Enrollment at Mississippi Valley State University grew by 8 percent this fall semester, making Valley the second fastest-growing public university in the state.
Valley’s preliminary enrollment number for fall 2016 is 2,502 students, up by 193 from fall 2015.
Mississippi University for Women added 287 students this year, a 10.7 percent increase.
Enrollment at Mississippi’s eight public universities rose 2.5 percent overall, but community colleges saw a sixth straight year of falling enrollment numbers.
At a campus event on Saturday, MVSU President William Bynum said the official number is even higher now with 32 new enrollees since the original fall census was taken. Valley has added students for three years straight after prior declines raised concerns about the viability of the school.
Bynum said growth at Valley can be attributed to a number of factors, most of them having to do with the school’s image in the community at large.
“First, we have partnered with the community of Greenwood and Leflore County,” Bynum said. “People see us — staff, students, faculty — at community events, serving on boards, and building strong relationships within the community.”
That results in a public buzz about MVSU, he said, with people speaking positively about the school as a good place for new high school graduates to pursue a college education, a change from past years.
Valley has also adjusted academic programs, Bynum said, asking what majors students are looking for that the college needs to provide. Valley has added majors and graduate degrees in sports management and convergent media, he said, from which he can directly attribute new enrollees.
Most importantly, Bynum said, Valley has focused on retention efforts rather than continually fishing for new students.
“We’re providing more of what we call ‘touches,’” he said, “touching students more often, assessing their needs as they move forward, making sure they have what they need to stay here through graduation.”
Finally, Bynum said, increased participation and fund-raising by alumni has greatly enhanced the experience and reputation of Valley.
“We’ve gone from a school whose alums raised $350,000 to $400,000 to one that raises $1.25 million in a year,” he said. “Our alumni know that we’re going to be good stewards of those funds. We don’t co-mingle funds, and if it’s raised for a particular purpose, it goes to that area.”
Among universities, enrollment set a record, growing at the fastest rate since 2011. The four smaller regional universities, including Valley and MUW, grew by the largest shares.
“Students continue to seek our unique educational experience, which provides small class sizes and personalized instruction,” said MUW President Jim Borsig.
Universities have focused on recruiting students as a strategy to improve finances, especially among the smaller schools. Higher Education Commissioner Glenn Boyce said that’s still an important strategy to gain additional revenue by filling empty seats. He also said it appears that programs offering lower in-state tuition rates to nonresident students were boosting enrollment.
“It’s encouraging and exciting to see that the regional institutions have held their own,” said Boyce.
Mississippi State University grew the most among the state’s four larger universities. MSU, MUW, the University of Mississippi and Jackson State University saw all-time enrollment records.
While all eight public universities grew, enrollment was basically flat at Jackson State and the University of Southern Mississippi. Assistant Vice President and Dean of Admissions Kate Howard said USM remains focused on increasing the academic quality of students and retaining more students.
Community college enrollment began dropping after hitting an all-time high of almost 89,000 in 2010. This fall’s enrollment of 73,000 students is 14 percent lower.
Mississippi Delta Community College’s enrollment fell 4 percent to 2,372 students.
Community College Board Executive Director Andrea Mayfield noted this year’s decrease was smaller than the year before.
“It’s a good sign that we’re starting to see the decline slow down,” Mayfield said. She also said some colleges saw an increase in the number of classes students were taking even though their head counts fell.
“Enrollment is extremely important because community colleges rely on tuition and fees to run their operations,” Mayfield said, saying community colleges are working to welcome more students.
• Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
