An uncertain job market and a new student retention program has sent ETSU’s 2003 enrollment to its highest spring count since 1994.
While the number of new students is about equal to last spring semester, the number of graduate students and returning students enrolled this spring indicates increases from last spring’s enrollment profile. The largest enrollment increases in graduate studies come in the areas of computer science, business and education.
Dr. Linda Doran, vice provost for academic affairs, attributes the increase to several factors, but says the university is happy students are taking bigger course loads and progressing through their degrees faster.
Spring enrollment generally runs about 90 percent of the fall figures, but the headcount this year, 94.2 percent, is the highest in ten years.
In the past, the decrease in spring enrollment could be attributed to the fact some students don’t do well academically during their first semester at college, while some stop to work jobs. But with today’s uncertain job market many students are staying in school.
“When there is unemployment in the region, we tend to see higher enrollment,” she said.
While a poor economy may be raising enrollment numbers at ETSU, so is the universities own retention efforts through its Quality Enhancement Plan.
The QEP, which emphasizes increased student retention and improved academic performance is ETSU’s response to a new reaccreditation process laid out by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
So far the university’s success with the program, which includes tracking the progress of first-year freshmen and first-semester transfer students, is encouraging. Doran says she thinks keeping a closer watch on new students will make a big difference in student success levels.
The program also seeks to improve critical thinking skills, student attendance and communicating with students who aren’t performing well in classes.
With close to 1000 colleges and universities in the region, ETSU was one of eight pilot institutions asked to participate in the reaccreditation program and was recognized by SACS for excellence in the university’s reaccreditation review.
Doran says the QEP is a long-term plan that will ultimately include all colleges and universities in the region.
“We’ve only started this past spring,” she said.
This new model for improving student success also invites collaboration between ETSU and other schools in the program. Radford University, who was also participated in the program, worked closely with ETSU on the new model.

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