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Printer-Friendly ModeFreshman class moves in, puts SVSU past the 10,000 mark
August 31, 2009 —
The fall Cardinal crowd has arrived on campus in a chart-topping fashion for the third straight year. Enrollment numbers at the close of open registration last Monday show SVSU surpassing the 10,000-student mark: 10,271 students — a record high for the University.
Propelling the growth rate is yet another record-breaking freshman class, estimated at 1,735 students. This figure surpasses last year’s total of 1,661 newcomers, which included freshmen, transfer and second degree– seeking students.
“At this size, we can continue to offer a lot of different educational opportunities, but at the same time it means that we don’t lose the personal touch that I think really makes all of this happen,” said Robert Maurovich, vice president of Student Services and Enrollment Management.
More than 70 percent of freshmen have signed on to live on campus. The newly completed Living Center Southwest opens its doors to 210 freshmen, raising the total number of students living on campus to around 2,700.
Maurovich said the total may climb throughout the week during late registration to 10,300 students. Increased graduate numbers and a higher return rate of undergraduates are two positive developments contributing to enrollment, he added.
Data shows 504 more undergraduates returning than last year. “When you put those two factors together and you consider the increase in the size of the freshman class, that’s what really pushed us over the top,” Maurovich said.
More returning students spells out success in retention, he explained.
“We don’t run retention numbers until final enrollment, but you would not have that strong a growth in your returning numbers if your retention numbers weren’t very, very high. I think that’s very gratifying for us.”
A waiting list that began April 29 helped Admissions control the influx and ensured full-time schedules for as many students as possible.
The University has hired 29 fulltime faculty members and added courses to meet enrollment needs. “We’ve been very attentive to ensuring we have sufficient spaces and a large number of courses to accommodate the growth,” Maurovich said.
The average number of credit hours each student registers to complete also has risen to its highest level.
“I think students and parents are realizing the importance of an education and that they have to make an investment,” Maurovich said.
The roughly 3 percent increase in enrollment didn’t come as a surprise, said Craig Aimar, the associate director of Admissions. Estimates for growth came as early as December 2008, when Admissions mailed out housing and orientation packets.
Scholarship opportunities contribute to boosted enrollment as well, Aimar said. “SVSU, in this economy, is a very affordable choice,” he added. “When the economy started to turn sour, some students looked to us when considering the price range of their top choices.”
The University awarded 150 freshmen free tuition through the Presidential Scholarship. More than 200 others received the Dean’s Scholarship, which equates to $3,000 per year for four years.
“It’s not just the numbers, but the types of students we’re bringing in that is really phenomenal,” Aimar said.