9/22/2005
Contact: K.E. Schwab -- 724-738-2199;
e-mail: karl.schwab@sru.edu
SRU CONTINUES ENROLLMENT GROWTH SIXTH YEAR IN
A ROW: RECORD NOW 8,105
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa.
– With an official enrollment number of 8,105, Slippery Rock
University continues its sixth, straight academic year of
enrollment increases, besting last year’s enrollment by 177
students and setting an all-time record. The year also finds an
all-time record in credit hours undertaken standing at
113,156.
“Our
continued enrollment rise is due to a number of important
factors,” said SRU President Robert Smith, pointing to
“the university’s continued efforts at increasing the
quality of its programs; our added emphasis on student research;
and our continuing emphasis on global as well as individual
community understanding.” He adds, “Our admissions and
recruitment efforts are continuing to pay substantial rewards in
attracting top scholars from across the state and throughout the
Mid-west.”
Smith was also
quick to point out that a dozen students had enrolled at SRU and
were taking classes but were forced to withdraw when their military
units were activated to help with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Two Pennsylvania students who had planned to attend college in the
Gulf region chose to enroll at SRU after their schools were closed
by the floods and related damage.
“We are right
near our 2 percent projected enrollment growth target,” Smith
said, noting SRU is not attempting to over-extend its capabilities.
“We want to strategically control our growth, making sure our
facilities are in line to adequately serve our students. We want
every student to receive a rock-solid education.”
Last year’s
student count was 7,928 and students enrolled for 110,524 credit
hours of study. This year’s enrollment figure also reflects
SRU’s increased retention efforts.
Official figures
reported to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education based
on Monday’s benchmark 15th day of classes, includes 6,782
full-time undergraduates; 375 part-time undergraduates; 691
graduate students; and 257 students listed as transient, special
admissions or attending for a second degree as post-baccalaureate
students. The freshman class numbers 1,452.
Hispanic student
enrollment held steady this year with African-American students now
numbering 334.
SRU turned around
an eight-year enrollment decline six years ago and has continued
the trend through a number of specialized strategies. Additional
programs, such as current construction of a $14 million Science and
Technology Building, $110 million in construction in a residence
hall replacement project that will offer students apartment-like
living, and the addition of the Storm Harbor Equestrian Center
where students will learn to help those with disabilities develop
riding skills. More than $2.5 million in renovations to Paul and
Carolyn Carruth Rizza Hall, upgrades in both Eisenberg Classroom
Building and Spotts World Cultures Building are also factors
drawing student attention.
Smith has called on
faculty to further expand their efforts of involving students in
research work and in expanding their global understanding. He
points out an SRU education should encompass opportunities to excel
on a national and international stage.
PN, WPN, PR, PT, S
Enrollment05.kes.doc