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LCSC sets all-time spring enrollment record
For the second straight semester Lewis-Clark State College shattered its all-time enrollment mark with 3,348 students enrolled for the 2008 spring semester – an increase of 3.5 percent over last spring – according to the college’s 10th day report.
LCSC set an all-time enrollment record in the 2007 fall semester with 3,612 students and then broke its all-time spring enrollment count by more than 100 students this spring. The previous all-time spring enrollment mark was 3,246 students set during the 2004 spring semester. The 2008 spring semester count also is up 114 students from a year ago.
“Our continuing enrollment increases show that LCSC is on the move; LCSC is a smart choice,” LCSC President Dene K. Thomas says. “Our students are our best advertisements, indicating how important personal attention is. LCSC truly provides a private college education at a public college cost, and more Idahoans are becoming aware of this every day. Students are voting with their feet.”
LCSC’s full-time equivalency head count is 2,454.07 for the spring, which is a 2.4 percent increase from a year ago
“Recognized as the lead 4-year public college in the West for 3 of the past 5 years, LCSC’s strong, positive reputation has spread throughout the region and more and more students are taking advantage of a quality education at an affordable price,” LCSC Provost J. Anthony Fernandez says. “LCSC is the place to be.”
“The increased headcount this spring was expected and is directly related to our increased recruitment efforts, including international students and concurrent enrollment,” LCSC Dean for Student Services Andrew Hanson says. “The college is committed to promoting and celebrating diversity. Aggressive recruitment campaigns intended to entice international students to enroll at Lewis-Clark State have begun to pay off and are reflected in this semester’s numbers.”
LCSC has 151 international students on campus this semester, compared to 105 last spring, which is more than a 30 percent increase.
“In addition to providing an important cultural exchange between the international students and greater LC community, there are many practical benefits to the valley when the non-resident population at LCSC grows,” Hanson says. “These benefits include more money spent in the local economy.”
Three divisions saw fairly significant growth from a year ago. The Natural Sciences Division went from 253 students declaring a Natural Science major to 307 this spring, a 21.3 percent increase. The Humanities Division increased by 14 percent, while the Education Division went up 12 percent. Both Natural Sciences and Humanities enrollments are up from the fall semester as well, which Christine Pharr, LCSC’s Dean for Academic Programs, says speaks well of not only student recruitment, but also student retention.
The Business Division continues to be the most popular division with 502 students, while Education ranks second at 428.
Of the student population, 2,059 are females and 1,289 are males. The average age of an LCSC student is 26.33 years old and the average credit load is 11 credits.
College officials report that 1,551 residual checks totaling more than $2.4 million were distributed after students’ bills had been paid, which students can spend in the local economy. Officials also reported that more than $11 million in student aid, including scholarships, was awarded for the semester
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