ECSU Posts First Enrollment Increase In Seven Years

The 2017 fall semester has seen the largest freshman class at Elizabeth City State University in five years, and now the overall enrollment numbers have exceeded the admissions goal. The total enrollment for ECSU’s fall 2017 semester is 1,411.

The successful recruitment of a strong freshman class and an increase in the number of Transfer Students over last year are major factors accounting for the enrollment increase.

“While I must make it absolutely clear to everyone involved that one uptick in fall enrollment can’t be interpreted as a trend, we will take a moment to celebrate this accomplishment because it is the first time in seven years that ECSU has seen an overall increase in enrollment,” said ECSU Chancellor Thomas Conway.

“Elizabeth City State University faculty and staff are committed to our students, and to working for them now and into the future,” said Dr. Althea Riddick, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor of Enrollment.

The turnaround in enrollment is thanks to a combination of the hard work of ECSU staff and faculty, as well as the desire of students and their families to become a part of the Viking family. Students like freshman Kenneth Robinson, Jr., and his family have made it clear that ECSU is the only choice because of the support and attention they received upon admittance here.

While the numbers bear out the work done to increase enrollment, and bring ECSU forward, Chancellor Conway says this good news does not signal a time for the university to claim victory or rest on its laurels.

“We are a learning organization. We learn from our failures and our successes. This year has been no exception,” said Chancellor Conway. “We have identified a lot of things we can do better and we will be making adjustments in order to improve. We still have a lot of work to do.”

This fall’s freshman class numbers, along with the increase in Transfer Students, combined with recent partnerships with regional community colleges such as Halifax and Roanoke Rapids Community Colleges, where local students are able to enroll into bachelor’s degree programs on site and continue their education with ECSU while staying in their home communities, are important components of a foundation that is being laid for solid enrollment growth into the future.

In addition, the university’s new fully online Interdisciplinary Degree Program offers the opportunity to earn a degree off-campus, affording students a chance to complete coursework remotely, whether they are in Elizabeth City, or as in the case of military personnel, been transferred to a far-off base.