Freshman class nears record

By Alex Downes-Borowski
Cardinal Staff

Students who returned to Saint Mary’s University this fall may have noticed that the campus is more crowded than years past. At 399 students, the incoming freshman class is the second largest SMU has seen, partially due to increased efforts from staff.
Read more... The freshman enrollment is 6 percent higher than last year. There is a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,350 students.

Director of Admission Karen Sullivan believes the increase in admission can partly be based on their tremendous staff in the Admissions Office and the specific goals they set. Their approach towards recruiting was to focus on each student and their family individually.

Sullivan also gives credit to the Communication and Marketing Office and their efforts to make SMU more visible. Because more students use the Internet for researching schools, Sullivan feels that the SMU website played a huge role in creating interest among prospective students.

Sullivan explained that community also played a key role in recruiting students. Junior Erin O’Keefe agreed by saying, “When I was looking at schools, I felt accepted at SMU. I really liked the welcoming atmosphere.”

SMU has adjusted to accommodate the increased number of students. One of the biggest changes on campus has been the re-opening of Saint Yon’s Hall. Yon’s is the current home of the music department, but it now shares its halls with two floors of students. Tim Gossen, dean of students, said there are only about 14 open beds on campus. This doesn’t include the second floor of Yon’s, which is currently closed.

If admission continues to rise over the next few years, the university will be ready to accommodate the growing numbers of students. Some options include opening the second floor of Yon’s Hall, moving staff offices, and remodeling or downsizing rooms in current halls.

There are also more cars on campus this year. One might think this may become a bigger issue in the coming months as we approach the snow emergency season; however, Jerrie Seibert, director of campus safety, is confident that the current parking system with its voicemail and e-mail notifications will be enough to efficiently notify students of snow emergency alerts. For students who ride bikes, 12 new racks have been added to various spots around campus.

The number of international students has doubled this year. There are 47 international students representing more than 17 countries.

Many people seem excited about the increased enrollment. The general consensus is that it can only have positive effects for the whole SMU community.