New Students Increase, but Attrition Still High

D C Volume 10, Number 6 College at Lincoln Center, Fordham University, New York November 11-23, 1987 Convocation Celebrates Medalists9 New Students Increase, "460 Years Of Service" But Attrition Still High Fordham Unity Emphasized In Presidential Address By Mary Kay Linge to work to make this a strong college ... by 'ton- ing up' our whole program, perhaps through bet- Preliminary enrollment figures for the College By Suzanne Myron ter support systems ... the direct course is being at Lincoln Center's fall semester reveal thai taken through [Assistant Dean] Rita Hendricks' overall enrollment has dropped since the fall of "[The University Convocation] provides an Attrition/Retention Program." occasion for Fordham University to pause in the 1986 by three percent, despite a 29 percent increase in new students — meaning that the attri- This recently-established project will attempt rush and take note of itself," said University to make personal contact with all students who President Rev. Joseph O'Hare, S.J., in his tion rate among students of advanced standing is at about ten percent. have left CLC before graduation, in order to Presidential Address. The address was given dur- determine the reasons why attrition occurs and. ing the gala event on October 25 in Rose Hill's "We know that the attrition rate is still uhac- in some cases, to help those who respond return McGinley Center Ballroom. ceptably high," commented Associate Dean Ed- to school. "It's too soon to make judgements" The speech followed the presentation of the ward Bristow as he heard the new figure, which about the students that are missing this semester. Archbishop Hughes and Bene Merenti Awards was determined by the Observer using totals ob- Hendricks said. "It won't be until spring that we to meritorious faculty, and a short introduction tained from the Registrar's Office, the can make conclusions or proposals about them." Undergraduate Admissions Office, and Ihe Adult by Executive Vice President Dr. Joseph Cam- However. Hendricks' office has received some marosano. Student Services Center. For the year-to-year evaluation, the numbers used were the totals as responses from students who did not return for The convocation in the fall, as opposed to the of October 25 in both years. [At press time, there the 1987 spring semester. "Ninety-five percent one held in the spring, said Fr. O'Hare, "pro- was not enough information available to make of those who have responded have asked to talk vides an opportunity to celebrate in private what any comparisons of the new attrition rate to those lo us about their possible return to the Universi- we are, what we hold dear ... yet encourage and FR. JOSEPH O'HARE of past years, although Director of Adult Pro- ty. " she said. "They seem to be happy that we've support our differences." grams and Student Services Ully Hirsch, who has contacted them ... it made them realize that we Five Lincoln Center faculty members were tracked such figures, said that the rate has at arc interested in them." presented with Bene Merenti medals in regard Dorm "More Likely times been as high as 18 percent.] Since the 1987 One of the possible reasons for continuing at- for their service to the University. Honored for figures are not yet final, some small increases trition may be out of the school's control, Bristow ' 40 years of service were Professor of Philosophy By 1991," Says are expected by the end of the semester, par- believes: "It may be that the financial aid prob- and Assistant Humanities Chairman Bernard B. ticularly among first-time adult enrollees. lem is the cause," he said, "and if that's the case, Gilligan and Professor of History William J. there's nothing we can do." Now that the federal Murphy. Honored for 20 years of service were O'Hare The enrollment increase for new students is a government has changed its regulations concer- Professor of Classics and former College at Lin- significant reversal of the trend of the last decade, ning student grants and loans, "for every stu- coln Center Dean George W. Shea, Professor of By Suzanne Myron which has been marked by steady decreases of dent attending class, there were others who could English Helen Ruth Vaughn, Leonard P. Stocker, about ten percent every year. The number of not come back." he said. "And as long as money At the University Convocation held'on October Graduate School of Education, and Thomas P. traditional freshmen is the only one that has drop- is tight, since this is an urban school, that will 25, University President Rev. Joseph A. O'Hare Vinci, Graduate School of Education. ped this fall, but the two-student deficit is be a problem. said