This report is published annually by the Director of Administration and attempts to collate as much information as possible concerning recruitment of graduate students, enrollment of those students, and also the significant events and accomplishments of the Office of the Graduate School each year.

This report is also posted onto the Graduate School’s web site in electronic format thereby enabling excerpts or tables and figures to be copied and used by other departments and colleges of this university. For further information concerning the data contained in this report and clarification of the nature and source of any statistic please contact the Director of Administration at the Graduate School.

KEY ACTIVITIES AND SUCCESSES

According to an article published in the Chronicle of Higher Education on December 11, 1998, enrollment of graduate students has dropped for the second year in a row, as indicated by statistics released by the Council of Graduate Schools. Based on a survey of 525 institutions, enrollment slid by 1% from 1996 to 1997 and by 2% the year before. Furthermore, the number of graduate school applications decreased by 3% in 1997 compared with the previous year. Several reasons are being cited to explain this decline; the principle factors are assumed to be a strong job market for B.A.’s and a relatively weak one for Ph.D.’s. Against this background it is gratifying to note that the Graduate School of the University of Alabama has experienced an increase in the both enrollment and applications for this year. A successful program of recruitment with seminars, revised publications, and college visits has resulted in a reversal of trends experienced over recent years.

The total number of completed applications which peaked in 1994-95 at 3,800 fell to 3,211 last year, but has moved back to 3,374 for Fall 1998. Graduate Nondegree applications increased for the second year, from 1,314 to 1,401 for 1998. This was achieved despite a decrease in recent years in the volume of off-campus graduate programs. The total number of applications received also increased compared with last year, moving to 4,295, up almost 8%.

Fall enrollment totals reversed the decline experienced over recent years with a total of 3,391 in 1998, up 4.2% on last year. The Graduate School continued to maintain its gender enrollment ratio with around 57% of total students being female. Total graduate credit hour production has stayed around the same levels as previous years with a total of 53,665 compared with 54,643 for last year (excluding Law School).

The enrollment of African-American students, which reached a peak in 1995 at 225, has dramatically improved this year. 72 men and 173 women African American students were enrolled for fall 1998, an overall total of 245. This represents the highest level ever of graduate African American enrollment.

Success was again achieved in reversing the decline over the years prior to 1996 in the number of international students enrolling in Graduate School. The reduction in 1995 of 9% was turned into an increase of 3% in both 1996 and 1997 and for 1998 the increase is over 10%. Total international enrollment for this year is 423.

Recruitment from all continents increased or remained at approximately the same level as in 1997. The most significant increases were from Latin America and Asia. The People’s Republic of China increased its contribution by 18% from 122 to 144 students.

The total number of degrees awarded was lower than last year at 1,180 (1997:1,333), a reduction of 11%. This reduction was mainly in the area of Education where the number of degrees fell from 526 to 378.

In the area of financial support and assistance for graduate students, the Graduate School continued to increase its contribution. Total support was $17,056,574, up 6% on last year. Graduate School fellowship stipends were significantly higher than previous years totaling $1,015,884, representing an increase of over 26% on last year. This arose mainly from new Graduate Council Research fellowships totaling $150,000 and an almost doubling of the number of awards from the National Alumni Association License Tag funds from $130,000 to $240,000. Total tuition grants were $5,633,173 up 12% on last year.

The number and value of graduate assistantships awarded this year were higher than in previous years. The total amount of stipends awarded was $10,165,418 to 1,157 students compared with $10,041,434 for 1,153 students last year. This represents an average award of $8,786 per student (last year $8,709). For the new year the minimum stipend for graduate assistants has been increased by 8.5% to $7,866 for 0.50 FTE positions.

Looking over the fifteen year period from 1984 to 1998 the Graduate School has achieved successful results in many areas. Growth has been steady and sustained in all its activities. Enrollment has increased by on average 2.5% each year, and applications have increased by an average of 5.2%. The number of degrees conferred has steadily increased at an average annual rate of 5.5%, and graduate assistantships have similarly increased by an average of 6.7% per year. The enrollment of African American students has more than doubled in that fifteen years, and international student numbers have increased at a rate of 4.5% each year. See Figure 1.

RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES

The 1997-98 academic year again saw reduced recruitment travel by the Graduate School, due to budget restraints. However, the Graduate School conducted a number of other, less expensive recruitment activities and assisted departments with many recruitment projects. Graduate School recruiters made visits to 11 recruitment fairs for over 25 colleges and universities. In order to ensure that minority programs were not adversely affected, efforts were concentrated on targeting 10 historically black institutions for recruitment visits. During and following each visit, the Graduate School representative developed a list of prospects and wrote each of them a follow-up letter, accompanied by a memorandum to each graduate chairperson, giving the details of those students interested in that department's programs.

The Graduate School organizes a large number of on-campus recruitment activities. During October, 1997, the tenth annual Graduate and Professional School Day was held in the Ferguson Student Center. More than 500 prospective graduate students attended and received a great deal of information concerning graduate study. Also, the Graduate School and the Office of Career Planning and Placement jointly held a Graduate Opportunities Day in February, 1998 for UA students as well as students from other colleges and universities throughout the state of Alabama. Over 35 UA graduate departments had exhibits, and departmental faculty were available to talk with prospective students.

In September, 1998, the Graduate School sponsored a workshop on "Applying to Graduate School," which was attend by over 450 undergraduates at UA and surrounding schools and other prospective graduate students. The workshop consisted of presentations by Graduate School recruiters on the application process and presentations by departmental representatives on graduate opportunities in specific fields of study. The workshop concluded with free practice administrations of graduate admissions tests, provided at no charge by Kaplan, Inc. The attendees continue to be monitored regularly to ensure that as many as possible decide to enroll in graduate school.

Graduate School recruiters conduct presentations for a large number of campus organizations, including honor societies, undergraduate organizations, undergraduate classes, and other units across campus. Emphasis continues to be placed on maintaining links and dialogue with all undergraduate organizations concerning admissions procedures and how to improve them and also stressing the benefits of investing in graduate education. The Graduate School emphasizes that it is extremely important to develop a personal contact with all outstanding undergraduate students (those who have maintained a 3.00 or better GPA) and encourages them to consider attending the Graduate School at the UA.

On the first Wednesday of every month, the Graduate School conducts a seminar on "Applying to Graduate School." The seminar is listed on the Graduate School's Web page and is promoted by the various departments and support groups across the UA campus The seminar is announced widely across the UA campus and other campuses across the state. Prospective graduate students from other states are invited to attend.

The success of graduate student recruitment is dependent on activities of individual graduate departments and faculty. Graduate students often select a university based on the research and scholarly activities of the departmental faculty. Prospective graduate students who have been contacted directly by department chairs or faculty are more likely to apply to a university. Thus, the Graduate School has implemented a number of activities to assist departments with their own graduate recruitment activities. Each Fall Semester, the Graduate School holds a workshop for department chairs and graduate program directors and provides information about possible recruitment activities. Each semester, the Graduate School sponsors a recruitment discussion group for 10-15 Graduate Program Directors. Graduate School staff routinely are invited to attend departmental faculty meetings to discuss graduate student recruitment, application, and admission. In Spring, 1998, the Graduate School implemented a prospect data base. About 400-500 prospective graduate students are entered into the data base each month, and departments are sent reports about prospective students who have expressed specific interest in their departments. The Graduate School receives national data bases of prospective graduate students (e.g., the McNair Scholars Program for undergraduates who are from disadvantaged groups or are first generation college students) and sends the data bases to departments. The Graduate School also routinely sends reports to departments about potential outstanding applicants who have submitted parts of their applications (e.g., transcripts, test scores) and can be encouraged by departments to complete their applications and attend the University of Alabama Graduate School.

Developments and improvements within the application cycle also contribute to keeping application and enrollment levels high. In addition, the use of technology in communication will improve this area. The Graduate School has its electronic application on the UA Web Site. This facilitates rapid processing of applications while reducing the amount of paperwork usually associated with the admissions process. Approximately 10% of all graduate degree applications are submitted on-line.

