Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 2/16/96
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple  47

SLU SPRING ENROLLMENT UP AGAIN, RETENTION HIGH
     HAMMOND -- Southeastern Louisiana University's Spring 1997 enrollment totals
14,252 -- another record-breaking figure. 
     According to official enrollment figures, compiled after the 14th class day, spring
enrollment is up 2.8 percent from 13,863 students last spring. University officials say retention is
an important factor in the record enrollment. 
     Enrollment is up in Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, East Baton Rouge, Livingston and
Jefferson parishes.
     "Enrollment this spring is closer to fall enrollment than ever before," said Paul Riggs,
director of academic services. "It also means that student retention from fall to spring is higher
than ever before. We haven't analyzed the data yet, but this is a good sign that new retention
programs such as REACH are working. That's one of many new programs around campus we've
instituted to help students."
     The REACH program, short for Reinforcing Education and Assisting in Collegiate
Horizons, is headed by SLU leadership programming director Jackie Dale Thomas. This is a
mentoring program, Thomas said, where students who were suspended but readmitted into
school receive help from graduate student interns in areas such as time management, study habits
and stress.
     "We've had considerable success with this program," Thomas said. "Those who come in
with the attitude that they want to do better, have done better. We have one student who was
suspended twice. She came back to school, went through the REACH program and now has a 4.0
grade point average. She will graduate in December."
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