February 15, 2006

Numbers rebound for SOU

Winter term enrollment up 4 percent over fall

By Jennifer Squires
Ashland Daily Tidings

Enrollment at Southern Oregon Univer-sity is on the rise, officials reported Tuesday.

The total number of students enrolled in classes at SOU was 5,215 as of Feb. 6, according to Executive Vice President and Provost Earl Potter.

In the fall, the university’s student population declined to 4,977 students, the first time enrollment had fallen below 5,000 since 1995.

Officials attribute the winter term gains to a three-year enrollment plan implemented in January 2005. The plan is designed to offer excellent customer service, more aggressive recruitment efforts and unique approaches to reach more potential students.

“It is encouraging to see that our recruitment strategies, attention to customer service and streamlining of our business practices are resulting in positive growth in enrollments,” Potter said.

Areas of growth include a 3 percent increase in enrollments from transfer students and students from Jackson County and other areas of Southern Oregon up 2.6 percent. Also, admitted students returning to school after an absence of one term or more rose 15.9 percent.

Comparing statistics from winter term 2005, enrollment of Hispanic students has increased by 18 percent, while the states of California, Hawaii, and Alaska saw a combined increase of 5.7 percent and enrollment growth of international students was 7.7 percent.

The increased number of admissions counselors on staff, including an emphasis in the Portland area, has also aided recruitment efforts, according to officials. The biggest declines when enrollment fell during fall term came from the Portland area, where recruitment efforts had been reduced because of budget cuts.

Aside from the fall of 2004 — when enrollment plunged 6.2 percent — Southern’s student population had hovered around 5,500 since the mid-1990s, according to data from the Oregon University System, which governs state colleges and universities.

Staff writer Jennifer Squires can be reached at 482-3456 x 225 or jsquires@dailytidings.com.