THIBODAUX – Major indicators in Nicholls State University’s current enrollment data project an enrollment increase for the fall 2009 semester.
Housing applications outweigh last year’s pool by 137. These include rooms in the university’s new residence facilities – Millet, Zeringue and Scholars Hall – as well as the older facilities – Ellender, Calecas and Babington halls. The number of residents in the student apartment complex, La Maison du Bayou, is expected to rise as well.
Other indicators include financial aid applications – overtaking last year’s figure by 9 percent – and the confirmed attendance rolls for freshmen orientation, which are up by 7 percent.
Regarding incoming students who had originally selected a major that will no longer be offered at Nicholls due to state funding reductions, none have declined acceptance into the university. Each student received correspondence suggesting alternate majors and was provided with the opportunity to speak with an academic advisor.
“These indicators, combined with the current two-point increase in the university’s freshman retention rate, indicate an enrollment boost at Nicholls,” Dr. Eugene Dial, vice president for student affairs, said. “The preliminary numbers are very encouraging, especially since so many of the incoming students live outside the region. We believe Nicholls is the school of choice for highly qualified students within the Bayou Region and, increasingly, beyond.”
