MSU enrollment down but better than officials expected

We’re starting the semester in a much stronger position than we anticipated.”

—Clif Smart, MSU president

Missouri State University's fall enrollment is down compared with the prior year, but President Clif Smart says school officials were bracing for worse numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the start of classes Aug. 17, 19,733 students were enrolled, a 2.9% decrease from fall 2019, according to a news release.

“With COVID-19 and the decrease in the number of high school graduates, we fully expected to see a significant decrease in enrollment this fall,” Smart said in the release. “Over the last six months, we’ve implemented an aggressive communication plan to reassure new and returning students about our plans to safely reopen campus.

"We’re starting the semester in a much stronger position than we anticipated.”

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, MSU officials projected an enrollment decrease of roughly 800 students, according to the release. That projection grew to 1,500 students as the pandemic took hold. The fall number ended up being down by 597 students from last year, said MSU spokesperson Andrea Mostyn.

As students return to campus, they're required to wear face masks in public spaces, per an MSU Board of Governors decision earlier this month. The city’s masking mandate allows higher education institutions to determine their own stances on face coverings.

MSU has set up a page on its website to track COVID-19 cases. For the period of Aug. 11-17, there were seven daily average confirmed cases and 306 tests administered, according to the website.

MSU's coronavirus contingency plan does not state a specific threshold for when all classes would have to be moved online. The plan indicates university officials would consider factors such as case counts and hospital capability to make any determinations.

Smart recently told Springfield Business Journal that MSU is being flexible with employees, allowing most to work from home as needed and to use Zoom for office hours.