Regents consider lowering enrollment again

Kayla Webley
2004-11-19
The Daily

For the third year in a row, at today's joint Board of Regents meeting between the UW and WSU, the state's two largest universities may opt to make a joint resolution regarding lowering enrollment.

If the resolution is approved, the UW and WSU will move once again to lower enrollment on their respective campuses. This year's resolution would be the third announcement of the universities' intent to lower campus enrollment, with the first passed in 2002.

The resolution would likely, as in years past, assert that the universities will not enroll more students unless adequate funding is provided by the state purposefully made before the 2005 legislative season starts, said Norm Arkans, vice president of Universit relations.

In past year the board has used the resolution as more of a statement to the state legislature than a threat.

Both UW and WSU have been routinely over-enrolled. The UW, despite last year's resolution to lower enrollment, increased enrollment by 63 students. Last year the total enrollment was 39,136 and is now up to 39,199 students.

In 2002, the universities vowed not to increase enrollment, and the 2003 resolution added a commitment to gradually decrease the size of the student body.

The universities' goal is to reach the state-funded level for the number of students enrolled.

The joint regent meeting is an annual event, taking place every time the Huskies and Cougars meet on the football field. Today's meeting will take place at 3:30 p.m. at WSU.

"We're doing very well with our Cougar colleagues," said UW President Mark Emmert.

At yesterday's monthly regents meeting, the board approved contracts for renovating both Guggenheim and Architecture halls, part of the University's capital investment plan to renovate many of the campus's aging buildings.

The board also passed a resolution to convey studies done on the UW Bothell and UW Tacoma to the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The studies were done to decide the future growth of the respective branches of the University.

UW Bothell and UW Tacoma are not ready to speedily move to becoming four-year institutions, which, according to Student Regent Alex Bolton, is a slow process.