New Division seeks to boost Enrollment and Recruitment

In effort to increase the student enrollment and recruiting rates at Southern University the Student Affairs and Enrollment Management collaborated to form a new structure titled “New Division.”
The Division of Student affairs includes Housing, Student Union, Student Media, Career Services, Student Health Center, Intramural Center, University Counseling Center, Office of the Dean of Students, Student Life, Greek Life, and Freshman Orientation.
The Division of Enrollment Management includes Financial Aid, Registrars Office, and Center for Student Success, Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, and early college program such as Dual Enrollment, Trio, and Upward Bound etc.
Brandon Dumas, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management is over the New Division structure. 
“The New Division is free of charge, no additional cost, just operating under a new structure,” said Dumas. 
In 2013, Southern University was able to stabilize recruitment, for the first time. Before last year, Southern had traditionally lost about 400 students each academic year.
Dumas said that they  are working aggressively to make sure that they stabilize recruitment.
“We will, in a more successful way, lure students to Southern University through recruitment, because I believe there are no greater recruiters for Southern University than our current students who are satisfied with their experiences that we have provided to them inside and outside of the classroom,” Dumas ended. Student Government Association and 365 Jag are apart of organizations that specialize in recruiting more students.
SGA President Nick Harris explained his new methods that can advance student recruitment.
“I came in with a focus of recruitment,” said Harris. “Having more active recruitment and getting more students more involved in the recruitment process, and basically getting up to date with our programs and technology that can compete with other HBCU’s and colleges.” 
365 Jag is responsible for the new students by helping the students fully emerged in jaguar culture, and become fully aware of how things are ran at Southern. Jaguar Preview is a week filled with series of events that gives the incoming students a first glimpse of the jaguar nation and the undergraduate student experience.
Gabrielle Simmons junior Psychology major from Los Angeles thinks Southern should recruit more out of states students.
“Almost everybody in this school is from the surrounding areas,” said Simmons. 
Simmons added, “Also, when recruiting make sure their grades are good.”
Jaccori Marshall sophomore Biology major from Los Angeles also thinks Southern should recruit more out of states students.
“Most of the rosters are in state students,” said Marshall. “This is leaving other potential students from out of state to find Southern University.” 
The New Division uses the phrase “Pathway to Promise” for everything the structure does. The New Division goal is to take steps moving Southern University using the “Pathway to Promise” quote to regaining its rightful place at the top place at the institution not only relating to HBCUs but not wanting to be the best HBCU but the best university in the world. 
The New Division was approved by the Southern University Board of Supervisors on June30, 2014 and taken effect on July 1, 2014.