Increasing first-year enrolment beyond the planned 4,450 for the 2010-11 school year could cause “a lot of challenges,” Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Fred Longstaffe told Board of Governors members April 29.
“One, meeting our first-year course guarantee; two, meeting our first-year residence guarantee; and three, meeting our obligations to faculty in terms of their ability to put the classes on,” he said, noting the university is already a long way through the offering process for students.
The talk of increasing first-year enrolment was sparked with the provincial funding announcement of $310 million earlier this year to create 20,000 additional spaces in colleges and universities. As committed to in its Strategic Plan, Western’s first-year undergraduate intake is locked at 4,350. The only modification, starting in 2010-11, has been to add 100 spots for first-year international students.
Filling all of those spots is presenting its own challenge.
Gitta Kulczycki, Vice-President (Resources & Operations) said it appears only 25 of the international spots will be filled, allowing for the 75 remaining spots to be filled by domestic students, while staying within the plan.
“We are currently looking at what we can do beyond that,” she said.
While the province has set aside money for schools that boost enrolment, it is geared to covering day-to-day operating costs, not funding the additional classroom or office space.
At Senate last month, Western President Amit Chakma said boosting enrolment shouldn’t be made without careful planning because Western could lose quality. He hopes to address the issue at Senate tomorrow (May 14).