The University of Missouri is facing an enrollment decline for the fall and a tougher time selling the school’s recruiting pitch to high school students.
More than 5,600 students graduated from Mizzou last weekend, but there won’t be as many students to fill classrooms this fall. The decline has led the school to close four dorms because they won’t be able to fill them.
“It’s going to take time,” admissions representative Brittany Corneillier said.
She tells prospects walking past the main administrative building, Jesse Hall, that the school is working on a lot of things since last November when many proud Tigers protested what they saw as institutional racism at the school. University System President Tim Wolfe resigned during those protests.
About that time, journalism professor Cyndi Frisby wrote a Facebook post telling the Mizzou community that people in Columbia had called her a racial slur multiple times.
“I had no idea it was going to go viral,” she said.
She said she’s moved beyond the comments, both good and bad, but she still hears many more from students on campus.
“I think students are nervous to talk about how they really feel since the protests,” she said.
Mizzou’s leaders say they’ve done plenty to provide an atmosphere to talk, including starting a series on race and interracial dialogues on campus.
Vice Provost Jim Spain also encouraged prospective students to visit the campus and talk with current students about the events.
“Interact with our students who lived through that experience at this campus, lived through it together back in November,” Spain said.
The fall’s enrollment will be the lowest in 10 years. Last fall, Mizzou had 6,200 new students. As of last week, only 4,700 incoming freshmen were signed up for the fall semester.
Spain said the protests left some people were wondering if the campus is safe. He said, without hesitation, that it is.
“It sometimes feels uncomfortable. We’re working to make it feel comfortable and inclusive and supportive,” Spain said.
