SHREVEPORT – No matter the metric, LSUS is continuing its record-breaking growth.
Chancellor Dr. Robert Smith delivered the news Tuesday at the annual Kemp Forum in the LSUS Theatre.
LSUS is trending toward topping 11,000 enrollment this spring semester -- one year after breaking the 10,000 mark for the first time in school history and smashing that record with 10,851 this past fall.
Enrollment numbers won’t be official until after the second spring session begins in March, but Smith is projecting at least five percent growth overall.
“Every sector of our enrollment is projected to grow – four percent in undergraduate, seven percent in graduate, six percent in face-to-face students, and a nine percent growth in the number of credit hours,” Smith said, citing projections based on the first few weeks of the spring semester. “We’re up substantially in every possible category.
“And we’re also blowing by our recruiting goals for applications for Fall 2025. Our recruitment and our admissions folks are working really hard to sustain this growth.”
That growth can also be measured in the number of graduates LSUS is sending out to communities across the region and nation.
A record 1,550 graduates earned degrees this past December. LSUS awards more graduate degrees than any Louisiana institution and is second only to LSU-Baton Rouge in overall degrees.
About half of those graduates are first-generation, meaning neither parent obtained a four-year degree.
The student body hails from across the state, the nation, and the world – 61 parishes, all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and 80 countries.
While LSUS’s online graduate programs are a key driver of the university’s sustained growth, Smith reiterated that more than 2,000 online students are Louisiana residents with the vast majority of LSUS’s undergraduate population calling Louisiana home.
“We’ve developed and continue to develop programs that Louisiana students want, and we’re offering programs that meet workforce needs in the region,” said Smith, who addressed an audience of local and state legislators as well as faculty and staff. “We’ve also been recognized for our signature focus on student success, and that comes from the dedication of faculty and staff.”
The continued enrollment growth allows LSUS to invest in program development and campus infrastructure.
LSUS introduced two new master’s degrees in psychology this year and have bachelor’s degrees in various phases of development.
A graduate certificate in dual enrollment in English is in the final stages of approval.
Subject areas approved by the LSU Board of Supervisors to develop include bachelor’s degrees in healthcare administration, cyber psychology, and legal studies.
While LSUS prioritizes degree programs in which existing faculty can implement, sustained enrollment growth has also allowed LSUS to hire more faculty and staff to support new and existing programs.
Campus improvements include a new science research annex that expands laboratory space and a centralized advising area in the Student Success Center. The annex is the first new building at LSUS in three decades.
Private donations led to the construction of the Davis Family Business Engagement Center, which opened this fall in the College of Business.
Updates to the campus electrical system, two building exteriors and other physical plant needs have been completed or are in progress.
The next major project on LSUS’s wish list is a health and wellness hub that would provide student access to on-campus medical care and indoor recreation space.
The annual Kemp Forum is made possible by an endowment from Dr. George A. Kemp and his wife Rita, which financially supports the Kemp Forum and provides this annual update to the community.