ABIGAIL JACOBSON
Asst. News Editor
As you’re walking to class, you may have seen a few tour guides going around the SUNY Fredonia campus.
Most of these groups we’ve seen have been large, and some may be coming in for the Fall 2024 semester.
The question is: Why?
According to an article published by The Dunkirk Observer, “SUNY Fredonia: Gains are a step in the right direction, but only the first step” they claim, “[SUNY Fredonia’s] applications for next fall have increased 7%, with acceptance numbers up 6%.”
These percentages of projected enrollment have been the highest for SUNY Fredonia since 2010.
According to Kimberlie Ball, the interim director of admissions and the associate director of operations within the admissions office, applications have been going up because of the absence of COVID-19.
“I think students are now kind of getting over that COVID home, and aren’t afraid to apply to additional colleges and aren’t afraid to apply to colleges outside of their area,” said Ball.
She also believes another reason Fredonia’s enrollment rate increased was due to SUNY’s two-week free application period.
Although students who apply here might not decide to go to Fredonia, “we’re on their radar and then they might not have thought about us … then they start to at least look at us and … they can kind of see what we’re all about,” said Ball.
It can also be important to consider how Fredonia increased enrollment.
According to Ball, “We just jumped right back into what we know how to do.” This includes recruiting at schools as far as Long Island, New York and attending virtual events.
According to the 202430 Admissions Tracking Bi-Weekly spreadsheet, data shows that SUNY Fredonia needed an estimated 5,590 full-time first-year (FTFY) applicants and as of May 1, Fredonia has received 6,209 applications.
Also according to the spreadsheet, Fredonia needed 4,120 FTFY students and as of May 1, Fredonia accepted 4,802 FTFY students. SUNY Fredonia also needed an estimate of 725 deposits paid and as of May 1, Fredonia had received 524 paid deposits.
According to Ball, she believes the incoming students from the increased enrollment and acceptance rates will help the school’s budget.
“If we can get the enrollment up, … we can help bring in some more money to the college,” she said.
Ball also believes the increased enrollment and acceptance rates will help pay off our approximate $17 million deficit.
SUNY Fredonia has officially gone through with the cutting of 13 programs, ranging from early childhood education to visual arts and new media degrees.
With these cuts being made, it’s said by The Observer, “The roadmap college leadership proposes cuts $10 million from that deficit [$17 million].”
At the end of the day, administrators and students alike agree that SUNY Fredonia needs all the money it can get to pull it out of its deficit. If enrollment is the next step towards achieving this goal, then it’s the job of Fredonia administrators to do all that is possible to improve enrollment.