Strength in Numbers

By Adham Elsaadi

SAN MARCOS, TX - Texas State University has set a record for enrollment for yet another school year. The student numbers were in after the first month of the 2014-2015 academic year.

Nicole Tremain
Photo by Adham Elsaadi

“Our preliminary enrollment figure this fall topped 36,700 students and represents a roughly 3.5 percent increase from a year ago,” said Denise Trauth, President of Texas State University.

President Trauth talked about how higher enrollment would affect students at the university in a letter to the school. She also said that if the numbers submitted were accurate, Texas State would be the fourth-largest university in the state.

Several students weighed in with their thoughts on the matter. 

"I think it's a positive thing for the direction that the school's going especially since is it such a research based university,” said Nicole Tremain, a senior who was asked how she felt about the increased enrollment. 

Jonathan Diamante
Photo by Amber Weeks

However, not every student felt it was a positive step forward for the school. Psychology major Brittany Hill talked about how the larger numbers made getting to school more difficult and turned parking into a problem.

President Trauth also talked about several grants received by the university in her letter. She described how the money from these grants were going to better the school and facilities. One example is the renovation of the Comal Building for Computer Science and Philosophy.

“The university needs to put more work into the campus such as additional buildings, housing, and parking before they continue to grow,” said Jonathan Diamante, a full-time student at Texas State.

Malli Banitt
Photo by Evelyn Burton

There are mixed feelings towards the expansion of the university; some for and some against. Wildlife Biology major Silas Ott said that classes are overcrowded and there is a lot less time spent per student.

The issue that the university seems to be facing is a problem many have feared would arise in time; that issue being Texas State University is growing too rapidly. The city of San Marcos is considered to be a city built around the university and the students make up the majority of the population.

“I almost didn’t come because I didn’t want to go to a big school,” said Malli Banitt, a sophomore who was asked if the size of the university influenced her decision in choosing schools.

Texas State University is currently working with the higher numbers to keep the educational experience upstanding for current and future students.