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The University of Maine Shows How to Increase Its Student Population

时间:2022-09-20 01:51:04

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The University of Maine Shows How to Increase Its Student Population

The number of students going to college in the U.S. has dropped by over one million since the spring of 2020. At that time, COVID-19 restrictions1 began going into effect everywhere in the U.S.

In addition, a number of U.S. states are finding they have fewer college-age young people than in the past. Maine, a state in the northeastern U.S., next to Canada, is one of those states.

A decreasing number of young people and the effects of COVID-19 measures make it difficult for large state universities to keep up their student numbers.

But, while universities in some states are having trouble bringing in new students, the University of Maine, in the city of Orono, is not.

This is the case although Maine is far away from most other states and has 10 percent fewer state high school graduates than 10 years ago.

During a time when fewer Americans are going to college, the University of Maine has been able to increase its number of undergraduate students by five percent. Why?

A recent story in the publication Hechinger Report said the University of Maine is ahead of other states in recruiting and retention2 measures.

The state is reducing the university's cost of attendance for students who come from other states and Canada. Because of scholarships and other financial aid, many students can go to Maine for the same price as a large university in their own state.

For example, the University of Maine is advertising3 in nearby Massachusetts. The ads say: "Go to the University of Maine for the in-state cost of UMass." UMass stands for the University of Massachusetts.

The university has about 12,000 students. While that seems like a lot, it is not nearly as many as big schools like Ohio State University, which has about 60,000. As a result, the school is trying to make a strong connection with both current and prospective4 students.

University leaders say they are trying to get to know all students who visit — even those who decide to go elsewhere.

Chris Richards is vice5 president of enrollment6 management. He said the school needs help from everyone to recruit the next class of students, not just the people who work in the admissions office. That was the old way.

"That model," he said, "isn't going to work anymore."

One part of the new way is for university professors and researchers to make presentations about their work at nearby high schools. Another is to make visitors feel welcome.

Richards described helping7 someone who seemed new to the school grounds find their way. "People want that," Richards said.

Em Jeffrey is a new student from the nearby state of New Hampshire. She said she noticed the difference between visiting Maine and visiting other schools.

"I definitely felt more welcomed. None of it felt forced," she said.

Jerome Lucido studies college enrollment at the University of Southern California's school of education. He said the University of Maine is on the right path.

"I do think there are lessons to be learned from what's going on in Maine right now," he said.

Richards said his university recognized the problem about 10 years ago when the number of high school students in Maine started to fall. At one point, 80 percent of the university's students came from Maine. Now about 40 percent come from other states.

In addition, there are over 450 international students in a degree program at the University of Maine. Other international students are in the school's program for English learners.

Orlina Boteva is the director of international programs. She grew up in Bulgaria and came to study at the University of Maine. She completed postgraduate8 degrees there and has been working with international students since 2009.

She said international students who are interested in the University of Maine will have to pay a similar cost compared to students coming from other states in the U.S. But the university does offer scholarships from $5,000 up to $20,000. In addition, the university offers teaching assistant positions for graduate students.

Boteva said her department does not do anything different from other schools in the northeastern U.S. to bring in international students.

However, she said the university's goal of connecting with students extends to those from outside of the U.S. University officials travel to other countries to find students and meet their families. They even made some visits last year when other universities were not sending their representatives abroad. The university also tries to make sure international students feel cared for when they come to Maine.

"Our population is small enough that we get to know our students. They have a really excellent experience on campus...So that experience really translates into a very high rating of the student experience on campus as an international student."

As a former international student herself, Boteva said, she "deeply cares" about the experience students from other countries have while in Maine. She also wants students to know that it is possible to find out how to get a work visa and stay in the U.S. after finishing a study program.

Boteva said the school is also paying attention to students who come from countries with economic problems. The U.S. dollar is much stronger today than it was a year ago. That means it is more costly9 to go to an American school. Boteva said the school will work with students who are already there but may be having trouble paying.

In addition, the University of Maine just announced that it will change the cost of going to school for students who come from a country like Ukraine, which is affected10 by war. They will now pay the same amount as students who come from Maine. That represents a big savings11.

"This is really the first time that we as an institution are looking at what is our mission, as an institution to support displaced students by war."

She said the school is thinking about how it can help students find a pathway to education if their countries become destabilized. This year, there are eight students from Ukraine attending the University of Maine.

There is no guarantee the current ideas will keep working in the future. But, Richards said he believes the university will keep working to solve the problem of decreasing student numbers. He said the leaders of the university recognize the problem.

"The good thing for us," he said, "is that our leadership hasn't existed in a vacuum of false reality."

Words in This Story

recruit –v. to find people qualified12 to join a group or organization

retention –n. the act of keeping someone in a job or at a school

scholarship –n. an amount of money that is given by a school, organization or individual to a student to pay for the student's studies

prospective –adj. possibly becoming something in the future

enrollment –n. the act of becoming a member or participant in something

postgraduate –adj. relating to school work done after receiving a college degree

mission –n. a task or job given to someone

destabilized –adj. to be affected in such a way that carrying on normally cannot be continued

exist in a vacuum –idiom to exist in a state unaffected by other influences; completely set apart and independent


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 restrictions 81e12dac658cfd4c590486dd6f7523cf     
约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则)
参考例句:
  • I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
  • a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
2 retention HBazK     
n.保留,保持,保持力,记忆力
参考例句:
  • They advocate the retention of our nuclear power plants.他们主张保留我们的核电厂。
  • His retention of energy at this hour is really surprising.人们惊叹他在这个时候还能保持如此旺盛的精力。
3 advertising 1zjzi3     
n.广告业;广告活动 a.广告的;广告业务的
参考例句:
  • Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
  • The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。
4 prospective oR7xB     
adj.预期的,未来的,前瞻性的
参考例句:
  • The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。
  • They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。
5 vice NU0zQ     
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的
参考例句:
  • He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
  • They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
6 enrollment itozli     
n.注册或登记的人数;登记
参考例句:
  • You will be given a reading list at enrollment.注册时你会收到一份阅读书目。
  • I just got the enrollment notice from Fudan University.我刚刚接到复旦大学的入学通知书。
7 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
8 postgraduate ulMzNh     
adj.大学毕业后的,大学研究院的;n.研究生
参考例句:
  • I didn't put down that I had postgraduate degree.我没有写上我有硕士学位。
  • After college,Mary hopes to do postgraduate work in law school.大学毕业后, 玛丽想在法学院从事研究工作。
9 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
10 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的,假装的
参考例句:
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
11 savings ZjbzGu     
n.存款,储蓄
参考例句:
  • I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假,那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
  • By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时,他的存款已全部用完。
12 qualified DCPyj     
adj.合格的,有资格的,胜任的,有限制的
参考例句:
  • He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
  • We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

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