TSU Enrollment Jumps, Retention Rate Soars

Texas Southern University can boast a 5.23 percent (5.3%) increase in enrollment for fall 2009, according to reports from TSU’s Enrollment Management Office. From fall 2008 to fall 2009, TSU enrolled nearly 500 additional students, 476 to be exact. The largest gain for the university was in the retention of first-time freshmen students. TSU has reported a 67 percent (67%) retention rate, an eight percent (8%) increase over last fall. TSU has had a 57 percent (57%) increase in re-admits according to records released by the university which means a total 519 students who had attended TSU but have been away for one or more years, returned to the campus. This number indicates an increase of 188 students. First time transfer students accounted for another increase of 33.4 percent (33.4%), reflecting an increase of 762 from 571 for a total increase of 191 first-time transfer students.

No one is more excited about TSU’s promising numbers than Dr. James Douglas, Executive Vice President, who heads TSU’s Urban Academic Village initiative. “I am excited about the fact that we were able to retain more students this year,” states Douglas. “One of the things our studies reveal is that we would never be able to increase our graduation rate, until we improve our retention rate. So we are putting our resources into assuring that our students stay in school and graduate.”

Douglas says one thing that added to their success has been a TSU instituted intervention program, complete with mentors and motivational speakers. “We believe in this method so much until we are planning to continue this aspect of the program next year and will use this same effort as students enter their sophomore year.” Douglas believes if the same results are achieved during the students sophomore year when students have obtained 60 college credit hours, then they will realize that they’re at the halfway mark of completing their goal of obtaining a college degree. “I believe once our students reach that 60-hours threshold, they’re going to be excited about graduating. This will greatly improve our graduation rate,” Douglas insists.

Douglas believes the class of new freshmen that entered this fall is a strong class. Given the summer program and having met the admission standards, he’s looking for great things to happen with this class of new and returning freshmen. He thanks Richard Johnson and his team for doing a great job last year.

TSU has enrolled more than 200 honor students to its newly announced Honors College.