The Graduate School is also implementing an option for graduate applicants to use a "self-managed" approach to applications. The self-managed process allows applicants to have more control over and direct involvement with the application process. The applicant manages the application until all documentation (transcripts, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, application fee, etc.) has been received by the applicant. The application is sent to the Graduate School as a complete packet (except for the test score, which must be sent to the Graduate School by the testing center). The self-managed application process should prove to be a more efficient method of handling applications in the future. The MBA program is currently serving as a trial for using a self-managed application.}

GRADUATE SCHOOL PUBLICATIONS

The Graduate School continues to provide up-to-date information to faculty members and current and prospective students through a variety of published informational materials. All of these are reviewed periodically to ensure that the data are current and accurate, especially in the areas of financial support. The current publications are:

•  Graduate Catalog
•  Graduate School Prospectus
•  A Manual for Students Preparing Theses and Dissertations
•  Graduate Assistant Guide
•  Graduate Student Recruitment Manual for Faculty
•  Graduate Student Financial Assistance Brochure
•  International Student Brochure
•  Housing and Financial Aid Brochure
•  Graduate Student Orientation Brochure
•  Minority Student Assistance Guide

THE GRADUATE SCHOOL AND THE WORLD WIDE WEB

ADMISSIONS

The University of Alabama Graduate School benefited from increases in all areas of its recruitment activities in 1997-98, compared to the previous year. The Graduate School received 4,295 applications, compared to 3,978 in 1996-1997, or an 8% increase. The Graduate School also accepted a large number of applications, 3,374, compared to 3,211 in 1996-1997, or a 5% increase. The quality of application was similar to last year, and an acceptance rate of 62.3% occurred in 1997-98, compared to 57% in 1996-1997. The applications received resulted in 2,102 acceptances, 791 rejections, and 481 still awaiting departmental decisions. In addition, a total of 1,401 non-degree applications were received in 1997-98, of which 806 were from off-campus. For a more detailed analysis of admissions and applications, please refer to Tables 1, 2, and 3.

ENROLLMENT

Overall enrollment in the Graduate School in Fall Semester 1998 was 3,391 which represented an increase of 4.2% from the 3,253 graduate students enrolled in Fall, 1997. Some divisions showed substantial increases, including Commerce and Business Administration (17.6%), although this was partially offset by small reductions on some others. The Graduate School is very pleased with this increase, in contrast to national trends that the pool of eligible students continues to decline as universities across the country are faced with intense recruiting competition from other graduate schools, businesses, and industry. This situation is exacerbated where funding levels are reduced; therefore, efforts must be made to ensure that sufficient financial support is made available to combat these declines. For a more detailed analysis of enrollment for 1997-1998 please refer to Tables 4, 5, and 6.

FEMALE ENROLLMENT

In line with the University's continuing desire to ensure that female representation at all levels continues to improve, the Graduate School was successful in maintaining the ratio of female students. In Fall 1998, 1,533 out of 2,844 on-campus graduate students were women representing over 53% of the total ( compared to 52% in Fall, 1997). A full analysis of the recruitment of female graduate students appears in Table 5.

AFRICAN AMERICAN ENROLLMENT

The Graduate School continues to be committed to the identification, recruitment, enrollment, retention, and graduation of minority graduate students. While efforts supporting this commitment include individuals from a variety of usually underrepresented groups, African Americans receive particular attention due to regional demographics. During 1997-98, the Graduate School recruitment staff continued to visit historically black institutions and engage in other activities to recruit minority students. Recognizing the benefits of growing our own graduate students, the Graduate School also personally contacts outstanding UA minority students and hosts a reception for them. The Graduate School continues to actively recruit students through services and publications directed towards minority. The Graduate School has developed and nationally circulated a minority recruitment brochure.

African Americans comprised 8.6% of on-campus graduate enrollment in the fall of 1998 with 245 students out of a total 2,844 of students enrolled. Enrollment of African-American graduate students has steadily increased from a low of 81 students in 1987 (3% of the total graduate enrollment) and has remained stable with 200 - 225 students (6-7% of the total enrollment) in 1994 - 1997, as seen in Figure 1. The University of Alabama ranks 22nd in the nation in the total number of doctoral degrees awarded in all disciplines, according to a report in the July 23, 1998, issue of Black Issues in Higher Education. We were just behind The University of Texas at Austin and just ahead of The University of California--Berkeley. In sub- categories, we tied for 16th in the nation in the number of doctoral degrees awarded to African- Americans in Education, and we tied for 7th in the number of degrees awarded in the social sciences and history.

