2008 Woodie Awards
Record enrollment numbers increase
Logan Marxhausen
Issue date: 2/11/08 Section: News
After the 10th day of classes, enrollment figures are the highest SCSU has seen.
"Recruitment without well thought and well planned retention strategies and interventions is meaning less," said Mahmoud Saffari, associate vice president for enrollment management.
Since August 2003, Saffari has been working with the campus to come up with new, creative ideas to bring students in.
"Enrollment has been fluctuating for the past couple years, but since enrollment in the fall of 2006, we have been increasing our total enrollment of students," Saffari said. "We think that the reason we are bringing in more students is word of mouth from other students. We think that students are enjoying their time on campus and are telling other students about all the experiences they have at SCSU."
A problem with keeping enrollment up in a college student body is the decline in high school graduates. Minnesota is projected to lose 10.3 percent of all high school graduates by 2012-13. The U.S. Department of Education updated this projection in 2005.
"We give our best customer service in recruiting by informing students and their parents the best we can," Saffari said. "The students are really the best advertisement, though. They are speaking on behalf of the campus and they must be saying some good things."
One category of students that is increasing is the number of transfer students.
"The three things that bring in students are academic reputation, financial aid and the cost of tuition," Saffari said. "Every college loses students one way or the other, but we are bringing in more than we are losing."
Another category bringing in a substantial amount of students is international students.
"We actually physically recruit international students in other countries."
We have gone to over 17 countries meeting students in person.
"Our main goal is to diversify the student body. We have students from every continent, except for Antarctica.
"Recruitment without well thought and well planned retention strategies and interventions is meaning less," said Mahmoud Saffari, associate vice president for enrollment management.
Since August 2003, Saffari has been working with the campus to come up with new, creative ideas to bring students in.
"Enrollment has been fluctuating for the past couple years, but since enrollment in the fall of 2006, we have been increasing our total enrollment of students," Saffari said. "We think that the reason we are bringing in more students is word of mouth from other students. We think that students are enjoying their time on campus and are telling other students about all the experiences they have at SCSU."
A problem with keeping enrollment up in a college student body is the decline in high school graduates. Minnesota is projected to lose 10.3 percent of all high school graduates by 2012-13. The U.S. Department of Education updated this projection in 2005.
"We give our best customer service in recruiting by informing students and their parents the best we can," Saffari said. "The students are really the best advertisement, though. They are speaking on behalf of the campus and they must be saying some good things."
One category of students that is increasing is the number of transfer students.
"The three things that bring in students are academic reputation, financial aid and the cost of tuition," Saffari said. "Every college loses students one way or the other, but we are bringing in more than we are losing."
Another category bringing in a substantial amount of students is international students.
"We actually physically recruit international students in other countries."
We have gone to over 17 countries meeting students in person.
"Our main goal is to diversify the student body. We have students from every continent, except for Antarctica.