The numbers are in for Missouri Southern, and it doesn’t look good for the College.

Compared to last year’s figures, preregistration is down 188 students. Dr. Larry Martin, vice president for academic affairs, said enrollment for the spring semester was down by 316 students compared to last year.

“If you have few numbers to pre-enroll, you have fewer numbers pre-enrolled,” Martin said.

He said those 188 students may not have attended Southern this semester to pre-enroll. Martin said one way to curb the downturn in pre-enrollment is by contacting the students and asking why they haven’t enrolled.

Dr. John Messick, dean of the school of arts and sciences, agrees with this procedure. Messick sends out a list of advisees with telephone numbers and e-mail addresses to all of the advisers. After preregistration, Messick sends out a second list of advisees who have not enrolled for the advisers to contact.

Martin said he advises caution in interpreting enrollment figures. He said at the same time last year, enrollment was up 150 students compare to the same time in 2001. Compared to two years ago, the College is only down 38 students.

Jim Gray, dean of the school of business, said he has not seen the decline of enrollment figures in the school of business. Gray said there was a decline in enrollment in business a couple of years ago, but the trend across the country has shown an increase in enrollment for business classes.

He said he has no sympathy for those who have not pre-enrolled yet.

“One of the things that I have always said with my advisee, the people whom I’m responsible for, they learn real quick, if they don’t pre-enroll, I’m not a happy person,” Gray said.

Gray said students in the school of business are trained, starting with sophomores, to plan ahead, and part of planning ahead is pre-enrollment.

Martin said the advice he gives students is to pre-enroll and save their seats for next semester, and if they decide not to come back, to drop after the start of the fall semester.

“If you don’t pre-enroll and save your seat, it may not be there or available for you,” Martin said. “That would be the message for any student who hasn’t; it doesn’t cost much to pre-enroll.”