Summer/Fall 2009 — Vol. 62, No. 3

View from 30,000 feet

By James F. Barker

In the midst of getting ready for fall semester to begin, I received this e-mail message: “If we all threw our problems in a big pile in the middle of the room, when we saw everyone else’s, we would grab our own back.”

I decided there’s sometimes a lot of truth in Internet humor!

In preparing for our budget this year, Clemson University faced problems from a total reduction in state and private funding of $45.7 million. But one problem we do not have is lack of demand, and we are grateful for that.

Applications and enrollments were up to record levels for both undergraduate and graduate programs. This is a tremendous vote of confidence in Clemson. The campus community welcomed its largest freshman class in history this fall, along with a large group of transfer students. Clemson actually accepted and enrolled more South Carolina students this year than ever before.

Campus housing was literally full to overflowing in August. About 300 students were in temporary housing in study lounges and commons rooms in the high rises.

Contrary to rumor, no one was asked to live in a broom closet! They all had air conditioning, Internet access — even cable TV. Except for the lack of a window, most temporary rooms are very similar to permanent ones.

Departments added lecturers and class sections to make sure we could honor our commitment to offer students the classes they needed. As in a normal year, some did not get a preferred room assignment, class section or teacher, however. Not everyone can be in class only on Tuesday and Thursday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. So it became a “teachable moment” for us and for parents as we try to help students learn to distinguish between an inconvenience and a real roadblock to their academic goals.

Clemson’s policy on enrollment has not changed. We want to remain a “right-sized” university, one that combines the classes and the close faculty contact of a private, liberal arts school with all the advantages of a big-time public university with major research programs and Division I sports.

Left: Clemson President Jim and Marcia Barker greet students during Burgers with the Barkers.

So why is the campus so crowded this fall? Three reasons.

We accepted more applicants because, at a key decision point last spring, it looked like enrollment might be down from previous years. Two weeks before the May 1 deadline, paid deposits were lagging 15 percent behind last year. We erred on the high side to make sure we maintained enrollment, not to increase it.

Yield, thankfully, remained very strong. Students want to come to Clemson because of our strong reputation and outstanding student experience. They just delayed their decision-making this year, probably because of the economy.

We were able to offer additional, last-minute aid in the form of our own “Clemson Stimulus Plan” to continuing students who needed extra financial help to graduate. Thanks to almost $500,000 in unrestricted gifts to a new program, the Leadership Circle, we were able to restore about 175 student jobs and offer emergency grants to more than 40 continuing students who were at risk of dropping out because of severe financial need.

Leadership Circle donors cast another very strong vote of confidence in Clemson University, as did all the 28.3 percent of alumni who gave back to Clemson last year.

That level of alumni support helped us maintain our No. 22 rank among all public universities in the U.S.News & World Report guide for 2010. This is our highest ranking ever and keeps us shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the most highly regarded research universities in America. It also proved that our entry into the top 25 was not a one-year phenomenon. We were able to sustain a high level of academic quality.

When you are down in the weeds dealing with problems like budget cuts, staffing shortages and over-crowded residence halls, it’s easy to think you would exchange your problems for your neighbor’s. I would not. In fact, this fall we are off to our finest start ever.

When I look at Clemson with a wide-angle lens, I see a university with a strong reputation and growing demand … a school with alumni and donors of character, who are engaged in our success … and an institution with a tremendous sense of purpose and community. The absence of any of these things is a problem; overcrowded dorms are not.

Best wishes from campus.

P.S. — I have entered the blogosphere! Bookmark www.clemson.edu/barkers-blog where I will share regular updates and thoughts about my day-to-day life as Clemson’s president.