Most colleges around the country are seeing their enrollment increase. So why has Eastern seen a decrease?

The physics department has put together a panel of experts who are going to look at this specific topic and hopefully come up with some conclusions.

The panel discussion is from today from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the Charleston/Mattoon Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Keith Andrew, physics department chairman, said that the panel includes Katie Cox, student body president; Lida Wall, interim vice president for student affairs; Jill Nilsen, acting vice president for external relations; Frank Hohengarten, dean of enrollment management; Doug Bock, vice chair of the Council on Academic Affairs; Kimberly Moock, director of orientation; Kelly Miller, assistant director of housing; and Jane Wayland, professor of business.

We’re wondering where all the students are going,” Andrew said. While a drop has been seen in freshman enrollment, the main problem is juniors and seniors leaving Eastern.

Andrew said that he hopes this panel of experts in the area of retention can shed light on the issue and see if anything can be done to retain students. He said this panel of people can give different point of views on retention including the student’s view. The main question he said he wanted to answer was why other schools enrollments are increasing while Eastern’s is decreasing.