Steve Thorsett, president of Willamette University, will address Salem City Club March 19 about how the university is faring and broader trends in higher education.
Willamette has seen declining enrollment since 2015, with a substantial drop this fall to about 1,300 undergraduate students, down from 1,600. Those declines mirror national trends as the number of young adults in the U.S. has stopped growing and the rising cost of college tuition continues to outpace growth in family income.
Thorsett’s talk, “The State of Higher Education,” will address the economic and demographic challenges facing American colleges and universities, and small liberal arts schools like Willamette in particular. He will also speak about Willamette’s current state, how it’s surviving the pandemic and the university’s financial and academic future.
The talk will be held on Zoom at 12 p.m. March 19, and preregistration is required. Attendance is free for City Club members and $5 for non-members. More information on the talk and registration instructions are available here.
-Rachel Alexander
