Saturday, September 03, 2005
Largest freshman class in USI history
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As the University of Southern Indiana celebrates its 40th anniversary this fall, it is enrolling the largest freshman class in its history. It also is recording strong growth in retention from freshman to sophomore year, the highest full-time equivalency rate, and the highest credit hour production in its history. The number of new freshmen is 2,148. USI also had its third-largest number of transfer students, at 663 students. Over 7,600 undergraduate and graduate students, 76 percent of the students, are full-time students. Special announcement: USI President H. Ray Hoops announced on Friday, September 2, that displaced students from Hurricane Katrina will have an opportunity to enroll tuition-free for one semester at USI. The enrollment opportunity will extend through close of business Wednesday, September 7, 2005. Classes have been underway at USI since Monday, August 29. The tuition waiver applies to both Indiana residents and out-of-state residents. Displaced students can call 812/480-0097 for assistance in enrolling. Dr. Rob Parrent, vice president for Student Affairs, pointed to the continuation of a trend of more of USI’s enrollment as full-time students. He said, “USI’s exemplary residence life program, with contemporary living and learning communities, draws talented high school graduates from across the state, and the program helps USI retain students as well.” USI has employed several strategies to improve retention of students from freshman to sophomore year, and the statistics, an increase of 8.5 percent, show that those strategies are working. The retention growth is seen in the increase of 145 sophomores over last year’s sophomore class. This spring, USI graduated 1,500 students, the largest class ever, so officials expected the number of upper class and graduate students to be smaller than 2004. Junior class figures are up by 76 and the senior class is 52 students less than last year’s class. Graduate students decreased by 81, but individual graduate programs are up for Master of Social Work, Master of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, and Master of Public Administration. The majority of the students (49.5 percent or 4,943 students) continue to come from Vanderburgh and contiguous counties. The number of students from area counties and other Indiana counties continues to increase, with 1,245 students coming from area counties and 2,733 students from Indiana counties not in southern Indiana. All 92 Indiana counties are represented in the USI count. Diversity continues as a goal for USI. The number of Hispanic students has increased slightly. Minority and international students represent 6.6 percent of the students with African American students comprising 4.2 percent. Students are enrolled in a record 121,644 credit hours. Female students represent 61 percent of the students. The enrollment report also shows traditional-age students are in the majority (7,742), and students 25 and over number 2,262. Total enrollment is 10,004. |
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