SRU breaks record for a 6th year

The president said millions in upgrades has helped attract more students.
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Slippery Rock University set its sixth straight academic year of enrollment increases this fall with 8,105 registered students.
The number surpasses last's year's enrollment by 177 students and sets an all-time record high.
"Our continued enrollment rise is due to a number of important factors," said President Robert Smith, citing the university's continuing efforts at improving program quality, adding emphasis on student research and continuing emphasis on global as well as individual community understanding as reasons for the increase.
"Slippery Rock's recruitment efforts are paying off in attracting top scholars from across the state and throughout the Midwest," Smith said.
A breakdown of this fall's students shows 6,782 full-time undergraduates, 375 part-time undergraduates, 691 graduate students and 257 students listed as transient, special admissions or attending for a second degree as post-baccalaurate students.
The university turned around an eight-year enrollment decline six years ago.
A new $14 million Science and Technology Building, $110 million in a residence hall replacement project, a $2.5 million renovation of Paul and Carolyn Carruth Rizza Hall, the addition of the Storm Harbor Equestrian Center and upgrades in the Eisenberg Classroom Building and Spotts World Culture Building are also factors drawing student attention, Smith said.