MAGNOLIA – Officials at Southern Arkansas University are reporting an increase in spring semester enrollment for 2011 with 3,087 students registered for classes. This marks the first time that spring semester enrollment has exceeded 3,000 on the Magnolia campus.
“We are excited to see that more of our students are choosing to continue their educations at Southern Arkansas University,” said SAU President Dr. David Rankin. “Having a spring enrollment of more than 3,000 just goes to show that our faculty and staff are doing a tremendous job of providing a quality education and a campus life that students want to be a part of.”
Several projects being completed this spring should serve to add even more to the University’s student body. These projects include the new Mulerider Activity Center – a $4.85 million student recreation center – and a new state-of-the-art Admissions and Advising Center on the second floor of Overstreet Hall.
“The Mulerider Activity Center is something that the students wanted,” Rankin said. “It will provide a unique gathering place that offers everything from meeting rooms to cardiovascular and strength training equipment. We hope it will help us not only in retaining current students but also in recruiting future students. ”
The spring 2011 enrollment reflects an increase of 90 students over official totals for the spring 2010 semester. Almost every undergraduate classification reflected an increased enrollment over spring 2010 with the exception of a slight decrease in non-degree seeking undergraduate students. The School of Graduate Studies, which has seen immense growth in the last several years, experienced a slight drop in the spring 2011 semester with 438 students enrolled. That reflects a decrease of eight students from spring 2010.
