RORY MACLEAN
News Editor

The undergraduate head count is up slightly this year, according to the latest enrolment report, but the University of Saskatchewan is dealing with an overall downward trend in undergraduate enrolment.

Overall enrolment is up by 454 students this year and the number of undergraduate students is up by 191, but the population as a whole is down by four per cent since 2003. The university has set a target of reaching a population of 21,000 students overall by 2010, but it will likely miss that mark.

“One of my worries is that people will forget the enrolment challenges we face given the slight increase this year,” said David Hannah, vice-president of the Student Enrolment Services Division. The population of undergraduate students fell from 17,005 in 2003 to 16,094 in 2008.

To deal with challenges posed by declining enrolment, including shrinking revenue from tuition, the university is developing an enrolment action plan.

The plan will explore ways of attracting new students from outside of the province and increasing the participation of Saskatchewan First Nations.

“It’s really crucial that we increase Aboriginal enrolment,” said Hannah.

Aboriginals represent the fastest-growing population in Saskatchewan. This poses some recruitment challenges, as educational attainment levels tend to be lower on reserves.

Hannah says the university is trying to make itself more accessible to people who are capable, but don’t necessarily have all the right credentials to enroll.

“We’ve had real challenges in the past admitting students who are homeschooled,” admitted Hannah.

Another key issue is retention. The crucial time to target students is in the first year. Approximately 85 per cent of students who fail or drop out of school do so during their first year.

“One of the main reasons why we lose students is because they don’t have a clear goal to which they are committed,” said Hannah.

He said this might call for a broadening of the academic advising process. The university has also developed first-year learning communities — small groups of students united around common courses or interests.

There is pressure on SESD to meet their targets, but Hannah says it’s not just about tuition money.

“There’s pressure on all the departments here. I’m not sure it’s driven entirely by revenue considerations, though.”

He said enrolment is a key component of positioning the University of Saskatchewan among other medical-doctoral universities in the country.