Atlantic universities fight low enrolment

With fewer high school graduates and a significant migration out West, many Maritime universities experience declining enrolment numbers

ANGELA WILSON CUP ATLANTIC BUREAU CHIEF

WOLFVILLE, N.S. (CUP) — As fewer students graduate from high school in the Atlantic provinces, university enrolment is nose-diving. But while some universities are struggling with up to a 30 per cent decline in student numbers, others are experiencing a small boost.

The growth of community colleges, an aging population and the declining number of students graduating from high school in the Atlantic provinces have all contributed to declining university enrolment numbers.

But Mireille Duguay, chief executive officer for the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC), said that the region has been hit harder than expected.

Acadia University’s student population has decreased by approximately 30 per cent since 2000-01. St. Francis Xavier University lost over 450 of its normal 5,000 students since their numbers peaked in 2004-05 and Mount Allison University’s enrollment has dipped by approximately 10 per cent since 2004, according to preliminary data released by MPHEC.

Peter Halpin, executive director for the Association of Atlantic Universities, is quick to comment, though, that the region is coming off a growth period where universities experienced a 30 per cent increase in enrolment between 2000 and 2005.

“While some universities are experiencing increased enrolment, some are remaining stable and some are experiencing declining numbers,” he explains.

Both Duguay and Halpin believe that the healthy Canadian economy is part of the cause for this decline, arguing that it has created jobs for high school graduates that do not require university degrees.

“When the economy is strong,” Halpin said, “There is a tendency for fewer people to go to university. Therefore, some young people are delaying their decision to go to university, and plan to return after working out west.”

However, not all Maritime universities are suffering the trend. In fact, some are experiencing enrolment boosts.

Halpin explains that some universities have been ahead of the curve in terms of branding their institutions, which seems to be paying off.

“All universities in Atlantic Canada are doing very well at developing institutional brands, although some are doing it better than others, and those that are working in niche markets — with a targeted recruitment strategy — are getting good results.”

Dalhousie University, Cape Breton University and the University of Prince Edward Island are among some universities that are experiencing higher enrolment numbers, according to a study conducted by MPHEC. Preliminary figures for UPEI also indicate that they are expecting a five per cent increase this year over their 2006 numbers.

The number of students enrolled from Nova Scotia enrolled at UPEI is expected to double over last year.

Memorial University of Newfoundland is also experiencing growth, despite declining high school graduation numbers in their own province.

For the past three years, the number of Nova Scotian students studying at Memorial has doubled every year, although it is expected to remain stable this year.

Sheila Devine, Memorial’s director of university recruitment, attributes this success to their focused recruitment strategy in the Maritimes, low tuition and an ability to attract a higher percentage of high school graduates, despite the declining graduation numbers.

Meanwhile, Acadia University has been trying to expand its horizons as well, building its profile in other parts of the country, rather than focusing solely on students from the Atlantic provinces.

“We have experienced remarkable and sudden demographic changes in the Maritime provinces, especially with the boom in Alberta,” said Scott Roberts, a spokesman for Acadia.

“Acadia has traditionally relied heavily on students in the Maritime provinces for recruitment,” he continued, “Now we are working on building a presence in other parts of the country.”

Meanwhile, the Association of Atlantic Universities is focusing on improving access to post-secondary education to diversify participation, and maybe even boost enrolment.

According to a study published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), less than 30 per cent of Canadians attain a university-level education, a figure lower than many other OECD countries.

“Canada is behind other OECD countries,” said Halpin, “We need to increase participation from groups who are currently under-represented, such as aboriginal people, disabled people and those living in rural regions.”

MPHEC is approaching enrolment as a “long-term issue,” according to Duguay, and is working to gather information and find solutions. Later this year, the organization will be hosting an open forum with post-secondary education stakeholders to see what should be done.

It is still too early to determine 2007-08 enrolment numbers in the Maritime provinces, although they are generally expected to be lower than last year. Most universities expect to release their figures by early October.