that the new 1000-bed College at Lincoln minimal compared to the 13 percent loss in this "Naturally I am delighted. I have enjoyed all Center dorm, now in its planning phases, will category in. 1986. The number has been artificial- "Internally." Bristow concluded, "we have 40 years," said Gilligan, who was. described in be completed possibly by 1989, but "more likely inflated, however, by the inclusion of the 16 to take every step to make it as easy as possible a speech given by CLC Dean William Tanksley ly by 1991." "Discover Fordham" students among the high- for our students lo arrange for financial aid as the "quintessential philosophy professor — Assistant Director for Government Relations school entry freshmen; when that number is add- stimulating thought, critical judgement, and the Joseph P. Muriana said, however, that 1991 is ed, the total of 156 "traditional freshmen" quest for excellence." Tanksley went on to tell a "conservative" figure for the dorm comple- represents a 10 percent increase from last year. of Gilligan's many acheivements in the past 40 tion. Muriana estimates that "by the summer of years, not the least of them the assumption of Most of the new enrollees belong to the non- 1988" the city planning aspect of the dorm traditional and advanced standing (transferring the CLC community's "universal perception of should be finished and construction will begin. him as a friend." ;ind returning students) categories. The number Muriana said that a recent delay in planning, of new adult students has gone from 187 to 265 Tanksley also bestowed on Murphy his medal, a hold-up on the traffic analysis which the -- an increase of 41 percent. "I expect that the the second he has received in his 40 years at University's consultant had prepared, was due reason for the tremendous increase of adult Fordham. Tanksley called Murphy a "historian" to a change in the city's criteria on traffic reports. students is the new advertising campaign." and a "survivor" who is "congenial and sharp- "[They] decided that wasn't the way they wanted Bristow said, "as well as the very cordial man witted, an interesting colleague to work with and it done," said Muriana. who attributes the delay ner in which they are treated by the Aduli Ad a pleasant raconteur to dine with." to the concern over the traffic analyses done by missions Office." These two factors may.have "I walked up here on stage, and I realized I'm the New York Coliseum project as well as thai also contributed to the 33 percent increase in working on my 7th president," said Murphy. "I of Roosevelt Hospital, who also has plans for advanced-standing students. tried to figure out how many students I've had expansion. over the years, and it boggles the mind, it really Despite the fact that this fall's group of 501 Muriana said that he hopes, however, this will new enrollees is the largest in recent memory, boggles the mind." be resolved "within a month or two. "The last "I am very pleased." said Shea, smiling wide- the high attrition rate is a matter of great con- delay, a result of the corruption within the city cern to the Administration. "We are trying to planning department, which forced a change in take steps," said Bristow. "Indirectly, we have staff, was caused by the new staffs lack of EDWARD BRISTOW familiarity with Fordham's proposal, he said. Muriana said that, in dealing with the city, the only way to proceed is "one step at a time." Stabbing Forces New Precautions "It's hard to give out real dates when we're not in control."he said. At Henry Hudson "We're hoping this is the final road block," he said. By Mary Kay Linge Henry Hudson for "about ten years," has not returned to his room since that night; "He must schools' science programs, he said, would be a A violent incident that occurred last week out- be hiding," Singh said. The room is located on second priority so that Fordham could "restore side the door of a Fordham student's room in the the 12th floor, which contains twelve of For- the science department so that it can continue." Henry Hudson Hotel has caused the Office of dham's 20 leased rooms, and is directly across Likewise, Fr. O'Hare pledged that an endow- Residential Life to re-evaluate the safety precau- the hall from one of them. tions available to the students that live in ment for the financial aid program would be a Other hotel personnel said that they had been University-leased hotel rooms, according to goal "so we can recruit talented commuter instructed not lo discuss the incident. Assistant Dean for Residential Life Lisa students." Peterson said that, although the incident was Peterson. The final goal Fr.

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