The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

Low enrollment hurts small business

My name is Mike Ricci, and I own a small business here in Carbondale. This is the first time I am writing to a member of the SIUC administration in the 16 years I have lived in Carbondale.

I just finished reading the Daily Egyptian article about the horrible enrollment numbers posted this semester. In the article Anne DeLuca, assistant vice chancellor of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and director of Admissions, is quoted as saying, "I think there's a natural flow that goes with enrollment." She said, "This may be a period for us that it makes more sense to be the size we are now because we can serve students well at that size."

With all due respect, Ms. DeLuca, that's bull. Here in the real world we call a statement like that "covering your rear." If my sales people performed as badly as Enrollment Management does at SIUC they'd be in the unemployment line by lunchtime.

Do you really think you can "serve the students well" in a ghost town? Does no one at SIUC understand that a healthy SIUC and a healthy Carbondale go hand in hand? SIUC needs more students, not less. More students means more money to the school and the community. More students means more diversity of people. More students means a richer experience for everyone! To claim dwindling enrollment makes SIUC somehow better for students is doublespeak. It is Orwellian in the extreme.

Do you have any idea what it means to us business owners when we see these numbers? I rely on SIUC students FOR MY SURVIVAL! Tell my employees how much better off they are that enrollment is the lowest in 20 years! I had to cut two positions this summer because of how slow business is. Even my doctor's office complained about how slow business is!

Every semester I read the same bad news. Every semester you or Larry Dietz are there to tell the press and the community that everything is ok. But everything is not ok. All around the country college enrollment is skyrocketing, but not at Carbondale. For some reason, we can't seem to attract these students. We can't even keep the ones we have.

Is there no one at SIUC that understands how dangerous this on-going trend is?

Organizations as large as a state university tend to be self-generating. They tend to promote their own interests, and they tend to grow.

But not SIUC. Enrollment dwindles, tuition rises, and the town suffers. Do you not see this? Why is no one being held responsible for this disaster?

Again, no disrespect intended, but obviously I am very angry. Angry because of what dwindling enrollment means to my business, but angrier because of the cavalier and callous attitude those of you responsible for enrollment display each and every time we hear bad news like this. Mike Ricci Mike's Music, Carbondale

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