CAFNR gains new students, raises MU enrollment
By Erin Meyers

With the arrival of new students at the MU campus this school year, early numbers are showing a rise in enrollment for the university, with a large amount emerging from the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

Dr. Paul Vaughn, Associate Dean of Academic Programs said, “We’re really excited about the increase in enrollment. The faculty gave tremendous support.” According to Vaughn, the enrollment in CAFNR has steadily increased over the past five years. With the majority of the enrollment at agriculture schools across the country in a declining trend, MU has been able to continually increase their enrollment each year.

This year, according to a press release from the MU News Bureau, CAFNR has increased by 17.1%, with the largest amount of students enrolled in the Agricultural Journalism program. Agricultural Education has also been a strong program for CAFNR, as well as Hotel and Restaurant Management.

According to CeCe Leslie, coordinator of student recruitment at CAFNR, based on early numbers, the college has increased their first-time college student numbers, with nine more students than the 2004-2005 school year.

With this increase in student enrollment, many are questioning whether or not CAFNR is equipped to handle this amount of students in such a short period. According to Vaughn, the college is not appropriately equipped to handle the large student body, especially if the college continues to grow in the future.

“As we increase in students, we don’t get more money from the university. We are well beyond our capacity, but if we don’t continue to grow, they might take away some of our resources. It’s a catch-22,” Vaughn said.

While Vaughn says the college is reluctant to set a cap on enrollment in the future, he insists that if the college continues to grow, assistance from the university is necessary.

“The university has set a goal for student enrollment at 30,000, and we intend to join the growth rate,” said Vaughn. The majority of students enrolled in CAFNR are Missouri residents, but according to Vaughn, the college frequently receives applications from Texas and Illinois. With an MU recruiter based in both Dallas and Chicago, the University is working on recruiting more out of state students.

Allie Phebeau, a freshman Pre-Vet major from Lonetree, Col., said she toured the vet school during her first visit of the university. “I felt at home, and I liked how everything was run there,” said Phebeau.

Jenny Phillips, a junior Animal Sciences major, applied to three different universities before making the decision to come to MU. According to Phillips, CAFNR had an appealing vet program, one that allowed her to get a degree in Animal Sciences before entering vet school. A native of University City, Mo., paying in-state tuition was also a large factor in her decision.

Leslie says that there have been many successful programs over the past few years that have greatly increased enrollment rates in CAFNR. One main program, Explore The Sciences of Life, focuses on the practical uses of agriculture in daily life.

“We are always looking at how to get more students interested in studying plants and animals instead of just biology or chemistry,” Leslie said. Along with Explore the Sciences of Life, many other programs, such as Field of Dreams, which promotes career opportunities in plant science, are reaching out to high schools across Missouri, in the hopes that some students will find an interest in CAFNR. According to Vaughn, retaining students is a major concern in CAFNR, and upholding high standards for students is also very important.

“Excellent students attract more excellent students. They want to go to a place I would call a winner,” Vaughn said.

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