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9/21/2006
Contact: K.E. Schwab
-- 724-738-2199; e-mail: karl.schwab@sru.edu
SRU SETS ENROLLMENT
RECORD AGAIN: Seven Years of Strategic Growth
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa.
– Slippery Rock University continues its upward climb
in student enrollment, this year hitting the 8,230 mark, up 1.5
percent over a year ago and showing substantial growth in minority
student enrollment.
“We are
extremely pleased to have set, and met, our 1-to-2 percent
enrollment growth goal,” said President Robert Smith in
announcing the 2006-07 enrollment figures. “The efforts
turned in by those on our entire campus, and especially the
enrollment management team, are to be commended. The fact that we
are in our seventh straight year of growth, shows our goals of
continuing to increase the value of a Slippery Rock University
diploma and to offer our university as a premier residential campus
are continuing to resound with high school students and their
parents.”
The university
opened the first phase of its $110-million residence hall
replacement project this year, providing new, suite-style residence
living to some 716 on-campus students. Another 350 students will
move into the third building in the project later this fall, and
construction on additional housing facilities in the project will
begin in early 2007. In addition, the university’s new
$14.5-million Advanced Technology and Science Hall opened providing
modern classroom and laboratory space as well as a 350-seat,
high-tech auditorium. New programs in such areas as criminology as
well as additional accreditations for several academic programs
have also drawn new student – and parent – interest in
SRU academics.
The entering
freshman class was marked at 1,429 students and shows another
increase in SAT scores. The current year reports an average of
1004, compared to 945 in 2000. The average high school grade-point
average of entering freshmen stands at 3.24, compared to 2.99 in
2000. Nearly one-third of our new students are in the top 25
percent of their high school class as compared to less than a
quarter in 2000. These numbers speak to the issue of continuing
work in increasing the student profile of entering
students.
Specific
numbers show undergraduate enrollment stands this year at 7,545,
with graduate enrollment at 685. Total enrollment last year was
8,105 on the similar 15th day of classes, the official benchmark
date set by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education of
which SRU is a member university.
In other
statistics, enrollment from the top five Pennsylvania counties, in
order, show Allegheny, Butler, Lawrence, Mercer and Beaver leading
the list, with the states of Ohio, New York, New Jersey and
Maryland providing the most students from outside Pennsylvania.
There are 106 international students this semester, with 12 coming
from Japan, 10 from Sri Lanka, and eight from England. There are
also five students from China.
SRU’s
continued work in recruiting minority students also shows rewards,
with black student enrollment up 12.6 percent over a year ago to
stand at 376, and Hispanic student enrollment up 18.2 percent to
stand at 78.
PN, PGN, WPN, PR,
S
Enrollment06.kes.doc
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