IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9-21-05 CONTACT: PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE

SILVER CITY—Preliminary enrollment figures for the fall semester at Western New Mexico University show a decrease of 4.5 percent when compared to the same period last year.

According to Betsy Miller, registrar, current enrollment figures show that 2642 total students are attending classes at Western. The overall total includes figures from the extended education centers located in Deming, Gallup and Truth or Consequences.

Last year at this time there were 2767 students enrolled in the combined areas during the comparable period. In Silver City, there are 1959 students who were enrolled on census date compared to 2010 at the same time last year.

The total credit hours reported for all campuses for this fall semester are 26588 compared to 28266 for last year at census date.

“The decline in enrollment, particularly on the main campus, was expected as displaced workers that WNMU has re-trained have returned to the workforce,” said Dr. Chris Farren, WNMU vice president of student affairs and dean of enrollment management. “WNMU experienced an all-time high in enrollment as some 950 employees who had been displaced from their jobs at Stream and Phelps Dodge a few years ago were enrolled for additional training. We also had 100 soldiers from Ft. Bliss enrolled in classes. The current figures are simply an expected correction in the enrollment cycle.”

New plans are being implemented in the Admissions Office to recruit from different locations and focus on a variety of segments of the population for recruitment. The Academic Affairs office is also developing new classes and programs of interest to the community that will be unveiled in the coming month, added Farren.

“Enrollment has continued to increase since the census date figures and we will not know the final enrollment figures until the semester ends. As enrollment increases it will lessen the possible impact on university funding, ” said Farren.

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