SOUTHEAST ENROLLMENT HITS 8,118

Southeast Missouri State University has 8,118 students enrolled this fall, up 193 students or 2 percent from a year ago, final figures show.

The head count reflects undergraduate and graduate enrollment after the first four weeks of the semester.

The overall increase is largely in beginning freshmen. Southeast has 1,447 beginning freshmen, up 230 or 19 percent from a year ago.

The senior class increased by 64 to 1,812 students. All other categories were down.

There are 775 freshmen, down 18; 1,435 sophomores, down 109; 1,479 juniors, down 43; and 766 graduate students, down 16.

Art Wallhausen, assistant to the president, said school officials are glad to see enrollment top 8,000 again. Last fall, enrollment was 7,925.

Enrollment is the highest it has been since fall 1992, when more than 8,400 students were enrolled.

Juan Crites, admissions director, said the enrollment figures are good news for the university.

"We had a five-year plan for enrollment and have surpassed those goals," she said. "We are an institution on the move."