It was announced at a Council on University Planning and Budget meeting Friday that spring enrollment is expected to continue at the same growth as it did in the fall.

Josh Norman, the associate vice president of enrollment management, said the spring enrollment numbers are looking similar to the fall during with growth in graduate and freshmen areas, as well as in transfers.

Norman based his numbers on preliminary data since Tenth Day was Friday and the official enrollment numbers are expected to be released this week.

“I anticipate that we will continue the same growth from the fall. The same graduate growth we saw, the same freshmen growth and some really interesting trends from four-year transfers,” Norman said. “I was looking at some preliminary data and they were saying that not only did our four year transfers grow in the spring, the majority are coming from out of state institutions and that’s a great sign.”

Norman said this was a great sign because it shows that when students come back to Illinois, they are choosing to come back to Eastern.

“This is one of the first times we’ve seen that trend happen,” Norman said. “That’s exciting for me.”

Norman also said this means that those students are receiving the messages that Eastern is sending out via marketing and recruitment.

Norman said the strategic enrollment website contains all the information regarding how enrollment management plans and budgets, and he said something different that they are doing to help enrollment is providing annual plans.

He said every year he visits the Board of Trustees and presents them with a strategic enrollment plan catered for that particular year.

“This year we have 90 action items…and so far 80 percent are either in progress or complete,” Norman said regarding this year’s plan. “So we’re doing really well.”

Norman said the annual strategic enrollment plan helps them focus on priorities that all play into developing a 10-year plan to increase enrollment by 20 percent.

As for the fall, the funnels look similar to last year.

Analicia Haynes can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].