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ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) — New Louisiana State University of Alexandria Chancellor Daniel Howard is moving forward quickly with initiatives designed to boost the school's enrollment.
He expects to see results just as quickly.
"I can assure you (enrollment) will be up this fall," Howard said.
Howard, who officially started March 1 but worked with predecessor Paul Coreil on the transition prior to that, has been visiting government meetings and civic clubs recently to raise awareness about LSUA in the community.
The Town Talk reports (http://townta.lk/1l9tPux ) growing enrollment is one of his top priorities. LSUA started the fall with just over 2,000 undergraduate students. Officials say increasing that number is especially important given cuts in state appropriations to public universities in recent years.
Among the plans Howard shared Thursday were to:
— Better identify prospective students and correspond regularly with them to entice applications and campus visits.
"It's like selling a car," Howard said. "The secret is to get them to sit in the driver's seat and test it. For a university, getting them on campus is the same thing."
— Increase scholarships.
— Increase the number of transfer students.
— Add new degrees in high-demand/low-cost fields such as hospitality management and social work.
"There are a number of degrees out there that are very appealing to students that we can offer without duplicating other institutions," Howard said.
— Restore the school's honors program, which Howard hopes "will attract some bright students who wouldn't otherwise come to the institution."
Similarly, Howard thinks starting club sports and activities such as rugby, rodeo and English riding will serve as a recruiting tool.
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Information from: Alexandria Daily Town Talk, http://www.thetowntalk.com
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