Full orientation sessions, residence halls indicate possible record freshmen enrollment this fall
Contact: Rene Abadie
7/27/06
Caption …
RECORD-SETTING FRESHMEN – Participants in Southeastern Louisiana University’s July 19-20 Summer Orientation Program, the last of five programs held for beginning and transfer freshmen in June and July, gather for team-building games in the War Memorial Student Union mall. The five orientation sessions were filled and Southeastern is anticipating what could be its largest freshman class ever.
HAMMOND – Following a summer of packed orientation sessions, Southeastern Louisiana University, clearly now the third largest four-year institution in Louisiana, is anticipating what could be its largest freshman class ever, university officials said.
A statistical snapshot after five summer orientation programs and a special orientation for scholarship students last April shows that 2,226 freshmen have registered so far for fall classes, a near-28 percent increase over last fall’s 1,744 students. Of that total, 2,126 are beginning freshmen, a 30 percent increase over fall 2005. And with more than two weeks left to go before the application deadline of August 15, the numbers are expected to continue to increase.
Meanwhile, Southeastern’s new on-campus housing also is experiencing record applications with the possibility that waiting lists may become necessary.
“We are looking at what could be our largest cohort of freshmen,” said President Randy Moffett. “Applications for admission are continuing to come in daily, and registration for classes – which is the ultimate indication of a student’s intent to enroll – is showing a record high trend.”
Although Moffett attributes the increased numbers at Southeastern in part to post-Katrina population shifts, with more people now residing in the region stretching from St. Tammany Parish to Baton Rouge, he is quick to remind that the factors driving Southeaster’s near record enrollment last fall prior to the hurricane have not changed.
“Our excellent campus facilities, strong academic programs, and a number of new degree programs introduced at Southeastern over the last several years have helped make the university a very popular option for a growing number of highly qualified students,” Moffett said.
In addition, he said Southeastern’s influence in the area has spread with the operation of three regional centers: the nursing school in Baton Rouge, the St. Tammany Center in the parish complex near Mandeville, and the new Livingston Literacy and Technology Center in Walker, which is operated in cooperation with the Livingston Parish School Board.
“All summer orientation sessions have been filled to capacity,” said Dean of Enrollment Management Stephen Soutullo. “This is the first time that this has happened in a long time.”
Soutullo said a final orientation session will be held August 14-15 in conjunction with regular fall semester registration. Fall classes begin at Southeastern on August 21.
The two-day orientations provide beginning students an introduction to college life in general and to the programs and resources available at Southeastern. A new feature -- “Meet Your Dean” – proved to be especially popular, allowing students the opportunity to visit with the deans and faculty associated with Southeastern’s six academic colleges, browse interactive displays, and take specialized tours of the various college programs.
Soutullo noted that Southeastern’s focus to recruit highly qualified students – those with ACT scores of 24 and above – through specialized scholarship programs appears to be paying off: the university has 434 of those students already registered compared to 376 this time last year, a 15 percent increase.
Soutullo predicted that with the high beginning freshmen numbers, overall enrollment probably will be close to last year’s pre-Katrina enrollment of approximately 15,500.
“After Katrina, we had an influx of about 1,600 New Orleans area students displaced by the hurricane,” he said. While we were able to aid those students until most could return to their home institutions, we suffered a loss of about 1,500 of our own students who were impacted by Katrina. About half of those students returned to Southeastern last spring, and we expect approximately 300 more to return this fall. The remainder appears to be dispersed to other parts of the state and nation or have elected to enter the workforce.”
Southeastern raised approximately $150,000 through contributions from individuals, Alumni Association chapters, the Southeastern Development Foundation, Student Government Association, and the Spears Family Hurricane Relief Foundation to assist returning students in meeting non-tuition fees and expenses. In addition, students affected by the hurricane may also benefit from the state’s Rebuild Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Program, which provides up to $1,000 to eligible undergraduate students based upon financial need.
The record enrollment of beginning freshmen is having an impact on available student housing at Southeastern. Following construction of eight new residential buildings over the last two years at a cost $55 million, Southeastern now has new housing facilities that can accommodate approximately 2,100 students.
“We are close to being full and ready to start building our waiting lists,” said Steve Leon, director of Auxiliary Services. “Some turnover is normal as a certain number of students decide at the last minute to commute or make other living arrangements. I would encourage any remaining new students interested in on-campus housing to get their applications in so they can be considered for a available space or rooms that might open up.”
Students have to be fully admitted to the university before applications for campus housing will be processed, he said. In addition, Southeastern last spring implemented more stringent academic standards for students living on campus; students residing in the new residence halls must be full time, maintain a minimum grade point average and be in good standing with the university.
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