UNIVERSITY ENROLLMENT GROWS; OFFICIALS REPORT 167 MORE STUDENTS FOR SPRING CLASSES

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- More students are enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University this spring semester than was the case a year ago.

As of Monday, the first day of classes, a total of 7,646 undergraduate and graduate students were enrolled, an increase of 2.3 percent or 167 students over last year's first-day headcount of 7,479.

The headcount consisted of 7,077 undergraduates and 569 graduate students. Last spring, undergraduates totaled 6,917, while graduate enrollment stood at 562.

University officials released the enrollment figures Wednesday. Students still have time to enroll and final enrollment figures won't be determined for several weeks.

Kala Stroup, Southeast's president, called the enrollment figures "encouraging."

In a prepared statement released Wednesday, Stroup said: "To see an enrollment increase this past fall and again this spring reaffirms our efforts in student recruitment and in providing a quality classroom experience for our students.

"A survey was done of freshmen students this past fall. The number one reason they identified for selecting Southeast was its `outstanding academic programs.'"

Said Stroup, "The enrollment increases this past fall and now this spring reflect the strength of the academic programs at Southeast students really are interested in a quality educational experience and they reflect the hard work of New Student Relations and others in getting that quality message to prospective students."

Last fall, the headcount after the first day of classes stood at 8,475, up 2.7 percent over the previous fall semester enrollment total of 8,253.

James Biundo, director of University Relations, said, "We feel very positive about the enrollment trends."

Biundo said there are a number of encouraging signs about the enrollment figures.

For one, the increase in the spring enrollment is in contrast to last spring, when enrollment for the first day of the semester was slightly below the 1989 spring semester figure.

"Enrollment had been down slightly," said Biundo.

Southeast has put a major emphasis on new student recruitment over the past year.

The enrollment increase, he said, "shows that the hard work is paying off."

In addition to total enrollment, the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) students is also up over the 1990 spring semester enrollment figure.

FTE enrollment this semester stands at 6,447, an increase of 154 over last spring's total, Biundo said.

In 1990, the number of FTE undergraduates totaled 6,074. This spring, the number stands at 6,220.

In 1990, the number of FTE graduate students totaled 219. This year, the number stands at 227.

"Sophomore, junior and senior classes all showed increases," said Biundo.

The number of freshmen students reflected a slight decrease as compared with last spring's enrollment figure.

A total of 1,945 freshmen were enrolled at Southeast last spring. This year, 1,890 are enrolled, a decrease of 55.

But the number of beginning freshmen, which is included in the total freshmen figure, has increased. As of Monday, 217 beginning freshmen were enrolled compared to 185 at this time last year.

"I feel that is a good sign," remarked Biundo. "Overall, it's encouraging, with New Student Relations' efforts directed primarily toward the beginning freshmen, to see that type of increase. We think it is a very positive step."

The number of sophomores increased from 1,620 in 1990 to 1,661 this spring.

The number of juniors climbed from 1,404 last spring to 1,476 this semester.

Senior enrollment increased from 1,584 in 1990 to 1,646 this spring.