Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 9/18/01
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple   47

SOUTHEASTERN ENROLLMENT HOLDS STEADY
     HAMMOND -- A year after putting into place new admission standards, enrollment at
Southeastern Louisiana University has held steady.
     Official figures for the fall 2001 semester show the university's enrollment at 14,522,
including 12,821 undergraduate and 1,701 graduate students. Fall 2000 enrollment was 14,535.
     "We are very pleased with our numbers for fall 2001," said Interim President Randy
Moffett. "The figures indicate that Southeastern remains a top choice of students on the north
shore and in the Florida Parishes."
     The fall 2001 headcount also shows that average American College Test (ACT) scores for
beginning freshman, which rose from 19.0 in fall 1999 to 19.8 last year, are also remaining
steady. The average composite ACT score for this semester's 2,127 entering freshmen was 19.7.
     Moffett also said the total number of students enrolled in developmental courses at
Southeastern decreased by more than 100 students this semester. 
     "Our goal when we chose to implement admission standards was to attract more
academically qualified students, reduce the need for remedial education and increase graduation
rates," Moffett said. "This semester's figures show we're on track."
     Entering freshmen at Southeastern must now have either an ACT composite score of at
least 20, rank in the upper 50 percent of their high school class, or have a high school grade point
average of at least a 2.0 in core academic courses. Prior to the new standards, students only had
to have an ACT score on file with the university and have graduated from an accredited high
school.
     Broken down by classification, fall 2001 enrollment includes 4,847 freshmen, 2,639
sophomores, 2,193 juniors, 3,142 seniors, and 1,701 graduate students. Tangipahoa Parish
continues to be Southeastern's top feeder parish, with a total of 3,793 students from the parish.
The other top parishes sending students to Southeastern include St. Tammany, 2,970; East Baton
Rouge, 1,972; Livingston, 1,730; Jefferson, 772, and Washington, 595.
     Graduate enrollment, Moffett noted, showed the largest increase, rising from 1,615
students in fall 2000. "With our new master's degree programs in Integrated Science and
Technology and Organizational Communication, we expect to see even higher graduate school
numbers in the future," he said.
                             -SLU-
Press release available online at www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsf01.htm