This report examines how the pandemic has impacted and is likely to impact enrollment and retention across various academic departments in the United States and Canada. One hundred six department chairs and deans from 57 colleges and universities provide detailed data on class enrollment and retention prior to and throughout the pandemic, and their predictions for the future. Additionally, they comment on which individual student population segments have been most impacted by the pandemic or most likely to shift fields. The study particularly emphasizes developments in the retention of international students, and how a significant decline in their enrollment impacts various academic departments and how each department is taking measures to deal with the situation.
Just a few of this report’s many findings are that:
- 31% of department heads in business/finance/economics faculties expect to full make up in the next year pandemic induced enrollment shortfalls.
- Art department chairs worked more effectively from home relative to working at the college or university facility compared to other department chairs.
- The majority of department chairs have not experienced significant declines in retention rates within their academic major within the past year.
- Department chairs expect an average of 8.33% increase in overall student attendance for the year 2021-2022.
- Significantly more department chairs in private colleges than public colleges will likely reduce the use of adjuncts and clinical staff in the next year.
Data in the 57-page report is broken out by many variables related to the individual survey participants and their institutions including but not limited to academic department, country, host country, tuition level, public/private status, and college type or Carnegie class.
Table of Contents
THE QUESTIONNAIRE
INSTITUTIONAL AFFILATIONS OF THE SURVEY PARTICIPANTS
- Characteristics of the Sample
SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS
- Effectiveness working online relative to working at college facility
- Decline in retention rates in the past year for your specific subject area
- Student segments with greatest decline in retention rate
- Percentage change in attendance expected in 2021-2022
- Enrollment for spring 2021 Relative to the Prior Year
- Impact of decline in international student enrollment
- Department’s Plans for use of adjunct and clinical faculty
- Enrollment growth for fall semester 2021
Table 1.1 About how effective would you say that you have been on your job while working online relative to working at college or university facilities?
Table 1.2 About how effective would you say that you have been on your job while working online relative to working at college or university facilities? Broken out by academic department
Table 1.3 About how effective would you say that you have been on your job while working online relative to working at college or university facilities? Broken out by country
Table 1.4 About how effective would you say that you have been on your job while working online relative to working at college or university facilities? Broken out for public and private colleges
Table 1.5 About how effective would you say that you have been on your job while working online relative to working at college or university facilities? Broken out by type or Carnegie class
Table 1.6 About how effective would you say that you have been on your job while working online relative to working at college or university facilities? Broken out by enrollment
Table 1.7 About how effective would you say that you have been on your job while working online relative to working at college or university facilities? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 1.8 About how effective would you say that you have been on your job while working online relative to working at college or university facilities? Broken out by FTE department size
Table 1.9 About how effective would you say that you have been on your job while working online relative to working at college or university facilities? Broken out by how long, in years, have you been chair?
Table 2.1 Have retention rates in your academic major declined in the past year?
Table 2.2 Have retention rates in your academic major declined in the past year? Broken out by academic department
Table 2.3 Have retention rates in your academic major declined in the past year? Broken out by country
Table 2.4 Have retention rates in your academic major declined in the past year? Broken out for public and private colleges
Table 2.5 Have retention rates in your academic major declined in the past year? Broken out by type or Carnegie class
Table 2.6 Have retention rates in your academic major declined in the past year? Broken out by enrollment
Table 2.7 Have retention rates in your academic major declined in the past year? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 2.8 Have retention rates in your academic major declined in the past year? Broken out by FTE department size
Table 2.9 Have retention rates in your academic major declined in the past year? Broken out by how long, in years, have you been chair?
Which specific student segments, defined by age, field of study, type of study or degree, regional origin, gender, or other characteristic, experienced the greatest decline in student retention in your major area during the pandemic? Broken out by academic department
Table 3.1 What percentage change in overall student attendance in classes offered in your department are you expecting at your institution for the next year, the 2021-22 academic year?
