Arts & Culture: “David Bowie Is”
11
exhibit opens at MCA, See pg. 17
Online exclusive video
Chicagoans discuss new archbishop Cupich
Opinions: “HeForShe” campaign calls out sexism, See pg. 33
FALL 2014
WEEKS LEFT
No. 1 Non-Daily College Newspaper in the Nation MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2014
THE OFFICIAL NEWS SOURCE OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO
VOLUME 50, ISSUE 5
Enrollment continues to decline, retention up KATHERINE DAVIS Campus Editor FOR THE FIF TH consecutive year, Columbia experienced a decline in enrollment, resulting in a $6.3 million loss in revenue this year. The college has a Fall 2014 enrollment of 9,442, a 6.9 percent decrease from last year’s fall enrollment of 10,142. Despite the drop, the college saw its retention rate rise to 71 percent, a 6.6 percent increase compared to last year, according to a Sept. 17 report from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. The administration is crediting the increase to more selective admissions throughout the last two years and an increase in scholarship aid for incoming students. Stan Wearden, senior vice president and provost, said a factor that influenced the decline was the college’s decision to be more selective in the admission process. The average GPA of incoming freshmen was 3.17 for the Fall 2013 semester and increased to 3.25 this year. He said although the college did not drastically redefine the process, the changes still impacted enrollment. Higher-performing students will have a better experience if they are surrounded by students of the same caliber, Wearden said.
Murphy Monroe, the assistant vice president for Enrollment Management in the Undergraduate Admissions Office, said the college had an 89 percent acceptance rate, a departure from its open admissions policy of years past. He said this is the first year the college formally invited students to submit portfolios and that this is the most academically prepared class the college has ever admitted. He added that the process includes examining a student’s entire academic record and experience, as well as a required essay, recommendation letters and standardized test results. “[The Admissions Office] is ultimately looking to make an evaluation that the students we admit will have a strong likelihood of being able to step into our first year core curriculum and be successful,” Monroe said. A decline in the number of students transferring to the college this year also contributed to low enrollment, Wearden said. Wearden said he anticipates that enrollment will begin increasing again by the Fall 2015 semester because the college plans to increase its applicant pool by strategically targeting prospective students. He said the administration is in the process of interviewing search
Students paint plan to combat sexual assault
Photo Illustration Cassidy Johnson THE CHRONICLE
CARISSA DEGEN Assistant Campus Editor UNDERCOVER COLORS, A Raleigh, North Carolina-based company noted for creating a nail polish that can detect commonly used date rape drugs, has partnered with Columbia
students to create a marketing plan for the product. Sandra Kumorowski, an assistant professor in the Business & Entrepreneurship Department, said students in her “Developing a Marketing Plan” course will work with the company to help brand and
Theater community remembers Patinkin • PAGE 3
Student Population Statistics Fall 2014
Enrollment
Scholarships granted:
New Freshmen
2009-2010
$11.5 million
2013
2013
2010-2011
10,142
2014
$16.9 million
1,820
$18.6 million
2011-2012
2014
9,442
2,161
2012-2013
$23.5 million = 1,000
= 200
2013-2014
$32 million
2013 66.6% Retention 2014 71%
2013 3.17 Average GPA 2014 3.25
Information from Office of Institutional Effectiveness reports
Colin King THE CHRONICLE
firms that will identify high school students who are strong candidates and that the college will work more closely with high school counselors. “If we can keep the retention rate [high], that alone is going to increase our enrollment over time,” Wearden said. “The other variable is incoming freshmen, but the key is to bring in prepared students who are more likely to stay here.”
President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim said he estimates the ideal enrollment for Columbia to be between 10,000–11,000 students, not including potential online expansion. Kim also credited the retention increase to the college selectively admitting students who are prepared for Columbia’s curriculum in the last two years, adding that this is a reason to continue selective admission.
“In the recent history of our school, we were a completely open admissions institution, and that meant that anyone who completed an application was admitted,” Kim said. “We really moved away from that, and we’re getting to the point where that ongoing development is having a positive impact on retention.”
market the product which was created by four North Carolina State University chemistry students for a national competition. Undercover Colors is a clear finish that can be applied on top of any shade, texture or brand of nail polish and will turn black when submerged in a drink that has been laced with date-rape drugs. Each semester, Kumorowski’s class works with a real client to create a marketing plan for a new product. She said she wanted to work with the company after she saw the product in the news and splashed across social media. “It has a huge movement and a cause tied to it,” Kumorowski said. “On top of that, I like the fact that [the creators were] students that came up with the idea as a part of a project within a class environment.”
She said because sexual assault awareness and prevention are becoming issues that are more frequently discussed, she thought it would be a great opportunity for her class to work with a campaign that can be tied to current events. Kumorowski said she researched the brand before contacting its creators. “I sent an email stating who I am, what I do, what the class is about and what they would have to do as a client,” Kumorowski said. “I received an email a day later from one of the founders [and we discussed] the syllabus, the conditions of the class and their participation in it, and we agreed on elements for a nondisclosure agreement.” Kumorowski said her students were not permitted to choose the client, nor were they aware that she
secured Undercover Colors until she revealed her choice the second week of class so they could have a Skype call with the founders to discuss what needs to be done. “[The students are] going to be branding, doing research and conducting surveys and interviews about sexual assault,” Kumorowski said. Kumorowski said it is important to get into the mindset of the target audience but also to think as business professionals and entrepreneurs to effectively convey a strong message about a given topic. “There are two sides to a product like this, so we have to be careful of how we position Undercover Colors in the market and how to make sure it has a future and a long-term survival rate,” Kumorowski said.
Blood markers detect depression • PAGE 11
Stephen Colbert’s Chicago years • PAGE 21
xx SEE DECLINE, PG. 9
xx SEE NAILS, PG. 10
City officials combat veteran homelessness • PAGE 35 T HE COLUMBIA C HRONICLE