This Fall, we welcomed 4,457 new freshman across our four campuses (and the Global Campus) and 2,454 new transfer students. All campuses experienced significant growth in undergraduate enrollment relative to the previous year. The net result is the largest undergraduate enrollment in the history of WSU, totaling 23,867 across all campuses (19,756 on the Pullman campus).
Not only can we be proud of the numbers of students attracted to WSU, but also the composition of the student body. Over 87 percent of our undergraduate student body is comprised of Washington residents, reaffirming our statement that “WSU is indeed Washington State’s university.” Similar to last year, over 40 percent of the incoming class is comprised of first-generation college students and 35 percent are minority students. These data support WSU’s goal of continuing to embrace its land-grant mission of access and inclusiveness.
Onboarding these new students and welcoming our returning students takes a tremendous amount of preparation and planning across the university. From the academic side of the university, several changes were implemented to improve the experience for our students, staff, and faculty. Three important areas that I would like to highlight are: (1) the advancement of several academic preparedness initiatives, (2) changes in academic advising processes, and (3) improvements in Student Financial Services (formerly the Office of Financial Aide).
Academic Preparedness. In collaboration with the colleges and academic units, several new initiatives were launched this Fall, all focused on improving the academic preparedness of our new students. These initiatives are explained in detail on the Provost’s Office website. Perhaps the most visible was the distribution of the student study skills book, The A Game: Nine Steps to Better Grades, to all incoming students coupled with a series of workshops put on by the author during Week of Welcome.
Academic Advising. This year marked the second year that we directed new students to their department or college of interest, as opposed to employing a centralized advising approach. In addition, through close coordination with the colleges and departments, introductory course sections were added throughout Alive sessions to ensure that incoming students are able to enroll in courses they need to get off to a good start. Finally, all incoming students who placed in a developmental math or English course were automatically enrolled in those sections.
Financial Aid. We don’t need to reach too far back in our memories to recall the long lines in Lighty Student Services Building and the problems resulting from delays in the release of financial aid awards. This year, under a new name (Student Financial Services), and new leadership (Assistant VP of Student Financial Services Brian Dixon), over $152 million of assistance was distributed to WSU students with few hiccups. Congratulations and thank you to Brian and his team.
Thanks to all who made the kickoff of the new academic year a success. Planning and preparation matters!