I I i ~ I New Enrollment Trend Prompts A Reevaluation _ lohn I . Radcliffe " Rules are made to be broken" is a cliche that could be applied to. the c liche, "What goes up must come down." That is the status of enrollment at Harding . Regarding the enrollment, cli ~ ches and other old views need to be exchanged for a new pers pec~ tive. For the first time since 1969, Harding experienced a notice~ ab le decrease in enrollment for the fall as well as the spring semesters. Fall enrollment peak~ ed at 2,972 after a high of 3,084 two years before. Last year's record spring enrollment of 2,879 was followed by a figure of 2,808 for this year . These figures were not in themselves distressing as they reflected national trends . The pool of ava ilabl e college candidates was lower then in recent years and there were more jobs which required skills training in~ stead of a college degree. In addition to the general trend, Harding had other reasons for a drop in enrollment. According to Durward McGa ha, director of admissions, competition for Harding's students was stiff from community co ll eges and sister in~ Patricia Miller/Plymouth, FL Timothy S. Mitchell/W. Monroe, LA Elizabeth Ann Mitchum/Chattanooga, TN Cheryl Montgomery/Cus hing, OK John Douglas Moody/Texarkana, TX Deborah Lynn Moon/St. Louis, MO Melanie Moon/Searcy, AR Warren Mooney/Ha rdy, AR Earl Moore/Columbus, MS Mary Moore/Sea rcy, AR James Edward Moores/C hester, VA Nancy Morgan/S terling, VA Lea Ann Morris/Sea rcy, AR Morton Morris/Baton Rouge, LA Teresa twt'orton/Rockford, Il Jessica Moseley/Fa rmington, NM Kelli MulhollenWyn ne, AR Amanda Mullens/Dallas, TX Jacqueline Myatt/New Orleans, LA Shawn Myers/St. Elmo, IL Kerry Nabb/Tucker, CA Carolyn Neal/Hot Springs, AR Chad Necessary/Springfie ld, OH Cheryl Nelson/Sikeston, MO John Nelson/Va ndalia, OH Lori Nelson/Vanda lia, OH Sheri Nelson/Florissant, MO Robert Nesbit/Littl e Rock, AR Lisa Joy Newlin/Huntsv ille. AL Shannon Newsom/Dallas, TX Michelle Noblitt/Vien na, VA Bradley Noffsker/ lnche lium, WA Larry Dale Norris/Memphis, TN Tammy NorriS/Swif ton, AR Ginger Norvell/Springdale, AR Nickie Norvell /Sa n Augustine, TX Da... id Null/Semmes, AL James Nutt/Lilburn, CA Ke... in O'Cull/Carmel, IN stitutions. Non-traditional students (those who are 25 years old or older) and minority students made up less than 3.5 percent of Harding's student body. On the average, these groups comprised over. 30 percent of all students in ali coli eges. " This is where coll eges are g<r ing to pick up and get involved to keep their enrollment increasing, " McGaha said. Yet he went on to say that, " Harding has depended on the 18 year old high schoo l graduate and does depend on the 18 year old high school graduate for the majority of applica tions." McGaha was "cautiously optimistic" about future enrollment at Harding. " We can hold what we' ve got and can even have an increase if everyone puts their shoulder to the wheel ," he said. There was a positive aspect Laurie Kay Q'Dowd/Houston, TX about a sl ight decrease in enrollment, according to McGaha. He felt that student services could be improved. Whether or not the campus is better with a smaller number of students, or whether or not more creative and active recruiting should be pursued are matters for each person to decide. This year can be looked upon as a time for a changed perspective in terms of Harding'S enrollment for ali who are affected by it - administrators, faculty, staff, and present and future students. ~ - Michael Corri,an 1. Sue Bolding and Brenda McDonald, two of the non-traditional students on campus this year, prepare for class. 2. Empty chapel seats are reminders of the decrease ;n enroll. ment. Leddy-O'Dowd/261
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