Record spring enrollment reported for Southeast

Southeast Missouri State University has record spring enrollment with 8,993 students taking classes this semester, elated school officials said Tuesday.

The university has 22 more students enrolled this semester than in the 2002 spring semester. The final enrollment figure is up 692 students over the first day of spring semester classes on Jan. 21.

"We are extremely pleased with today's numbers," said Dr. Dennis Holt, vice president for administration and enrollment management.

The number of students has risen steadily since 1995 when enrollment stood at 7,469, school officials said.

Undergraduate students accounts for the entire increase this semester. Southeast has 7,799 undergraduate students, up 2.7 percent from a year ago.

The undergraduate numbers include increases in the number of sophomores, juniors and seniors.

Southeast has 1,194 graduate students, down 13.4 percent from a year ago. School officials aren't sure why the number of graduate students has declined.

Dr. Fred Janzow, dean of the School of Graduate and University Studies, said school officials are analyzing the data in an effort to pinpoint the reason for the decline.