Administration denies first-year overflow

by Lillian Ferrall '10

Thursday November 29, 2007

The hot topic on campus this year so far seems to be certain aspects of the admissions process; according to students from all four classes, SLC has no room to house its students, a shortage of dons for first years, and not enough financial-aid to go around. Steve Schierloh, the smiling, sandy-haired Dean of Admissions in his eighth year at Sarah Lawrence, is just the kind of guy you’d expect to be a little-league coach on the side. In a record-breaking hour and a half interview he kindly put many popular misconceptions to rest.

Sarah Lawrence College is not over-crowded. While those of you reading this from your Garrison B triple may roll your eyes, the administration maintains that the numbers are no more than intended. Shierloh said that the target number of students for 2007 was 1200; as of Oct. 3, the official census date of the college, 1201 students are enrolled. This year there are 363 first years, 361 sophomores, 169 juniors (a relatively low number due to our study abroad programs), 263 seniors, 42 new transfers and three visiting students on campus.

This is not to say that the college has not grown. It has, steadily. Beyond year-to-year scheduling, the “master plan” of the college included slowly achieving that magical 1200, in order to meet economic needs. One of the main streams of revenue into the college is tuition, with roughly 70-80% of that money going directly back into the operating costs of the college, such as salaries and general maintenance. “When you’re so tuition dependant, it is better to be over [the target number of students] than under, which can affect everything here,” explained Schierloh.

Plainly stated, Sarah Lawrence needs our money to keep the school running. As the school works to increase the endowment, which is currently smaller than some private high schools, that fact will hopefully change. Last year, SLC exceeded fundraising goals and locked up $14.73 million in cash donations and pledges alone, suggesting that the endowment may see better days ahead. Many are looking to new President Karen Lawrence to continue that trend and help the college cope with inflation.

Schierloh maintains, “As of now, we have no intent of getting larger.” According to him, the school has a manageable number of students right now, with enough tuition money and academic resources to satisfy both the administration and the students’ needs. So why were so many students placed in triples or denied housing this year? Why did the administration scramble to find professors willing to teach First Year Studies classes and take on the added responsibility of new donnees?

Last year, the college offered admission to around 45% of the 2,800 students who applied. About 390 of those students accepted the offer. Between April 1, 2007 and the first day of school, the “summer melt” took place, and only 263 students moved to 1 Mead Way. The “summer melt” is attributed to deferment, moving off the waitlist at other priority schools, etc. When fewer students “melt away” during the summer, as in 2006, the college is left with a slightly larger class. Schierloh admits that the college was “a little scared” of having too many students last year.

The administration was not caught without a plan, however. “We’ve done enough hiring to keep the ratio intact,” says Schierloh. The 6 to 1 student-faculty ratio is still among the lowest in the country. The administration also made plans during the summer of 2006 to open more First Year Studies sections and were ultimately able to accommodate the large incoming class.

This year, the main struggle was to provide sufficient housing. As the number of students expected to need housing fluctuates from spring until move-in day, it can be difficult to organize accommodations. Although housing issues continue to aggravate students, this will continue to be an inevitable problem for a school that chooses to offer on-campus housing for all students.

“Overall,” said Schierloh, “we’ve been very creative with what we have.”