LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
February 25, 2016
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
March 3, 2016
While dealing with financial uncertainty related to the state’s budget cuts, Nicholls State University received good news in the form of an enrollment increase.
The university’s spring semester enrollment is up 20 students from the previous spring, according to 14-day class statistics, Nicholls’ first in five years. Fall to spring retention for first-time freshmen reached an all-time high at about 88.3 percent, up 4.9 percentage points from 2015.
According to an audit by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office, Nicholls’ enrollment has been decreasing each year since fiscal year 2011, in line with declining state money each year. Dr. Neal Weaver, Nicholls vice president for Institutional Advancement, said although the increase is modest, it is a sign of promise for the university.
“It is a very, very small increase, but it’s the first time we’ve seen it go up in five years, so we’re certainly excited to see the momentum start to swing the other direction,” he said.
Nicholls President Dr. Bruce Murphy told faculty and staff during a presentation last month that the university’s ultimate goal was to stabilize tuition rates and increase enrollment to 8,000 students. “This semester’s increases in both enrollment and freshman retention are strong indicators that Nicholls enrollment is on an upward trend” he said.
Weaver said the record retention rate is a product of multiple policies on campus, such as Nicholls not increasing its tuition this year. He also credited revamping the school’s freshman-level math courses and increased school pride from the football team’s progress with keeping freshman around for the spring. The spring enrollment increase, combined with 300 more applications than this time last year, has the university primed for even better numbers in the fall, according to Weaver.
“All of our numbers are running 15 to 18 percent ahead of where they’ve been the previous year. When you take a positive retention from fall to spring, combine that with the numbers that we’re seeing coming in for next fall, we really anticipate that we could see anywhere from a 3 or 4 percent increase in our student body going into next fall,” he said. •
