According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the number of students who enrolled in colleges in the spring 2019 semester dropped for the eighth consecutive year. The decline this spring was only 1.7%, but represents 300,000 fewer students, and when compounded over eight years, that’s no small drop in the bucket.

So just what happens when student enrollment declines? We talked with Matt Whelan, vice president of strategic initiatives, president of the Faculty Student Association at Stony Brook University in New York. Dr. Whelan’s group manages the dining services program at the university, along with other student services groups, and he’s got a firsthand look at student enrollment trends.