Numbers Down, But Gu ‘On Solid Ground’ Enrollment This Fall Is Higher Than Budget Officers Had Predicted

Fri., Sept. 25, 1998

Grayden Jones Staff writer

Unable to replace an enormous class of spring graduates, Gonzaga University student enrollment has dropped to its lowest level in at least five years.

But the number this fall is higher than budget officers had predicted, meaning the private institution may dodge deeper cuts.

“We’re on solid ground this year,” spokesman Dale Goodwin said.

Enrollment dropped by 13 students to 4,482 as of Sept. 15, the 10th day of classes when the state requires universities and colleges to take a census of students.

In 1997, 4,495 students enrolled. By the close of the fall semester, however, more than 30 students had dropped out to shrink the final count to 4,461.

Officials at the Jesuit school had predicted in August that enrollment could top 4,600 students.

The enrollment crunch comes at a challenging time for Gonzaga, which is preparing to cut $1.5 million from its $72.7 million operating budget. The Rev. Robert Spitzer, who was inducted as Gonzaga’s 25th president last week, plans to make decisions by Oct. 15 about where cuts will be made.

Goodwin said the cuts will affect the 1999-2000 academic year. The board of trustees has approved a deficit budget of up to $600,000 for the current year.

Fall enrollment figures at Whitworth College, another Spokane private school, were not available.

Goodwin said Gonzaga welcomed 66 more transfer students than last year and 17 more freshmen. But the 566 freshmen fell short of replacing the 640 students who earned undergraduate degrees in the spring.

Another indicator of financial strength - the number of full-time students - has improved slightly. Gonzaga reported 2,547 full-time students, who generate the largest share of tuition revenue, compared with 2,543 a year earlier.

Graduate students increased by 64 students to 1,022 and enrolled in 217 more credit hours than last year’s class, Goodwin said.

However, Law School enrollment was down from 507 to 490 and doctoral students declined from 103 to 93.

Gonzaga, which is marking the 50th year since it began enrolling female undergraduates, reported that 54 percent of its students are women, 46 percent men.

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