By: Candice Stilwell, staff writer
You thought the effects of the 2008-2009 recession were over? Turns out, we are still seeing the effects of this economic downfall at colleges around the country, Whitworth included.
During 2008-2009, the number of children born lowered significantly, so logically, this generation of college kids is much smaller than previous ones. According to the Hechinger Report, the economic recovery after the recession did not improve birth rates.
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports that overall enrollment in higher education has dropped from more than 20 million in 2011 to less than 17.5 million to now. Becker College, in Massachusetts, saw a 21% decline in full time undergraduate students over the last five years and had to close its doors for good this past year. Even without the pandemic, schools have been struggling over the past year as student numbers saw a record decline of 13%.
Whitworth’s Vice President of Finance and Administration, Lawrence Probus, stated that before the pandemic, our first-year enrollment was at an all-time high — close to 700 students. But this year we are only at 534 first year students, which he suggests could have been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic or the “demographic cliff.”
In response to this sudden change, Probus stated, “Whitworth has reduced operating costs by several million dollars”, as well as implementing new initiatives, in hopes of boosting new enrollment levels. Some examples Probus shared include “expanding Whitworth’s engineering program, providing support for veterans, adding new undergraduate degrees and increasing support for first generation college attendees.”
These changes are an attempt to get enrollment back to where it was. Whitworth is also expanding graduate programs, hoping to receive its first group of doctoral students in physical therapy and occupational therapy soon. Whitworth staff predict that these two programs alone could produce $1 million annually, a great benefit to the university as a whole.
While this decline in attendance is scary for many universities, hopefully Whitworth will be one of the universities that can persevere through this uncertain time and continue to provide students with an education of the mind and heart.
