Enrollment reaches all-time high

IU campuses throughout the state are boasting record-high enrollment figures for the fall semester and all eight campuses set a combined record for credit hours, IU President Myles Brand announced Thursday in a press release.\nIn Bloomington, a 5.4 percent increase from last year's freshman class represents a new record and encouragement for IU officials. Total freshmen enrollment is now 6,936. \n"Clearly what this means is Indiana University is attracting a larger number of students than ever in our history," said Vice President for Public Affairs Christopher Simpson. "First, faculty, staff and alumni, led by enrollment services, are doing an outstanding job in recruiting students to Indiana University. Secondly, the marketing efforts, which includes enrollment services … have developed a well-oiled team to tell the IU success story."\nFor the first semester, Bloomington enrollment is at an all-time high of 37,076 students, an 875 student or 2.4 percent increase over the first semester of last year. The number of credit hours being taken this semester is also a new record, increasing by 2.8 percent to 489,987 hours.\nBrand said the figures indicate a number of things.\n"I believe the rising enrollments reflect the strong reputation of our academic programs, the welcoming atmosphere on our campuses and the success of our marketing efforts," Brand said in the release.\n"The record enrollment at IU Bloomington, the record number of credit hours at IUPUI and the continued rapid growth at IU Southeast are all particularly noteworthy, but significant gains also have been realized on several other campuses. Our regional campuses are doing an excellent job of working closely with local residents and providing the programs that their communities need."\nDonald Hossler, vice chancellor of enrollment services, said a University-wide effort is responsible for the increase. \nHe said the admissions office has a nationwide reputation among prospective students as one of the most personalized admissions processes of any institution. Hossler said many of the colleges on campus practice effective follow-up activities to encourage interested students to attend.\n"Once (prospective students) are admitted, they are really interested in hearing from the school they are interested in majoring in," Hossler said. "It's the ability to interact with students and faculty … currently enrolled students are the best source of information."\nHossler said he and his team also use a social science approach to recruiting students, using a wide variety of research techniques to recognize people who are interested in IU and sometimes more importantly, Hossler said, those who are not.\n"This is not an exact science, but the office of institutional research uses varying statistical techniques to find students who will be most interested in Indiana University," he said. "Students in Northern California who attend private high schools and whose parents make $300,000 or more want to go to elite privates … Let's not waste our time or money."\nSimpson said in addition to IU's hard work, the reputation of the academic programs and the beautiful campus market themselves. \n"IU is a tremendous value in terms of the very moderate cost," Simpson said. "We have 100 programs in the top 20 on one of the most beautiful campuses in the country … a very powerful package."\nOverall, students on all IU campuses total 93,775, a 1.3 percent increase over last fall.\nSimpson said he would put IU's recruitment effort up against that of any university in the country.\nSimpson said this discredits IU's low ratings from the US News and World Report college rankings and a recent University of Florida study.\n"We're seeing students vote with their feet by coming to Bloomington," Simpson said. "The bulk of the credit has to go to enrollment services … we need to stop and look towards enrollment services and say you folks ought to be very proud of the tremendous job you've all done"