Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 9/13/99
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple   47

SLU ENROLLMENT STILL TOPS 15,000; TRANSFER, MINORITY,
INTERNATIONAL HEADCOUNT UP
     HAMMOND -- Southeastern Louisiana University enters the fall 1999 semester with 
enrollment once again over 15,000 students, a figure that includes increases in transfer, minority
and international students.
     The university's official enrollment profile shows a total of 15,253 students, with the
number of beginning freshmen slightly down. However, the number of transfer freshmen,
undergraduate and graduate students this fall totals 767, as compared to 663 in fall 1998.
     Minority enrollment, which has increased more than 200 percent since 1988, also
continued to move upward, reflecting an increase of 110 students over fall 1998. The
international student population took a big jump from 116 students last fall to190 students
currently enrolled.
     Tangipahoa and St. Tammany Parishes have traded places as Southeastern's top feeder
parish. Fall 1999 enrollment includes 3,260 students from Tangipahoa and 3,026 from St.
Tammany, followed by East Baton Rouge Parish, 2,264; Livingston Parish, 1,691; Jefferson
Parish, 1,177, and Washington Parish, 669. In fall 1998, St. Tammany was the largest feeder
parish, with 3,090 students to second place Tangipahoa's 3,077. 
     "More students are choosing to transfer to Southeastern and we are retaining more
students," said President Sally Clausen. "This is good news as we gear up to implement screened
admission standards next fall."  
     Under the new standards, beginning freshmen will need to meet one of three
requirements: an ACT composite of at least 20, ranking in the upper 50 percent of their high
school graduating class or a "C" (at least 2.0) high school grade point average. Transfer students 
                             (MORE)
SLU FALL 1999 ENROLLMENT   Add One

will have to have earned 12 hours of coursework and have at least a 2.0 grade point average or be
 in good academic standing according to Southeastern standards and eligible to re-enter the
institution from which they are transferring.
     Southeastern has been working diligently to ensure that area technical colleges, school
boards, high school principals and guidance counselors are aware of the new admission
requirements and to assist students in meeting the new policy.
     "We are continuing our outreach efforts to promote academic preparation as a
prerequisite to attend Southeastern. I am encouraged that the word is getting out to students that
we want them to attend Southeastern, but that they must come adequately prepared," Clausen
said.
     The university is expecting a decline in next year's fall enrollment due to the new
admissions policy.
                             -SLU-