7/17/02

AUBURN SUMMER ENROLLMENT SETS RECORD

AUBURN -- More students are spending their summer studying at Auburn University than ever before. This summer's enrollment for Auburn is 10,532, breaking the old record of 10,510 set in the summer of 1990.

John Fletcher, assistant vice president for enrollment management services, said the increase is the payoff of some new programs aimed at attracting students to AU for summer studies.

"We asked the students what courses they might be interested in taking in the summer and basically tailored the course offerings to meet the students' wishes," said Fletcher.

"Plus, we did some aggressive marketing. There was a group of students and parents who were not familiar with the opportunities that summer makes available," he added. "So we put together a mailing campaign for all enrolled students who did not graduate spring to educate them as to what summer semester offers. Those things in addition to the quality and affordability that are hallmarks at Auburn are the reasons for the record."

Fletcher credited Steve McFarland, acting associate provost and interim dean of the Graduate School, with much of the work toward increasing summer enrollment.

"This never would have happened without Steve's work," Fletcher said.

Fletcher added that the summer record could be a harbinger for the upcoming fall semester. Increased attendance at the first four of eight sessions of Camp War Eagle suggests that AU could eclipse its all-time enrollment record in the fall.

"So far, the attendance numbers for Camp War Eagle would suggest a freshman enrollment very similar to fall 2000's record of 3,864," said Fletcher. "With the summer record and if our retention rates remain steady, we could eclipse our all-time enrollment record in the fall."

Auburn set its all-time enrollment record last fall, with 22,469 students -- 19,650 undergraduates and 2,819 graduate students.

"It's really premature to talk about fall numbers with any certainty, because, of course, anything could happen," Fletcher said. "But, looking at the data we have now based on what has happened in the past, we should either set a freshman enrollment record in the fall or come up just short."

In addition to more students at Camp War Eagle, more parents are showing up, too. "We're excited about getting the parents involved in the process and feel that their involvement certainly helps them know what to expect when their children are in school at Auburn," said Mark Armstrong, who directs Auburn's Camp War Eagle. "More and more the parents are coming and becoming active participants in Camp War Eagle."

Fletcher added that, in addition to preparing for the students expected in the upcoming fall semester, Auburn has also begun the admissions process for fall 2003.

"Currently, automatic admission is available for students with at least a 22 ACT score and a 3.0 high school grade-point average," Fletcher said.

"We encourage all friends and alumni of Auburn to help us find the best and brightest students. If you know of a student who is qualified and interested in Auburn, please let us know. We want to contact those students."

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jul02:AU-summerenroll

CONTACT: Fletcher, 334/844-6428.