Chicago State University’s elimination of its building-hopping enrollment process has significantly contributed to a gain in enrollment – the highest among the state’s 12 public universities, school officials said.
Chicago State University’s elimination of its building-hopping enrollment process has significantly contributed to a gain in enrollment – the highest among the state’s 12 public universities, school officials said. Enrollment for the fall term 2009 rose 8.7 percent, from 4,778 to 5,193 enrollees. There are about 7,200 students at the South Side, predominantly Black state institution, up from 6,800 one year prior, according to Romi Lowe, CSU’s executive director of Enrollment Services. Traveling from one building to another to register for school can often frustrate a student. Add not so pleasant weather and the frustration mounts, along with the time spent to get it all done, said the university’s president Wayne Watson. A “one-stop” shop was needed, he said. “Normally, when they had to go to different locations to register, it would take about four hours. Now, with it all in one spot, it takes about one hour,” Watson told the Defender after a visit to the school’s Jones Convocation Center where the entire registration process is held. Lowe said calls were made to students who were having financial difficulty, those who hadn’t re-registered, to graduating high school seniors and those enrolled in the City Colleges of Chicago. “It became a full-court press from employees throughout the campus. Everybody was engaged in the process. I really think that was the major difference outside of everything now being in one location. I’ve been here for over 20 years and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Lowe said. Levon James, a sophomore and student trustee, said he’s seen the difference in student morale since the registration process change occurred. “It’s much simpler. Students can now spend a little more time on campus dealing with other school-related matters in the time saved from walking from building to building,” James said. Gread McKinnis was used to a streamlined registration system during his attendance at Illinois State University. When he transferred to Chicago State for his sophomore year, he no longer had that luxury. “I was used to going to maybe just two buildings for registration and the financial aid portion was very easy. When I transferred here I had to travel to so many places. And, when I finished the financial aid portion, it actually wasn’t complete,” McKinnis said. A year later, after the revamped registration process, McKinnis is singing a different tune and has become part of the solution. He now volunteers in the registration center. The university’s strong focus, in addition to attracting new students, is increasing the number of first-time freshman returning for the fall term 2010, said Lowe. “If we can get more returning students, that’ll help with retention and graduation rates,” Lowe said. Over a six-year period, Chicago State’s graduation rate stands at 14 percent. While the percentage appears to be low, Watson said, the university doesn’t have “traditional university students that go straight for all four years.” For the fiscal year 2009 –â•‘ from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 – 1,028 degrees were awarded. For fiscal year 2008, 974 degrees were awarded, according to CSU spokeswoman Felicia Horton. “Many of our students don’t go straight for all four years. Some have financial struggles and have to work. Some don’t have child care so they may have to skip a year before returning. We understand when a student has to take time off,” he said, adding, “Last year we graduated 1,028 students.” Founded in 1867 in Blue Island, Ill. and originally named the Cook County Normal School, Chicago State was designed as a teacher-training school. In 1972 the name changed to Chicago State University. It is the oldest independently accredited public university in the city.
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