Ewu Sees Turnaround In Enrollment Drop State Withheld $3.2 Million In Funds Until Fortunes Improved

Sat., Sept. 27, 1997

Grayden Jones Staff writer

At Eastern Washington University’s admissions office, the unofficial motto is “Stop the Drop” in student enrollment.

Officials were hopeful Friday that they are about to succeed.

The university projected three months ago that enrollment would be down this fall by as many as 350 students.

But Vice President Brian LevinStankevich told Eastern’s board of trustees Friday that enrollment likely would be down 140 students, signaling that a slide in enrollment is bottoming out.

“We’ve made substantial changes, and people are beginning to notice,” Levin-Stankevich, who directs student affairs and recruitment, said in a later interview on the Cheney campus.

“It would be nice if we could turn this around and beat it. A drop of 140 for us is a trickle.”

With one week left before an official count of fall enrollment, Levin-Stankevich told the board that Eastern will enroll 6,834 full-time students this academic year, down from 6,974 last year.

The total number of students taking at least one class will be 7,771.

With Eastern shrouded in negative publicity last summer about its president resigning and state legislators withholding $3.2 million until enrollment improved, university officials were expecting the worst. Enrollment projections last month were 6,658 full-time students.

The number of freshmen from Spokane is down, but new students from west of the Cascades are up, Levin-Stankevich said.

He said discounts on campus housing, a larger pool of scholarships and more aggressive recruiting have helped boost enrollment.

In a public hearing following the board meeting, trustees took comments about the benefits of Eastern’s intercollegiate athletics. The hearing was part of a review eight years after the board set objectives for the athletic program to meet.

Trustee Jean Beschel said the university has the option of dropping to a Division II conference, which would save little money; cut all intercollegiate athletics, which would cut expenses but diminish Eastern’s appeal to students, alumni and the community; or maintain the current program.

The trustees are scheduled to vote on the options in October.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: ATHLETIC REVIEW In a public hearing Friday, Eastern Washington University trustees took comments about the benefits of the school’s intercollegiate athletics. Trustee Jean Beschel said the university has the option of dropping to a Division II conference, which would save little money; cut all intercollegiate athletics, which would cut expenses but diminish Eastern’s appeal; or maintain the current program. The trustees are scheduled to vote on the options in October.

This sidebar appeared with the story: ATHLETIC REVIEW In a public hearing Friday, Eastern Washington University trustees took comments about the benefits of the school’s intercollegiate athletics. Trustee Jean Beschel said the university has the option of dropping to a Division II conference, which would save little money; cut all intercollegiate athletics, which would cut expenses but diminish Eastern’s appeal; or maintain the current program. The trustees are scheduled to vote on the options in October.

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