UTA Magazine Online

Reversing the slide required a comprehensive recruiting plan, including hiring a team of recruiters. Casas, fresh from earning a political science degree from UTA in 1996, was a member of that team.

“One of the major reasons for the enrollment increase is because of the recruiting team,” he said. “We go out there and pound the pavement hard.”

Most of the pounding takes place during the fall semester when seven recruiters strategically trek to all corners of Texas, meeting with high school counselors and heralding UTA to prospective students at college fairs.

“We pretty much live out of our suitcases from August to December,” said Casas, who oversees freshman admissions. “Taking care of the D/FW area is our No. 1 priority — that’s our bread and butter — but we also go to South Texas, West Texas and East Texas.” They’ve recently added Oklahoma to the mix.

The road work is paying off. In the past five years, the number of first-time undergraduates attending UTA has nearly doubled from 1,194 to 2,190, and first-time undergraduate applicants have more than doubled. Total enrollment is up 28 percent since 1998.

Other components fueling the rise are new degree offerings, innovative delivery of courses, enhanced retention initiatives, more campus housing and a comprehensive advertising campaign that has blanketed the Metroplex with billboards, radio spots and print ads.

“There’s no single factor,” said Dana Dunn, vice president for academic affairs. “Our growth has resulted from a complex set of programs and initiatives implemented over a period of years. It’s been a synergism of things coming together.”

That synergy has spawned gains in virtually all student groups: graduate students, undergraduates, transfers, minorities, those taking distance education courses. The 8.8 percent increase this spring marked the 12th consecutive semester of enrollment gains.

“It’s noteworthy that we’ve seen significant increases in first-time freshmen and in graduate students,” Dr. Dunn said. “Freshman growth leads to a more dynamic campus life, while graduate student growth enhances the University’s research efforts and stature. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Enrollment in graduate programs surged from 3,818 in 1998 to 6,171 last fall, an increase of more than 60 percent. Free forums hosted three times a year by each college and school within the University have attracted students, as have additional fellowships and a streamlined admission-to-graduation process.

Recent undergraduate initiatives include social gatherings, visitation days and a strategically targeted family of publications, including some in Spanish.

Last year, the University hosted receptions — one in Fort Worth and one in Dallas — for admitted students and their parents. They were so popular that several more have been added this year. “These receptions help us seal the deal,” Casas said. “They let these students know that we really want them to be here.”

Each spring, fall and winter, prospective students and their families come to campus for Preview Days. These one-day orientations typically draw 700 or more and feature sessions on admissions, financial aid, housing and campus life. They also offer panel discussions led by current students and their parents as well as opportunities to meet with faculty members.

A lot of the growth is the result of programs put in place several years ago. For example, Dunn noted efforts by Michele Bobadilla, associate vice president for outreach services, that have enhanced community awareness and regard for the University. And agreements with area community colleges to award more scholarships and create an easier transfer process have made UTA more attractive to students wanting to continue their education at a four-year university.

One such collaboration, the Texas Two-Step Program, lets students transfer up to 24 hours of technical credit in areas such as information technologies, health and business. Participating schools include Tarrant County College, Dallas County Community College, Collin County Community College, Weatherford College and Navarro College. Another accord signed in April provides TCC students with even greater access to UTA.

“The university’s outreach initiatives, both graduate and undergraduate, have played a role in raising our visibility and cultivating messages about opportunity,” said Dale Wasson, associate vice president for student enrollment services. “More people see UTA as a good investment and a good place.”