By Amelia Kibbe
Editor-In-Chief
St. Bonaventure University officials said enrollment numbers for the 2015 freshmen class decreased this year, with 390 registered students compared to last year’s 435.
However, Bernie Valento, senior vice president for enrollment, added a decrease in enrollment was common among other institutions in the region, saying Jamestown Community College, Genesee Community College and Monroe Community College all reported enrollment decreases in the past couple years.
In addition to the freshman, 54 students transferred into the university beginning in the fall semester. Officials added this brings the total undergraduate enrollment to 1,687 and the graduate enrollment to 324, for a total of 2,011 students.
Valento said the number of transfers was slightly lower than last year’s 60 students.
He said despite new admission initiatives, freshmen enrollment outcomes ended up below projections, which aimed to improve upon the 2014 freshman enrollment.
He added the new initiatives included expanding recruitment activities in secondary markets such as New England and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, investing in additional marketing and recruitment strategies and making adjustments to merit and need-based financial aid packages.
According to Valento, St. Bonaventure achieved an 86 percent freshman-to-sophomore retention rate, which improves upon last year’s rate of 84 percent. He credited the First Year Experience, orientation and other university programs with the retention rate increase.
“Retention – like recruitment – is everyone’s business, and all who contribute to these processes are to be congratulated for this accomplishment – led by our Student Success & Retention Committee which is chaired by Dr. Nancy Casey,” he said.
He said officials are already planning new strategies to increase enrollment in future years.
“We are planning to launch new online degree completion programs that will definitely position us to expand our reach to this population – including to nontraditional student populations that we do not currently serve in large numbers,” he said.
Valento continued, “We have several strategic initiatives under way to grow enrollments next year, and they include the addition of academic programs such as cybersecurity, continuing focus on secondary markets with growth potential, developing international recruitment markets and investing in co-curricular magnet assets such as club sports. We have also expanded our school counselor outreach efforts to include print and electronic communication plans as well as regional and on campus events.”
He said he hopes the new plans will begin to take effect immediately.
“We expect these investments will begin to show positive results beginning in the fall of 2016,” he said. “In short, we were aiming to enroll as many students as possible amidst a challenging enrollment and economic environment.”
kibbeaa13@bonaventure.edu
