KU Tops 10,000 Students This Fall

The KU campus has become bigger and busier these days. With about 1,980 newly enrolled freshmen this fall, Kutztown University has surpassed the 10,000 student mark in its undergraduate and graduate programs, making it one of the fastest-growing universities in the PA State System of Higher Education.

As Director of Admissions, William Stahler, explains the recent growth is a direct result of university decisions to increase enrollment, diversity, and the academic quality of incoming students at KU. “Kutztown University made growth a goal, and the admissions office has developed strategies to meet those goals.” For example, the KU admissions office centers on accessibility to prospective students, offering programs and tours everyday, even Saturdays. Marketing and recruitment efforts yielded close to 9000 applicants this past year!

Such rapid population growth is very exciting for Kutztown University, although responding to the needs of such a large student body has presented challenges for administration, faculty, and staff. Parking space and dining facilities have to be expanded or added. Classroom sizes are becoming larger, increasing the student/faculty ratio. And, residence halls are currently overextended.

KU is home to 4,100 on-campus students, making it the largest residential university of the 14 state schools. According to Kent Dahlquist, Director of Housing and Residential Services, 70% of the incoming freshman class is housed in triple rooms which used to be doubles or double rooms that were once singles. Even dorm lounges have been converted into bed space. A new residence hall, creating 856 additional beds, will be completed by the fall 2008, while off-campus properties such as Saucony Commons have been modified to accommodate students. “This is a long term process,” says Dahlquist.

The Alumni Relations Department has also modified its approach to a large and growing alumni base. “Alumni are beginning to affiliate less by class year and more by club or academic major,” explains department director Glenn Godshall. “Graduates from class years in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s still recognize each other at reunions. But, as the class years grow, alumni identify more with those they knew from smaller sub-sets such as student organizations, residence halls, or academic departments.”

The student population boom may also prompt changes in the KU yearbook. Since its inception, The Keystonia has been published in a bound hardcopy format. However, the yearbook staff has recently discussed replacing the traditional book with a digital copy (a CD or an on-line version) like those of other large schools. According to the Keystonia Publish Relations & Marketing Coordinator, Erin Glenn, the yearbook staff is still producing a hard cover book for now. “With the growth of the student population and the increased interest in digital media, it may seem that students don’t want to purchase a yearbook.” But, Glenn believes that new design techniques and better marketing may increase sales and keep the traditional yearbook alive. “The staff of Keystonia would prefer to keep the book in print,” she says.