East Tennessee State University has set another enrollment record with 13,841 students attending the university this fall, according to ETSU President Dr. Paul E. Stanton Jr.
While expressing his delight with the steady increases and the fact that a record number of students have made the decision to enroll at ETSU, Stanton says he attributes this to the institution’s accessibility, choice of majors, reputation for excellence and affordability.
Since Stanton became ETSU’s eighth president in 1997 when the total headcount was 11,840.
The fall 2008 total headcount – up 3.4 percent (452 students) compared to the previous fall’s enrollment of 13,389 – includes over 11,000 undergraduate students, more than 2,000 students in the School of Graduate Studies, the James H. Quillen College of Medicine’s 245 medical students and its 266 physicians enrolled in residency and fellowship programs, and 219 students in the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy.
Dr. Bert C. Bach, ETSU provost and vice president for academic affairs, said, “We are certainly pleased that there is a significant increase in enrollment this fall, and we believe the increase has occurred because of the quality and attractiveness of our programs.
“Our students’ commitment to the pursuit of a higher education is commendable and speaks to their recognition that a college education makes a positive contribution toward their future goals in life.”
Dr. Ramona Williams, vice provost for enrollment services, said that it takes a commitment from the entire campus to achieve this level of enrollment growth, adds, “It is most rewarding to see the number of students we have this fall at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.”
Dr. Cecilia McIntosh, dean of the School of Graduate Studies, said, “ETSU continues to offer excellent graduate programs and to develop new programs that provide opportunities for students to qualify for, advance in, or train for new careers.”
Some of the most recent graduate-level additions are a new doctoral degree program in early childhood education as well as new graduate certificate programs in public health and in teaching English as a second language.
This fall, ETSU is also launching its new Accelerated Master of Business Administration (AMBA) program with 24 students in the inaugural class.
“We have over 90 choices in graduate and certificate programs for full- and part-time students,” McIntosh said. “We are happy to answer questions and provide information for anyone wanting to learn more about these opportunities.

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