Fall enrollment numbers peaked to record headcount and FTE numbers. EWU exceeded its 2% enrollment growth goal for the fall 2014 term. Overall student headcount reached 13,453, a 4.7% increase from fall 2013. In terms of new student enrollment, our freshman class grew by 7% (112) students to a near record 1,585 students. The new freshman class is more ethnically diverse than in previous years. EWU saw growth with Hispanic, Black, Native American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, and two or more ethnicities. International and Asian American populations decreased slightly. Overall, students reporting as ethnically diverse grew to 36% of the population (up from 33% last fall).
Several new grants are allowing us to expand our programs. The Aurora Foundation has funded expansion of the Veterans Resource Center “Got Your 6” training. Higher One has provided a grant for Housing and Residential Life to increase financial literacy training programs for students.
Career Services is having a very busy fall quarter. Fall accounting recruiting is at an all-time high. Firms from across the State of Washington have been interviewing our public accounting students for full time jobs and internships in tax and audit. In addition to accounting, we recruited 40 companies for our second annual Computing and Engineering Career Fair in October and have had an active visitation schedule, including Amazon and the CIA.
On October 23, Housing and Residential Life hosted the 11th Annual House Calls event. A record number of faculty and staff, 80 total, participated in visiting with students in the halls. Feedback has been very positive. Occupancy continues to be at record highs, over 2,000 students in all eight facilities.
The start of the new school year is always a flurry of activity for Student Life, filled with student engagement programs and resource offerings for new students, including an estimated 1,300 student participants in EWU Welcome Week (fall orientation) programs, up 27% from the previous year. Approximately 900 students attended Convocation, up 16% from the previous year. And despite the inclement weather during most of Eagle Spirit Week (combined Homecoming and Parent and Family Weekend), festivities were a big success. The Parent and Family Brunch exceeded our expectations and had to be relocated to the Walter and Myrtle Powers Reading Room to accommodate the 220 registered parents and family members (up nearly 150% from the previous year).
EWU has been actively engaged in ensuring our policies, practices and programs are responsive to the new Federal guidelines regarding sexual assault. A team comprised of faculty and staff from academic affairs, student affairs, the president’s office, athletics, campus police, and social work recently participated in the Council of President’s forum on preventing sexual assault.
