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Friday, Sept.
“Financial aid will not be affected.” The budget is set to be finalized at the annual Board of Trustees meeting in October. That is where board members will determine if budget cuts are necessary, and if so, who and what will be affected. Director of Residence Life Jacob Knight said there is no significant impact on the housing at this point. 16, 2016 | TheFranklinNews.com department “We’re still fairly full with our students,” Knight said. “As of [Sept. 5], we were sitting at 94 percent occupancy. Last year, we were at 103 percent occupancy at this time. In some ways, it’s a good thing, but also it definitely has a financial impact on the college as a whole.” Students pay nearly $10,000 a year for room and board, but Knight said the business office handles housing revenue. “All of our housTHE COST OF LOW ENROLLMENT ing revenue goes into the same bucket,” Knight the college’s goal number said. “[The busifor incoming freshmen ness office] sends the actual number of money back to our freshmen this year department. We’ll get an allotment cost of as our operating tuition budget, one for paying for cable on campus, it’s 25 x $29,840 = stuff like that. It is a college as a whole though that sees that drop.” what Vice President of Enrollment Coffman said Kate Coffman calls potentially any fluctuation— “lost revenue” positive or negative—has a large impact on the of names. Dan Schluge, vice president for busi- college. “If we could consistently have a numness and finance at the college, said no major changes to the budget are ber—that’s our goal,” Coffman said. anticipated as a result of this year’s low “An official goal for fall 2017 has not been set. It will be set at the fall Board enrollment numbers. “We do identify those costs that of Trustees meeting. Unofficially, our have the least amount of impact to staff is working towards a goal of 320 the student experience,” Schluge said. or higher.”
Low enrollment numbers not ‘unusual,’ but ‘impactful’ SHELBY MULLIS
shelby.mullis@franklincollege.edu
Multiply 25 students by the cost of tui- had a 357 not too long ago—and then we’ll have a historically low year and tion—$29,840. That’s $746,000 in what Vice Presi- then we’ll rebound,” Coffman said. dent of Enrollment Kate Coffman calls “What I am trying to work on with [Franklin College President Thomas] potential “lost revenue.” And with a goal of 300 students, Minar is to prevent those spikes and Franklin College departments are dips — to be one consistent [number] digging deep for solutions to avoid across year after year to hit the goal.” In an effort to prevent low enrollany major changes as a result of this year’s lower-than-usual enrollment ment in the future, Coffman said the implementation of a new sales-force numbers. As of the tenth day of class for the based database will help admissions 2016-2017 academic year, 275 new counselors reach out to a greater popstudents, including freshmen and ulation of perspective students. “Historically, colleges buy student transfer students, were enrolled in names,” Coffman said. “You take the classes at the college. SAT or the ACT or visit a college-planThat’s 25 less than anticipated. “We’re putting things in place that we ning website, and you may not realize believe will help mitigate really what you’re doing this, but you’re indicating is a one-year down turn in our num- permission for your name to be sold. bers,” Coffman said. “Historically, we Over the years, the college scaled back aim for somewhere between 300 and some of that buying because of some of 320 [new students]. The budget for that expense, but it prevented us from the college is usually set on a number really being able to build a large pipeline of students.” around 300.” Between 2010 But Coffman and 2012, Coffsaid this year’s man said the coldip in numbers lege had a pipeline is not unusual. of nearly 70,000 Every three high school to four years, seniors. the college sees In contrast, only a decrease in 20,000 names enrollment were bought in numbers, usu2015, but the perally following spective pool rose years of spikes. to 60,000 this year “We hit 300. after the admisWe hit 320. We sions department hit 320 again. began investing in Maybe a spike – Kate Coffman, Vice President of Enrollment a greater amount year—like we
“
What I’m trying to work on with Minar is to prevent those spikes and dips – to be one consistent [number] across year after year to hit the goal.
$
300 275 $29,840
$746,000
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