Arkansas State University announces record enrollment for fall term 2008

Sept. 11, 2008 -- Chancellor Robert L. Potts today announced a record enrollment at Arkansas State University-Jonesboro. The headcount on the 11^th class day was 11,551, a 6.3% increase over last year. The previous record enrollment was 11,171 in 1992.

The total unduplicated headcount of 11, 551 was an increase of 682 compared to last fall’s total unduplicated headcount of 10,869. Total first-time freshmen student count is at 1,891 this year, up 158 from last fall’s count of 1,733. The previous record enrollment of 1,867 for a freshman class was set in 1983.

Chancellor Potts stated, “I am delighted that Arkansas State University-Jonesboro is clearly a first-choice higher education destination, not only for many more Arkansas students, but for increasing numbers of students from around the world. I would like to commend the outstanding work of our Office of Admissions, our Office of International Programs, our faculty, and all others across campus who collaborated to achieve these record numbers. This is a banner day for ASU-Jonesboro . I thank the faculty for teaching well, the staff for working hard, the facilities personnel for making our campus attractive, athletics for winning games, and other programs for continuing to excel and for attracting this record student enrollment.”

Under Arkansas Department of Higher Education guidelines, the enrollment includes students enrolled in courses offered by ASU-Jonesboro through ASU Degree Centers and other sites throughout northeast Arkansas.

Total full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment is 9,109, up 414, or 4.8%, from last fall’s 8,694. FTE is used by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education to apply the state funding formula for public institutions of higher education.

Growth reached records in other categories too; master’s degree level graduate student numbers were at 1,420, up 304 from last fall’s 1,116. Total graduate student numbers were at 1,761, up 277 from last year’s 1,484. Dr. Kathryn Jones, of Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment, says, “Graduate students have set another record, both for graduate enrollment at the master’s degree level, and total graduate students.”

International student enrollment is also breaking records; international student registrations for 2008-09 are 337, an increase of 205 students compared to 132 international students in fall 2007, an increase of 155%. The previous high international enrollment was 330 in 1992.

Positive trends in the enrollment statistics also show that university initiatives are working, according to Dr. Rick Stripling, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, who oversees the Office of Admissions. "The preliminary numbers continue to offer strong evidence that the university’s strategic enrollment initiatives are showing positive results," Stripling said.

Another significant trend noted is the popularity of Web-based or Web-assisted instruction. The enrollment in these courses increased from 1,984 in fall 2007 to 2,709 this year, an addition of 725 students.

"The growth in Web-based instruction is a direct response to the students’ demand for flexibility in scheduling," Stripling said. "The credit here goes to the faculty in the academic colleges who are excelling in online course offerings, and also to the implementation of the graduate online degree program established in the College of Education by the Office of Academic Affairs and Research in cooperation with Higher Education Holdings of Dallas, Texas. However, the most dramatic increase in enrollment is in numbers of international students. The model recruitment program for international students, designed and implemented by Dr. Dan Howard, vice chancellor, Academic Affairs and Research, and his staff in the Office of International Programs, is superb. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions has also implemented new recruitment strategies and provided support. These joint efforts have contributed to the first-time freshmen enrollment gains. These complementary efforts have produced this record enrollment for ASU.”
                     

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