UNIVERSITY'S SUMMER SESSION BEGINS; ENROLLMENT TOPS 3,100

More than 3,100 students are enrolled this year in Southeast Missouri State University's summer session.

The number is likely to increase this week, said Art Wallhausen, assistant to the president at the university.

Wallhausen said Wednesday some students will adjust their schedules and others will enroll later this week. Last year's final count for the summer session was 3,272.

"They have until Friday to enroll or change classes, and the official census will be taken on the 26th" of June, Wallhausen said. "It's difficult to compare this number to last year right now because it will continue to climb.

"I think the final number will be real close to last year's final count."

Wallhausen said students enrolled in the earlier summer "pre-session" were combined with those who signed up Tuesday for the regular summer session.

"We took an unduplicated head count of students who signed up for courses either pre-session, regular session or in both," Wallhausen said. "We have 3,116 total students this year for the two sessions as of Tuesday the first day of the regular session."

Last year's first-day enrollment count included only those students signed up for regular summer session classes. The figure wasn't combined with pre-session students until the final count was compiled later in the summer.

"We look at the total credit hours in the summer as more important than the number of people anyway," said Wallhausen.

The first-day count of graduate students, including pre-session students, was 535, Wallhausen said.

"Last year the final figure was 645," he said. "But again, the number this year is still going up. A lot of people will enroll when they have their first class, so that will go up late."

Wallhausen said graduate hours might decline slightly this year, particularly among area high school teachers who often enroll in graduate courses during summer months as they work toward a doctorate degree or to advance in their district's salary schedule.

"Since many of the districts are not making those adjustments because of the same budget constraints we're faced with, the incentive this year may not be as strong for that additional work," he said.

Wallhausen said budget cuts at Southeast have made it particularly difficult to plan for this summer session. He said only classes with a certain number of students enrolled are being offered.

"We've had to be very careful to make certain that every class that's offered has so many students before it can be taught," he said. "Because of that, a lot of people are adjusting their schedules this week."

Wallhausen said the 3,000-plus students enroll in summer school for several reasons.

Some are high school students trying to make up a deficiency in high school credits to enable their admittance at the university in the fall. Others are seniors in need of only a few credits to graduate.

"Other students simply are very hard working and want to get their degree in three years," he said. "They essentially take a full load around the year."