In order to increase minority graduate enrollment, the University of Alabama Graduate School makes substantial efforts to ensure that minority students receive needed financial assistance. In the past 10 years, the Graduate School has provided scholarships, fellowships, and stipends for over 100 minority graduate scholars. Due to expanded Graduate School activities in 1997-1998, there will be more participants in the minority graduate fellowship programs during 1998-1999 than in any previous year. Several programs are in place to provide targeted financial assistance for minority groups in conjunction with other bodies. For example, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Minority Doctoral Scholars program is in its fifth year and provides stipends for minority students at the University, while the Graduate School funds tuition scholarships totaling $14,000 per year. For some Minority Doctoral Scholars, the Graduate School has a partnership with SREB to provide half of a $12,000 annual stipend. Similar forms of support include the Joint Faculty Development Program and the Future Faculty Fellows Program, which provide substantial assistance to African-American students who plan to become college or university professors. Financial support is also provided for participants in the Joint Faculty/Staff Development Program with Stillman College. The numerous Graduate School fellowship and scholarship programs are described in detail in the section on Graduate Student Financial Support.

In addition, prospective minority students are directed to fellowships, assistantships, scholarships, and other sources of financial aid for which they may apply. For example, African- American students in Fall, 1998 received 3 of the 27 National Alumni Association License Tag Fellowships, amounting to over $40,000 in stipends and tuition grants. In Fall, 1997, a UA graduate student entered the Ph. D. program in Applied Mathematics with a $100,000 Packard Fellowship to cover five years\rquote study.

The Minority Graduate Student Assistance Office offers a variety of support services for students, and Graduate School support of the African-American Graduate Student Organization assists the University in successfully retaining and graduating its minority students.

An analysis of the last 5 years' African-American enrollment is shown in Figure 5 and Table8.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

The number of international students enrolling in Graduate School had seen a increase in 1998, with 423 enrolled compared to 383 in Fall, 1997 and 372 in Fall, 1996. International students now account for almost 15% of total on-campus enrollment, compared with 14% in 1997. The College of Engineering has the largest foreign contingent, accounting for over 38% of the total foreign enrollment, closely followed by the College of Arts & Sciences at 28%. As in previous years, Asia continued to contribute the most overseas students, with a total of 309, coming mostly from China. Both India and Korea further contribute to the increasing enrollment numbers. A full analysis of international enrollment is included in Figure 4 and Tables 9 and 10.

MINORITY GRADUATE STUDENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT

SREB Fellowships: The Graduate School recently received notification of #1 ranking for number of SREB doctoral scholars! Since 1993, the Graduate School has enrolled 11 SREB Minority Doctoral Scholars, which is the highest number of SREB scholars in the country. Two additional SREB scholars have been funded to begin enrollment in Fall, 1998, giving UA a total of 13 SREB scholars since 1993. SREB Minority Scholars Doctoral Scholars receive an annual stipend of $12,000 (some stipends shared by the Graduate School and SREB), book scholarships from SREB, and full tuition scholarships from the Graduate School.

Future Faculty Fellows Program: This program is for students from minority groups who plan to become college or university professors. Future Faculty Fellows receive annual stipends of $9,000 for two years, departmental assistantships for two additional years, and full tuition scholarships for up to four years of full-time graduate study. A total of 19 doctoral students have received Future Faculty Fellowships since 1991, including a new fellow who will begin doctoral study in Fall, 1998.

Joint Minority Faculty Development Program Fellowships: The Joint Faculty Development Program was implemented for practicing college teachers in Alabama HBCUs who do not have a terminal degree. Faculty members participating in this program receive support from both their home institution and an annual stipend of $11,000 and full tuition scholarship from The University of Alabama Graduate School for up to two years of graduate study. Institutions participating in this program include Alabama State University, Alabama A & M, and Oakwood. Twenty fellows have participated in the program since 1989. Academic year 1998-1999 will be a banner year for the program---five Joint Faculty Development Fellowships have been awarded to faculty members of partner institutions, more than any year since the inception of the program.

UA/Stillman College Joint Faculty Staff Development Program: The major objectives of the program are to provide support for Stillman College faculty and staff to complete degree requirements for a graduate degree and to provide inservice and staff development. The Graduate School provides tuition scholarships for five - ten Stillman faculty and staff each semester.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

The Graduate School continues to enjoy a geographically diverse student body. Fall enrollment comprised students from 44 states (other than Alabama), the District of Columbia, and 53 foreign countries. Out of a total of 3,391 students enrolled in Fall 1998, Alabama residents accounted for 1,598, or 47%, compared with 1,496 or 54% in 1997. Figure 5 shows the top 5 states in the USA for enrollment source of graduate students.

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