With enrollment figures for fall 2003 down, the discussion of how to retain and recruit students arises.

There are certain factors affecting enrollment numbers that Missouri Southern cannot influence.

“There are some things you just can’t do anything about,” said Derek Skaggs, director of enrollment services.

Skaggs said these are family situations, health issues and financial problems. If a student drops because of these factors, it isn’t an issue for Southern to address.

However, there are many ways the University tries to get students to stay.

Skaggs said the admission requirements were recently changed by increasing performance standards for entering freshmen.

“If you get students who are academically better prepared, then you retain those students,” Skaggs said.

He looks at Southern as a “moderately selective institution.”

Dr. Delores Honey, assistant vice president for assessment and institutional research, is chair for the Retention Task Force.

Besides trying to get students in contact with faculty members as soon as possible in the enrollment process, Honey said there are many ways Southern tries to get freshmen to stay at the University.

Offering Fresh Start, an orientation class, career awareness services, help through the learning center, student support services, low tuition and on-campus activities are all ways Southern tries to retain students.

Honey said retention and enrollment figures aren’t the most important thing, but student satisfaction and success are.

“We’re still a campus, a culture that really teaches our students well,” Honey said. “That won’t change for Missouri Southern.”

Skaggs said as far as recruitment goes, Southern staff attend high school college fairs, visit specific high schools, offer Discovery Day programs where high school students visit campus, have counselors follow-up with potential freshmen and offer daily tours all through the week.

“We know that if we can get students to come to campus and visit with a faculty member, we greatly improve our chances of enrolling that student,” Skaggs said.

Amanda Highsill, freshman criminal justice major, said no recruiters from Southern came to her high school, but she did get representatives from University of Missouri-Columbia and Southwest Missouri State University.

She decided on Southern by herself because of the criminal justice program.

“I thought that they (Southern) offered a really good program,” Highsill said.

She said she had most of her questions answered by phone, but she would have rather had representatives come to her high school.

“I would’ve appreciated being able to talk to somebody,” Highsill said.