Mizzou Braces for Massive Enrollment Drop Following Race Protests
Published February 5, 2016 at 7:26pm
In November angry race protesters at the University of Missouri in Columbia forced the campus president and chancellor to resign.
The protests already cost the university a top national football recruit. Sci Martin from Louisiana said the campus "was out of control."
In December the University of Missouri announced that applications for the coming school year have decreased noticeably over last year. And, applications by black students graduate students are down by almost 20% .
The University of Missouri announced this week they are projecting 900 fewer incoming freshman this fall.
St. Louis Today reported:
There's no doubt the University of Missouri-Columbia has been wounded by a chain of recent events.
First, graduate assistants were upset with the university about losing benefits. Then, some legislators were angry because the school had ties to Planned Parenthood.
And of course, the school came under national scrutiny when many students protested after a series of racist incidents — the aftermath of which toppled top leadership.
What's unclear is how all that discontent will affect enrollment and student recruitment.
Barbara Rupp, Mizzou's director of admissions, sees cause for concern.
As it stands, applications and deposits made toward tuition are down. School leaders are projecting 900 fewer incoming freshmen for fall 2016 than fall 2015, according to currently available information.
University officials are quick to add that the 900 number is just a projection based on snapshots taken throughout the school year. The number could change drastically between now and next fall, they said.