According to Greg Florczak, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Undergraduate Admissions, the proactive approach that Medaille has taken in response to the current economic situation seems to be paying off. “We’re on the same path as we were a year ago,” said Florczak. “Last year we brought in our largest class ever and we retained the most students that we had ever retained in the history of the school. This year versus last year, we’re seeing similar trends.”

Medaille’s location may be a significant factor in terms of this success. “Most colleges are seeing anywhere from a 20 to 50 percent decrease in their anticipated deposit number,” said Florczak. “As long as the economy in the Buffalo area continues to be stable in comparison with places like Detroit, Los Angeles, and Arizona, I think it will be more feasible for us to have a positive number in comparison to what else is going on out there.”

However, location isn’t everything. It also helps when the price is right. “What we’re seeing is that we are priced well enough as a private school that if a student is looking at other [public] options, what they’d have to pay there versus what we offer in aid and scholarship is very similar,” said Florczak. “When you look at the colleges within this region, we are the most affordable private college out of the schools that are similar to us.”

This semester, emphasis was placed on fifteen retention-based initiatives, all resulting from and focused on student feedback. Florczak encourages students who may be affected by the state of the economy to “come and talk to us. Normally we are able to assist our students; they just need to get here,” said Florczak. “If students are willing to work with us, they are going to have a chance to stay here or to come here.”

Concerning the adult and graduate programs, Judith Horowitz, Ph.D, Dean of the School of Adult and Graduate Education and Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, acknowledges the possibility that the college will be affected by the current economy. “I think that for adult students, going back to school is often a luxury,” said Horowitz. “It’s possible we may feel the pinch, but we’ve been thinking about this. We haven’t been sitting idly.”

In addition to trying new recruiting techniques, proactive efforts taken by the college include offering new online programs, corporate discounts, and on-site programs at businesses like GEICO. In Getzville, a two year business administration program is being offered to GEICO employees who are able to attend class at the office at the end of their work day. “We have a plan to try and compensate for any potential revenue losses we might experience,” said Horowitz.

Horowitz speculates that Medaille’s Rochester campus should be on target, the Buffalo business program is a bit behind, and the Mental Health Counseling and Education programs appear to be doing very well. “Early numbers suggest that people are thinking about changing careers and people are thinking now is a good time,” said Horowitz. What they can’t account for, she says, are the last minute phone calls from students who have to withdraw from programs as a result of job loss.

At this point, however, it’s difficult to tell what the numbers will be. “It’s too early to see our results,” said Horowitz. “Adult students are different from traditional aged students in that enrollment is always a sort of last minute decision. It’s a couple of weeks before the semester starts that you have a clearer sense of what enrollment is going to look like.”

It remains to be seen just how much of an impact the economy will have on Medaille’s enrollment, but steps are being taken to ensure that the college will prevail. “The economy has thrown us a curve ball, but you can still hit a curve ball,” said Horowitz. “You just have to have the benefit of seeing it coming.”

As seen in the April 27 edition, in the news section, page 6.