also the “135-rule,” which grants in-state status to all students living within 135 miles of the ENMU campus, even if they’re from Texas.
New Mexico Tech had relatively stagnant enrollment this fall, but spokesman Thomas Guengerich said the university’s enrollment peaked in 2008.
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“It could very well be that we saw our 10 percent increase in fall 2008,” he said. “And NMSU, UNM, Eastern — it’s their turn this year.”
Guengerich said enrollment offices throughout the state’s institutions are always trying to increase enrollment.
“It’s something that all universities address constantly,” he said. “You never sit back on your laurels and hope all students find you.”
Brown said New Mexico Tech might not have seen as much of an enrollment increase this year because recruiters weren’t proactive enough.
“They need to be more aggressive in their recruitment plans,” she said.
Guzie said Tech’s lack of branch campuses — which is where NMSU attributed most of their gains — might also have been a factor in their slight enrollment decrease.
