How Coastal Carolina University is surviving the coronavirus and exceeding expectations
Coastal Carolina University took drastic measures last summer to financially survive the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and declining enrollment.
The university made several cuts, including eliminating 36 jobs and requiring most remaining full-time employees to take unpaid furloughs of up to 20 days.
Those tactics may be all that’s required for the school to withstand the pandemic, as revenue well above projections and increases in mid-year freshmen retention, incoming freshmen applications and acceptance, and athletic fundraising were reported to the school’s board of trustees at its quarterly meeting Thursday and Friday.
Enrollment numbers on the rise
Enrollment in the fall semester was down approximately 3.6% compared to fall 2019, a decrease that was less than anticipated prior to the semester, according to Provost Dan Ennis, with total enrollment at 10,118 and full-time equivalent enrollment at 9,527. The decrease in enrollment is down to 2.9% for the spring semester compared to last school year.
Ninety percent of freshmen returned for the spring semester, which is up slightly from 88% and 89% in each of the past five school years, and 2021 freshman applications and freshman acceptance are both up more than 6% through Feb. 12 compared to the same pre-pandemic time in 2020.
The university reports that it has received 13,575 applications from prospective freshmen for the fall 2021 semester for an increase of 6.4%, and it has accepted 9,587 of those applications for a 10.5% increase.
Those numbers should lead to an enrollment increase for the 2021-22 school year and millions of dollars over the projected budget in tuition revenue. Coastal did not raise tuition this school year.
Out-of-state applications have increased 29.7% and approvals have increased 22.6%, and international freshmen applications and approvals are up as well.
But university leaders remain perplexed by a 20.7% drop in in-state freshman applications, down to 4,757, and a resulting in-state acceptance decrease of 8.8%.
Amanda Craddock, associate provost for enrollment management, said it’s the largest known drop in in-state student applications to CCU, and believes the pandemic is at least partially to blame. “I do believe it’s directly related to COVID,” she said.
Ennis said CCU is exploring ways to reach high school students in South Carolina, and is seeking approval from schools and school districts to participate in college career days and application workshops at high schools, perhaps in school parking lots.
“We’re ready to go on the road,” Ennis said. “We’re doing much more outreach to South Carolina high schools, intensifying our contact with guidance counselors and principals, and we’re trying to get permission to do face-to-face recruitment.”
Revenue exceeding the budget
CCU chief financial officer David Frost said prior to the school year the school budgeted for a loss of $8 million, and the university is positioned to have a $7.2 million increase in net assets.
Revenue in the category with the least restrictions on its spending – accumulated largely from student tuition and fees – is $16.3 million ahead of budget, Frost said, including $470,000 from a class-action settlement with Santee Cooper, with another $211,000 due from the power utility within the next couple years.
The university has increased its reserve fund for COVID and other emergencies from $11 million to $12.3 million over the past few months, according to Frost.
He said the university has received $29.5 million through the pandemic CARES Act, and $10 million of that has been or will be given directly to students through grants.
The university has or can use the rest for COVID-related expenses, losses and reimbursements from the state.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster has asked state lawmakers to allocate another $80 million to S.C. college students in financial need from lottery funds.
Another step toward normalcy?
The university is tracking four key indicators that will determine when it advances from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of its operating plan during the pandemic, which will be another step toward normalcy.
Three of the four key indicators to advance are down: cases on campus, the positive rate, and community infections. The fourth, local hospital Intensive Care Unit capacity, is still too high.
“We’re expecting to move to Phase 2 very soon,” Ennis said. “Since we’ve had other good news lately in Horry County, we’re hoping the next report will bring it down to a tolerant level.”
CCU hasn’t explained Phase 2 in great detail, but states on its website it “will allow greater flexibility in face-to-face experiences and gatherings; however, moderate prevention and mitigation measures will be in place to safeguard the university community.”
The operational phase decision will be made by the Emergency Management Executive Group, which reviews the bi-weekly report from CCU’s COVID-19 Transition Advisory Group.
“Phase 2 will allow us to have more in-person activity,” Ennis said. “People will still have to explain their activity, or their club or their sport, and it goes to a committee, but the committee will have a wider tolerance and ability to let some face-to-face activity occur.”
Students have four learning options this spring: in-person, remote, remote synchronous streaming, and a hybrid in-class with streaming and remote synchronous.
More than 60% of classes in the fall had a face-to-face component in their instruction, Ennis said, which has dropped to 54% in the spring. But the spring has classes that are being taught entirely in-person, whereas the fall did not.
Athletics contributing to progress
The Chanticleer Athletic Foundation, the nonprofit affiliated with the university that supports CCU athletics, reported it raised $852,000 in member donations for the 2019-20 fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2020, to set a new foundation record.
The CAF has raised more than $1.45 million through the first seven months of the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, which includes more than just member donations – additional things such as pledges and designated portions of ticket sales – according to new CAF executive director Kelly Moore.
“It is on target with goals despite the challenges that COVID-19 presents,” Moore said.
The CAF’s annual gala, the largest single fundraiser for the foundation, is scheduled to be held on May 22 at the Grande Dunes Marriott but will be limited to 300 attendees rather than 600 because of current social distancing requirements.
Athletics director Matt Hogue reported Coastal increased it social media followers 78% in 2020, according to SkullSparks, a college social media design and analytics company. That was the second largest increase in the nation after Southern California, according to the company.
Hogue also reported that led by the football team’s success, Coastal enjoyed its best month ever in December in terms of earned media value – a monetary measure of media coverage.
The FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl between CCU and Liberty drew a 1.4 rating and 2.62 million viewers, according to Sports Media Watch, which ranked 14th among all bowl games, including the three College Football Playoff games.
CCU is currently leading the Sun Belt Conference’s Commissioner Cup, which reflects overall athletic success by the league’s 12 schools.
COVID cases drop after spike
Following a spike in coronavirus cases since the start of the spring semester on Jan. 19, CCU reported a drop in the number of positive cases last week.
The university reported 17 new cases Friday from Feb. 11-17, including 16 among students, after three consecutive weeks with more than 30 cases. Weekly test numbers are through 5 p.m. each Wednesday.
The university had gone 17 consecutive weeks without more than 20 weekly cases dating back to late September prior to the start of the semester. Cases peaked early in the fall semester with 82 reported on Sept. 18, which capped a three-week period with 199 cumulative cases.
CCU has reported 136 total cases in the five weeks since many students returned to campus following an extended holiday break.
Since June, CCU has reported 533 positive coronavirus cases – 424 students, 98 faculty/staff and 11 school affiliates. The university reported nine students in isolation and 13 in quarantine as of Wednesday, as well as 281 released from isolation and 490 released from quarantine since June.
The positive test results are the combined totals of all university symptomatic testing – the general student population is being tested only when students request a test because they are symptomatic – regular surveillance testing results of student-athletes per Sun Belt Conference and NCAA guidelines, including at least weekly testing for in-season athletes, and positive test results reported by students, employees, and school affiliates.
This story was originally published February 22, 2021 at 6:45 AM.
