Our spring enrollment census was two weeks ago.

We had some good news:

• Total headcount enrollment grew by 1%.
• We are up 5.5% in graduate students.
• Our number of students from historically underrepresented groups is up 4%.
• Our international enrollment grew by 28%.
• Dual credit enrollment grew by 27%.

However, we are down by more than 4% in total credit hours. While graduate credit hours are up by 4%, undergraduate credit hour enrollment declined by 5.6%.

Enrollment declines impact our mission. We cannot educate students to be global citizen scholars when they do not enroll.

Enrollment declines also impact our budget. Enrollment declines have resulted in a $7 million tuition revenue shortfall this year.

We must all focus our efforts on enrollment for next fall and beyond. Everyone should do their part to recruit new students and work with our current students to help them navigate barriers that could prevent them from coming back in the fall.

If you have ideas or strategies to recruit new students or retain existing students, please discuss them with your colleagues and administrators. You can also email them to me at president@missouristate.edu.

Congratulate Rachel Anderson

This week the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce will host its annual ATHENA award event.

At this event, Rachel Anderson, director of the efactory at Missouri State, will receive the prestigious Virginia Fry Rising Star Award. MSU will be well represented at the event with three tables of attendees.

The Virginia Fry Rising Star Award honors someone age 40 or younger who is already beginning to light the way for women leaders. The award is named posthumously after Virginia Fry, a successful attorney in Springfield and a proud MSU alumnus and former member of our Board of Governors.

Through Rachel’s service at the university — from co-founding Rosie to serving on the advisory board for the Entrepreneurship Strand of GO CAPS to guiding fledgling entrepreneurs at the efactory — Rachel is well-deserving of this honor.

I hope you will join me in congratulating Rachel.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!