Preliminary enrollment numbers for the fall semester reflect a drop in total students, but the administration said overall the University has improved.
The numbers show that 8,515 students are enrolled for the fall semester, down from 8,858 students that were here this time last year.
Administration officials said most of the loss could be accounted for by a lower number of part-time students. The exact cause for fewer parttime students is unclear, but Vice President of Academic Affairs Eric Pani said the drop could be because of the economy.
“In economic situations like we’re in now, sometimes people just don’t have the funds to continue their education,” said Pani. “A lot of times it is those part-time students that get affected.”
The economy could be steering students toward community colleges, which are cheaper.
Rather than focus on the overall drop, administrators are taking a “quality vs. quantity” approach. A press release from the University said that enrollment figures for fulltime students, graduate students, doctoral students and international students are all higher.
Average ACT scores are at record highs, the average being 21.8.
Laura Miller of the Department of Recruitment and Admissions said ULM is actively pursuing students in high-population areas. She said ULM is interested in “quality students who are better prepared than can make progress, who we can retain and graduate.”
She said that remote recruiters have been hired to live and recruit in different zones. One recruiter works the Lafayette, Lake Charles and Houston zones. Another works New Orleans. A different recruiter recruits in Baton Rouge and the North Shore cities while a fourth recruiter handles Shreveport and Dallas.
Miller said students entering by the fall semester of 2014 would face a change in admission requirements.
The number of required core classes would rise from 17 to 19. ACT requirements will also increase. Students requiring developmental courses will not be accepted.
The tougher admission standards are aimed at cutting potential students who may struggle because they are not yet ready for college.
