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File photo
In this July 2008 file photo, Caleb Moxley gives transfer student Elaine Prater a tour of Randolph College. Randolph College expects 160 students in its incoming class, down from 180 last year.
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A survey of projected enrollment at area colleges for the coming year shows an expected decline in the number of students at Randolph College, while Central Virginia Community College and Lynchburg College anticipate record enrollments.
Liberty University and Sweet Briar College, meanwhile, will remain about on pace with recent years.
In its third year of coeducation, Randolph College expects an incoming class of about 160 students, about a third of whom are male, said John W. White, dean of enrollment and financial services. Last year, the college drew 180 new students.“It’s a little shorter than what we would have expected,” he said. “In the short term it impacts us, but I think we are still focused on the long-term goals … Every institution goes through a period of building years, and I think that’s where we are at this point.”
White said that number is “pretty fluid” and could grow in the remaining weeks of summer.
“We have, in the past, seen gains in our enrollment between now and the end of summer,” he said.
Overall, he said, the school’s population for the coming year is estimated at “about 500-plus.”
Last year’s population of about 600 students was the college’s lowest in at least 25 years.
White said the college has seen an increase in interest from potential students for future years.
“We really have no doubt that we’ll be able to meet our long-term enrollment goals,” he said.
While the economy may be playing a role in those declines, at Central Virginia Community College the same issue is contributing to a booming enrollment.
“I think it is a national trend that people are going back to school because of the economy,” said Judy Graves, CVCC’s dean of enrollment management. “That’s the situation of the way things are right now.”
The school still is about five weeks out from the start of class and enrollment numbers will fluctuate in that time period, she said.
But signs point to a busy school year.
Enrollment for the current summer session increased 15 percent over the same period last year, Graves said.
And overall last year, CVCC attracted about 5,600 students, she said, which was a nine percent increase over the previous year.
“We do see a trend of more adult students coming back because of the economy and the loss of jobs,” she said. “But we are also seeing a number of students applying here and going to school for 2-year degrees or using us as a stepping stone to go to a 4-year school.”
Lynchburg College also is expecting a large freshman class.
The school has seen several back-to-back years of record enrollment and is expecting to continue that trend this year, said Rita Detwiler, vice president for enrollment management.
LC had hoped to attract 550 new students, and instead will have more than 600, she said. Including transfer students, that number is closer to 700, she said.
In all, the college is expected to have about 2,500 students in the fall.
“Enrollment is very strong and very stable,” Detwiler said.
Liberty University also is holding steady and expects to hold its incoming class at about 3,500 new undergraduate students, said Registrar Larry Shackleton.
Last year, the college announced its first-ever enrollment cap as it enacted a plan for campus improvements before allowing more growth. The upcoming year will continue that plan, Shackleton said.
LU expects an overall population of about 11,500, roughly the same as last year, he said. To maintain that level, the college likely will again enact an enrollment cap in the coming weeks.
“The challenge this year is how many beds we have got,” he said.
“The percentage of returning students that are wanting to live on campus is a lot higher than in recent years. We have around 6,800 beds on campus, and right now we are within 100 and 150 of filling every single bed.”
Sweet Briar College is hoping not to have that problem this year with the opening of 50 new dorm spaces.
The college is hoping to draw in a first-year class of about 200, which is a “moving target” in the final month before students return, said Dean of Admissions Ken Huus. That would be a decrease from last year’s 225, which was the largest class in 25 years.
In total, the college expects about 675 students; 50 of the lucky ones will be in the new dorms.
“They were snatched up by students immediately,” Huus said. “They were the very first thing to go in our housing process.”
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In response to the comment “...administration and faculty always thinking it was better than it really was,“ since when is pride such a bad thing? Administrators, professors and students have all the reason to think highly of Randolph because it has a proven track record.
According to collegeboard.com, the middle 50% of incoming students at Lynchburg College have an average SAT range between 910-1130, Sweet Briar 980-1230, and Randolph 990-1230. Randolph College attracts students from over 40 states and 40 countries. 90% of the full-time faculty have the highest degrees in their field. We were placed on the “best and most interesting” list by the Fiske guide to colleges. I’d say that Randolph attracts quality students and prepares them well for the future.
