Only seven Oklahoma colleges see enrollment rise in spring

Only seven Oklahoma colleges see enrollment rise in spring

Kathryn McNutt

OKLAHOMA CITY — Spring enrollment at Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities decreased 1.5 percent compared with last year. Overall enrollment dropped from 162,451 students in spring 2017 to 159,960 this semester. Increases were reported at only seven colleges. At the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha — the state’s only public liberal arts college — spring 2018 enrollment is up 4.8 percent. “We are always happy to see our enrollment numbers going up,” USAO President John Feaver said. “As it is our mission to provide a high-quality and affordable education, these refreshing statistics are a sure sign that we are doing something right and that more and more students are taking notice.” Through a partnership with Chickasha Public Schools, concurrently enrolled high school students attending classes at USAO are up 71.4 percent from 2017. Those students are enrolled in a total of 521 credit hours. The partnership allows junior and senior high school students to receive full tuition waivers for up to six credit hours per semester, and the school district covers the students’ fees. On-campus housing also increased this spring to 436 students, the highest number in more than a decade. Increased demand for housing was a major factor in USAO’s restoration of Robertson Hall, a historic dormitory that has been closed since 1984. Students will be accepted to move in beginning this summer. At Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant enrollment jumped 9 percent over last spring to reach a seven-year high. This follows last fall’s 6.2 percent increase in enrollment. “We knew it was important to not only sustain that success, but to build on it. Our enrollment had been flat or down slightly for a few semesters prior to that,” Southeastern President Sean Burrage said. “We still have some challenges, especially in attracting more undergraduate students, but I feel really positive about where we are and the direction we are going.” Southeastern’s official Spring 2018 enrollment is 3,722 students — an increase of 307 students from last spring. In addition, the number of credit hours students are taking increased 5.9 percent. Rose State College in Midwest City enrolled nearly 8,000 students this spring, an increase of 4.7 percent percent from last spring. “We are maxed out on space for classes on campus and Rose State’s online student base is continuing to grow over last year,” President Jeanie Webb announced. Fall enrollment at Rose State was up 9.5 percent over the previous year. The college has students from 70 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties. Webb said the introduction of on-campus student housing has been a game-changing when it comes to recruitment. Two Oklahoma State University colleges reported increases. Enrollment in the College of Veterinary Medicine is up 5.5 percent. This fall, the college doubled the number of nonresident students admitted from 24 to 48. The number of in-state students remained at 58. The 106-member class is the largest in the history of OSU’s nearly 70-year-old veterinary medicine program. OSU Institute of Technology in Okmulgee saw spring enrollment rise 4.2 percent. Ina Agnew, vice president of student services, said the college has focused significant resources on student retention. “We now have a dedicated student success facilitator who works directly with students to help overcome challenges, encourages faculty to follow up with students who have stopped attending classes, and plans activities that provide greater access to local, state, and national resources,” Agnew said. Spring enrollment at the University of Oklahoma is up 2 percent. That follows the announcement of the largest — 4,473 — and highest ranked freshman class in OU history last fall. OU also set a record freshman-to-sophomore retention rate last with 92.1 percent of students returning for their sophomore year. The biggest jump in spring enrollment was 21.2 percent at the OU College of Law. Dean Joseph Harroz Jr. said OU Law has made great strides in recent years to lead in a time of historic change for law schools, including a 95 percent bar exam passage rate for first-time exam takers in July 2017. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.