University President John Bardo gave enrollment a grade of “Incomplete” Friday during a convocation for faculty and staff.

Bardo issued “grades” to other university priorities, including technology transfer and research.

Enrollment was the only one of those priorities not to receive a letter on the traditional A to F grade scale.

“It doesn’t have to turn into an ‘F,’” Bardo said.

Ultimately, though, Bardo said he expects the university will struggle this year with enrollment.

For several years, enrollment at WSU has hovered around 15,000 students. Last year, it peaked at 15,003.

A report released last week by the university projects the head count to be down 392 from this time in 2014. By day 20, the day WSU officially measures its numbers, the head count is expected to be down 430 students.

Bardo said the university has made progress in its efforts to increase enrollment, which is still well below Bardo’s initial goal of 22,000 students.

“The bottom line is we have not fully implemented a model anywhere on campus,” he said.

Bardo also said the university is getting better at getting students admitted to WSU. But, he said, the university does not know how to land them once admitted.

“It’s not the fact that they’re not coming to us, it’s not the fact that we’re not admitting them,” Bardo said, “we still haven’t quite figured out how to land them. And we can do that.”

He said the university needs to work on marketing its distance education for transfer students, improve its graduate programs and broaden its international base.

“There’s a whole array of ‘we can do better,’” Bardo said.

However, Bardo said the university can accomplish its goals with enrollment.

“We can finish the work,” he said. “We’re all here to work together to get this done.”

In addition, Bardo said implementing goals such as enrollment growth take time. Bardo compared the process to a joke about eating an elephant and how that gets done one bite at a time.

“This is really trying to eat an elephant,” he said. “We’re going to make progress this year. There’s been a lot done and there’s been a lot accomplished, but really, we’re talking about an institution that will always try to improve and always try to get better.”