RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (September 7, 2007)--Arkansas Tech University has adhered to a policy of controlled growth and moderately selective admissions that has yielded a ninth consecutive record enrollment and the most academically accomplished freshman class in the 98-year history of the university.
Enrollment for the fall 2007 semester at the Russellville and Ozark campuses is 7,480, a 6 percent increase from fall 2006. Arkansas Tech enrollment has increased 76 percent since 1997. Enrollment figures became official after Thursday, the 11th class day of the semester.
Of the 7,480 students, there are 1,372 first-time, full-time freshmen on the Russellville campus and 184 on the Ozark campus. Seventy-eight percent of the incoming freshmen completed their high school academic records with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Forty-four Arkansas Tech freshmen were ranked first in their high school graduating classes, an illustration of the fact that Tech has become the school of choice for many of the best students in Arkansas.
The average ACT score for the class is the highest in university history at 22.57. The ACT average among freshmen enrolling at Tech is higher than the Arkansas and national averages for the 13th consecutive year.
Among the freshman class, 58 percent recorded an ACT score of 22 or higher and 80 percent had an ACT score of 19 or higher, both of which are increases over the Tech freshman class of 2006.
“Retaining and graduating students is critical to the future of Arkansas Tech University, and to the future of higher education in our state,” said Dr. Robert C. Brown, Tech president. “By continuing to actively recruit and admit students who have an academic record that suggests an ability and a desire to persist toward graduation, we are working to improve higher education in Arkansas. Our record indicates that this policy has been successful over the past decade, and it is our sincere belief that a focus on retention and graduation in higher education is essential to continued economic and social development in our state.”
The end result of moderately selective admissions standards was demonstrated during the 2006-07 academic year when Arkansas Tech awarded degrees to 1,266 graduates --- a new school record.
An important aspect of Tech’s plan to help students stay on the path to graduation has been an increased emphasis in the area of student housing. Arkansas Tech has invested $126 million in its campus infrastructure in the last 12 years, and $31.5 million of that has been dedicated to the construction and renovation of student housing.
This fall, Arkansas Tech added living accommodations for 234 students when it opened Baswell Residence Hall. Even with the addition of this new facility, 58 students are currently living in motels until more student housing becomes available.
Since 1999, Tech has renovated Brown Hall, Caraway Hall, Jones Hall, Massie Hall, Paine Hall, Roush Hall, Wilson Hall and Turner Hall. New construction has yielded Summit Hall, University Commons I and University Commons II and Baswell Hall. South Hall, Campus Court and Stadium Suites have all been purchased and renovated by the university within the past 36 months in order to further address the need for student housing.
It is a need created by the fact that the on-campus student population at Arkansas Tech has more than tripled in the past 11 years. In 1996, there were 785 students living on the Tech campus --- about 17 percent of the 4,490 students who were then enrolled. Today, there are 2,386 students (32 percent) living in university housing.
“Research consistently shows us that students who live in campus housing perform better in the classroom than those who live off campus,” said Dr. Gary Biller, vice president for student services. “We have found that students who live on campus have higher self-esteem, are more involved in university life, finish college in less time, meet more diverse people and have more contact with the faculty and their fellow students. That is why we have put such an emphasis on creating a campus living environment that is attractive to our students and beneficial to their learning process.”
