Among leadership changes, the University also has plans to generate more state funds by concentrating on increasing student retention and enrollment. The University hopes to increase retention by more than 200 students per year, said Michael Gargano, LSU System vice president for Student and Academic Support Services. The University’s current graduation rate is about 58 percent while other flagship universities are closer to 71 percent, Gargano said. “We want to have graduation rates that are more comparable to national benchmarks,” he said. Enrollment numbers have decreased by at least 1,000 students every year since fall 2004, according to the Office of Budget and Planning’s Web site, right before Sean O’Keefe became the chancellor in 2005. In fall 2007, 28,109 students were enrolled, 3,452 less than 31,561 students enrolled in fall 2004. The enrollment decrease began shortly after guaranteed admissions requirements increased. In fall 2005 the University switched from a guaranteed admissions sliding scale – which ranged from only requiring students to have 16 to 17.5 high school units, a score of 18 to 22 on the ACT and a 2.6 to 3.3 GPA – to requiring students to have minimum of a 3.0 GPA, 18 high school units and at least a 22 on the ACT. Gargano said there is a direct correlation between revenue and being able to support student achievement. He said the state’s formula for funding is based on full-time enrollment. At a University Faculty Senate meeting Jan. 23 and days after O’Keefe’s resignation, LSU System President John Lombardi told senate members that for the University to compete with top-ranking institutions, it would have to adopt the same growth strategies as those universities that do “more than they have the capacity to do.” “You have to do things that force people to respond,” Lombardi said. But in a Jan. 30 interview with The Daily Reveille, O’Keefe offered a different view on obtaining the state funds and resources needed to build academic competitiveness and enrollment numbers, such as focusing on fundraising efforts. O’Keefe voiced concerns and said if the University focuses on “chasing after a number,” it will lose sight of what a flagship institution is about – quality. O’Keefe said Lombardi’s approach to the situation could have an adverse effect on progress the University has made with increasing it admissions and academic standards. “Once you start changing and say … the goal is numbers that means you turn on the turn style and you say, ‘Everybody in,'” O’Keefe said. “If you run chasing after a number, that means you don’t care about standards.” Gargano said the state and Board of Regents has been increasing admissions requirements for the past few years. And this will not be reversed to increase enrollment. “It is absolutely possible, and it’s very compatible to have high enrollment as well as have students in the student body with very high academic credentials,” he said. “You don’t have to sacrifice academic credentials when you have large enrollment.” The University plans to increase retention by offering more academic advising and better class registration methods, he said. Gargano said the University must also become more innovative with academic opportunities such as offering more five-year bachelor’s/master’s programs, which will help separate the University from its competition. He said if students feel like the University has helped them, they will stay longer and become active alumni. To help increase enrollment, the University will begin recruiting high school students as early as sophomore year to increase applicants, he said. He said the University has “incredible national and international appeal” and has the opportunity to increase enrollment through renowned faculty and student and athletic achievements. Gargano said goals such as higher retention and graduation rates – something he thinks the state legislators will respond to – play a huge role in making progress with enrollment. “[State legislators] will stand up and applaud,” he said. “They’ll love us because we will be fulfilling a more important part of our mission, which is one to retain a higher percentage of Louisiana high school graduates within the LSU system.” Gargona said efforts to expand “really requires a conversation with the entire campus community.” Gargano said the infrastructure of the University is suitable to hold up to 32,000 students and planning to expand to that capacity will take careful planning. University officials have not discussed whether they will have a limit on expanding the campus, but resources such as, residential facilities, parking, classrooms and faculty must be intact before any changes occur, he said.
—-Contact Emmy Gill at [email protected]