Rider’s administration withholds annual enrollment figures

By Grace Bertrand

Amid the university’s $21.8 million deficit, Rider’s administration has refused to release enrollment and budget statistics for the current academic year, despite promising a census ready for release by Oct. 1 — a sharp deviation from the past 10 years where enrollment data was announced at the start of the school year.

In an interview with The Rider News on Sept. 15, Rider President John Loyack said he planned to finalize the current fiscal year’s budget once the amount of students enrolled in classes and living on campus is confirmed based on an annual census completed on Oct. 1. 

Loyack said, “When I’m convinced that the numbers are of a quality that we can share them, we can start thinking about doing that, but we’ve got some work to do.”

When the numbers will achieve this quality, however, is unknown.

Federal law requires universities like Rider to submit fall enrollment data by Oct. 15 to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

In an Oct. 16 email to The Rider News, Vice President of External Affairs Kristine Brown said, “Later this semester the University will be sharing with the campus community the official enrollment numbers along with additional information related to the University’s goals for a sustainable future.”

One indication that this fall’s enrollment statistics may be disappointing is that Rider’s retention rate continues to decline – this fall just 75% of Rider freshman returned for sophomore year, down from 79% in 2024, according to an email Provost Kelly Bidle sent all deans and department chairs on Oct. 17. In 2023, retention was 80.5% according to university data shared with the community last year. Like enrollment numbers, retention rates are part of federal IPEDS data reporting requirements.

The annual census is typically shared with the university at the yearly presidential convocation that occurs at the end of August ahead of the academic year. In past years, numerous key enrollment and budget figures were displayed during the convocation presentation by former Rider President Gregory Dell’Omo to inform the Rider community of where the university stands in certain areas before heading into a new school year.

This year, however, newly appointed Loyack hosted an invitational social event in place of the convocation in order to get a chance to introduce himself and meet employees.

During the Q&A portion of the event, Loyack was asked about enrollment numbers. He replied by explaining these statistics were still being solidified, according to an anonymous professor, adding that they would be released in the near future.

Jeffrey Halpern, chief grievance officer of Rider’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, said the union requested updated enrollment numbers in conversations with university leaders, but has received no figures this fall.

Since starting his term in July, Loyack said to The Rider News that he has seen five to six iterations of enrollment numbers, which he explained is frustrating for him when the numbers are changing.

Loyack said the decision to not release budget and enrollment numbers until October was one he also made at Alvernia, explaining that it worked well to wait for final numbers instead of creating a potential budget based on estimates. Those final numbers should have appeared in the annual Oct. 1 census.

For fiscal year 2024, Dell’Omo shared the enrollment numbers and gave an additional depiction of the freshman to sophomore year retention at his presidential convocation.

In August 2023, Dell’Omo reported 825 freshmen and an 80% retention rate. His plan included projections for 868 freshmen in fall 2024 and 879 in fall 2025, hoping for a 81.5% retention rate this year.

A call for transparency 

As of fiscal year 2024, Rider stands in a $21.8 million deficit. According to the university’s most recent federal tax forms, the biggest source of revenue for Rider continued to be tuition and board, with an estimated $173.5 million, making enrollment and retention a critical component of the university’s financial future.

In an email to The Rider News on Aug. 29, Brown explained that she could not further discuss Rider’s financial situation, writing “[The required IRS filing] is the format we are relying on for sharing financial details such as budget and compensation, and we don’t have additional information to provide beyond what is in those documents at this time.”

In a Sept. 19 universitywide email, Loyack addressed Rider’s financial crisis, calling it “more severe than expected.”

In naming the necessary steps he believes the university has to take to rebuild a firm financial standing, Loyack called for a greater focus on enrollment: “At the same time, we are beginning a new enrollment cycle, one of the most critical factors in Rider’s future success. As a tuition-dependent institution, enrollment is our lifeblood. Only with a strong enrollment can we meet our financial challenges and begin building toward a stronger future.”

Rider’s AAUP chapter President Maria Villalobos-Buehner explained it is harder for faculty to help with Rider’s financial crisis when they do not know what the crisis is.

She said, “Without any kind of financial paperwork that would support those [proposed ideas] how can we help? What are the enrollment numbers? What is the audit or whatever thing that will help [faculty] understand? It’s like they are keeping us all in the darkness of what is happening. So how can we engage?”

In an Oct. 21 facultywide email to Loyack, Rider’s AAUP chapter asked for “a true partnership” between him and the faculty as they work together to rebuild Rider’s financial standing. The email stated, “This partnership must be built on mutual respect and trust, and that can only be achieved by a commitment to a new and radical transparency — a transparency that was sorely lacking in the previous administration.” 

Loyack stated in his Sept. 19 email, “Even in my short time at Rider, I have seen how deeply our students, faculty, staff, families and alumni care for this University and for one another. That commitment deserves honesty in return.”

Villalobos-Buehner agreed with this sentiment but said she feels like the Rider community is not receiving that honesty and transparency from the administration.

She said, “The faculty is deeply invested into Rider University. This is our place … we are committed to helping the institution move forward. But, this silence is not at all productive and not helping whatsoever.”