Carmen McCollum, Times of Northwest Indiana
carmen.mccollum@nwi.com
Although tuition has increased 5 percent for resident students and 6 percent for nonresident students at Purdue University for each of the next two academic years, enrollment figures at Purdue University Calumet continue to rise.
In fact, a higher than expected number of new students limited course availability and forced Purdue Calumet to close fall semester admission for undergraduate students Aug. 28.
Purdue University Calumet Chancellor Howard Cohen said new undergraduates who sought admission after that date were encouraged to register for the spring 2010 semester.
This fall, Purdue Calumet topped its previous enrollment high, with 10,133 students.
Despite the dismal economy, Cohen said Monday the tuition hike is an indication of "what the market can bear."
Cohen also said colleges and universities have experienced a steady decline in state appropriations, and Purdue Calumet leaders trimmed the budget this year by 4.2 percent.
He said stimulus dollars are a one-time deal and are being used for remodeling and repairs.
"Absent the tuition increase, we wouldn't be able to do many of the things we do that benefit students," Cohen said. "The tuition increase did not prevent us from growing. Dollars have to come from somewhere. Either you generate the dollars or you reduce the program. More than 10 percent of our dollars are coming from donations and gifts."
Over the final two years of his chancellorship at Purdue Calumet, Cohen said he has a laundry list of items he'd intends to complete.
Cohen, who turned 65 this month, has said he will retire within two years based on the university's mandatory retirement policy.
The major projects he intends to focus on include fundraising and development, an increased distance-learning program, expansion of the hospitality and tourism management bachelor's degree program, and growth of the school's intercollegiate athletic teams.
Since his appointment in July 2001, Cohen has directed two of Purdue Calumet's strategic plans that, in part, emphasize student success through improved retention and graduation rates.
The chancellor said he's very pleased with the dual credit relationship the university has developed with Crown Point High School. There are 315 students enrolled in three classes. The program is supported by a $50,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Education.
Crown Point High School students pay a reduced rate of $15 per credit hour for an opportunity to take the college classes, receiving high school and college credit. Cohen would like to see the program spread to other high schools.
University officials also are pleased with the year-old "experiential learning" program in which students are required to take a couple of classes that require internships to gain real work experience before graduation.
The academic advising program has been upgraded to 26 full-time advisers, and 20 professors from across the country were added this fall.
The Center for Innovation through Visualization and Stimulation, a virtual reality laboratory, is doing well, and the campus has conducted a number of projects with ArcelorMittal, BP and NIPSCO.