Louisiana Student Enrollment 1901-2023

[zeppelincajun]

Retention will always be a problem if we are trying to do it right, if we are trying to give everyone a chance, but still insisting on excellence. Low retention should only be a problem if we are failing to offer our kids the support they need to pass their classes.

Admitting to college young people who have a low probability of finishing is not inclusion and giving everyone a shot. It’s a strategy to collect a quick buck and keep enrollment numbers high. Your admission standards should match the academic standards you expect throughout the collegiate experience. Anything else and you’ve left the realm of education and entered into thievery.

[CharlieK]

Poor Baldwin, he just happened to be there when UL lost 9% of its student body.

Baldwin being hired coincided almost exactly with when we went to selective admissions.

You are the absolute king of thinking correlation means causation, especially when you think it supports your predetermined theory.

[ZoomZoom]

Baldwin being hired coincided almost exactly with when we went to selective admissions.

You are the absolute king of thinking correlation means causation, especially when you think it supports your predetermined theory.

As a wise man once said, 6-27.

[Turbine]

Baldwin being hired coincided almost exactly with when we went to selective admissions.

You are the absolute king of thinking correlation means causation, especially when you think it supports your predetermined theory.

Putting your disregard aside because I get it. Its not plainfully obvious to everyone. And I agree correlation has variables.

However to your example, when selective admissions began in 1997 (the year emmediately following Jake Delhommes stellar career) enrollment actually grew to over 17,000, an all time record.

The second year of selective admissions enrollment dropped less than 50 students off the all time peak. The second highest number of degree seekers in school history at the time.

But your saying that during Baldwin's tenure selective admissions, suddenly did something it hadn't done the first two years? Namely chased students away?

I think it may have been a combination of factors.

Somebody was definitely being selective.

[NewsCopy]

Does sports glory create a spike in college applications?

It’s not a slam dunk.

Full Story
Washington Post

[RaginCajun77]

Admitting to college young people who have a low probability of finishing is not inclusion and giving everyone a shot. It’s a strategy to collect a quick buck and keep enrollment numbers high. Your admission standards should match the academic standards you expect throughout the collegiate experience. Anything else and you’ve left the realm of education and entered into thievery.

I wish it were that cut and dry. However, there are numerous factors that impact the probability of finishing college. I think first generation college students should receive additional layers of support. We should also examine how many students actually get monetary support from home vs. working 30 or more hours a week and how it impacts their performance in the classroom. Professors should schedule office hours with students who are struggling in their courses to offer assistance. Finally, I've seen two articles regarding substance use on campus at Tulane and LSU. What does substance use look like at UL and how does it correlate to retention problems?

[zeppelincajun]

I wish it were that cut and dry. However, there are numerous factors that impact the probability of finishing college. I think first generation college students should receive additional layers of support. We should also examine how many students actually get monetary support from home vs. working 30 or more hours a week and how it impacts their performance in the classroom. Professors should schedule office hours with students who are struggling in their courses to offer assistance. Finally, I've seen two articles regarding substance use on campus at Tulane and LSU. What does substance use look like at UL and how does it correlate to retention problems?

I am 100% for offering every bit of assistance you can to students once they are on your campus. However, this notion that everyone should get a shot at college is a scam. You have kids who are better suited to trades being told a lie that they NEED to go to college who put themselves in significant debt after being sold this notion. For the students who aren’t up to snuff coming in, we have a community college 5 minutes from our campus that they can be redirected to to start their college career.

[HoustonCajun]

Are you looking at enrollment, or attendance?

We want to be careful to keep things in context, and look at the big picture. In the past couple of decades:

1. We built a community college system in the region, which pulled down our enrollment.

2. We implemented increasingly higher enrollment standards, which pulled down our enrollment.

3. College tuitions have increased more than an order of magnitude, which pulled down our enrollment.

And yet:

1. Our enrollment is still growing... to the point that we can't handle more freshmen (we had to rent some hotels, remember?)

2. The quality of our students is climbing steadily.

3. Our governmental support is skyrocketing.

4. We made R1.

5. Our research funding is growing faster than almost anyone else in the country, and we are now the research leader among Louisiana public universities (yes, including LSU).

6. Our graduate programs are growing quickly, and we're closing in on SREB Doctoral 1.

7. Our campus, including our athletics facilities, is expanding and improving constantly.

8. Our athletics programs reach the top 25 more and more frequently.

9. And somehow, out of the blue, our conference jumped from the dregs of Division 1, to the top of the midmajors.

There are only 2 public universities in the state that are in a solid financial situation: Louisiana, and LSU.

Again, keep things in context. We have been building this University for over 125 years. And as I have noted before, we have slowly outpaced all the schools that were once our peers, and rivals. We did all of that with vision, hard work, and patience.

And we ain't through, yet.

According to a previous post, enrollment seems to have plateaued at just over 19,400 in 1999-2020. You commented:

Our enrollment is still growing... to the point that we can't handle more freshmen (we had to rent some hotels, remember?)

Is UL purposely limiting increased enrollment because of housing issues on/off campus?

In a previous post, I mentioned "on-line" learning and whether or not students enrolled in even 1 "on-line" class are included in enrollment. I would suspect not, as enrollment peaked in 2019-20 while "on-line" learning seems to be exploding on many campuses in recent years. I have to believe that schools showing enrollment of 40,000 - 50,000+ students have a huge percentage of those as "on-line" students. If a student is enrolled in just one class, "on-line" or "in-person', that student should be counted towards enrollment. Is it? If not, why not? How important are enrollment numbers? Seems to be an impressive statistic when schools are mentioned like Texas State with over 40,000 students.

We have some remarkable academic achievements. Yet, there seems to be very little marketing done to get that message out, at least to the general public. We certainly miss a great opportunity locally and nationally on our football telecasts. Instead of showcasing UL's campus, academic accomplishments (particularly achieving R1 status and research) and athletic facilities and encouraging enrollment, we show a lame UL commercial about a ballet dancer who has a dream which says nothing about UL other than she can get a diploma there. That commercial has been running for 2 years. In my opinion, a hugely lost opportunity to showcase our great university.

[RaginCajun77]

I am 100% for offering every bit of assistance you can to students once they are on your campus. However, this notion that everyone should get a shot at college is a scam. You have kids who are better suited to trades being told a lie that they NEED to go to college who put themselves in significant debt after being sold this notion. For the students who aren’t up to snuff coming in, we have a community college 5 minutes from our campus that they can be redirected to to start their college career.

This is where high schools need to evolve. Guidance counselors should be meeting with students to assess their performance, interests, and abilities. Junior and Senior year of high school should place students in tracts for those that are college bound or trades bound.

[Boomer]

This is where high schools need to evolve. Guidance counselors should be meeting with students to assess their performance, interests, and abilities. Junior and Senior year of high school should place students in tracts for those that are college bound or trades bound.

……As far as our present enrollment……just do the HUD remarks……Our enrollment 20 thousand!

[R1Letterman]

Does UL wave out of state tuition fees for legacy generational sudents?

I thought it was for all dependents of graduates.

[R1Letterman]

Yes. Children of grads. Not grandchildren. Rats for one of my kids. Miss St.
Also UL, like most schools, give active duty folks in state tuition. Miss St gives dependents of any active duty parents in state tuition. We should too.

Bump