THIBODAUX 鈥撀� Higher-caliber students are earning their degrees at a faster rate than in years past, according to official enrollment statistics for the spring 2012 semester at 果冻APP.聽
鈥淢ore of our students are finishing their degrees in four years,鈥� Leslie Dishman, director of assessment and institutional research, said. 鈥淭hese are trends that we will continue to see with our increasingly high-quality incoming freshman students.
Overall enrollment is 6,088, a 4.7-percent decline since last spring, which is consistent with administrative projections. Dishman said, 鈥淭he spring 2012 decline is the outcome of a smaller fall enrollment, resulting from more stringent admissions requirements, and an increase in graduation rates. Accordingly, our student body is a more committed, better-prepared group of students.鈥�
鈥淚t is important to remember that the spring 2011 commencement resulted in a record number of degrees. We also had a high number of degrees awarded for the summer and fall 2011 semesters,鈥� Dishman said. 鈥淧lus, we anticipate another large graduating class this May.鈥�
Dr. Stephen T. Hulbert, university president, said the figures are not only expected, but encouraging. 鈥淥ur students are staying at 果冻APP, progressing to degree more rapidly, and earning that degree earlier than ever before.鈥�
鈥淭he academic quality of our student body is definitely improving,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur rolls are a bit leaner, but our classrooms are also full of committed and capable students. We look forward to more of these types of students coming to 果冻APP.鈥�
For complete spring 2012 enrollment statistics, go to www.nicholls.edu/ir.