By Alexander Gilbert
As the new academic year starts at Western New England University, more new students than ever before are walking around campus. Of the 922 new students this semester, 805 are freshmen – making the Class of 2028 the largest first-year class in the institution’s history.
Gregory Matthews, Vice President of Enrollment Management at the University, spoke to the Westerner about the large number of incoming students, highlighting their story and impact on the campus. Matthews remarked, “It’s the largest class in the history of the school, and we are all very excited about it.”
Like all other classes, the Class of 2028 is composed of a variety of students, including student-athletes, commuters, international students, and foreign exchange students.
Out of the 805 freshman students, 222 are student-athletes and will be competing on the 23 Division III teams offered by Golden Bear Athletics.
The admissions process for athletes is basically the same as for any other student, but student-athletes have a strong support system from their coaches and athletic offices. Matthews explained that “coaches are very good at making sure that athletes see the schools not only from the athletic perspective but make sure they are connected to the academic perspective as well to form the complete picture.” Student-athletes must balance demanding sports practices while studying for classes, so it’s important for those students to be in a school that fits their academic goals, as well as their athletic goals.
There are 324 freshman commuters, which is roughly forty percent of the Class of 2028. Matthews talked about how commuters tend to be a notable percentage of the student population. “It frequently does because of where we are located. There’s such a large number of our students in this heavily populated area and our University is well known in this region.” Matthews explained that “most students who live within basically 20 miles of the campus attempt to commute in many cases.”
With a large number of commuters, some students have worried about finding a parking space, but the University ensures there are enough spots for everyone. Matthews explained, “We are a heavy commuter campus, but you can see that we do have lots of parking. Although sometimes people have to park further away than at other times.” It is important that all residential students abide by their designated parking areas so commuters have access to the spots for their classes.
Western New England University is also the new home for 42 international and foreign exchange students from around the world. Students from Canada, Spain, Nigeria, Morocco, and Nepal have all found their way to Springfield for the fall semester. In addition, the foreign exchange program is hosting 18 students from France and one student from the Netherlands engaging in a semester abroad.
Matthews explained how the outreach and admissions process works for international students, with admissions staff traveling to college fairs in other countries and partnering with education agents who work within the country to search for placements for college students. Matthews said, “Over time, the University builds a reputation. Students know who you are based on the majors and experiences of people, their friends, and families that have come here.”
Although the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process was delayed for the Class of 2028 from October until April due to national government changes, Western New England University was able to compensate, providing accurate award letters with the requirement that the FAFSA would be filled out at a later date. Matthews said that “unlike many schools, we were able to produce those award letters, so people had the same comfort level of affordability,” and he “thinks that’s what helped make the big difference in enrollment, being able to serve students at a higher level than many schools around us.”
Matthews highlighted the types of studies students are interested in when discussing the skills and characteristics of Western New England University students. “The strengths of our students are often reflected in what our majors are, too. Sciences, engineering, and business tend to attract fairly strong students.”
According to the Western New England University website, the most popular majors among the Class of 2028 are Psychology, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Business Analytics and Information Management, Criminal Justice, and Accounting. The large variety of majors on campus will intellectually challenge the new students while continuing to offer students small-sized classes that are focused on their specific major.
The Class of 2028 is an exciting and welcome addition to the campus community. We are all excited to see what they learn and how they get involved, and we hope they succeed and enjoy their time at Western New England University.
