Maroon

              The MAROON Vol. 64, No. 17 Loyola University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 February 27,1986 Promise of profit lures more college students By Jeannie Marendl Assistant News Editor I BUSINESS IS BOOMING More and more students at the fork in the road to the American Dream are choosing the business path to achieve their goals. Object: money. And lots of it. Business was the most popular career choice named by students surveyed nationwide in The American Freshman: National Norms for Fall 1985, a survey conducted by UCLA and the American Council of Education. In the survey, 70.9 percent of students responding said it was "essential" or "very important" to be "very well-off financially." This figure was 71.2 percent in the fall of 1984. In contrast, only 43.3 percent of the students said "developing a meaningful philosophy of life" was "essential" or "very important," compared to a peak of 82.9 percent in 1967. Of 192,000 students surveyed, 23.9 percent are planning a business career, the highest percentage in the study's 20-year history and more than double the percentage in the 1972 survey. On campus, the number of students enrolled in Loyola's College of Business Administration has increased by 18.7 percent since 1980. There were 1,409 business majors in fall 1985, a total increase of 222 students from 1980. In a higher education market plagued by a smaller pool of collegeage people and declining enrollments, business appears to be one field that continues to grow. But there is some question about the role a business-oriented education should play in the university setting, and especially at liberal arts universities like Loyola. The basis of education is primarily the liberal arts and sciences, Dr. William Barnett, associate professor of economics, said. Education provides the student with wisdom and virtue, which should in turn improve society, he said. Beyond arts and sciences is the master of business administration, law and doctoral studies, which should be pursued in that order, he said. On the other hand, while Loyola concentrates on liberal arts education, this pursuit is not the ultimate raison d'etre, according to the university's Goals Statement: "Liberal Studies assist a student to broaden and deepen his convictions; professional studies assist a student to actualize his convictions. Planning and efforts, therefore, are nia iNaarus AiISUBAINfI VTOAOI —PHotot by Mary Dtftum Loyola studies declining enrollment By Mary Caffrey Assistant News Editor Mention the word enrollment to certain university officials, and you might hear growls and groans. Enrollment is a touchy subject these days, not just at Loyola, but at colleges and universities across the nation. After steadily increasing since 1981, Loyola's enrollment dropped by 2.5 percent, or 121 students, in the fall of 1983. And John Sears, director of Institutional Research, said he predicts Loyola's enrollment will continue to decline until 1995. Most universities are feeling the effects of the drop in the number of students entering college and Loyola is no exception. "We've known this was coming for 20 years," Dr. Rebecca Brechtel, dean of Admissions, said. And 1983 also brought the phasing out of the medical technology and dental hygiene programs, as well as the graduation of approximately 110 former students from St. Mary's Dominican College, Sears said. He said the problem of a shrinking pool of students is greater in Louisiana than it is in other areas because people are not migrating to the state. The possibility of a drop in enrollment is a great cause of concern for the university. The news of the drop was one reason for the 12.3 percent tuition increase, Dr. Norman Roussell, chairman of the University Budget Committee, said. Even if Loyola's fall 1986 enrollment actually goes up, the rise in tuition to combat the expected drop in enrollment will not be reduced. Students should be concerned about. the drop in enrollment not only because of tuition increases but also because of the courses and programs that are dropped and the faculty that are released. The- shrinking pool has not caused Loyola's admissions staff to abandon their efforts to maintain a stable enrollment. The office has intensified its efforts to recruit students from areas outside Louisiana, especially the northeast. They are also trying to attract the growing number of students over the age of 25 and to promote the university to the parents of high school students. Volunteer phonathons began in December to contact thousands of prospective applicants. "In one weekend we made 1,750 phone calls," Brechtel said, adding that she is optimistic about a stable enrollment because the number of admitted students has now reached the level she wanted to have at this point. "We were 200 admits down until this month," she said. Brechtel said she is pleased that the mean ACT score for incoming freshmen has increased two points since 1980 to a 23, and the score required for admission has been raised by two points to 19. Other schools are lowering scores to get more students, she said. "Once you drop scores you don't get the good students, and schools that do this are muddying the water," Brechtel said. "Studies have shown that if you build prestige people will pay for the education. Why do you think places like Harvard and Georgetown have no problem attracting students?" Part of Loyola's problem of attracting students may have to do with the poor economy. In a depressed economy like the one in Louisiana cost becomes a primary consideration in choosing a college, and a private school that draws heavily from the local area cannot help but feel the crunch. Brechtel estimates that 60 percent of Loyola's students come from Louisiana. This is the first installment in a threepart series that will analyze three obstacles that, among other things, have forced Loyola to raise its tuition 12 percent next year. In the next two issues, the series will analyze the loss of $ 1 million in state aid and the depressed local economy. See Business /page 4 See Enrollment /page 3