Alluding to the University Secretary’s parable of the open door at its General Orientation Program, ASU-Banga opened its doors to some 621 college freshmen as classes for the First Semester, SY 2007-08 kicked off last month. This figure, a slight increase from the freshman enrolment in the first semester last school year, brings ASU-Banga’s total college enrolment (TCE) to 1670.

Most of the incoming students are concentrated at the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) and College of of Agriculture, Forestry and Environmental Sciences (CAFES).Though taking a smaller share, the College of Teacher Education (CTE) has managed to post an increase in freshman enrollment.

During the orientation program attended by all the students, faculty and staff on June 20 at the ASU amphitheater, University President Benny Palma Sr. assumed the role of a father figure as he welcomed all the incoming college students. Empathizing with many of them who are away from home for the first time, Dr Palma admonished them to make ASU their second home, adding that the university strives to provide them with an ideal environment for learning and personal growth.

Dr Palma continued to address the students by citing, among other things, the limited number of seats in the amphitheater, which points to the ASU-Banga’s growing community resulting from the steady increase in enrollment for the last three years. However, he expressed disappointment with the huge slump in enrolment for the BS Agriculture program, whose graduates have been in demand in the labor market in recent years.

As they introduced their office functions, faculty, staff and linkages, the deans and directors from different units took the chance to encourage the incoming students to enjoy the university life by taking part in various campus programs and activities of their respective units.

But it was Ms Michelle Tan, the University Secretary who, veering away from the day’s orientation pitch, gave the students an inspiring message. She roused the students’ awareness of their access to quality education with her parable of the open door, meant to evoke in them a sense of fortuity and gratitude to ASU for opening its doors to them and those who have desired to improve their station in life.

The unofficial figures from the Office of the Registrar show a slim growth of 4% in ASU-Banga’s TCE from last year. This is triggered by the SAS’s TCE, which rose by almost 50% due to a big increase in enrollment for the Bachelor in Office Information Management (BOIM) and Associate in Health Service Education (AHSE) programs. CTE’s TCE this semester, which declined in the same period last year, went up by less than 5%, indicating a recovery in the total college enrolment average for the past five years.

The increase in enrollment is indeed a welcome development. However, it also brings about a number of challenges for the university on the administrative, pedagogical, and infrastructure fronts. This calls for consolidated and well-coordinated efforts as the university responds to its institutional mandate and works towards achieving its vision as a pillar of academic excellence.