Tightening Fort Lewis College’s admission standards has produced the most academically-prepared incoming class in FLC history. GPA and ACT test scores have risen, with nearly a third of the incoming freshmen earning a 3.5 GPA or higher in high school.
The downside is that the increased standards meant a drop in enrollment. Total student enrollment for fall 2016 is 3,595 students, down 3.3 percent from 2015. On the upside, the preliminary freshman to sophomore retention rate stands at 66.3 percent, an increase of 3.4 percent over last year.
Anticipating changes on the state level due in 2019, the decision was made to begin raising the admission standards for FLC now. As a result, many students who would have been admitted in 2015 were denied this year.
Another factor in the enrollment dip is the loss of the Athletic Training program. The governing bodies that oversee athletic training accreditation instituted a new requirement that athletic training programs offer a master’s degree. Unfortunately, Fort Lewis College lacks the facilities, faculty, and number of graduates in the FLC Athletic Training program to justify an investment in a master’s degree.
The FLC Exercise Science Department has been working with the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education to ensure that the students currently in the Athletic Training program will graduate with an accredited degree as the program is taught out over the next two years.
Looking to the future of enrollment, there is reason to be optimistic. Two new degree programs will begin in fall 2017: a Master of Arts in Education: Teacher Licensure and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering. Also, while the effects of the increased admission standards will still be felt next year, this year likely represented the brunt of the change. Finally, the increasing retention rate will mean more students staying at FLC for their academic careers.