For college administrators, the end of the seventh week of the fall semester is a little like report card day. The fall enrollment report helps us gauge how weâre delivering on our mission and how our message is resonating with incoming students. And Iâm happy to report the University of Idaho graded out quite well in 2021. We welcomed 1,656 new students â our largest freshman class in five years and an increase of 16% over 2020. Our enrollment overall is up 4.7 percent to 11,303, enrollment of first-year students from Idaho is up 5.2%, and we see positive numbers nearly across the board when it comes to incoming students. This growth is vital for the health of our university, and we appreciate the staff, faculty, alumni and community members that played a role in bringing these students to the U of I. Sustained growth is key for our state as we provide the future workforce Idaho needs and industry expects. Provost and executive vice president Torrey Lawrence and his team shape the vision for our student population based on many factors. We aim to bring in students who are prepared to succeed academically and we continue to invest in support systems to help them on their college journey. We strive to grow enrollment sustainably so our faculty, staff and facilities can best support our students. While there is much to celebrate in our enrollment numbers, one of the few disappointing numbers is our retention rate. Our number of continuing students was down slightly, and our freshman retention rate fell from 76.8% to 74.57%. The pandemic is certainly a factor in our retention numbers. But we must do a better job of keeping students engaged, removing barriers to success and supporting them through the critical early years of their college careers. Weâre working across departments and colleges to do this, offering targeted scholarships, innovative orientation programs and enhanced academic support. Thank you for doing your part to expand our Vandal family. Please continue to spread the word and share your U of I pride. |