The headcount of students attending the UA dropped by 1,273 from fall 1995, according to figures presented to the Arizona Board of Regents meeting on campus yesterday.

Richard Kroc, director of the University of Arizona's Student Research Office, said the decline occurred in retention of students and graduate students. He said the number of new students was surprisingly down by 150 to 200 students.

"We did not expect that," Kroc said. "In some other areas, such as graduate students, there are fluctuations. Part of what is surprising to us is that it all happened in one year."

While the headcount is down by 1,273, this figure includes both full- and part-time students. When the figure is adjusted to what would be the equivalent in full-time students, the figure jumps to 1,334.

Arizona State University's Main Campus saw its enrollment increase by 1,430 full-time equivalents. Northern Arizona University lost 440 full-time equivalents.

While a memo distributed at the meeting stated enrollment totals among the UA, Sierra Vista and Arizona International campuses is 33,504, other documents reflected slightly different figures.

According to other figures released by the Regents, the UA had projected full-time equivalent enrollment to remain steady with last year's at 29,819. The actual fall 1996 enrollment total came to 28,485.

When the university calculated its enrollment funding, it projected a loss of $334,500. The actual loss came to about $2.95 million for a difference of about $2.62 million in unanticipated loss to the UA.

When calculated with the funding gains and losses over the state's university system, the total loss of funding due to decreased enrollment totals nearly $2.8 million.

Enrollment declines will cost colleges across the UA campus a portion of their budgets. In May, adjustments were made among administration while the colleges had to put one percent of their budget on hold until the enrollment figures were compiled.

The colleges will now lose that one percent of their budget. For the College of Humanities, the one percent amounts to $126,200.

Charles Tatum, dean of the College of Humanities, said in a recent interview the loss would mean fewer courses would be taught.

"The overall effect is that services are going to be less for students," he said.

Tatum said the loss of funding also means that any positions that become vacant due to retirements or transfers would be left unfilled.

Over the summer, the Regents heard a report from the universities addressing why students drop out of school. No single item was determined to cause students to not continue their educations, but influential factors include financial hardship, health and family problems, and job opportunities.

Saundra Taylor, vice president of student affairs, said some factors that might explain the drop in enrollment include declines in enrollment of undeclared students who may be choosing work opportunities over going to school.

"We are getting more focused students who know what they want to do," Taylor said. "Graduate enrollments are down across the country."

When asked how that would account for the increase of over 1,400 full-time equivalents, Taylor said the university would have to look at ASU's figures.

ASU Provost Milton Glick said while he could not attribute his university's success to any one factor, the university has been working to improve the student experience on campus.

"We have implemented a freshman experience program with 3,000 students," Glick said. "We have been working very hard."

UA President Manuel Pacheco said while the decrease was much larger than anticipated, it is too early to determine the cause.

"There may be multiple reasons for the decline," Pacheco said. "We are going to have to look at the situation."

He said an internal task force would be examining enrollment trends.

---

Daily Wildcat News Opinions Sports PoliceBeat Comics