Apparently, even a recession isn’t enough to keep the Aggie family from growing.  In this academic school year, North Carolina A&T has experienced an overall enrollment growth of two percent.

In Fall 2008, there was a total of 10,317 students attending North Carolina A&T but the institution managed to exceed its goal of 10,500 students for 2009 with a total of 10,554.  In this semester alone the university experienced a 17 percent increase in new freshmen enrollment, a 20 percent rise in new graduate enrollment and a 37 percent jump in new transfer student enrollment.

“This enrollment growth for the Fall 2009 Semester represents the first enrollment increase since Fall 2005, which indicates that the university is now on the positive side of the adjustments and higher enrollment standards,” said Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Alton Thompson.

“Two years ago the university deployed an integrated, data driven enrollment management methodology to execute strategies that directly impact growth in student enrollment,” said Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Admissions Yvette Underdue Murph. 

“Our Office of Undergraduate Admissions has shifted our paradigm from traditional recruitment methods to ‘relationship building’ with high school guidance counselors and community college academic advisors.”

Underdue Murph also mentioned that implementing new outreach programs with Guilford Technical Community College and other community colleges has had a tremendous effect on A&T’s growth in the student body as well.

Joseph Cox, a sophomore computer science and music composition major from Durham said that he transferred from North Carolina Central University mainly due to the fact that they did not have his desired field of study.

“I knew [A&T] had a top school for engineering and computer science,” said Cox.  “The other school I wanted to go to was N.C. State, but because of the huge campus they had I didn’t feel like I would feel at home, so I came here and I toured and I loved it.”

Jalisa Peterson, a freshmen sociology major from Enfield, N.C., and Shemod Robinson, a freshmen history major from Enfield, both said that they came to A&T because of their siblings and friends.

“My sister went to A&T and she basically said that A&T was the [best], so I came to see if she was telling the truth,” said Robinson.

Interim Dean of Graduate Studies William Craft said, “Our classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as doctoral high research intensive certainly distinguishes A&T and all our graduate offerings. We are elated that our School of Graduate Studies graduated our largest doctoral class ever with 29 graduates compared to 22 last years.” 

• Marcus Thompson