FLINT, Mich. — A town hall meeting was held at the University of Michigan (UM) Flint Friday to discuss low enrollment numbers and a drop in six year graduation rates.
Many students. staff and faculty attended the town hall meeting in the Riverfront Conference Center to hear and discuss why the 30 percent decline in overall enrollment has happened and what would be the next steps in solving the problem.
Debasish Dutta, UM Flint's Chancellor, addressed the townhall meeting with a grim message, "this state has a declining high school population, fewer of those kids are coming to college."
So few, that the Chancellor said there has been a 30 percent decline in overall enrollment at the Flint campus, and that graduation rates over the last six years are at the lowest among the state's 15 public universities.
More than 53 percent of the students who enrolled at UM Flint in 2015 to 2016, graduated in six years—according to the MI school data, the state's official education data source.
During the same time period, 77 percent of students graduated from all of the state's public universities.
Data from the Michigan Associate of State Universities show a total enrollment decline of more than 25 percent.
Going from more than 8,500 students in the 2014 fall semester to a little over 1,640 students in the 2021 fall semester.
Dutta said not only have enrollment and graduation rates dropped, the student-faculty ratio is at 13:6—which is low, according to the Chancellor.
"Every other public university in the state is 16, 17, 18, 20," said Dutta.
Dutta said to help retain and recruit students, they are going to grow popular programs.
"Which ever programs are doing well in enrollment and has the capacity to grow based on employer demands, we have to find a way to grow them."
"What can we do to help the people right around us?" said Patrick Nard, a new student on campus. He said he wants to see the university have more of a connection to the community.
"Because if we can't start with the smaller people in the beginning states, if you can't get the kids to want to be apart of something, they're going to want to go somewhere else," said Nard.
Jennifer Blackwood, UM Flint faculty member, said it is all about encouraging others to see the uniqueness of UM Flint.
"There's something different. And I think we need to recognize the and build a motto that supports that, as well," said Blackwood. " I think being creative in the way that we encourage undergraduates to come to our campus.
Now the university has not made on any decisions on how they will handle these low enrollment numbers and graduation rates, but students, staff and faculty said they want to see more community and student engagement events.