Although hurricanes Gustav and Ike disrupted the beginning of the academic year, they did not have any effect on the increased enrollment of the University. With enrollment at 6,926 students since the fourteenth class day, this fall has made the second consecutive year of increased enrollment by 44 students. Total freshmen and first-time freshmen have also increased by 183 and 61, respectively.

“I am quite pleased with this growth in the wake of Gustav and Ike,” Stephen Hulbert, University president said. “Nicholls strives to recruit the better prepared students, not only in the Bayou Region, but throughout Louisiana and beyond. I commend our regional K-12 schools for their success in preparing students for college.”

One out of four entering freshmen scored a 24 or better on the ACT test, exceeding state and national averages.

“It is a good sign for the University that more and more highly qualified students are choosing Nicholls. We have the highest ACT score for an entering class in school history-21.5,” Eugene Dial, vice president of student affairs and enrollment services, said.

The newly opened residence halls may also have played a part.

“The new student housing at Nicholls is a major factor in drawing such highly prepared students,” Larry Howell, associate provost, said. “Our new facilities, combined with the University’s multifaceted recruiting efforts, have indeed been successful in that regard.”

“The campus has made tremendous improvement in physical facilities (cafeteria, residence halls, student union, bookstore, streets and parking lots),” Dial said. “We have also made it easier for students to conduct business with the University. People are recognizing the campus as a place to be and are voting with their feet… choosing and staying enrolled at Nicholls.

Dial said he expects enrollment to increase each year for at least the next three years.