Ouachita is showing that though it may be getting older, it is not missing a step when it comes to bringing in freshmen. In the last two years, Ouachita has seen a significant increase in the number of freshmen enrolled, filling up dorms, classrooms and chapel seats.
“Our first chapel brought about a pleasant problem — there were no more chapel seats,” said Dr. Keldon Henley, vice president for student services and dean of students. “I’m not asking for volunteers to skip chapel, but it is wonderful to see a chapel filled with students.”
This year’s new students exceed 500. Many returning students wondered if Ouachita could house all the incoming students, but Henley said the university had it well in hand.
“We watched the applications carefully as they trickled in over the summer,” he said. “It was a close call, but we were able to fit everyone from chapel seats, classrooms and dorms. We noticed the trend in applications and were able to anticipate a much larger freshmen class.”
Even with a larger freshman class, students have not noticed much change, except a few longer lines at mealtime.
“My biggest class is diction, and that’s only 15 people,” said freshman musical theatre major Bethany Gere. “I haven’t felt lost in the crowds, and it’s fun hanging out in one another’s dorm after classes. Even lines in the Caf or Chic aren’t bad if you can hit them at the right time.”
Bigger freshman classes seem to fit the campus’s ambiance for this fall’s celebration of Ouachita’s 125th anniversary.
“This fall we have 1,587 students on campus, many being freshman and transfer students,” said Lori Motl, director of admissions counseling. “That many students on campus shows that Ouachita is on the right track. We have found a great increase as well on our retention rate of freshman coming back as sophomores. We have not had this many students on campus since fall of 2002.”
Students have been coming to Ouachita for 125 years and this fall many more will experience the celebrations of 125 years of learning at Ouachita.
One of the many changes over the years has been registration.
“This fall’s registration went smoothly as much of the process has gone online,” said registrar Judy Jones. “The automobile registration and many other elements that usually hold the registration line up were put online to keep the process going more smoothly than previous years. We have been streamlining much of the registration process; our goal is to make registration as easy and quick for our students without sacrificing the necessary elements that are vitally important for our administration and students.”
