ENROLLMENTS UP AT WORCESTER STATE COLLEGE

(Worcester, MA – August 22, 2003) State allocations for public higher education may have dropped, but enrollments at Worcester State College continue to soar. According to Julie Chaffee, associate registrar at Worcester State College, there will be more than 1,000 new students attending the college this year, with 655 first-time freshmen and 485 students transferring from other colleges and universities.

“We are very excited about this incoming class,” said Dean of Enrollment Management R. Alan Kines. “Those students who were accepted can feel very proud because this was the toughest and most competitive applicant pool in the College’s history. Our enrollment over the last three years has steadily increased, and we will very soon reach our target enrollment of 4,000 FTE (full-time equivalent). People are getting the message that Worcester State College is increasingly competitive and a great education value.”

During August 25-27, the incoming students will go through the New Student Orientation Program which will familiarize them with the campus, orient them to college policies such as zero tolerance for alcohol and drug use, safety issues such as the sexual assault protocol, campus police escorts, the location of emergency call boxes and the Emergency Response Plan for the College Community, as well as interactive and social events that help them make friends.

The schedule for New Student Orientation is August 25 for commuting transfer students, August 26 for non-traditional students. From August 27 through August 29 freshmen commuters and residents as well as resident transfer students will participate in their orientation program. Orientation groups of approximately 25 students will be led by Orientation Leaders, primarily upperclass students who have gone through leadership training. It is anticipated that more than 500 students will be attending the orientation program during those five days.

“The first few weeks of campus life is critical for the success of new students,” said Charles Oroszko, Dean of Students, who oversees the Orientation Program. “The better prepared they are, the better they will do throughout the semester. Knowing what to expect takes away fear and uncertainty, making students ready to learn. We know that orientation can be the key to a successful academic year. In addition to orientation, all our freshmen are required to take WSC 101, a one-credit course that reinforces many of the issues we address in orientation.”

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