ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, June 15,1996 TAG: 9606200002
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Virginia's four-year colleges expect to see enrollments increase 3.2 percent this fall, which may be the start of an enrollment boom that school officials have been anticipating for years.
The state-supported schools are projecting an additional 4,619 students. With community colleges included, Virginia is expected to welcome 5,590 additional full-time college students, bringing total statewide enrollment to about 225,000 in the fall.
All 15 four-year schools expect enrollment increases except Norfolk State University, which is anticipating an 0.5 percent decline. Clinch Valley College expects the greatest increase, 14.9 percent, followed by Virginia Military Institute at 10 percent and James Madison University at 8.1 percent.
For several years, Virginia's colleges have been planning for an enrollment surge caused by the state's steady growth and the rising number of students in middle and high schools nationwide. The boom is projected to bring 62,000 more full-and part-time students to the state by 2000.
Initially, the State Council of Higher Education predicted the increases would start in 1994. When that didn't occur, some colleges struggled to fill their freshmen classes and had to slash overly optimistic budgets.
Some of the state's most selective schools, such as the College of William and Mary, overcompensated by accepting more applicants than usual - only to see a higher-than-expected number of freshmen enroll.
But overall, the effect of the smaller-than-usual entering classes was enrollment drops at nine of the 15 four-year colleges over the past two years, according to data from the state council.
Fast-growing colleges, such as George Mason University in Fairfax, were unaffected. But less selective schools and those in more rural areas were hard hit.
From 1994-95 to 1995-96, Clinch Valley College and Radford University, both in Southwest Virginia, saw enrollments drop about 5 percent and 6 percent, respectively. The next largest declines were at Virginia State, 3.5 percent, and at Virginia Tech and Christopher Newport University, 2.3 percent.
``It's the bottom of the high school graduation curve,'' Michael Mullen, the state council's deputy director, said of the figures. ``The question is whether the [boom] will start for all institutions this fall or in the fall of '97.''
At Virginia Tech, officials believe the boom has arrived. The upcoming class of 2000 will be Tech's biggest on record, with 5,100 of this spring's 16,440 applicants accepted for admission. About 4,800 of those students - nearly 100 more than last year - are expected to descend on the Blacksburg campus in late August.
``There's no question we've all stepped up recruitment efforts,'' said Tech spokesman Lawrence Hincker. ``But just look at the high school graduation rates. There are more kids graduating this year in Virginia and the mid-Atlantic region.''
VMI expects to enroll 420 new cadets this fall, up from a low of 351 freshmen four years ago, school officials said.
VMI officials credit new recruitment efforts and better coordination with alumni chapters for much of that increase. They also concede, though, that VMI's legal fight to remain one of the country's last all-male colleges has provided unprecedented free publicity.
``You've got to believe that any time your name is out there in front of everyone, it can't hurt,'' said Lt. Col. Michael Strickler, VMI's public relations director.
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