University of Mississippi - Ole Miss Yearbook (Oxford, MS)

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Students patiently Kinard Hall as they wait in line inside o pay for their larking decals. People, People Everywhere Story by: Claire Graves Photography by: Elizabeth Rainey Students have to learn to cope with more people on campus because of an enrollment increase, but that is not always a bad thing. 018 the ole miss

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When students returned to the hallowed halls of the University of Mississippi this fall, they may have found them just a bit more crowded. Overall university enrollment totaled 18,344 in the fall of 2009, a record number representing a 4.2 percent increase over fall 2008. While an increased number of students on campus can cause a few inconveniences, some Ole Miss students see the increased numbers as a positive. The University always has a homey feel regardless of the number of people on campus, said Virginia Burke, junior triple major from Charleston, Mo. While popular locations on campus like the Union and Turner Center might be a little bit more crowded, the crowds are still made up of friendly Ole Miss students. Other students, like Josh Randle, senior political science major from Amory, say that the new numbers have handle most any kind of an increase in the students going through the recruitment process, Wallace said. If the university ' s student population continues to increase, Randle said that other concerns could arise, including a lack of parking or study space. The university should strive to maintain its current student faculty ratio, and if enrollment becomes increasingly larger the university might consider raising its admission standards, Randle said. Although having more students on campus can bring about a few challenges, students like Burke believe that the benefits far outweigh any difficulties. If anything, increased enrollment adds to our campus by fostering diversity within the student body and helping us to expand student venues, such as the addition of Einstein Brothers Bagels as a new dining location on If anything, increased enrollment adds to our campus by fostering diversity within the student body and helping us to expand student venues. - Virginia Burke Junior, Triple Major not affected the Ole Miss they know and love. The Ole Miss campus has a very small and intimate environment while boasting all of the advantages of a larger institution, Randle said. I have yet to notice a substantial difference in the way that the university functions from the past year. According to a University of Mississippi press release, expanding access to Mississippians and continuing to draw students with strong academic and leadership skills has been the two-fold focus of university enrollment efforts. Chancellor Dan Jones said that he believes this year ' s enrollment bears the fruits of that labor. We have not only enrolled our largest class of new freshmen but also our largest class of honors students and our most diverse student body, Jones said Enrolling a freshman class of 2,576, an 8.4 perce nt increase over last fall, creates the potential for a number of challenges. Since university policy requires almost all freshmen to reside on campus, an increased number of students created the need for additional university housing. The new residential college fulfilled this need by providing 465 more beds to the university housing system along with a great new community. Another area of campus life that was affected by the spike in freshman enrollment was the Greek system. Assistant Dean of Students, Scott Wallace said that the number of students who signed up for recruitment did increase but not significantly. I think our processes are set up in such a way to campus, Burke said. The growth in the student population can be attributed to a number of factors, said the Director of Enrollment Services, Whitman Smith. He pointed to good marketing efforts by the enrollment services staff, the Presidential Debate that Ole Miss hosted in 2008, and a strong showing in athletics as three of reasons more students wanted to become a part of the Ole Miss family this year. Smith also said that he believes that the downturn in the economy is driving more students to stay in-state for an affordable education. In a University of Mississippi press release, Provost Morris Stocks echoed Smith ' s view that Ole Miss provides an affordable education and gave his own take on why so many more students chose Mississippi ' s flagship university this year. We like to think this milestone - growing to 18,000-plus students - is because college-bound students are learning that the University of Mississippi is the place to go if you want to experience amazing opportunities, Stocks said. Burke agrees, saying, It is great to see students around the nation take advantage of enrolling at the University of Mississippi. Ole Miss gives its students so many opportunities from interning during a Presidential Debate to studying abroad all over the world to earning a Rhodes Scholarship and it is great to see the university get the recognition it deserves. the ole miss 019