Are we there yet? An update on our efforts to reach 10,000 students by 2005

By now, nearly everyone familiar with TTU has most likely heard of the goal to enroll 10,000 students by 2005.

But what does that overall goal mean to personnel working within each of TTU’s schools, colleges and departments?

“That’s a good question. It’s important that everyone realizes the role he or she can play in helping us reach this goal,” says Rebecca Tolbert, associate vice president for Academic Affairs and enrollment management. “Frankly, if TTU’s enrollment is to grow to 10,000 by 2005, everyone must do his or her part.

“First, it’s essential that everyone maintains a can-do attitude. And while it’s best not to lose sight of the overall goal, breaking this down into smaller increments can certainly help make the task seem more manageable.

“One way we’ve done this is by setting smaller sub-goals to keep us on track year to year and department by department. Once each of these individual goals is met, TTU will indeed be serving the needs of 10,000 students.”

And just what are these sub-goals?

While the overall goal remains 10,000 students by 2005, the immediate goal for Fall of 2001 is to attain a headcount of at least 8,580 students.

This figure represents maintaining our current enrollment and adding a total of 170 new students: 120 new freshmen, 20 transfer students, retaining an additional 20 students and enrolling at least 10 more graduate students.

While some of these additional enrollees will come from participation in new programs such as the Regents Online Degree Program and the newly created School of Interdisciplinary Studies, the majority will come from additional enrollment within our existing schools and colleges.

Schools, colleges and departments reviewed their numbers for 2000 and have set goals for increasing their enrollment for fall 2001. For example:

• The College of Agriculture & Human Ecology set its sights on enrolling an additional 20 students this year.

• The College of Arts & Sciences hopes to enroll 30 additional students.

• The goal of the College of Business is to enroll 35 more students.

• The College of Education projected that it will enroll 25 additional students.

• The College of Engineering set the ambitious goal of enrolling more than 100 additional students.

• With limited space, the School of Nursing set its goal at six new students.

Does it look as if our goals will be met this year? According to the July 17 enrollment management summary report, the number of new freshman inquiries is up 7.5 percent over this time last year at 11,540 total. The number of transfer student inquiries was up by 27.2 percent to 952. Applications grew by 22.3 percent among African-American students and by 27.7 percent among students with ACT scores of 26 or higher.

And while only time will tell whether these numbers are indicative of long-term success, for now our efforts do appear to be paying off in a greater spirit of cooperation among all those involved in student recruitment activities.

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