LRU Breaks Enrollment Records Again!

Expanding Enrollments Offer Both Opportunities & Challenges
by Kimberly Caporale

Faculty welcome new freshmen as
they file into the auditorium for
opening convocation.

For the second consecutive year Lenoir-Rhyne University broke previous
enrollment records. This academic year’s records don’t just span across the freshmen and transfer students they also include Life Time Learning students and graduate students.  The number of applicants increased by 15% for the 2010-2011 school year.
    With over 1,850 students on campus, 433 of them being freshmen and 144 being transfer many questions arise.  During orientation it was difficult to fit all members of ‘The Rising’ into the cafeteria.    When walking around campus, especially on the LLC/Price Village side of dorms students are hard pressed to find a parking space.  On the first few days of classes the computer labs already seem jam packed.  And how will the student body fit into PE Monroe Auditorium for the President’s Convocation?  According to Dr. Larry Hall, Provost of Lenoir-Rhyne University, these are all good problems to be having. 
    The most important question is why did all these students choose Lenoir-Rhyne? And where did this growth come from? Rachel Nichols, Vice President of Enrollment

P.E. Monroe Auditorium at full capacity for
the Opening President' Convocation

Management, is a veteran of the recruitment and enrollment processes with 20 years experience.  She feels that the growth at LR can be attributed to four major areas: a commitment to exceptional services, enrollment councilors instead of admissions councilors, increased marketing with the name change of LR from college to university in the fall of 2008 and new programs and athletic teams.  
    “We’re still growing and moving forward in a recession with programs and sports team.  Lacrosse alone brought in 50 new students,” Nichols said during our interview.  She had worked closely with the marketing department and Maggie Greene, Project Coordinator of Marketing.  They both believe that the marketing department has been an integral part of LR’s growth over recent years.  The department has worked hard to create a brand for the university. 
    With the draw of being a Lenoir-Rhyne Bear increasing that certainly affects the logistics on campus.  Throughout the summer more and more sections of core classes had to be added for the incoming class to be able to satisfy core requirements.  Dr. Larry Hall stressed how important the learning experience for freshmen is.  “If a composition class has eighteen students, we need to strive to keep that experience the same.”  This was a true struggle for Dr. Hall over the summer as sections of core classes filled rapidly.  This involved bringing in more part time faculty and adding sections of classes.  “It took until last week to get me to budge to 31 in some classes,” he joked during our interview. 
    It’s true though. Keeping the experiences the same will be key, as that is part of the reason all the freshmen and transfer picked LR.  Dr. Hall stressed that these were all good problems to have.  There are numerous things that will have to be looked at in the future such as lab and classroom space along with residents halls.  “You typically build residents halls a year after you need them,” Dr. Hall said.  This year freshmen are being housed in the usually freshmen dorms of Ike and Morgan and in a house on campus along with in the Mauney-Shaffer building. The school even purchased more apartments on the outskirts of campus to provide more living space for all students. 
    With the population explosion of the university numerous questions and issues are sure to arise that the administration hopes to solve effectively.  But more students offers everyone more opportunities.  Everyone should remember although there may be growing pains and it may take more time to smooth out the logistics such as getting into the cafeteria at lunch time, this is a great thing that has happened to the L-R community.