Future Students, Future Revenues: Thriving in a Decade of Demographic Decline:

Over the past decade, universities were able to grow revenue primarily by growing enrollment and increasing net tuition per student. But demographic and economic changes will make it increasingly difficult for all but a handful of institutions to grow tuition revenue at historic rates. Despite rising access rates, demographic projections suggest that the number of high school graduates will decline over the coming decade, leading to a dramatic drop-off in the overall rate of enrollment growth. The traditional population of 18- to 22-year-olds will remain a majority at most institutions, but enrollment growth will come primarily from other student segments. Populations such as community college transfers, international undergraduates, professional master’s students, and adult degree completers offer the best opportunities to grow enrollment and tuition revenue. Serving them well requires significant investments, new organizational models, and cultural change on campus. This can be done in a financially sustainable way—fulfilling the university’s mission to serve a diverse range of students while providing financial resources to support the core. This brief analyzes the forces that will shape higher education over the next decade and highlights the strategies and competencies that colleges and universities will need to be successful.

Creating High-Impact Workforce Development Programs

As communities across the nation continue to face persistent unemployment, many states are turning to community college workforce development programs to combat joblessness. However, state governments and community colleges alike are often unable to devote significant resources to building new workforce initiatives. This brief examines how community colleges in four states have worked with state governments and other partners to overcome budget constraints and create effective workforce development programs, highlighting funding models and innovative practices to make efficient use of limited resources.

Charles Lonergan Cobb Papers - Accession 11

The Charles Lonergan Cobb Papers consists mainly of correspondence but also includes photographs, biographical material, magazine and newspaper clippings, all relating to Cobb's career as a banker at People's National Bank( 1905-1949); and the People's National Bank and Trust Company(1949-1953) in Rock Hill, SC as well as his association with Winthrop College as a Board of Trustees' member(1938-1953). Subjects include, railroad cotton shipping service to South Carolina mill towns, crop loans in the early 1920s, location of the Celanese Chemical Plant in Rock Hill, the Winthrop College Board of Trustees, and a1946 article about Cobb that appeared in the Saturday Evening Post.