SU officials make strives to increase enrollment despite selective admission standards

Due to a recent drop in enrollment numbers, Southern University officials are aggressively canvassing in the recruitment of students who can meet higher state regulated admissions standards.
According to SUBR Chancellor Edward Jackson, fall 2006 enrollment numbers were down by 642 students since the implementation of selective admissions, which went into effect January 2006.
Jackson said pre-Katrina fall 2005 numbers were 9,261 (10,364 including 1,103 displaced students) while the number of students registered the following year was 8,619.
Margaret Ambrose, executive vice-chancellor, said “selective admission requirements were part of a desegregation case filed against us by the federal government because Louisiana was one of the states cited as operating as a dual system.”
Ambrose said guidelines were drawn up by Southern were eventually approved by the Board of Regents in the wake of the suit.
Jackson said the Board of Regents’ desire to require more academic competitiveness is one reason why Louisiana’s universities have more stringent enrollment guidelines.
Grambling and SUNO have until 2010 to adopt selective admissions, he said.
According to the Office of Admissions, the revised entrance requirements include the completion of Louisiana Board of Regents Tops curriculum, a minimum high school grade-point average of 2.0, an ACT score of 20 and no more than one developmental course needed.
Jackson said Southern does not say when a developmental course is needed, an 18 in the ACT discipline area like English and math, is needed to be exempt.
“(The) Board of Regents wants to urge students who do not meet the admissions criteria into the two-year college and turn the two-year college responsible for developmental courses and take it away from the four-year university,” Jackson said. “The state is trying to adopt a new higher education system in Louisiana.”
A student may transfer to Southern after completing 12 credit hours, not including remedial or developmental courses, and a minimum grade point average of 2.0, said Tracie Abraham, executive director of Admissions and Recruitment.
Recruitment strategies and activities, headed by Abraham includes a SUBR recruiter/liaison who is responsible for Monroe, Shreveport, Arkansas and some parts of Texas.
Abraham said other strategies include an Other-Race Recruiter with a proficiency in Spanish, a satellite office at Baton Rouge Community College, SUBR Day at BRCC, annual family day in conjunction with the football games and the Southern University Ministerial Alliance who will go to the churches.
The Office of Admissions and Recruitment will be on the road hosting city tours throughout Louisiana starting on January 25 to Lake Charles, February 1 they’ll be in Alexandria and on to Shreveport on March 1.
Carey Ash, a junior political science major from Baton Rouge, and Junior Class Senator, said he went on a tour to Peabody Magnet in Alexandria along with a delegation of college students “to talk to kids about college life, aspects of college and what it takes to succeed in college.”
“It was very casual with jeans and SU T-shirts,” Ash said. “It was like a pep rally/recruitment trip. I was very eager and the kids had an appetite to learn. I am looking forward to the future generations of jaguars.”
Other student leaders involved in efforts to increase the university’s enrollment numbers include Student Government Chief Justice Johnathan Hill.
“I am always selling wherever I am,” Hill said, a senior business major from Baton Rouge. “People helped me get where I am, I feel responsible to help others, especially while I am young.”
Hill said he frequently returns to his alma mater Capitol High for speaking engagements where he advocates for the university.
“I can speak the same vernacular,” he said. “We share some of the same issues.”
He said he lets them know about Southern having the number one nursing program since many women are going into that field and about the university’s top engineering program.
“Although the Desegregation Settlement was one of the reasons for selective admissions, we have good programs, enhanced historically black institutions, physical plant, faculty and attracting other races,” Ambrose said.