This report examines how the pandemic has impacted and is likely to impact enrollment and retention across various academic departments in the United States and Canada. One hundred six department chairs and deans from 57 colleges and universities provide detailed data on class enrollment and retention prior to and throughout the pandemic, and their predictions for the future. Additionally, they comment on which individual student population segments have been most impacted by the pandemic or most likely to shift fields. The study particularly emphasizes developments in the retention of international students, and how a significant decline in their enrollment impacts various academic departments and how each department is taking measures to deal with the situation.
Just a few of this report’s many findings are that:
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31% of department heads in business/finance/economics faculties expect to full make up in the next year pandemic induced enrollment shortfalls.
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Art department chairs worked more effectively from home relative to working at the college or university facility compared to other department chairs.
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The majority of department chairs have not experienced significant declines in retention rates within their academic major within the past year.
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Department chairs expect an average of 8.33% increase in overall student attendance for the year 2021-2022.
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Significantly more department chairs in private colleges than public colleges will likely reduce the use of adjuncts and clinical staff in the next year.
Data in the 57-page report is broken out by many variables related to the individual survey participants and their institutions including but not limited to academic department, country, host country, tuition level, public/private status, and college type or Carnegie class.