University reports enrollment growth for 17th consecutive year | News

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) - Southeast Missouri State University is reporting an enrollment growth for the 17th consecutive year after the first full day of classes for the fall 2012 semester.

According to the university, total enrollment stands at 11,132 on Tuesday, up 2.4 percent from this time last year. Fall classes began Monday, Aug. 20.

“This record of growth demonstrates Southeast’s commitment to serving a wide variety of students and offering the right mix of academic programs for today’s college student population,” said Dr. Debbie Below, associate vice president for enrollment management and director of Admissions.

Dr. Bruce Skinner, director of Residence Life, said 3,003 students are living in residence halls this fall. He said 853 volunteers helped 1,139 new students move into their residence halls on Aug. 16.

According to the university, because of demand for on-campus housing and to accommodate Southeast's growing campus population, there are no private rooms this year, and 38 additional students are being housed for their second consecutive year at Candlewood Suites, a Cape Girardeau hotel.

A new, 262-bed residence hall is currently under construction on the north end of campus, just north of the Otto and Della Seabaugh Polytechnic Building, and is expected to be open for the start of the fall 2013 semester.

Southeast says they anticipated a slightly smaller freshmen class in 2012, the result of a smaller high school graduating class size in the state of Missouri and changes made to their recruitment program for fall 2012. Due to limited availability of on-campus housing, the University's modified admission guidelines for students outside a 50-mile radius, resulting in about 20 fewer first-year students living on campus as compared to last year.

The university says beginning freshmen headcount is 1,885, down 2 percent from this time last year.

While beginning freshmen enrollments are down slightly this fall, Southeast says undergraduate enrollment is 10,055, up 1.4 percent, and graduate enrollments have increased as well. Total graduate student enrollment is 1,077, up 12.2 percent from fall 2011.

They say total international enrollment is 811, up from 705 at this time last year. International students at Southeast this fall represent 51 foreign countries.

Southeast says online enrollment continues to grow as well. This fall, 2,588 students are taking at least one Web course and 851 are taking only Web courses for a total of 3,439 student enrolled in online coursework.

The official census report will be issued in four weeks. University officials say the enrollment typically grows between the first-day census and the final fourth-week census date.

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