SOUTHEAST EXPECTS ITS UNIVERSITY RESIDENCE HALLS TO BE PACKED THIS FALL

Southeast Missouri State University sophomore Jenn Wissman relaxed late Wednesday afternoon in the lobby of the Towers residence hall complex.

A student leader, Wissman moved in Tuesday, well ahead of today's expected crush of students.

"It was nice. It was very empty," Wissman said.

Life on the Cape Girardeau campus will be far more hectic today as entering freshmen begin moving in for the start of the fall semester. Classes begin Monday.

University officials expect nearly 2,300 students to live on campus this fall semester. Nearly 100 percent of the rooms will be filled, officials said.

Area organizations and churches, along with faculty, staff and students have volunteered to help new students move their belongings into the residence halls.

Dr. Pauline Fox, vice president of administration and enrollment management, said the university is operating 12 residence halls this year, including a wing of Dearmont that had previously housed university offices.

School officials currently estimate that 2,270 students will be housed in the residence halls at the beginning of this semester -- 525 more than were enrolled three years ago. This fall's total is expected to be 128 more than on the first day of classes a year ago.

More than 1,000 beginning freshmen have signed contracts to live in campus housing. Southeast President Dr. Ken Dobbins said that milestone hasn't been reached in years.

"It is the first time I know in at least 15 years that we have had 1,000 new freshmen coming into the residence halls," he said. "It is great news."

Dobbins said the boost in freshmen living on campus reflects increased recruiting of students from the St. Louis area and Southern Illinois.

Dobbins said the university saw its share of St. Louis area students decline from 1984 to 1993.

"Now admissions is doing a much better job of recruiting in the St. Louis area," he said.

In recent years, about 36 to 39 percent of the freshman class has come from the St. Louis area.

Dobbins said Southeast also is attracting more Bootheel students, which also translates into more residence hall students.

"We have data that shows students are more successful in college when they live in the residence halls," he said.

Dobbins said renovations to campus housing have helped. Both the Towers complex and Greek Housing residence halls have been renovated in recent years and the university has plans to make major renovations to Myers Hall.

Myers Hall will house international students and other students who want to live on campus year-round.

Students returning to school will be greeted by renovated dining facilities at the Towers complex.

School officials said total enrollment could exceed last year when 8,113 students were enrolled for the start of the fall semester.

"We had a very large freshman class last year. It looks as if the freshman class will be almost the same this year," said Fox.

As of the beginning of this week, Southeast had enrolled 1,303 beginning freshmen. At least 90 more are expected to enroll before the start of classes, Fox said.

Fox said the university expects between 450 and 500 new transfer students to be enrolled at Southeast for fall classes, up slightly from a year ago.

Fox said the increase in housing contracts puts an added burden on custodial staff.

"It is just a busier place, but that is good," she said.

Bulging dorms

Here is a brief history of Southeast Missouri State University housing occupancy.

Number of students living on campus as of the start of fall classes:

2000: 2,270 (estimate)

1999: 2,142

1998: 1,809

1997: 1,745

1996: 1,862

1995: 1,940

Source: Southeast Missouri State University