Enrollment remains strong after hurricane's impact on region
Lamar University is expected to experience only a slight drop of around 3 percent in enrollment for Fall 2017 due to the effects of Hurricane Harvey on the region, officials said.
Using the most comparable data, due to the delayed start date, LU’s enrollment is down about 3.2 percent with 14,516 students enrolled compared to 15,001 in fall 2016. Semester Credit Hours of 124,086 is also down 3.2 percent from the previous fall when students were enrolled for 128,191 credit hours.
After the storm, faculty and staff members and administrators responded swiftly and generously to encourage, accommodate and retain students. Three additional fall semesters, or “Harvey Sessions,” were created with later start dates to give ample time for students to recover from the storm. Registration for fall was extended, late registration fees were waived, a revised academic calendar was developed and implemented and additional resources were provided.
Like millions of other Texans, Lamar University students faced mandatory evacuation, loss of electricity, non-potable water, unanticipated recovery costs and the loss of personal possessions. Therefore, the final impact on fall enrollments due to Hurricane Harvey must await the outcomes of additional semester start dates.
“We began the fall semester dedicated to providing the outstanding education Lamar University is known for far and wide,” said President Kenneth Evans. “In spite of the setbacks caused by Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath, the university weathered the storm well and will continue supporting our students, faculty and staff.”
Lamar University delayed the start of the Fall 2017 semester to September 5 by initiating all courses online until they could be transitioned back to campus.
Although overall numbers will be down slightly, some areas still grew or remained steady. Occupancy in the university’s residence halls, Cardinal Village, is at an all-time high, transfer student enrollment rose, the incoming freshmen class is among some of the best prepared students to date based on average SAT and ACT scores, while this fall’s undergraduate student enrollment of 10,287 was virtually tied with 2016 numbers.
The University is proud of the individual and organized effort by numerous students and employees to assist those in need, both on campus and off, officials said. These efforts will continue for months to come partially facilitated by the Harvey Heroes, a community service internship available to all students.
Registration is continuing for Fall 2017 special Harvey Sessions. Applications for spring, summer and Fall 2018 are being accepted. For more information and important dates, visit lamar.edu.
