Because of a decline in graduate students, the University is adjusting the Flagship Agenda goal for the graduate program to increase the number of students enrolled by 20 percent.Bill Worger, the newly appointed dean of the graduate school, said the LSU Board of Supervisors’ goal is to have about 7,000 graduate students enrolled in the next three years compared with about 4,000 enrolled in fall 2008. Worger said he isn’t sure if the University has room for such an increase in students, but the University would create room if it was necessary. Mike Gargano, vice president of LSU System office, said there is sufficient number of faculty members, classrooms and academic support to increase the graduate enrollment. The growth will not impact the quality of education at the University, Gargano said.James McCoy, vice provost for enrollment services, said there is plenty of room at the University for the increase.”The 20 percent figure is only a guideline and will always be under adjustment given the fluctuation in the size of undergraduate enrollment,” McCoy said in an e-mail. Robert DiBiano, electrical engineering graduate student, said only one of his six classes is overcrowded.Most classes would benefit from more students because if there are not enough students interested in a specialized class, students can’t study their specific interest in their field, DiBiano said. Worger said one of the reasons he was hired was to increase graduate enrollment and he plans to do so by meeting with other universities to discuss weaknesses and strengths of the graduate program.—–
Contact Joy Lukachick at [email protected]