As fewer students choose careers in teaching, Kutztown’s enrollment has dropped from 10,700 in 2010 to 8,600 this year – a decline of about 20 percent. The school’s retention rate has fallen to 73 percent, down from 78 percent in 2010. Recapturing 78 percent retention, Hawkinson said, would mean 450 additional students would graduate and Kutztown would gain an additional $4 million a year in tuition.

The less-equals-more strategy was outlined in Hawkinson’s annual meeting with faculty, held in Schaeffer Auditorium several days before the fall semester began Aug. 29.

Under policy changes initiated by Hawkinson:

• Students must be in the university’s honors program to be eligible for its highest scholarship awards. An active and vibrant honors program, he says, is a sign of quality at an institution.
• Scholarships for high achieving students resulted in a 35 percent increase in students with SAT scores above 1350 and an 18 percent increase in students with SAT scores topping 1200.
• Formation of KU-BEARS (Kutztown University Bringing Experiences About Research), an initiative to support undergraduates working with professors.
• Most students are required to live on campus for their freshman and sophomore years.

The changes, developed in Hawkinson’s first year as president, have begun to show modest results. The average SAT score for freshmen has increased to 981, 12 points higher than last year. GPA rose to 3.19, up from 3.03 in recent years.