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State university enrollment sets record By Sara Murphy ASHLAND � While fall enrollment at Southern Oregon University has dropped a bit since last year, the Oregon University System reports record enrollment across the state. Total enrollment at Oregon�s seven public universities stands at 69,508 this fall, an increase of 2,160 students over a year ago. This year�s head count exceeds the previous state enrollment record set in fall 1980, according to OUS officials. SOU officials, meanwhile, are examining why local enrollment dropped just over 4 percent since last fall. SOU was the only state university to report a decline However, the SOU student body remains slightly larger than two years ago and officials believe the campus is still in a growth trend. "If you just look at one year at Southern Oregon University, it really doesn�t show the way the university has grown over the last five years," said Bob Bruce, an OUS spokesman. SOU�s enrollment has increased by about 11 percent since 1995, he said. SOU officials say last year�s unexpectedly high enrollment may be settling off, partially explaining this year�s decrease. The university is just now fully launching its marketing campaign, initiated a year ago to help recruit students after the state Legislature adopted a new budget model linking funding to enrollment. If the fall enrollment trend continues throughout winter and spring terms, SOU faces a budget shortfall of about $1 million, which will be covered by last year�s surplus. "I�m still optimistic that this is a temporary situation for us and that we�ll be able to be successful," said SOU President Sara Hopkins-Powell. "I don�t want people to panic. "I don�t think there�s anything systematically wrong," she continued. "If the numbers continue to plummet next year, then we have a serious problem." Marketing Director Katy Bazylewicz said this year�s decrease may reflect recent admissions changes. Last year, SOU tightened its admissions policy to try to improve its retention rates. Also, she said, the state placed an enrollment cap on students in the Western Undergraduate Exchange, a program that gives tuition breaks to out-of-state students from other western states. "We were using that as a recruitment tool and then there was a cap placed on the number of students," she said. Bazylewicz said SOU recently hired a part-time articulation agreement coordinator to forge partnerships with regional community colleges that will smooth admissions and credit transfers. The university also is stepping up its marketing campaign, which may include more advertising, direct-mail brochures and phone calls to potential students, she said. Officials say SOU�s marketing scheme likely won�t pay off until next year. Bazylewicz�s position was new to the university last year; student recruitment begins about a year in advance. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.