The enrollment statistics for spring 2007 reveal a decline in total enrollment numbers compared to spring 2006, but the University lost fewer students from the fall to spring. As of the fourteenth class day, 6,234 students are enrolled at the University, which is down 270 students from spring 2006, a 4.7 percent decline.

While this is so, Courtney Cassard, director of enrollment services, said the number will “pick-up” due to students transferring from the community colleges that accepted students ineligible for admission at the University.

“It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what enrollment’s going to be because so many changes have occurred concerning admissions standards,” Cassard said.

Cassard said the University is still suffering due to the lack of high school graduates in the area, particularly New Orleans. The number of high school graduates is steadily declining since Katrina took a “big part of New Orleans.” She also said there have not been as many high school graduates as there were in the past five years.

Enrollment numbers decreased by almost five percent this semester, and retention from fall to spring slightly increased, Renee Hicks, director for assessment and institutional research, said. Last year there was a decline of approximately 1,000 students, while this year there has only been a decline of about 600, according to Cassard.

Also, despite the decline in total enrollment, the number of juniors, seniors and graduate students has increased. Cassard said the office of Admissions is pleased to see that this occurred, especially in the number of graduate students since that “hadn’t been the case.”

The languages and literature, mathematics and computer science, physical sciences, economics and finance, family and consumer sciences, graduate studies in education and psychology departments increased in students over last spring.

Overall, the college of arts and sciences was the only college to increase in the number of students compared to last spring. University College saw the largest decline and the college of education declined the least.

The average incoming freshmen ACT score leaped from 18.94 to 20.29. Also, of the 48 valedictorians who accepted Nicholls scholarships in the fall, 47 are still enrolled, Hicks said. The number of incoming freshman remains firm, she also said.

Cassard said many follow-up calls were made to students to ensure the registration of those who were admitted, but still had not registered for class. She also said many calls were made to students who were registered but not activated.