Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           www.selu.edu/NewsEvents
    Date: 11/11/97
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple  1

SOUTHEASTERN HAS $250,000,000 IMPACT ON SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
     HAMMOND -- Southeastern Louisiana University had a one quarter of a billion dollar
impact on the economy of the north shore in 1996-97, according to a new study conducted for the
university by Applied Technology Research Corporation of Baton Rouge.
     The more than $249 million impact represents a 65 percent increase over Southeastern's
last economic impact study, conducted in 1991-92, President Sally Clausen said at a press
conference Wednesday morning (Nov. 12).
     Buster McKenzie of Applied Technology Research Corporation said the economic impact
data was gathered during the 1996-97 academic year by surveying students, faculty and staff, 
vendors, businesses and community organizations.
     The survey shows that spending by Southeastern's student body has the greatest economic
impact.  In 1996-97, Southeastern student expenditures of $70,961,263 produced an economic
impact of more than $156,114,779. Students spend the largest amount on transportation,
followed by housing, food, entertainment, clothing, personal services and telephone and cable.
     Faculty and staff spending of more than $26,227,946 generated a $57,701,481 economic
impact, while the university itself purchased more than $6 million in goods and services from local
vendors. The purchases, coupled with $2,475,418 in construction spending by the university,
generated a $19,106,828 impact.
     The survey also said that approximately 430,000 visitors to more than 2,600 activities at
Southeastern spent an estimated $7,382,423 that circulated through the economy to produce an
economic impact of $16,241,331.
     
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     President Clausen said population growth in Southeastern's service area, which has
resulted in a 96.7 percent enrollment jump at Southeastern since 1986, was a major factor
contributing to the economic impact increase. "Of the top six parishes which Southeastern
students claim as a home parish, four -- St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Livingston and Ascension
Parishes -- are among the five fastest growing in the state," Clausen said.
     "Southeastern has managed to maintain excellent programs while experiencing exponential
growth, both in enrollment and in the population of our service area," Clausen said. 

              - SLU -
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www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsf97.htm