Grad schools lose $4.2 mil. due to decline in enrollment

The University's graduate and professional schools lost $4.2 million in tuition revenue last year, due to a 4.2 percent decrease in the schools' enrollment. But Vice Provost for Graduate Education Janice Madden said the issue goes beyond the numbers, reflecting large policy issues in the individual schools. "We have to look at why," she said, noting that in some cases, the enrollment decrease is "better? in an academic sense." Madden said many doctoral programs are purposely cutting their enrollment numbers, in order to improve the funding available for their students. "We have been improving the fellowship packages," Madden said, noting that the funds will go toward bringing "the very best graduate students" to Penn. "To compete, we need to give support," she said. However, Madden admitted that she and her staff are planning to look into the specific enrollment trends in individual departments to determine if the "details" agree with the "broader explanations." The overall enrollment statistics encompass all 12 graduate and professional schools, several of which experienced significant enrollment increases or very small decreases. The Graduate School of Fine Arts had the most significant fall in enrollment between the fall semesters of 1994 and 1995, with a 20.1 percent drop in professional students and a 9 percent drop in graduate students, according to the President's Annual Reports & Student Records System Fall Census. GSFA Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Susan Coslett explained that the decrease in enrollment was "planned" for many of the doctoral programs, adding that GSFA's Energy Management program "stopped admitting at least two years ago." The Nursing School also had a significant dip in graduate enrollment in the past year. This involved an 18.8 percent drop in professional students and an 8.9 percent drop in graduate students. Nursing School Dean Norma Lang explained that the enrollment drop involves issues beyond the University's control. "Because of changes in our nation's health care system, there are enormous choices to be made by today's health care professionals," Lang said. "We believe that our recent graduate enrollment figures reflect this state of flux." But because of the quality and reputation of the school, "we anticipate a growth in our graduate programs in the coming years," Lang explained. Graduate School of Education Associate Dean Nancy Streim said the numbers alone could not explain the policy changes occurring within the school. "We're looking to have a smaller group of Ph.D. students with more of them full-time," she said. On the professional side, Streim added, GSE had "a banner year" in 1994 with "an unusually large student body." As a result, 1995 figures might look smaller in comparison.