Eastern experienced another year of enrollment growth. Preliminary indications are for just over 2% overall enrollment growth. Other indicators:
- 15% increase in freshman applications to an all-time record of over 5,100.
- Anticipate the second largest freshman class at EWU, currently at 1575 (final data available at 10th day).
- An increase in transfer applications to over 2,300, exceeding last year’s record by 1% and a third consecutive year of record transfer applications to EWU.
- New transfers are consistent with last year’s very strong incoming numbers, but be slightly below our target.
- Returning students are down from last year.
- New graduate enrollments are also down, reflecting in part a decline in applications to graduate studies, which is a statewide and national trend.
- Diversity of newly enrolled students is up over last year: freshmen up 4% to 30.2% of the class; transfers up slightly to 21.2% of the group.
- Final numbers will be available the second week of October, and a comprehensive enrollment report will be shared with the Board at the next meeting.
Our first financial aid disbursement occurred on September 19 of approximately $30 million.
College Scheduler, a planning tool, was implemented in September of 2011 and has been a huge success with students.
- This tool allows students to input break times and courses they wish to take and generate possible schedules prior to registration for classes.
- 10,588 individual students have used the Schedule Planner tool. Between September 2011 and August 2012, there were 42,821 logins by students looking for the best fit for their class schedule.
Students move in to the residence halls!
- Over 100 campus members have volunteered to assist families and students in the move in process amid a festive environment.
- Occupancy is consistent with last year and exceeding our budget pro-forma (approximately 1,640 residents).
- The new hall is progressing on schedule and a naming process has begun. We expect to share options for leadership to review by December.
- A number of summer renovation projects were completed to improve the living environment: wireless for Pearce and Streeter, renovated showers in Streeter. Kitchen remodels in Pearce and Dressler to occur during the academic year
- Work on creating an international hall continues.
- We have an informational video about the New Residence Hall: http://inside.ewu.edu/housing//reshallconstruction.xml
Summer Orientation is beginning!
- For complete information, check out: http://www.ewu.edu/apply/admitted/nstpp
- We hope to see everyone at the always popular Pass Through the Pillars as we signal students’ transition to fully vested EWU students. (Monday, September 24 from 11 to noon in front of Showalter.)
- Student Affairs folks are excited to provide a warm welcome to new and returning students. As with past years, staff expect to be out in force on the first day of school with “ASK ME” buttons and maps to help students find their way. For more information, contact Karen Marsh.
- And, don’t forget to visit the Campus Mall on Friday, September 28 (10 am to 1 pm) for the annual “Neighbor Festival”.
419 students with disabilities are registered for fall quarter.
- This number is consistent with attendance patterns of recent years. We continue to see growth of this population, as EWU is increasingly viewed as accessible and welcoming to students with disabilities.
The new Veterans Resource Center opened on July 10th with a ceremony involving the campus community and veteran organizations from throughout the region.
- Dave Millet is the new Director, and staffing includes a GI benefits coordinator, an advisor/recruiter, Vet Corps navigator, and numerous student workers, as well as faculty liaisons from every college and the library.
- The physical space includes administrative offices, lounge, kitchen, and computer lab.
- Lane Anderson (GI benefits coordinator) was awarded the Bill Pearson Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Veterans Education Specialists (WAVES).
- Summer quarter saw 210 student veterans working on completing their degrees; and we project to have over 600 student veterans enrolled in Fall Quarter.
- The new Center is kicking off “Got Your 6” faculty and staff training program as a way to educate the campus on the military and student veterans’ unique challenges and needs.
- The staff and student veterans have been involved in several community engagement events throughout the summer such as a presentation to Spokane Rotary 21, a joint rafting trip with the “Wounded Warrior” program and EWU EPIC, and several recruiting and veteran fairs.
You won’t want to miss Homecoming October 15-20.
- The theme this year is Super Swoop (superheroes). The Homecoming Committee is busy finalizing the marketing materials and the week’s schedule of events. Kudos to Stacey Reece for her leadership of this effort once again.
EWU will again host “The Grind” Rail Jam Ski and Snowboard Competition (10/27/12 on the JFK Library Field).
- This is the largest open invitational rail jam on any campus in the US with over 80 participants including professional and amateur athletes and 500 spectators.
We concluded our hiring for the Dean of Students/Associate Vice President for Student Life. Amy Johnson, Ph.D. Amy comes to us from USC, where she was most recently the Senior Associate Dean of Students. See Amy’s Bio elsewhere on this page.
Twelve students from Beta Alpha Psi (Accounting club) along with Career Services staff were invited to tour the big four accounting firms plus two other accounting firms in Seattle and Bellevue.
- Students were given presentations on a wide range of professional topics by the accounting recruiters and received coaching and advising from staff during the trip.
Counseling and Psychological Services was recently re-accredited by IACS, the International Association of Counseling Services, Inc.
Looks like another good year for Club Sports:
- EWU Sportsman Club qualified two teams at the nationally televised Regional Collegiate Fishing Championship in Utah in August, placing 15th and 16th. They’ve brought EWU some new national market exposure among anglers.
- Last year our Baseball Club finished in the top 30 nationally, and this year all the students are returning. Should be another great season.
