Enrollment

Tammy Yates was excited to come to Macomb seven years ago. Yates and her partner Chad Hunziker opened Chubby's, a restaurant on West Adams Street, just a few blocks from the Western Illinois University campus.

The head of Western Illinois University said plans are already in the works to attract more students, though it might take a couple years to turn around enrollment numbers that have declined for more than a decade.

Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs visited Macomb this week. He was the featured speaker at a dinner hosted by the McDonough County Democratic Central Committee.

A few years ago, when he was going to Yorkville High School, Matt Pitstick saw college recruiters roaming his school who surprised him and made his friends laugh. They were recruiters from a university more than 700 miles away: the University of Alabama. 

Doug Freed will lead Western Illinois University's efforts to attract more students. Freed is WIU's new Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Enrollment Services.

According to figures collected and released by Western Illinois University, student enrollment dropped again this spring. Enrollment at the Macomb campus for the Spring 2019 semester is down about 900 students, or 14% compared to Spring 2018. Western reported a total of 5,645 students taking classes in Macomb this semester.

Western Illinois University has seen a sharp drop in student enrollment in recent years, which means less money coming in through tuition and fees.  That, combined with decreases in state financial support – especially during the two-year state budget impasse – hurt the university's finances, leading to layoffs, furloughs, and an early retirement program.

Southeastern Community College is looking for ways to increase enrollment, even as it waits to release its official student count for Fall 2017.  President Michael Ash said community colleges focus primarily on recruiting students from local high schools. He said, though, that that is becoming more of a challenge.

Higher education has been among the areas feeling the pain from the state budget impasse in Illinois as funding has been cut.  It has forced some schools to reduce classes, lay off employees, and, in some cases, close for several days. 

There are 9,469 students enrolled at Western Illinois University this spring semester. It's the first time this century Western's student body has dropped below 10,000.

Western Illinois University's fall student enrollment is down 6.5% compared to last year. Western welcomed more than 10,373 students to campus this fall. That’s 721 students fewer than last year.

Knox College is confident the use of 21st Century technology is helping bring more students to campus.

There are 145 fewer students studying at Western Illinois University this spring than there were last year. Enrollment fell from 10,821 in the spring of 2014 to 10,676 this spring. That’s a 1.3% drop.

Andy Borst, Director of Admissions, said students leave for a variety of reasons, but he does not believe it is because of dissatisfaction with Western. 

Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas said declining student enrollment is one of the biggest problems the university faces.

One of the region's colleges is facing some unexpected challenges, thanks to a problem other colleges would do anything to have.