SHSU Expecting Another Fall Enrollment Increase
What do Sam Houston State University's prospective students,
students that apply for admission, students that are accepted,
and students that are enrolled all have in common?
They are all a part of the university's continued growth.
In the past few years Sam Houston's enrollment has been steadily
increasing. With more students coming in, there are more opportunities
to make the changes that students, faculty and alumni want
to see happening on campus, SHSU President James F. Gaertner
explained.
As SHSU approaches the 2006 fall semester, the enrollment
numbers are being watched closely, and with a goal of a 4
percent growth each year, SHSU is looking to keep the enrollment
growth trend going strong.
"Early indications from different departments are showing
that the numbers will increase again," said director
of Undergraduate Admissions Trevor Thorn.
If the enrollment numbers increase again, what will they look
like this fall?
"If we are a little bit over four percent we'd be at
around 16,000 students in the fall," said vice president
for Enrollment Management Heather Thielemann. "Right
now we are looking at an increase between 4 and 5 percent
over all."
Though there are many different complex factors as to why
SHSU is seeing a healthy growth in enrollment, there are still
some basic things that are attracting students to go to school
here.
"We want prospective students to visit the campus, because
once they arrive and see how beautiful the campus is and how
friendly people are they won't want to leave," said assistant
director of Undergraduate Admissions Judy Smith.
With more students attending school at SHSU, changes to better
accommodate each individual student have been made.
"As Sam Houston State University continues to grow, we
have started streamlining a lot of our processes, letting
the computer do more of the work so we can still give personal
attention to the students," Thorn said.
In the end SHSU wants to have a steady increase in student
enrollment in order to be a healthy university, according
to Gaertner.
"If the university is growing, there is a general assumption
that your customers---your students---want to come,"
Gaertner said. "A corollary to that, they also want to
stay.
"Generally, you must be doing things right if your university
is growing," he said.
—END—
SHSU Media Contact: Mark
Gonzalez
July 12, 2006
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