Ball State University officials say new enrollment numbers released by University Marketing and Communications prove the university is on track to meet targets set by its Strategic Plan.
The Strategic Plan, which was implemented in 2007, aims to increase student diversity and academic excellence on campus by 2012.
According to University Marketing and Communications, Ball State student enrollment increased by 4.3 percent from last year. There are 17,627 graduate and undergraduate students on campus this fall, compared to last year's 16,901 students.
Tom Taylor, vice president of Enrollment, Marketing and Communications, said he considered the change "significant."
"Obviously serving 726 students is an important task," he said. "Overall, it's less than a 5 percent increase, but certainly it's important."
Taylor said the rise in new students was a reflection of several years' worth of work by Ball State to attract more applicants and stricter admissions standards, among other things.
"Certainly I would put the success and publicity that the football program [brought] as something that contributed to it," he said. "There was a great deal of school pride, a great deal of buzz and it never hurt to have David Letterman mention you on his show."
Honors College Dean Jim Ruebel said his program has also seen growth. This year's incoming class of 343 students is the largest the college has seen in five years.
Although the Honors program has not changed, Ruebel said its recruiting efforts have.
"We've done more targeted recruiting, including events on campus and some events in Indy," he said. "I think those have all had a positive impact on the number of students who apply [to the Honors College.]"
Ruebel said a larger Honors College would help attract even more Honors students to Ball State and help the university reach its goal of having approximately 10 percent of students on campus participating in the Honors program.
Ken Holland, dean of the Rinker Center for International Programs, international student admissions nearly doubled this year by focusing recruitment efforts on five specific countries: China, India, South Korea, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
"We thought those countries represented the best opportunity for Ball State because students in those countries who go abroad say they want to go to the U.S.," Holland said.
The Rinker Center exceeded its target number of international students this year by nine at 500 students and counting, he said.
"You'll be seeing more international students in your classes," Holland said. "We think it will help add to the educational mission of the university."
The Strategic Plan's goal is that 10 percent of the overall student population on campus will have international origins by 2012, he said.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
