Alan

Wildeman Update #28

PRESIDENT AND VICE-CHANCELLOR December 8, 2015

To All Members of the University Community:

I am writing to provide an update on three matters as the fall semester draws to a close. They concern athletics facilities,
enrolment, and budget planning for the 2016/17 year.

Lancer Sport and Recreation Centre

The University of Windsor Student Alliance (UWSA), Graduate Student Society (GSS), and Organization of Part-time
University Students (OPUS) all recently participated in a referendum to decide whether students would be willing to pay
an initial annual fee of $125 that would go toward the cost of the proposed Lancer Sport and Recreation Centre (LSRC).
This Centre envisioned a significant addition to our current athletics facilities in support of both recreational and varsity
programs. In addition, the Centre would have provided students with study and social spaces. Support of the project
required all three student bodies to vote in favor of the fee. Two of the student bodies, the UWSA and OPUS, had a
majority vote in favor of the fee, while the GSS rejected it.
Based on this, and contrary to media reports that suggest otherwise, the University will not be proceeding with the LSRC,
since we do not have an alternate funding source for this capital project. Should there be a future referendum that
garners support of all three student bodies, the project could be resurrected. I want to thank all who contributed their
efforts to guide the development of a vision for what the University of Windsor needs in a new facility. I also want to
thank all student governments and all students who participated in the referendum process.

Enrolment
Enrolment for the fall semester is finalized on November 1 of each year. This fall, there has been a total of 15,577
students on campus, comprised of 10,885 full-time undergraduate and 2,679 full-time graduate students, and 1,897 part-
time undergraduate and 116 part-time graduate students. This is 464 fewer than the total in Fall 2014. The total number
of part-time students (undergraduate and graduate) was unchanged at 2,013, while at the full-time level graduate
enrolment increased by 240 and undergraduate enrolment decreased by 703 year over year. The increase in graduate
enrolment is due almost entirely to continued growth in enrolment of international students in course-based master's
programs. The decrease in undergraduate enrolment is due in large measure to reductions in enrolment in Education and
in arts and humanities programs, trends that are being seen at many universities across Ontario and Canada now. Fall
2015 significantly continues the trends communicated in my UWindsor 2.0 address.
At the time of my update to the campus community in September of this year it was projected, based on assumed
retention rates, that we might expect 10,800 full-time undergraduate students in Fall 2016. Based upon the realities of
Fall 2015, and demographic trends playing out across the province, we do expect this number to continue to trend down
somewhat. While there is an unprecedented emphasis being placed on recruitment and marketing now and into the
Winter semester, we expect that it nevertheless will be a challenge to maintain the Fall 2015 domestic undergraduate
numbers, and are projecting a Fall 2016 full-time undergraduate headcount of 10,580. On the full-time graduate side, we
are projecting a continuation of enrolment in the range of 2,650. Part-time enrolment is projected to remain constant.
The following table summarizes enrolment numbers over the past five years, along with the projection for next year.
F2010 F2011 F2012 F2013 F2014 F2015 F2016 Projected.
Full-Time Undergraduate 11,645 11,639 11,804 11,802 11,588 10,885 10,580
Full-Time Graduate 1,658 1,669 1,904 2,301 2,439 2,679 2,650
Part-Time Undergraduate 2,401 2,444 2,284 2,175 1,924 1,897 1,900
Part-Time Graduate 141 129 100 95 90 116 100
Total 15,845 15,881 16,092 16,373 16,041 15,557 15,230

The shifts in enrolment patterns are also striking when the trends of undergraduate and graduate, and domestic and
international, are looked at over this same time period. These are shown on the following graphs. There are significant
implications to these shifts, particularly in light of the fact that the shifts are not uniform across all Faculties on campus.

1

 Percentage of total enrolment in each Faculty
FAHSS Engineering Science
Business HK Law
Nursing Education Interfaculty

9%
15%

44%

34%

Most noticeably, enrolment in FAHSS has dropped from 44% to 34% of total student enrolment, while Engineering has
risen from 9% to 15%.
There is intense competition across the postsecondary sector regarding student recruitment. The need to continue to
develop new programs that students want, and facilities and services that appeal to prospective and existing students, has
never been greater. For all faculty, staff and students who are actively participating in recruitment efforts, and for
everyone across campus committed to the student experience, please know that what you are doing is extremely
important to the University.

Budget planning for 2016/17

Based on these significant continuing shifts in enrolment patterns, there is a necessity to re-evaluate how best to develop
an operating budget for the institution. In particular, it is important that the significant growths in enrolment in certain
programs, and declines in others, be reflected in how revenues and expenses are allocated in the operating budget. We
are currently assessing a budget model based far more on the principles of Activity Based Budgeting, and over the coming
weeks and months will be continuing discussions with Deans and Directors about how that model might work in the best
interests of the entire institution. I anticipate that by February 1, 2016, I will be able to provide a communication to the
campus on what that new model might look like, and what realignments might be necessary to maintain a balanced
budget. Any budget model must reflect an institutional perspective on what is important to us as a university, provide
incentives and tools to optimize domestic and international enrolment, support long term financial sustainability, and
allow for the best performance possible under our Strategic Mandate Agreement.

A final thank you and best wishes for 2016

The 2015 calendar year is drawing to a close. I thank all University of Windsor faculty and staff and students for another
year of contributions to helping our University achieve its mission. I hope that you will have a fulfilling and safe holiday
season, and that 2016 will be a very good year for all.

Alan Wildeman
President and Vice-Chancellor