Brenda Major, the director of admissions presented unofficial enrollment numbers for the fall semester at the Faculty Senate meeting yesterday.

The new freshmen enrollment count was 1,848 students, while the new transfer student enrollment count was 1,006. The official numbers will not be complied until the 10th day of the semester.

Majors said a she has noticed a trend of transfer students who are registering for classes right before the start of the semester.

“This isn’t what we like to see,” she said. She thinks the trend stems from a more casual registration process at community colleges.

She also mentioned her concerns about what she has seen in transfer students’ career development. Forty percent of transfers bring less than an associate’s degree with them when they arrive at Eastern, she said.

“They’re beginning to behave in ways we don’t understand,” Majors said, comparing them to freshmen who are just learning the ropes.

“The particular concern are for those students with associate’s degrees coming in undecided,” she said, adding that the admissions office is brainstorming ways to expose those students to career planning earlier in the registration process.

Faculty Senate members were interested in developing ways to persuade students to start out at a four year university rather than at a community college.

“Starting at a community college, they’re less likely to eventually finish a bachelor’s degree,” said senator Ann Brownson.

Major also brought with her examples of newly designed mailers being sent to perspective students. Designers in the University Communications office began developing them in January, and about 20,000 copies of the first mailer were sent in August.

“We think this will compel them(prospective students) to decide they want to apply for admission,” Major said.

Senator Bud Fischer expressed a dislike of the colors used on the new mailers because they do not include the university colors.

“You’re trying to create a connection with the university that will stay for the rest of their life,” he said.

Faculty Senate Chair Assege HaileMariam agreed with Fischer and suggested integrating the Eastern logo and university colors with the rest of the design.

Major said she shared their concern, but is optimistic that the new design will be affective.

“These are the colors that people are using now,” Majors said of the eye catching green and orange. “I’m excited to see what the students responses will be.”