News > April 5, 2007

By Meg Mirshak

Staff writer

Ask any student why he or she chose the university over other college options, and a common response will be the university’s small student body size. In a 2005 survey of entering freshman on reasons for choosing the university, 69 percent identified size of the college to be “very important.”

So why have enrollment numbers soared in recent years? While the 2006-’07 Strategic Plan does not include a statement on examining an increase in the student population, the Situation Analyis Databook provides evidence that enrollment numbers are growing steadily.

An Enrollment Growth Committee, co-chaired by senior vice president Nancy Suttenfield and dean of college Deborah Best, has been appointed to study the size of the university. According to Best, the committee will consider housing, dining and student-teacher ratio before making a recommendation to university President Nathan O. Hatch and the Board of Trustees.

The number of students studying abroad is among the aspects the committee will examine. “We want to insure we have a vibrant, academic campus community,” Best said.

In 2003-’04, the university implemented an enrollment increase due to more students studying abroad, thus being absent from the Reynolda Campus.

The university lost tuition and other revenue that could have been used to support faculty salaries and other initiatives. The campus facilities, like dining and housing, were being underutilized.

“While we continued to state that our undergraduate enrollment was approximately 4,000 students, in reality we never had more than about 3,600 students taking courses on our campus,” Provost William Gordon said.

However, according to the Situation Analysis Databook, the total undergraduate enrollment increased from 4,128 to 4,263 students in 2005.

When excluding those studying abroad and in joint graduate degree programs, the Reynolda Campus population grew from 2004 to 2005 by 108 students. In 2006, 1,125 freshman students enrolled at the university, a large increase from the 989 freshman in 2001.

Total undergraduate enrollment swelled to 4,321 students, bigger than ever before.

Accompanying figures in the Situation Analysis raise questions about the implications of a larger class size.

Although applications for admission have reached record numbers, the entering students exhibit less than standard qualifications for admission.

In 2004, 64.9 percent of entering students graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class.

This number plummeted to 60.9 percent in 2005, lower than the percentage in 2001.

The percentage of academic classes with enrollment of fewer than 20 students has also fallen from 61 percent in 2001 to 54 percent in 2005.

More classes have more than 50 students and the average class size increased from 19 students to 20 in 2005.

From 2001 to 2005, full-time teaching faculty members employed by the university grew from 357 to 368. However, the student-to-faculty ratio still rose slightly to 10.1 students for every one full-time faculty member.

Each year, graduating seniors are surveyed on their college experience, including satisfaction with a number of areas of the university.

When questioned about their satisfaction with class size at the university, 73 percent of seniors were satisfied in 2005 compared to 84 percent in 2001.

Although university officials said housing was underutilized when more students began studying abroad, housing facilities are nearing capacity as more students enroll at the Reynolda Campus. In the fall of 2005, 99.3 percent of housing was utilized, leaving just 13 spots unfilled.

According to director of residence life and housing Donna McGalliard, the current residential capacity on campus is 3,044.

This is an increase from published data stating the capacity was 3,024 in 2005.

“We have not encountered a problem with exceeding the capacity of our halls. There is a plan to reconfigure our space if it becomes necessary,” McGalliard said.

Future plans to build new residential buildings are unclear.

Any decision to be made awaits the outcomes of the Strategic Plan. “If needed, both dining and housing will be enhanced. Studies are currently looking at it,” Hatch said.

According to the Situation Analysis of the Strategic Plan, “The large majority of constituents, particularly undergraduates, parents and alumni believe the undergraduate student population should not grow.”

Hatch said, “Value of community is at the heart of Wake Forest and any decisions will maintain the academic community.”

Student Government president and member of the University Planning Council senior Shannon Philmon expressed concerns about a larger student body on the quality of student life at the university.

She said that if more students were forced to live off campus, social life would be brought further away from the Quad.

“The sense of community at Wake Forest is already strained,” Philmon said. “I came to this university because of its character and community, a feature that will be lost and easily comparable to other universities if the student body becomes larger.”

In an internal assessment that is part of the Situation Analysis, 75 percent of undergraduates at the university said sense of community is “very important.” Eighty-four percent of board members agree.

According to Hatch, the University Planning Council is examining the enrollment of the university and a possible increase in size of the student body. However, no change will be made for next fall.

“Wake Forest has grown over time but has maintained its quality of life,” Hatch said. “No one wants to see the character of Wake Forest change.”

Note: The 2006-2007 Strategic Plan Situation Analysis and Databook can be found in the Forms and Documents Library of Wake Information Network.