Enrollment decreases

Cal State Long Beach is a little less crowded this semester if enrollm ent figures from the first day of school are compared to last year's numbers.

However, the number of full-time-equivalent students this semester has increased.

On opening day this fall, CSULB's Director of institutional research, Don Coan, said the total student count was at 24,489, compared to 25,562 on the first day of fall 1993.

The apparent drop of 1,073 students was quickly made up early during the second week of school when the head count increased by 1,100.

Coan said it is nor mal for enrollment to increase during the first two weeks of school but he said it is unusual to find an increase of full-time- equivalent students, which he said has increased by 400 over last year's figures.

"It is typical to see FTE decreases wit hin the semester's drop period," Coan said.

Enrollment figures are monitored daily by computer and Coan said he expects the final census to be completed in three weeks.

"We have to document enrollment very carefully in order to make good projec tions," Coan said.

Coan said the university is still expecting some late comers. He attributed the initial drop in enrollment to the new pre-payment registration policy.

"Students are holding onto their money until the last minute," Coan said.

Unfortunately students will not benefit from waiting until the last minute to register because after Sept. 20, students must pay a $25 late fee in addition to their registration fees. Students registering late may use the Voice Response Registration system through Monday.

From Tuesday through Sept. 20, students will need to register at the registration office. Coan also mentioned that freshmen enrollment increased this year because of vigorous recruitment in nearby areas.

"There are defin itely more freshmen coming in this year," Coan said.

Valerie Bordeaux, director of the university's outreach and school relations program, said freshmen enrollment was up by 10 percent. "We feel our efforts in fine-tuning the present system are maki ng a positive impact," she said. "We are welcoming new students by increasing efforts to those with a higher academic level."

Bordeaux plans to include a recruitment video into her outreach efforts that will be distributed to high schools, as well as a program which will highlight faculty speakers visiting school classrooms.

"We want those potential Forty-Niner Nuggets to know there are fabulous things happening here," Bordeaux said.