II. Enrollment Both the planning principles supporting this document and the College's new mission statement speak directly to the issue of size of the College of William and Mary. The overarching goal of being the most distinguished small public university in the nation, the commitment to maintain a scale supportive of close faculty/student interaction, and the recognition of the educational value inherent to the residential experience, particularly at the undergraduate level, guide the Committee's recommendations in this area.

As a public institution, the College also has an obligation to educate Virginia's youth. The Commonwealth makes a significant and critical investment in College operations and facilities. In return, the College supports the educational and economic development needs of the Commonwealth within the diversity of institutional mission that is the hallmark of Virginia's higher education system.

The number of Virginia high school graduates is projected to increase by 24 percent over the next ten years. According to the State Council of Higher Education, this growth, in conjunction with increases in out-of-state undergraduates and in-state and out-ofstate graduate students, will require Virginia's higher education system to absorb another 70-75,000 students over the next ten years. The College should recognize the impact of these changes by accelerating its plan to increase undergraduate enrollment, while at the same time adhering to the Board of Visitors' guidelines on housing (see Section IV.C., below) and adding the resources necessary to support the College's curricular goals (see Section III.B., below).

Goal 1:
To respond to an expected increase in demand for admission to the College from Virginia high schools graduates.

Strategies:

1. Increase the size of the freshman class entering in the fall of 1995 from the currently approved 1,240 to 1,275.
2. Admit a freshman class size of 1,290, effective 1996-97. This accelerates the growth projected in the enrollment plan approved by the State Council of Higher Education, which projected that the College would reach an entering class of 1,290 size no earlier than 2002-03.

Strategy:

1. Increase enrollment in selected graduate and professional programs, provided that resources, high quality applicants, and employment opportunities for graduates are available.