Posted on Dec. 23: Honour awards bolster enrolment planning

McMaster has admitted a bright double cohort class.

Of the 5,334 first-year students who came to McMaster this year, more than ever received an Honour Awards scholarship given to entering students who earn 80 per cent and over in their final year of secondary school.

In fact, McMaster's entering student population is getting brighter every year. In 2000, when McMaster introduced the awards program, 52 per cent of its entering class received a scholarship. This year, 81 per cent were eligible and 3,944 awards were distributed.

“The honour awards are a success story at McMaster,” said vice-president academic Fred Hall. Under the program, high school graduates who earn 80 per cent and over in their final year of secondary school and who choose to attend McMaster will automatically receive an award, allocated as follows:

• 80 – 84.99 per cent — $1,500  1,559 awards distributed in 2003-04
• 85 – 89.99 per cent — $2,000 — 1,464 awards distributed in 2003-04
• 90 – 94.99 per cent — $4,000  756 awards distributed in 2003-04
• 95 per cent or higher — $6,000 — 165 awards distributed in 2003-04

“In January, the Enrolment Management Team will use this when we talk with faculty about the direction we want to go in and especially when we look at Refining Directions and the areas we want to improve and change,” Hall said.

In planning McMaster's long-term enrolment, three forecast scenarios have been drawn: think small, edge upwards or think big. These three possible enrolment futures for undergraduate enrolment were also explored in a report presented at a special meeting of University Senate in November.

In the first scenario, “think small”, McMaster would return to its approved target of approximately 4,200 level 1 students, which implies a steady state total undergraduate enrolment of about 14,400 students. In comparison, total undergraduate enrolment in 2002/03 was about 14,300. This scenario would maintain the status with respect to size, while improving the quality of students. This would allow McMaster to be selective in its admissions, and would result in attracting top-quality students and building a community with a shared purpose.

In the scenario “edge upwards”, McMaster would increase its enrolment slightly over the next few years to 6,500 and a steady state of enrolment of approximately 21,800 students. This would see McMaster increase its current share of Ontario enrolment based on projections from the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada and the Council of Ontario Universities. This option fits in with the double cohort, since it is difficult for a university to resist taking its share of total enrolment.

The scenario “think big” would move McMaster's level 1 enrolment to 8,000 in the next decade and to a steady state total enrolment of about 26,400 students. This would significantly increase the University's relative size among Ontario and Canadian universities. Advantages to size include, “greater research impact, more program choices for high-quality students, possible economies of scale in operation and a greater political and economic impact.”

Graduate enrolment would depend on the scenario chosen, the report notes. In “think small” it would be approximately 3,600; in “edge upward” it would increase slightly to 5,400 and in “think big” it would increase to 6,600.

A series of town hall meetings will be scheduled in the new year to discuss Refining Directions and to solicit feedback. The report will come back to Senate and the Board of Governors in the spring with recommendations for long-term enrolment targets.