SIU Carbondale officials are calling the ten-day fall enrollment figures a victory in their effort to bring and keep more students on the campus.
Enrollment is flat for the fall 2014 semester, with an increase of 25 students, from 17,964 to 17,989 -- the first enrollment increase in a decade.
There were increases across the board. The largest being a 25% jump in international students. Interim Chancellor Paul Sarvela says most of the credit goes to the university's International Programs staff.
The freshmen class increased 2.4%, on the heels of last year's 20-year high in freshmen enrollment. Transfer student enrollment increased by 2.3% and off-campus enrollment is up five%.
Sarvela says student marketing efforts are in full gear for next year's class, despite the SIU Board of Trustees decision in June to end its relationship with Chicago-based Lipman Hearne. He says marketing is now being done in-house, saving significant money for the university.
