Enrollment and growth in UB's graduate schools is one topic on President William R. Greiner's mind these days.
During last week's broadcast of "Talk of the University" on WBFO, Greiner discussed a 4 percent hike from last year in UB's graduate school enrollment, which puts the graduate student headcount at over 9,100.
To place greater emphasis on the graduate school, Greiner said the university is considering decreasing the number of undergraduates accepted in the near future.
"It's conceivable we could even reduce the number of freshmen that we take in next year and continue that shift towards the graduate level, because that is our unique mission in education," Greiner said.
He said several factors have contributed to the substantial increase in the graduate student population.
"I think we do a very good job of promoting our graduate programs around the state, around the country and internationally," Greiner said. "One reason for the growth of our graduate programs in the last few years has been very aggressive recruiting internationally for people in what we call professional master's degrees."
Greiner also cited the fact that employers are looking for job candidates with employment training beyond bachelor's degrees as a reason for the growth of the graduate program.
"More and more employees are looking for advanced training," Greiner said. "An extra year, year and a half or two in a master's program may be just the thing that separates one student from another in terms of employment opportunities."
According to Greiner, the slow economy may be partly responsible for the influx of students.
"If the job market is slow, you want to enhance your attractiveness," he said. "The master's degree will help you do that."
The president said many students have taken this route.
Greiner's co-host, Dean of Students Barbara Ricotta, said she found enrollment numbers reflective of tremendous improvement in retention rates for both undergraduate and graduate students.
"Our students are staying with us, they're happier with their programs, they're enjoying their experience," Ricotta said.
According to Greiner, UB's current population of approximately 26,000 students is a healthy size, but the school is equipped to handle even more.
"With fewer facilities 12 years ago, this institution accommodated 28,000 students and about 1,000 more full-time equivalent students than we have now," said Greiner.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
