Enrollment Declining With Economy
By Meagan Abell
Lemke Ledger Staff
With the journalism industry being hard hit by the recession, some freshmen interested in journalism are opting for other majors.
The Lemke Department of Journalism peaked in 2005 with 592 students enrolled. Since then the numbers have seen a steady drop. In 2008, the department had 511 students, which is still higher than 2002-2004, but the growth rate of the department has slowed compared to the University of Arkansas' overall growth.
Carol Rachal, the department's alumni liaison director and instructor, attributes the decline in numbers to a few factors.
“Students know journalists do not make money and are entering into more lucrative fields,” Rachal said. “The economy is affecting everyone.”
Rachal also said that with the rise of technology in the media, other degrees can lead to journalism jobs.
“I tell my students to learn how to make a Web site; if they can make a Web site it will help them in the end,” Rachal said.
Cory Crawford, a recent Lemke graduate and current law student at the UA, said even though he has entered into a path for a career in law, he has not abandoned journalism.
“While I likely won't be getting back into the journalism field as a reporter, I would love to get into First Amendment law, which would likely entail media law, he said. "Being a strong advocate of free speech and freedom of the press, I can think of no greater use of my life than to fight for the protections the Constitution gave those with the pen and notebook.
Journalism Department chair Dr. Patsy G. Watkins said the decline in enrollment could be related to several different factors, including new minimum enrollment requirements.
“The advertising and public relations sequence has implemented a 2.25 GPA requirement that has affected the enrollment since it is the largest area of study in the department,” Watkins said.
In addition, a potential raise in GPA requirement for Ad/PR students to 2.5 could be in the works for upcoming semesters. Any GPA requirement increase would likely play a role in numbers for the future.
Watkins also said that despite the slight decline in enrollment, the Lemke department is not looking to recruit students.
“We are at capacity, maybe even a little over. If we expand anymore we will not have the resources to accommodate the students, and we do not want to lose quality,” she said.