Table 3.2 What percentage change in overall student attendance in classes offered in your department are you expecting at your institution for the next year, the 2021-22 academic year? Broken out by academic department
Table 3.3 What percentage change in overall student attendance in classes offered in your department are you expecting at your institution for the next year, the 2021-22 academic year? Broken out by country
Table 3.4 What percentage change in overall student attendance in classes offered in your department are you expecting at your institution for the next year, the 2021-22 academic year? Broken out for public and private colleges
Table 3.5 What percentage change in overall student attendance in classes offered in your department are you expecting at your institution for the next year, the 2021-22 academic year? Broken out by type or Carnegie class
Table 3.6 What percentage change in overall student attendance in classes offered in your department are you expecting at your institution for the next year, the 2021-22 academic year? Broken out by enrollment
Table 3.7 What percentage change in overall student attendance in classes offered in your department are you expecting at your institution for the next year, the 2021-22 academic year? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 3.8 What percentage change in overall student attendance in classes offered in your department are you expecting at your institution for the next year, the 2021-22 academic year? Broken out by FTE department size
Table 3.9 What percentage change in overall student attendance in classes offered in your department are you expecting at your institution for the next year, the 2021-22 academic year? Broken out by how long, in years, have you been chair?
Table 4.1 Relative to Spring 2020 what does enrollment in your departments courses look like for Spring 2021?
Table 4.2 Relative to Spring 2020 what does enrollment in your departments courses look like for Spring 2021? Broken out by academic department
Table 4.3 Relative to Spring 2020 what does enrollment in your departments courses look like for Spring 2021? Broken out by country
Table 4.4 Relative to Spring 2020 what does enrollment in your departments courses look like for Spring 2021? Broken out for public and private colleges
Table 4.5 Relative to Spring 2020 what does enrollment in your departments courses look like for Spring 2021? Broken out by type or Carnegie class
Table 4.6 Relative to Spring 2020 what does enrollment in your departments courses look like for Spring 2021? Broken out by enrollment
Table 4.7 Relative to Spring 2020 what does enrollment in your departments courses look like for Spring 2021? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 4.8 Relative to Spring 2020 what does enrollment in your departments courses look like for Spring 2021? Broken out by FTE department size
Table 4.9 Relative to Spring 2020 what does enrollment in your departments courses look like for Spring 2021? Broken out by how long, in years, have you been chair?
How has the decline in international student enrollment in North America impacted your department? Broken out by academic department
Table 5.1 For the 2021-22 academic year which phrase best approximates your departments use of adjunct and clinical faculty?
Table 5.2 For the 2021-22 academic year which phrase best approximates your departments use of adjunct and clinical faculty? Broken out by academic department
Table 5.3 For the 2021-22 academic year which phrase best approximates your departments use of adjunct and clinical faculty? Broken out by country
Table 5.4 For the 2021-22 academic year which phrase best approximates your departments use of adjunct and clinical faculty? Broken out for public and private colleges
Table 5.5 For the 2021-22 academic year which phrase best approximates your departments use of adjunct and clinical faculty? Broken out by type or Carnegie class
Table 5.6 For the 2021-22 academic year which phrase best approximates your departments use of adjunct and clinical faculty? Broken out by enrollment
Table 5.7 For the 2021-22 academic year which phrase best approximates your departments use of adjunct and clinical faculty? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 5.8 For the 2021-22 academic year which phrase best approximates your departments use of adjunct and clinical faculty? Broken out by FTE department size
Table 5.9 For the 2021-22 academic year which phrase best approximates your departments use of adjunct and clinical faculty? Broken out by how long, in years, have you been chair?
Table 6.1 What is your experience of the growth in overall enrollment for the Fall semester 2021? Which phrase best approximates your expected experience?
Table 6.2 What is your experience of the growth in overall enrollment for the Fall semester 2021? Which phrase best approximates your expected experience? Broken out by academic department
Table 6.3 What is your experience of the growth in overall enrollment for the Fall semester 2021? Which phrase best approximates your expected experience? Broken out by country
Table 6.4 What is your experience of the growth in overall enrollment for the Fall semester 2021? Which phrase best approximates your expected experience? Broken out for public and private colleges
Table 6.5 What is your experience of the growth in overall enrollment for the Fall semester 2021? Which phrase best approximates your expected experience? Broken out by type or Carnegie class
Table 6.6 What is your experience of the growth in overall enrollment for the Fall semester 2021? Which phrase best approximates your expected experience? Broken out by enrollment
Table 6.7 What is your experience of the growth in overall enrollment for the Fall semester 2021? Which phrase best approximates your expected experience? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 6.8 What is your experience of the growth in overall enrollment for the Fall semester 2021? Which phrase best approximates your expected experience? Broken out by FTE department size
Table 6.9 What is your experience of the growth in overall enrollment for the Fall semester 2021? Which phrase best approximates your expected experience? Broken out by how long, in years, have you been chair?
