UW-L reports record number of students

UW-L kicked off a new school year last Tuesday with the largest student population in over twenty years with about 8,700 undergraduate students enrolled. The increase in student enrollment has effected campus interests from residence and dining halls to university funding.

With campus growth, crowding in several university buildings has been evident. Because of the demolition of both Baird and Trowbridge Halls, on campus housing has been limited. To compensate for the near 400 room shortage some 175 double rooms in mulitple dorms have been turned into triples in addition to already converting residence hall studies into five person rooms. Textbook rental also had book shortages in a few high volume courses. Many students have also noted long lines in dining halls at certain times.

But perhaps the most noteworthy result of increase in population according to university officials was the significant increase in freshmen population. Provost Kathleen Enz Finken stated freshmen enrollment numbers are essential to the campus' funding from the state.

"In a time when state resources to support Higher Education are being continually reduced, freshmen numbers are critical to determine how much revenue UW-L will receive from the state. We have to meet a certain target each year in Student Credit Hours to receive full amount of tuition revenue and if we exceed that target, we have the possibility to gain additional funds," Enz Finken said.

Although the numbers are preliminary because the Official Day of Record for fall 2009 is September 21, the school is expecting around 1790 new freshman Teri Hinds, Director of Institutional Research explained.

To handle the increase, UW-L has added additional class sections to keep classes to effective sizes. Traditionally students have had to wait for several semesters to get into vital classes freshman need such as math and composition courses. According to Enz Finken lab classes are still very tight, but administration is working on the problem in a timely manner.

"Our goal as a university is to ensure that students can get the classes they need on time so that their graduation is not delayed. With the current shortage of classrooms it is apparent why the new academic building is needed," Enz Finken said.

UW-L was able to accept more students through its Growth, Quality, and Access plan which expands enrollment and adds faculty and staff over the next five years. This year the school alone added 47 new faculty and 10 new staff members.

Several other local facilities increased staff including the La Crosse Police Department. University Police also announced they would increase patrol with more students on campus.

Following a report published in May 2009, The University of Wisconsin Systems 10-year trend study shows that the total enrollment in the UW Systems 26 campuses are up by 12 percent since 1998. UW System President Kevin P. Reilly cited that amidst the budget cutbacks and challenges they may bring, campuses are essential to the economic and cultural well-being of their regions around the state, and this growth will be increasingly important to the economic vitality of the entire state.