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New Mexico State University Faces Challenges of Recruiting, Retaining Students

Posted on: Wednesday, 20 July 2005, 21:01 CDT

Jul. 20--The New Mexico State University Board of Regents got some bad news about university recruiting and retention efforts at its monthly meeting Tuesday.

According to numbers presented by Brad Bankhead, associate vice president for enrollment management, too many New Mexico high school graduates are leaving for out-of-state colleges and too many state university students are dropping out before they complete a degree.

"About 25 percent of New Mexico college students go to school out of state," Bankhead said. "In fact, 1,886 more students leave the state to go to college than come to New Mexico to attend college."

Focusing on a five-year study of high school graduate trends in New Mexico, Bankhead said the growth rates of state universities is 3.2 percent while community colleges are seeing enrollment growth at 4.7 percent. He noted Doña Ana Branch Community College has seen a rise of 8.3 percent.

"But the downside to those community college figures is only 15 percent of those at a community college transfer to a university."

Bankhead identified the fastest-growing group of students as those who are in a dual enrollment program; where a student takes college courses while still in high school.

Among the thorns in the retention program: 28 percent of freshmen who chose New Mexico universities did not return. The number jumped to 39.5 percent after two years and 44 percent after three years.

"We have to increase our out-of-state enrollment," Bankhead said. "If we can't figure that out, we are just another university."

Saying he wasn't shooting the messenger, Regent President Robert Gallagher told Bankhead, "Our system of recruiting and retention has failed. I'm mad because we lost $6 million in growth (in enrollments)."

Saying there was no bigger priority than recruiting and retention of NMSU students, Gallagher said the regents should each get a handful of prospective student leads so they can help make contact with students.

"I think it would be helpful if we had our students go back to their high schools and talk to their friends," said Regent Laura Conniff.

Regent Steve Lewis said he felt it would be beneficial to bring parents to the campus as often as possible, particularly in the summer just before school starts.

NMSU has an office in Albuquerque that has been a busy place as Bankhead's staff tries to cut into the stronghold of the University of New Mexico, but Bankhead said it has been a challenge.

"We've got to get on the road to get students," Gallagher said. "We've got to get athletics on the road, engineering too, and get into the high schools more. We have to be aggressive with programs that work." There was one item on which regents voted unanimously Tuesday.

Effective immediately, the former College of Business Administration and Economics with be called the College of Business. The name change ends years of a long and awkward title and will accommodate the name of a donor for the college when one is secured.

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Copyright (c) 2005, Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M.

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Source: Las Cruces Sun-News

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