Chancellor Drew Bennett of Missouri State University-West Plains explains details concerning the university’s new Education Guarantee to students in one of the Student Success (IDS 110) classes offered during fall intersession Aug. 13-17. The guarantee supports the concept that, if students make a good faith effort and follow simple, proven techniques, they should be successful in their studies. (Missouri State-West Plains Photo)
(West Plains) – A total of 1,894 students were enrolled for classes on Monday, the first day of the 2012 fall semester, at Missouri State University-West Plains. This is a 1 percent increase over last fall’s tally of 1,875.
School Chancellor Drew Bennett says that the official enrollment number for the fall semester will come after the 20th day of classes. The official number is normally higher than the first-day enrollment figure due in large part to the late registration period, which continues through Friday, August 24, he added.
Monday’s figures include enrollment numbers from Missouri State-West Plains’ extended campus in Mountain Grove, as well as students enrolled in dual credit/dual enrollment classes being offered this fall at several area high schools and the Great Opportunities for Adult Learners (GOAL) Program.
In addition to these students, 148 students are enrolled in the bachelor’s and master’s degree courses offered on site and via interactive television (ITV) by Missouri State University’s Outreach Program on the West Plains campus. This is a slight increase over last fall when 146 students were enrolled on the first day of classes, Outreach Coordinator Deanna Smith said.
EDUCATIONAL GUARANTEE TO HELP STUDENTS WHO EARN LOWER GRADES
Also, Missouri State University-West Plains students were given a promise from officials, call the Missouri State-West Plains’ Education Guarantee, that if they will make a good faith effort and follow simple, proven techniques, they should be successful in their studies.
Chancellor Bennet says that officials are telling students that, if they go to all of their classes, do all of their assigned homework, communicate with their instructors and advisors, and use tutoring services, they will earn acceptable passing grades. If, however, they faithfully do all of these things and still earn below a 2.0 grade point average, we will let them, for one time only, retake courses where they earned a D or F grade tuition free the next regular semester.
The guarantee, which can be found at wp.missouristate.edu, was developed this summer by faculty, staff and administrators based on educational practices that have been proven to work and are already being used on campus. One of the reasons behind development of the guarantee was to stress the importance of student responsibility in the educational process, Bennett said.
CAMPUS IS NOW SMOKE-FREE
On Monday, students also entered a tobacco-free zone when they walked onto the Missouri State University-West Plains campus.
The university implemented a system-wide tobacco-free policy August 15 following a two-year process that went from smoking in designated areas only to the current policy.
As of August 15, smoking and the use of tobacco products by students, faculty, staff and visitors are prohibited on all Missouri State University properties. The only exception locally is use of such products by students, faculty, staff and visitors in their own vehicles.
The university does offer smoking cessation programs to students, faculty and staff through the Taylor Health and Wellness Center on the Springfield campus, and members of the West Plains campus community can use those services. As no-cost tobacco cessation programs become available locally, that information will be communicated to the campus community.
A copy of the new Missouri State-West Plains Tobacco Use Policy can be found at wp.missouristate.edu/.