While we do not offer “Computers” as a major, we do offer a minor in Computer Science. It is comprised of mostly higher level math and statistics courses. Students can also gain a major or minor in Business.
I’m not sure when you (or your friend) visited campus, but there are definitely events for the campus community. With the addition of lights to the Dell this past year, it is utilized not only for events well known in the area such as Commencement and the Greek Play, but also other social gatherings. Clubs and organizations plan at least one big event for students on the weekends. The MAC fun day and Summer Send Off concert are arguably two of the biggest events of the year, both held in the Dell ampitheatre.
Just because we don’t have a greek life on campus, does not mean that there is a lack of options available to students. Seeing as how Lynchburg has not fully embraced college students nor provided a social venue for us, we HAVE to plan weekend events.
I think that in order to get an accurate view of the College (I’m sure much has changed since you were here), you should come visit. Take a self guided tour or try to interact with students here. It has been my experience that people will stop and say “Hi!“ and smile when you pass by them. Maybe you’ll be able to assess the College for yourself and see why we can live up to the high standards we boast.
Dear Magsamz,
In your time working for the college, you clearly did not learn the importance of proper and accurate research. Here is the link to the current majors at the college; note the business major.
http://www.randolphcollege.edu/x64.xml
Computer Science courses are taught at the college. Most students who take these courses are students that need to understand how to engineer their own software to process their research data.
As for what you witnessed with students not having jobs lined up right away and going to graduate school because they have nothing better to do, consider this.
If you log onto my.usajobs.gov, you will notice that all the well paying (G5 level and up) positions require either a MA or four years experience. Clearly a college grad will not have four years experience, so grads’ have to choose among either getting a job where they are either underemployed or overqualified (like computer entry at Amazon.com), or going to graduate school. In thinking about long-term career goals, it is not surprising most grads choose to continue their education.
Just from a distance this school seems poorly managed and is still fighting between being Randi-Mac or what it needs to be to attract students to it’s campus. That means that it needs to invest in it’s campus, open itself up to the community so that people will come there to learn and to offer classes that will immediately impact people’s chances for getting and keeping jobs. Usually that revolves around computers, business, and management. Hosting events and seminars, inviting speakers in, and new course offerings would all help. That takes a lot of money and commitment though.
re: magsamz comment on “real world useful subjects like Business and Computers.“
I am a recent grad who is now in said real world. I think my education at rmWc was an excellent one (administration, on the other hand . . .) and I do not think that such “real world” subjects could have enhanced that, except that I guess I could afford to be more fluent in excel and powerpoint.
As for you not noticing any activities in the Dell except for the Greek play, well, you’re just not looking at the right time.
Also: cutting departments and reducing the variety of classes does not help the institution’s case. I spent a lot of time jealous of the classes that my friends at other colleges got to take while I was reading our continuously shrinking course catalog. So depressing.
As someone who was a member of the class of 2009, I can say that there are some good things about Randolph College. The professors are attentive, caring, encouraging human beings who give everything they can to their students. The potential education one can receive from Randolph is incredible.
When I arrived at the college, it was Randolph-Macon Woman’s, and I’d be lying if I said I’ve been okay with the “transition”. I can honestly say that I’ve never been more miserable in my entire life. But that was partially my own choice; I could have left. I stayed because I loved my professors, I loved my friends. I loved the community that I entered into, and I was devastated to see it destroyed the way it was. My class was lost. 2010 was lost. 2011, although not ignored by the administration the way we were, bore the brunt of our frustration and anger, and many of them will be forever affected by the pain and cruelty they bore witness to. Our anger was largely misdirected at them. The school will be scarred by this. I have been scarred by this. I will probably be affected for the rest of my life.
But I saw hope in the class of 2012. They were the first class not caught between the limbo of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and Randolph College. They might yet have the positive, “normal” college experience that we all deserved. I sincerely hope that they love the college the way I did when I first got there.
