USM Enrollments Heading Up

Earlier this month, a record 1,500 students graduated from the University of Southern Maine. And if current trends hold, a record number will be entering the university this fall.
According to a report dated May 11, 2001 from the USM Office of Admissions, freshmen applications are up 12 percent (2,554 to 2,860) over the same time last year. The number of regular students admitted to the freshman class is up 12 percent (1,604 to 1,797), and the number of paid deposits from prospective freshmen has increased 27 percent (550 to 698). The number of applications from transfer students has jumped 14 percent (659 to 753).

USM opened the 2000-2001 school year with a record 10,820 students, making it Maine’s largest institution of higher education -in total head count- for the fifth consecutive year. Final enrollment figures for the fall of 2001 will not be tabulated until after the start of classes in September, but it’s expected that the 2001 enrollment will be slightly ahead of the 2000 figure of 10,820.

In 1996, USM President Richard L. Pattenaude implemented a five-year strategic plan which called for development of largely self-supporting programs that strengthen academic quality, meet community needs, and, consequently, boost enrollment. The plan had an enrollment goal of 10,700 by the fall of 2001. This fall, USM will be finalizing a new strategic plan to guide the school’s growth and development.

In recent years, USM has created undergraduate or graduate programs in health sciences, media studies, sports medicine, linguistics, community planning, and social work. Last year, USM opened its first Ph.D. program, a public policy program in the Muskie School of Public Service.

Dormitories, which house more than 1,354 students, were at capacity in the fall of 2000 for the fourth time in as many years. A new 221-student dorm is under construction in Gorham, and is scheduled to open in time for the fall 2001 semester.

"It's still too early in the admissions cycle to target a specific enrollment figure for this fall," said USM Vice President for Enrollment Management Rosa Redonnett, "but these trends clearly show that Maine students and their families are responding to our emphasis on programs of quality that meet their needs."