Demographics report reveals several trends
Large entering class only 31 percent male
by Robin Caskey | Llama Ledger Staff
Issue date: 8/16/08 Section: News
"We have students who've volunteered with farm workers, veterans, blind students, and young children," says Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs Leslie Davidson of the exceptional incoming class of 2009.
"We have students who've written screenplays, directed films, and started theater companies," she continues, rattling off the achievements the Office of Admissions came across in the latest entering class's application essays and interviews. The incoming first-years include students "who've lived on boats circumnavigating the globe, performed with the circus, and hiked long distances on their own," says Davidson.
According to a demographics report compiled by admissions, the entering class of 178 students reflects several trends current students, faculty and staff will have noticed forming both at Simon's Rock and in the larger academic sphere.
Seventeen percent of the incoming class are first generation B.A. students and 30 percent are students of color.
Only 31 percent of the incoming class are male students, a record low for Simon's Rock, according to the report. Davidson says that Simon's Rock usually admits "incoming classes that range from 51 percent females and 49 percent males to 60 percent females and 40 percent males."
However, Davidson says, this decrease in male enrollment at the college level is a trend that extends beyond Simon's Rock. "The decreasing proportion of males at the college level is part of a national trend that people at colleges all over the country—including Simon's Rock—are concerned about."
Simon's Rock is addressing this decrease by "evaluating our publications and their appeal to males," Davidson says.
The involvement of students in online communities has also increased, Davidson says.
Davidson, who has been at Simon's Rock for fifteen years—first as an RD, then as the Dean of Student Affairs, and now as the Dean of Admission and Student Affairs—noted that last year, she got word of families arriving on campus and in Great Barrington a night early and meeting each other for dinner in town.
"A variety of social networking is used in admissions, and by students looking for information online." She cites the popularity of Facebook.com and livejournal.com as the drive behind the new Simon's Rock Admissions Facebook page.
The page, created by admissions counselors Alicia Rossie and Sara Mugridge, enables more interactive forms of communication. "The Simon's Rock website only enables new students to send us e-mails," while the Facebook page provides a forum for discussion.
A final trend hugely visible among the Simon's Rock student body is the continuation of increased class size. The incoming 178 freshmen will join an approximate 166 returning sophomores, 53 juniors (with an additional 16 on leave to study abroad), and 66 seniors.
However, Davidson assures that "[Dean of Academic Affairs] Sam Ruhmkorrf is working really hard on this issue, and has added 15 or 16 classes," as well as hiring additional visiting and adjunct faculty.
Existing faculty have taken on extra courses to teach this year, and the school is currently identifying "three or four" areas for search committees to hire new, full-time faculty. Simon's Rock is "working to ensure that while enrollment grows, core student faculty ratio and class size doesn't change," according to Davidson.
Despite the off-balance gender division, and increasing size of the incoming class, Davidson shares that, "one of the things that is so neat are the core qualities of our students don't change. They still have a curiosity and love of learning," that provide the basis of the Simon's Rock concept.
"Every year, seniors say that the incoming class is more conservative," Davidson says, "but they always have those core qualities," which ensure that, while Simon's Rock classes may continue to diversify and grow, they will always include a sense of educational continuity.
Contact the author: rcaskey@llamaledger.com
"We have students who've written screenplays, directed films, and started theater companies," she continues, rattling off the achievements the Office of Admissions came across in the latest entering class's application essays and interviews. The incoming first-years include students "who've lived on boats circumnavigating the globe, performed with the circus, and hiked long distances on their own," says Davidson.
According to a demographics report compiled by admissions, the entering class of 178 students reflects several trends current students, faculty and staff will have noticed forming both at Simon's Rock and in the larger academic sphere.
Seventeen percent of the incoming class are first generation B.A. students and 30 percent are students of color.
Only 31 percent of the incoming class are male students, a record low for Simon's Rock, according to the report. Davidson says that Simon's Rock usually admits "incoming classes that range from 51 percent females and 49 percent males to 60 percent females and 40 percent males."
However, Davidson says, this decrease in male enrollment at the college level is a trend that extends beyond Simon's Rock. "The decreasing proportion of males at the college level is part of a national trend that people at colleges all over the country—including Simon's Rock—are concerned about."
Simon's Rock is addressing this decrease by "evaluating our publications and their appeal to males," Davidson says.
The involvement of students in online communities has also increased, Davidson says.
Davidson, who has been at Simon's Rock for fifteen years—first as an RD, then as the Dean of Student Affairs, and now as the Dean of Admission and Student Affairs—noted that last year, she got word of families arriving on campus and in Great Barrington a night early and meeting each other for dinner in town.
"A variety of social networking is used in admissions, and by students looking for information online." She cites the popularity of Facebook.com and livejournal.com as the drive behind the new Simon's Rock Admissions Facebook page.
The page, created by admissions counselors Alicia Rossie and Sara Mugridge, enables more interactive forms of communication. "The Simon's Rock website only enables new students to send us e-mails," while the Facebook page provides a forum for discussion.
A final trend hugely visible among the Simon's Rock student body is the continuation of increased class size. The incoming 178 freshmen will join an approximate 166 returning sophomores, 53 juniors (with an additional 16 on leave to study abroad), and 66 seniors.
However, Davidson assures that "[Dean of Academic Affairs] Sam Ruhmkorrf is working really hard on this issue, and has added 15 or 16 classes," as well as hiring additional visiting and adjunct faculty.
Existing faculty have taken on extra courses to teach this year, and the school is currently identifying "three or four" areas for search committees to hire new, full-time faculty. Simon's Rock is "working to ensure that while enrollment grows, core student faculty ratio and class size doesn't change," according to Davidson.
Despite the off-balance gender division, and increasing size of the incoming class, Davidson shares that, "one of the things that is so neat are the core qualities of our students don't change. They still have a curiosity and love of learning," that provide the basis of the Simon's Rock concept.
"Every year, seniors say that the incoming class is more conservative," Davidson says, "but they always have those core qualities," which ensure that, while Simon's Rock classes may continue to diversify and grow, they will always include a sense of educational continuity.
Contact the author: rcaskey@llamaledger.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 6
Amazon Herbs
posted 8/16/08 @ 8:13 AM EST
As far as class size growing, that is due to the echo boomers (children of the baby boomers). Also across the country, there are more females than males enrolled in medical school. (Continued…)
Sean
posted 8/16/08 @ 5:19 PM EST
"Every year, seniors say that the incoming class is more conservative" - so true!
David Myers
posted 8/18/08 @ 2:17 AM EST
First off, kudos to Leslie and her team! My counting gives us a student body on campus of 463, which is a record in my 20 years at Rock!
Second: demographics are showing more and more males opting not to attend college whilst more females do. (Continued…)
confused
posted 8/18/08 @ 8:51 PM EST
Um, so how do we find out about these added 15 or 16 classes? I haven't heard anything about this!
Wealthy Industrialist
posted 9/10/08 @ 6:23 PM EST
I heard a lovely statement on education by George Carlin the other day...I suggest to students that have the time to go look it up. Of course it's fabrication and paranoia, otherwise I would not be posting now, would I?
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