If the school can remember that Randolph College is in fact an ACADEMIC institution, and not just a holding pen for athletes, it may yet be saved. The sparkle may be dimmed, but I have seen some really beautiful people willing to bring it back; “survivors” from 2011, new students from 2012, a certain professor in the history department who continues to encourage me to achieve my dreams, another professor who continues to encourage me even after he left the college himself (I’m sure you know who you are. All of you, and the sisters from my own class, 2010 and the classes above mine, made all the pain I went through worth it). It is people like you who can keep the R-MWC spirit alive.
We need to remember not to alienate the professors who made the school what it was, because they are just as much the life-blood of the institution as the students. The traditions of the college also need to be kept alive, and it’s wonderful to see new male students interested in becoming etas and gammas, participating in Ring Week and Pumpkin Parade like their Macon sisters before them. If the administration can follow the students’ lead in honoring and remembering the past while they build the college’s future, then Randolph can make a comeback. If the trustees would rather line their pockets with the school’s demise, then everything my class, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, and the countless other Macon sisters that came before us went through will be a waste. I certainly hope that it wasn’t.
I am a current student at Randolph and I can attest to the quality education the College offers to its students. The school focuses on producing a well-rounded individual, one who is ready to tackle the world after graduating. As Mary said, we DO offer Business and Computer Science classes, because that is what is currently in demand. But we also offer a world wise education.
Imagine this, you graduate from College and are majoring in Business. What good is that Business degree if you don’t have the skills to effectively communicate (skills learned through a Public Speaking course), have an understanding of economic theory (taking an Economics class) or be successful in foreign markets (a year of Chinese)? Even though Randolph is a small school, its professors and administrators prepare students well for life beyond the brick wall.
Of course, one of the main reasons for families steering more towards bigger public universities is the economy. Families are looking for the “best bargain” and they think it can be found at a public state school. But you definitely get what you pay for. Randolph boasts small classes, which means personalized attention and interaction. How many people can say that when they are sitting in a lecture hall with 500 other students?
Of course the past couple of years have been a tough transition period, but the College continues to attract students who value the school, traditions and seek to get a world-wise education. As John said, the numbers will come with time (look at other schools who experienced the switch… W&L, RMC, Goucher) Even though the numbers may not be up to par with other schools, Randolph prepares its students for life beyond college and equips them with the skills they need to be successful.
I am guessing they do not teach composition or simple language classes.
As much as I agree that the Board of Trustees are running the school into the ground. As a 2009 gratuate I’m going to correct your comment that we Randolph does not offer “real world useful subjects like Business and Computers”. They do offer Computer Science and Business courses. At Randolph you can major in Economics, Buisness, or International Economics.
More importantly, “real world useful subjects” like English and Biology, are top major at the college.
How the college is killing itself is by focusing on sports rather than academics. For example the new track, and turf field cost upwards of $11 million. For $8 million the school could have bought a DNA Synthesizer which would attracked biology majors (especially pre-med) and researchers to the school (i.e. it would attrack money).
I believe the Bored of Trustees believed that they could up enrollment by lowering standards and investing in sports. This way suburban Mom and Dads whould shell out the tuition cost if it meant their ‘C’ average kids got into a four year school right away; however, the current economy killed this possiblity.
Please do not confuse the Professor at Randolph with the Administration. Honored and respect PhDs in their field, most of the professors at Randolph came to the school when it was R-MWC. They have their careers and lives inveseted in an institution that has been hijacked by knownothings.
I like also how your understanding of “real life useful subjects” is only Buisness and Computers. Reality is the most stable form of employment comes from majoring the Natural and Physical Sciences. Like Physics, Biology, Chemestry, and Math. All of which are majors at Randolph College.
Randolph College only has itself to blame for its low enrollment problem. It’s a badly run institution and it doesn’t teach its students real world useful subjects like Business and Computers. What do they expect? Yet, LC, LU, and even little ‘ol Sweet Briar are booming! Maybe RC needs to get off its high horse and go over to those other schools to learn how it’s done… if not, they will be a dead dinosaur sooner than they think!
BETTER?
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