Fall enrollment numbers key to MSU survival. from MWSU Campus Watch on Vimeo.

Although the freshmen class is the largest the university has seen since 1991, the influx of new students may not be enough.

After three years of declining enrollment, university administrators have decided to bet it all on Fifty- nine. Fifty-nine hundred, that is. The number is the goal for freshmen enrollment for the semester, and also basis of current budget.

Keith Lamb, Vice President of  Student Affairs and Enrollment said,”Right now – before official count day – we are right about at 200-235 additional freshmen and transfer students, up, compared to last year. So, we are right within the range of where we thought we needed to be to level out enrollment, and indeed after official count day we should be within half of a percent, above or below, of our target 5,900.”

However, Lamb said traditionally, figures do show that there is a reduction in enrollment after the invalidation period, reinstatements are also included by the 20th class day, leaving him confident that the university will reach its goal.

Lamb also said,”So, what we typically see with invalidations is from this point in the semester until final count day we typically see a net decrease of 60 to 80 students depending on our enrollment size.”

Lamb said,“What that net decrease involves is more than that being invalidated but a number of those being reinstated before the 20th. For example you may invalidate 100 students when you will probably reinstate half of those because they are able to make certain payment arrangements and such.”