University of Virginia Library

Size Of Entering Class
To Decrease Next Fall

By RICHARD PETTY

The size of next year's entering
undergraduate class will be reduced
slightly below that of 1971, but admission
of transfer students will increase,
according to a statement by President
Edgar F. Shannon Jr. in January to the
Committee on the Future of the
University.

The effect of the University's new
policy will be to reduce the number of
students admitted directly from high
school from the current level of 2,162 to
2,000. The entire reduction will be made
in the number of out-of-state students to
be admitted.

Ernest H. Ern, dean of admissions, has
estimated that there will be more than
11,000 undergraduate candidates for
admission in 1972-73, approximately
1,600 more than last year's total.

At the same time that the first-year
class is reduced, the University will
increase the number of transfers from
other institutions, including largely
third-year students, from 424 last year to
500 this fall.

Budget Request Basis

"Because last fall's undergraduate
enrollment ran ahead of projections,"
President Shannon stated, "this action is
necessary to hold the total of the 1972-73
undergraduate enrollment to the figure
on which the University's budget request
to the Governor and General Assembly
for the undergraduate divisions of the
University was based."

Total enrollment at the University this
year is 12,350, including 1,200 part-time
students. The budget is based on a
projection of 12,930 total students next
fall.

Even though there will be a reduction
in the number of students admitted
directly from high school, there will still
be more undergraduates attending the
University next year than at present.

President Shannon explained that
"readmissions and the relatively small size
of this year's graduating class are the
principal reasons that next fall, even with
the reductions, there will still be more
undergraduates."

Annual Increase

"An analysis of enrollment trends has
shown that the net annual increase in the
upper three undergraduate classes has
risen from 3 per cent to 6 per cent in four
years," he said.

President Shannon attributes this
increase to "greater numbers of
readmissions at all undergraduate levels
(including substantial numbers of
veterans), more transfers from other
institutions in Virginia, and fewer
students who are already enrolled
dropping out for academic reasons."

"As far as transfer applicants are
concerned," he said, "there has been a
move toward coeducational institutions
and a rising interest among students in
the diverse and extensive curriculum to
be found at a major state university."

"In addition, next fall 22 community
colleges should be operating in the State
of Virginia," he said.