Don't forget to

January

by Amy Gallan

Most people know that UPEI has a mall student population when com- pared to Dalhousie or UNB. Recent statistics show that it is decreasing in size. A Statistics Canada report shows hat UPEI has the highest percentage rate of declining student enrolment of all of the Canadian provinces.

In a meeting of the Senate of the University of Prince Edward Island, held Friday, December 1, President Epperly reported that, as of the Decem- iber 1 ‘‘fall count date’’ of Statistics Canada, full-time enrollment at the niversity had declined by 117 stu- dents, 4.6%, from 1994, and part-time enrollment had declined by 111 stu- dents, or 18.9%. She said that the full- ime decline was in line with predic- ions, but that the part-time decline was of great concern, and related to govern- ment withdrawal of support for courses aken by employees, and to the smaller numbers of teachers upgrading their qualifications.

This has been the third consecu- ive year of declining enrollment after sixteen years of steady increased enrolments. In 1992 the university held an all-time high record of enrollment ith 2724 full time students and 914 part-time students. Within the span of hree years the number of full time enrollment had decreased to 2426 students and the number of part-time students had drastically decreased to 477. This means that the total number of students went from 3638 to 2903, a difference of 535 students. This is the greatest decline of students since the period between 1971 and 1975 when he student population decreased by 618 students.

These statistics may lead to bad implications for the university. John Degrace, the university’s registrar, explains ‘‘It means that because our grant from the province is tied to

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Where Have All the Students

Gone? Enrollment Drops Again

enrollment we can expect a lesser grant.’’ And thus, the decline in stu- dents will have a ripple effect, and may be one of the causes of increased tuition in the future. However, Degrace expects it to open more space in the previously overcrowded classes.

The prospects for next year’s enrollment are still unknown. The university is trying to entice new students to attend UPEI using an increased recruiting budget and also with an extra recruiter on the road presenting UPEI to high school stu- dents. However, other universities in the Maritimes are also stepping up recruiting efforts, so it is difficult to tell if more recruiting will make a great difference for UPEI.

Although it may be too early to tell where high school students from the Island are eager to go, indications show that it may not be UPEI. Paulette McDougall, a guidance councillor from PEI’s largest high school, ; Charlottetown Rural, says ‘‘We see a decrease from last year with fewer students coming forward to apply .. . ‘‘ She explained that many students are not planning to attend any university right away, and would rather work than spend the great amount of money needed to attend university.

McDougall also explained that one deterrent involved was UPEI’s entrance requirements. ‘‘The fact that

_ all entrances require Grade twelve

math, when other universities will accept students without it. [deters students]’’ She explained that there is more interest in St. Mary’s University, a university in which grade 12 math is not an entrance requirement. She also explained that UPEI’s increased tuition, and the poor job market for university

_ graduates are also reasons for the

disinterest in university.

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UPEI

Receives Grant

by Yvonne MacKean

Recently, UPEI has been hon- oured with a grant for a Summer Insti- tute. Co-Chair of the Summer Institute, Professor Barry Bartmann discussed the grant.

The grant comes from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC). This council has a program whereby it gives one to three grants of up to fifty thou- sand dollars for a Summer Institute. The Institute program is not an typical academic conference. It consists of a set of intense workshops for promising graduate students, young faculty mem- bers, academics and senior scholars in various fields of study. Some of the Senior members may give lectures to the group as a whole, but most work will be done in small groups with results reported to the whole. SSHRCC is attempting to create an interdiscipli- nary and international exchange of ideas.

With this in mind, Professors Bartmann and Milne were encouraged to apply for this grant. The North Atlantic Islands Project (Lessons from the Edge), which would be the benefac- tor of this grant, was well placed in terms of SSHRCC’s criteria. The project has international partners, principally the Nordic Institute of Regional Policy Research (NordREFO), universities across the North Atlantic (including Iceland, the Faeroes, and Greenland), University of Buckingham and Rashilde University in Denmark, and Memorial University in Newfound- land. The project also covers a broad range of disciplines; economics, politi- cal science, sociology and geography.

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