NEW ORLEANS
Among the myriad issues involved in the recovery of Hurricane Katrina-affected colleges and universities, one of the most pertinent is the “mama factor.” That’s what Xavier University of Louisiana President Norman Francis calls the impact a parent’s trepidation has on enrollment.
Parents, who often have the final say on where their children will attend college, haven’t forgotten the images broadcast in the days after the hurricane slammed in to the city. The storm’s waters overwhelmed New Orleans’ levee system, flooding 80 percent of the city. Not surprisingly, some parents wonder if they’ll be putting their children in harm’s way by sending them to college in the “Big Easy.”
At Xavier, the mama factor has contributed to the low number of freshman committing to attend this fall. The school generally accepts 800-900 new students each year, but hopes to enroll 400-500 this fall.
Universities that draw students locally also have a unique challenge: no neighborhood housing, and therefore, no students.
New Orleans institutions indeed will open this fall to fewer students, but not for lack of trying. Schools like historically Black Xavier and Dillard universities are using different strategies in an effort to woo students back.
“The nightly news doesn’t help because it covers negative stories. We’re up and running, and we need to get the message out,” says Scott L. Whittenburg, an associate vice president at the University of New Orleans, also faced with declining post-Katrina enrollment.
