President is optimistic about future students
Despite budget cuts and a population decrease in Northeast Louisiana, University of Louisiana at Monroe President Nick Bruno has a positive outlook for maintaining enrollment levels.
Bruno’s second concern is to raise academic standards in the years to come.
Employees for the university, including Lisa Miller, the associate Provost of Enrollment and Recruitment, are just as concerned about recruiting as Bruno.
Miller says recruitment is critical in earning revenue for all universities.
“Fortunately the recruitment office has not received a reduction in our funds for recruitment purposes,” Miller said.
She and Bruno plan to expand efforts further south, out of state and internationally, targeting areas with a lot of students, to make up for fewer applicants in the region.
They are also emphasizing already existing relationships with community colleges that have students who are ready to move on.
The school is looking internally for connections too.
“A lot of departments recruit, like Dr. Chandler for the choir,” Bruno said.
Some professors have shown interest in participating in out of town lectures at high schools that might attract students, as well.
Miller says that there are ways for students to get involved like the Hawkseekers and Hometown Hawks, who give campus tours and recruit at hometown high schools.
In the end, President Bruno says, “I’m optimistic that these budget issues will not go on forever. I want to make sure we have appropriate students who can be successful at ULM.”
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