Fall 2010 enrollment nears record high for CSUEB freshmen
- September 17, 2010
This story has been updated; it was originally published August 18, 2010.
Almost 2,500 new Pioneers are expected to arrive for fall classes at California State University, East Bay, making it another record-breaking year for first-time freshmen — even as statewide enrollment at the CSU was capped by recent budget cuts. The university also achieved notable growth in other admission areas, including enrollment in science programs and a high volume of applications for both its undergraduate and graduate programs.
According to Greg Smith, associate vice president for Planning, Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, the freshman class headcount may top Fall 2009 numbers. "We'll be very close to last year, which was our largest freshman class ever at 1,444," he said. "We're on track to match or top that."
Final enrollment data will be announced after the start of the fall quarter, but the class targets include 1,300 students from California and the U.S. and approximately 140 international students.
Though the CSU system required all campuses to reduce enrollment targets in 2009 and 2010, for CSUEB that has translated to more of a plateau than a reduction, Smith explained. Overall, student enrollment grew 8 percent in 2008-09, with significant increases in students new to the university. First-time freshmen increased by 20 percent in 2006-07 and then again by 30 percent in 2007-08; undergraduate transfers grew by 7 percent in 2006-07 and 18 percent in 2007-08.
Despite the highly publicized cuts in budget and enrollment to the CSU, CSUEB received a record number of applications for Fall 2010 — almost 17,000, more than 9,000 from high school seniors.
"We are one of the campuses still growing in popularity," Smith said, "although not as fast as before." CSUEB's strategic plan originally called for the university to increase enrollment up to 20,000 students by 2020.
This year's freshman class continues another trend from 2009, Smith added, with increased numbers of students meeting or exceeding the minimum CSU requirements for admission. Because the applicant pool overall has more qualified students, he explained, the university is able to admit a class of students who are better prepared for college success.
Cal State East Bay will also welcome more than 1,000 transfer students this fall, said Amanda Segura, director of enrollment development. The university now only accepts applications from upper division students, a change from previous policy that has led to a reduction in the number of transfer students entering CSUEB each year.
"Our biggest feeder community colleges continue to be our local partners in Alameda and Contra Costa counties," Segura said. In 2008, 920 students transferred from institutions in those areas, representing more than 44 percent of all new transfer students, she said.
As many as 70 percent of entering freshmen also come from the university's local draw areas. But Segura said CSUEB has worked to increase the number of new freshmen students from other parts of the state; the Central Valley grew by 88 percent from 2007-08 and other California counties grew by 36 percent overall.
"Our freshman classes are generally more diverse geographically," said Smith. "It's a great experience for local students to be in a class with someone from Southern California or the Central Valley."
Mirroring the university's growth in enrollment over the past few years, the College of Science 2008 overall annual enrollment grew the most, 18 percent, twice the previous year's growth rate. Segura noted that most of that increase was in graduate programs. The College of Education and Allied Studies saw the most growth in undergraduate programs with a 20 percent increase.
Also in 2008, enrollment in the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences grew by 9 percent and the College of Business and Economics overall experienced a growth rate of 5 percent in 2008 compared to no growth the year before in either college.
Graduate student enrollment will remain the same as last year, with about 600 new domestic graduate students, according to Smith. As in previous years, they will be joined by approximately 260 international graduate students. Estimated graduate enrollment numbers do not include students enrolling in certificate or post-baccalaureate programs through the Division of Continuing and International Education.
Segura said the university has seen an increase in graduate applications, however, which she attributes to the slow economy. "People aren't working, so they think about coming back to school, getting a new degree," she said.
In August, CSUEB also began accepting applications for winter and spring quarters, which Segura said will continue at least through Sept. 27 or until further notice. Federal stimulus funding, announced Sept. 16, will allow the CSU system to begin a limited admission of new students and partially restore course sections and student services for the upcoming winter and spring terms. Read more about the ARRA funding for CSU spring admissions.
According to Segura, Cal State East Bay has received more than 1,000 applications for spring and roughly 500 applications for winter. “We are hoping that we will in fact be able to give fully CSU eligible students an alternative to enroll in winter or spring rather than have to wait until next fall,” she said.
The uncertainty about winter and spring admissions stems from an overdue California state budget. Last year, all CSUs closed spring admissions, but budget proposals currently under consideration include funding for additional CSU enrollment.
If the state budget does not include additional funding, anyone who has applied for spring will be able to amend their applications to be considered for Fall 2011 or withdraw them and receive refunds of the application fees. But Segura said the university has guaranteed to evaluate the applications of all current or former members of the military for winter and spring acceptance, regardless of the budget.
Looking to Fall 2011, the application period begins in October and will stay open at least into December. Smith said the university expects a fairly consistent number of applicants from both first-time freshmen and transfer students. Effective Fall 2011, however, the transfer program will be officially declared "impacted." Under impaction, only upper division transfers meeting all requirements and deadlines will be considered for admission, and some categories of transfer applicants may have to meet standards higher than minimum CSU eligibility.
Although it is not certain when the university will have the budget to resume its plans to increase enrollment, Smith said CSUEB is still sending a positive message to aspiring Pioneers.
"There is a place for you here," he said. "Maybe not during the first term you wanted to be here, but if you meet the requirements, you can come to Cal State East Bay and get a great education."