Diamondback Online - The University of Maryland's Independent Daily Student Newspaper

The university plans to cut freshman and transfer student enrollment as early as next year to alleviate the on-campus housing crunch, Provost Nariman Farvardin announced yesterday.

Farvardin, speaking at a University Senate meeting, said the cuts will be implemented as part of the university's 10-year strategic plan and put into action as early as next fall. The undergraduate admissions office will cut freshman enrollment by 100 from this year's 4,237 enrolled and will cut transfer student totals by 100 from this year's 2,435 transfers admitted.

"It's going to be a modest change," said Farvardin, "but if we do this five years in a row, we could reduce the number of students by 1,000."

The announcement was prompted by student senator Julia Burke, who asked whether the university will include methods to stabilize rising enrollment in the strategic plan.

The decision represents a reversal of sorts for the university, which has resisted

connecting enrollment levels with the housing shortage. Instead, administrators have attributed the housing shortage to rising demand.

This week Resident Life officials announced that at least 386 sophomores will be denied housing on the campus next year and in the worst-case scenario, more than 1,000 sophomores may be sent packing. The number of students on the waiting list for on-campus housing is the longest it has been since 1980.

Student senators reacted positively to the announcement that enrollment will be cut, saying the move could do more to help the school than simply free up beds.

"With all the housing problems and class-size issues," Burke said, "it's important the university include in the strategic plan a goal of reducing the income of freshman."

Burke added that raising the caliber of incoming freshman and reducing class size could ultimately help to raise university rankings. She said it could also improve the academic experience for undergraduate students by allowing smaller class sizes.

"Sitting in a lecture hall with 500 students, you don't get the same experience as if you're in a smaller class," she said.

Melissa Morales, an undergraduate senator and member of the Strategic Planing Steering Committee, said although the idea had not occurred to her before the meeting, she also believes it could be beneficial to the university, given rising number of admitted students in recent years.

However, Barbara Gill, director of undergraduate admissions, said the number of incoming freshman has generally fluctuated between 4,000 to 4,200 since the beginning the decade. She said university admissions has recently been bringing in more students because those enrolled at the university are graduating in a shorter average time.

"Students are moving through the university at a faster pace," she said. "So we've been asked to bring in higher numbers of freshman and transfers to compensate."

Student Government Association President Andrew Friedson said he could not comment on the plan until he knew the details.

Farvardin also said town hall meetings will be held to engage students in discussion and receive feedback about the strategic plan.

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