2014 Enrollment

[cajun4life]

I always thought or was told that it was one of the "Union" fees. That UPC was basically buying your tickets for you with that money.

Or something like that.....

It should be a fee that equal to roughly $7.50 per home sporting event for the semester.

[Turbine]

The number 18,796 includes students enrolled in professional programs and credit-bearing continuing education

Undergrad numbers are 17,195

First time freshmen 2,922

Total enrolled numbers 18,796

Starting in the fall of 2013 UL started including the number of students enrolled in professional programs and credit-bearing continuing education for total enrollment of 18,235.

If my numbers are correct 17,195 is still the largest number of UL under grads ever, and breaks the record of 17,020 set following the front porch football success of the Jake Delhomme years

The University’s regular enrollment remains stable, with 16,646 for the Fall 2013 semester. Last year, the enrollment was 16,687, a difference of 40 students. The university also is enrolling a number of students in professional programs and credit-bearing continuing education for a Fall 2013 total enrollment of 18,235.

The total enrollment for the Fall 2014 semester, which includes a number of students in professional programs and credit-bearing continuing education courses, represents an increase of more than 3 percent over last fall, when 18,235 students enrolled. Degree-seeking enrollment numbers also are up by more than 3 percent, with 17,195 students this semester, or 549 more than the 16,646 who enrolled for the Fall 2013 semester.

[cajun4life]

We need to grow our grad programs to close to 4000 students. Possibly build some more academic building in the research park to accomidate more students.

[HoustonCajun]

We need to grow our grad programs to close to 4000 students. Possibly build some more academic building in the research park to accomidate more students.

What about students enrolled in on-line courses? If they are paying tuition, they should be counted. I'll bet that is how commuter schools like UCF get their enrollment around 50,000.

[Redgineer]

What about graduate students?

[CajunJack55]

We saw an increase of 3%. Here is the rest of the state so far:

LSU: 30,451 Up 2%
Source: http://www.wnem.com/story/26569888/l...ment-increases

Louisiana Tech: 11,271 Up 2.3%
Source: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story...cent/15784783/

ULM: 8,527 Down 1.5%
Source: http://www.ulm.edu/news/2014/0912-enrollment.html

Northwestern State: 9,002 Up 1%
Source: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story...ents/15681337/

I couldn't find any info on McNeese, Southeastern, Nicholls, or Tulane.

McNeese enrollment: 8,242 Down 1.3%
Source: http://www.kplctv.com/story/26597996...ging-landscape

Nicholls: 6,298 Down a whopping 4%
Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/201...lls-state.html

[DaddyCajun]

Successful athletics advertising is enrollment fertilizer.

"Enrollment", "Is dat sum ting dat dey be rolded in der?" Caus bouy, oh poo yia, dat do not smel good no!

[CajunFun]

Successful athletics advertising is enrollment fertilizer.

Yes and no. Athletics helps with perceptions. But one of the biggest winners on campus is engineering, and some of the success there is because of aggressive recruiting.

But they're also getting kids from all over the country, kids with no ties to this area, who could go to much "better" (i.e. schools with better athletics programs... ) schools. But they get on the Internet, do their own research, and some of them fly in for a visit. What wins over the ones who visit are our people.

So probably for most kids, athletics helps. So does the constant growth of Acadiana.

But for a chunk of the brightest kids--and the math component in engineering demands pretty bright kids--it's what they find when they do their homework, and the culture they find when they visit.

I think those of us in the south, and particularly in Louisiana, overemphasize sports because it's the only model for higher education we ever see. But remember how Troy used to dominate the 'Belt, but their enrollments weren't growing? You have to remember that sports are nice advertising, but there has to be a product to back it up.

[cajun4life]

Yes and no. Athletics helps with perceptions. But one of the biggest winners on campus is engineering, and some of the success there is because of aggressive recruiting.

But they're also getting kids from all over the country, kids with no ties to this area, who could go to much "better" (i.e. schools with better athletics programs... ) schools. But they get on the Internet, do their own research, and some of them fly in for a visit. What wins over the ones who visit are our people.

So probably for most kids, athletics helps. So does the constant growth of Acadiana.

But for a chunk of the brightest kids--and the math component in engineering demands pretty bright kids--it's what they find when they do their homework, and the culture they find when they visit.

I think those of us in the south, and particularly in Louisiana, overemphasize sports because it's the only model for higher education we ever see. But remember how Troy used to dominate the 'Belt, but their enrollments weren't growing? You have to remember that sports are nice advertising, but there has to be a product to back it up.

I agree with that Fun, but for way too long we had a great product with zero advertising. I don't think anyone will argue that we want to become a sports school like Boise St., instead emulate Texas A&M, Florida or Texas.

[CajunFun]

I agree with that Fun, but for way too long we had a great product with zero advertising. I don't think anyone will argue that we want to become a sports school like Boise St., instead emulate Texas A&M, Florida or Texas.

Sure. But for a couple of weeks I've been mulling over a thread that I may post.

Who in south Louisiana would list William & Mary, or UC-Santa Cruz, or UC-Davis as some of their top candidates for college? All three are in the USN&WR Top 20 public national universities, but none of them have much in the way of athletics.

And those are only the rankings of major research institutions; what about New College of Florida, St. Mary's of MD, Minnesota-Morris, or UNC-Asheville? They are some of the top-ranked public liberal arts schools, and the liberal arts schools are supposed to give the best undergrad educations, by far.

All over UL, and even more at the other state colleges, we have people who just want to do what 'the big boys' do, without ever asking, Why? To what end?

And more importantly, Which 'big boys'?

And so we inherit a situation here in Louisiana where a good school is one with a football team. Before Katrina, UNO was way ahead of LTU, and neck & neck with UL, but students didn't think much of UNO. After Tulane, everyone thought that it was L-State, then LTU, and the rest of of were pretty much like McNeese. All the while, Centenary may be the best place for undergrad education; but still, we all think we want to be like L-State.

It's a business problem, but for me it's also a biological, and even philosophical, puzzle. We design a business or other system to conform to the environment; but some design solutions radically change their environment. The great schools do this, they change education, and they become the new models.

That's what I want us to do. I want other schools emulating us. But if we build it on the L-State model, our chances are slim; and our goals are questionable. If we manage to out-'Bama 'Bama, a mediocre school with an enormous athletics budget, who are we? What are we?

The question I offer you guys & gals is, What do we want to contribute to our community, and our world? Sports doesn't necessarily take you there.

And if you don't have the right priorities going into it, it never takes you there.