EDUCATION
Record Enrollment at APSU BY TONY CENTONZE
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s the city of Clarksville continues its meteoric rise, signs of growth can be seen everywhere. New businesses and neighborhoods tell part of the story, but have you taken a close look at Austin Peay State University lately? “The enrollment story at APSU is multifaceted,” Dr. Mickey Hepner, Dean, APSU College of Business said. “Several years ago the university began a concerted effort, under President, Dr. Alisa White’s leadership, to grow enrollment. That has been our primary strategic goal, and it has helped create new opportunities and experiences for our students, attract additional resources, and create a more vibrant, dynamic university. “We set out to become more aggressive at recruiting students. As a result, we’ve had a number of years of strong freshman
recruitment, so our numbers have grown, and grown. At the same time, we’ve made an effort to reach out internationally, and working with ClarksvilleMontgomery County School System has allowed us to expand our dual enrollment programs.” Dr. Hepner says the university has begun and will continue to reach out to new groups of students, in an effort to better serve the community.
“So, that’s the big story about APSU’s enrollment gains. It has been a concerted effort here and around the region,” Dr. Hepner said. “Here in the College of Business, we had a strategic emphasis on growth as well. Our growth has contributed to that dynamic energy and vibrancy that you want to have at a school.” APSU’s College of Business enrollment has surpassed
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1,000 students for the first time in school history. Gains have also been made in number of scholarships, scholarship dollars, internships and more. “We’ve undertaken a number of steps to create new learning experiences, and new opportunities for our students to engage with faculty,” Dr. Hepner said. “We are working on ways to enhance our outreach and promotional efforts, and to ensure processes are put in place to help serve student needs. We are committed to their success. So, we too have had a multipronged strategy in place. While the university has hit record enrollment (11,048 students enrolled Fall of 2019), so has the College of Business. We’ve seen 30% growth in the two years I’ve been here. APSU is the fastest growing university in Tennessee, and we are the fastest growing College within APSU.”
