posted on March 12: McMaster University and the Double Cohort

McMaster University and the Double Cohort – A message from Ken Norrie, provost and vice-president academic

In the past few weeks, the media has devoted considerable attention to
how Ontario's universities are preparing to accommodate the increased
number of graduating high school students applying for admission.

I have been at McMaster for two months, and have been impressed with the careful consideration that has gone into the University's approach to enrolment management. McMaster's enrolment plan, adopted in 1999 and approved by the province, calls for an increase of more than 2,000
full-time undergraduate students between September 1999 and
2003.

The plan takes into account anticipated increases in the demand
for university places due to the rise in the number of young people of
university age, the jump in the proportion of high school graduates who choose to pursue a university education, and the double cohort effect. Specifically, since the latter factor is of particular interest at the moment, the plan calls for an increase of between 400 and 500 first-year students between September 2002 and 2003.

This enrolment plan was framed with our commitment to excellence in
teaching and research firmly in mind. Students choose to attend McMaster for its high quality and innovative programs, and those within the double cohort deserve no less. When they arrive on campus, and for the three, four or five years they spend with us, we must provide them with the quality of academic experience they expect.

Providing a top-quality academic experience for the student numbers
projected in our 1999 enrolment plan requires careful long-range
planning. In the past year and a half, McMaster has hired an average of more than two professors a week. We have successfully attracted teaching and research talent from around the world. This accelerated hiring has allowed us to maintain our faculty complement in the face of retirements and other changes. We have talented and dedicated management and support staff. We have increased support to the libraries through the budget reallocation process, and continue to invest in athletic and other student support services.

The physical ability for the University to absorb these students is
another factor in the enrolment plan. We are making considerable
progress in providing the facilities our students need. The new
residence will be ready for student occupancy in the fall of 2003. The $30 million McMaster University Student Centre will open this spring. The $22.5 million McMaster received from the province's SuperBuild fund is helping to renovate classrooms and laboratories in every area of the University.

This careful plan is subject to increasing stress, however. Our student numbers have already exceeded those in the enrolment plan. Full-time undergraduate enrolment this year is just over 13,000, about 400 more students than was anticipated in the 1999 enrolment plan. Some of this increase stems from the development of new programs, including software engineering, multimedia and communications, and the bachelor of health sciences. More generally, it reflects McMaster's prominence as one of Canada's finest student-centred, research intensive universities.

This student response may be gratifying, but it presents significant
challenges. Under the current funding formula, McMaster finds itself
with more than 1,200 student spaces that are not fully funded by the
province. The tuition revenue received from these students doesn't meet the full financial cost of the teaching and services the University is committed to provide. Although we have been willing to accept these additional students, it has put significant stress on our resources. Faculty have more students to teach and council, staff resources are pressured by the increasing numbers, classroom and library space are nearing capacity, and the need for audiovisual and other teaching equipment is rapidly growing.

Just recently, we learned that these pressures may intensify. The latest Ontario university application figures show a provincial increase of 20 per cent for 2002-03, compared to a predicted increase of 12 to 15 per cent. McMaster's applications have increased almost 23 per cent. The enrolment models have always assumed that the double graduating class would be absorbed over a number of years. McMaster's enrolment plan took this into account. However, the latest figures demonstrate that a significantly higher number of students than was anticipated have fast-tracked in high school and have applied for admission this fall.

McMaster is already above its enrolments targets, as noted, so
accommodating even greater numbers of students will not be easy. We are not alone in these challenges, of course. Additional funding will be an important element for every Ontario university. McMaster is working closely with the Council of Ontario Universities and the provincial government to help find the resources required to meet the needs of Ontario's students.

We are also aware that as McMaster grows, so too do some of the
pressures on the communities that surround the University. The new
Campus Plan will provide significant guidance on how we deal with these issues, and we will continue to work with the City of Hamilton and our local partners to help to maintain strong neighbourhoods around the University.

Balancing all the factors I've discussed is not an easy task. Let me
assure you that McMaster is committed to providing every one of its
students with the best possible education. We are committed to treating all applicants equally and fairly. We are committed to keeping those already at the University and those who are considering a future at McMaster informed of developments around the double cohort. The registrar's office has launched a new Web site at http://registrar.mcmaster.ca/external/ where prospective students can find answers to their double cohort questions. We don't yet know all the answers, but the site will be updated as new details are available.
The double cohort will be a primary focus for the University during the next few years. We will continue to monitor developments with the
province, and I look forward to providing you with additional
information in the future.

Ken