Efforts to increase enrollment in the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Graduate School seems to be paying off. Numbers for the Spring 2008 indicate the Graduate School has grown by nearly 11 percent from last Spring.
As of this week, 1433 students were enrolled in the Graduate School. That’s an increase of 133 students from this time last year.
“ This increase is a direct result of the hardwork and dedication of the Graduate School staff and also each graduate department at the university,” said Dr. C. Eddie Palmer, dean of the Graduate School. “We implemented a ‘recruiters all’ mission. Everyone is helping to grow the Graduate School.”
Additionally, UL Lafayette President Ray Authement approved an increase in the number of assistantships offered and also increased stipends.
“ We added 50 new assistantships and increased stipends by $2,000 per year,” said Authement. Those graduate students in master’s programs will see an increase from $5,500 to $7,500 per year while students in Ph.D. programs will see a pay increase from $10,000 to $12,000 per year.
The additional positions mean more teaching assistants to increase class offerings and more research help, according to Palmer. “Graduate students are the people who assist with teaching courses and help with research projects,” he explained.
Other initiatives implemented by graduate school officials included bringing the application process online with CAPTURE and also advertising graduate programs nationwide through the Internet. The school also revamped marketing materials like brochures and started hosting graduate school workshops each semester.
All have sparked interest.
“ This increase is a reflection of the improved offerings of our graduate school community,” said Palmer.
UL Lafayette’s Graduate School offers eight Ph.D. programs, an Ed.D. program and 24 master’s programs. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007.