What new programs, courses or initiatives in the department developing to deal with the current situation and (hopefully) post pandemic future? Broken out by academic department
THE QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Please provide the following contact information:
A. Name
B. Institution
C. Work Title
D. Academic Department
E. Country
F. Email Address
2. Is your institution a public or private college?
A. Public
B. Private
3. Which of the following best describes your institution?
A. Community College
B. 4-year College
C. MA or PHD Granting Institution
D. Research University
4. What is the full time equivalent enrollment of your institution?
5. What is the annual tuition at your institution prior any aid or deductions?
6. How many FTE instructors (not adjuncts) are members of your department?
7. How long, in years, have you been chair?
8. About how effective would you say that you have been on your job while working online relative to working at college or university facilities?
A. More effective
B. Somewhat more effective
C. Somewhat less effective
D. Much less effective
9. Have retention rates in your academic major declined in the past year?
A. Yes
B. No
10. Which specific student segments, defined by age, field of study, type of study or degree, regional origin, gender, or other characteristic, experienced the greatest decline in student retention in your major area during the pandemic?
11. What percentage change in overall student attendance in classes offered in your department are you expecting at your institution for the next year, the 2021-22 academic year?
12. Relative to Spring 2020 what does enrollment in your departments courses look like for Spring 2021?
A. Much lower
B. Lower
C. About the same
D. Higher
E. Much higher
13. How has the decline in international student enrollment in North America impacted your department?
14. For the 2021-22 academic year which phrase best approximates your departments use of adjunct and clinical faculty?
A. Will likely reduce their use greatly
B. Will likely reduce their use
C. Not really make any changes
D. Will likely increase their use
E. Will likely increase their use greatly
15. What is your experience of the growth in overall enrollment for the Fall semester 2021? Which phrase best approximates your expected experience?
A. Expecting enrollment declines
B. Expecting to partially make up pandemic declines
C. Expecting to fully make up pandemic declines
D. Expecting higher than pre pandemic enrollment
E. Other (please specify)
16. What new programs, courses or initiatives in the department developing to deal with the current situation and (hopefully) post pandemic future?
INSTITUTIONAL AFFILATIONS OF THE SURVEY PARTICIPANTS
- Acadia University
- Assumption University
- Auburn University
- Boise State University
- Boston University
- Brandon University
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Clemson University
- Columbus State Community College
- Concord University
- Dalhousie University
- East Carolina University
- Fort Lewis College
- Iowa State University
- Jackson State University
- Kennesaw State University
- Laurentian University
- LSU School of Veterinary Medicine
- MacEwan University
- McGill University
- Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Mount Allison University
- Northern Kentucky University
- Ohio State University
- Quinnipiac University
- Saint Mary's University
- South Dakota State University
- St. Cloud State University
- The University of Winnipeg
- Towson University
- Truman State University
- UNC-Chapel Hill
- University of Manitoba
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Saskatchewan
- University at Buffalo
- University at Buffalo
- University of Georgia
- University of Idaho
- University of Louisville
- University of Manitoba
- University of Missouri
- University of Nevada, Reno
- University of New Brunswick
- University of New Mexico
- University of North Dakota
- University of Oklahoma
- University of Oregon
- University of South Carolina
- University of the Fraser Valley
- University of Toronto
- University of Victoria
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Utah State University
- Wichita State University
- York University
Samples
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Sources / Contributors
- Acadia University
- Assumption University
- Auburn University
- Boise State University
- Boston University
- Brandon University
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Clemson University
- Columbus State Community College
- Concord University
- Dalhousie University
- East Carolina University
- Fort Lewis College
- Iowa State University
- Jackson State University
- Kennesaw State University
- Laurentian University
- LSU School of Veterinary Medicine
- MacEwan University
- McGill University
- Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Mount Allison University
- Northern Kentucky University
- Ohio State University
- Quinnipiac University
- Saint Mary's University
- South Dakota State University
- St. Cloud State University
- The University of Winnipeg
- Towson University
- Truman State University
- UNC-Chapel Hill
- University of Manitoba
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Saskatchewan
- University at Buffalo
- University at Buffalo
- University of Georgia
- University of Idaho
- University of Louisville
- University of Manitoba
- University of Missouri
- University of Nevada, Reno
- University of New Brunswick
- University of New Mexico
- University of North Dakota
- University of Oklahoma
- University of Oregon
- University of South Carolina
- University of the Fraser Valley
- University of Toronto
- University of Victoria
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Utah State University
- Wichita State University
- York University
Methodology
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