An August press release by Prairie View A&M stated that
“the university is currently trending 8% ahead of last year’s certified
enrollment of 8,762. That surge is driven in large part by a nearly 15.0
percent increase in the number of first-time, full-time freshmen. Additionally,
PVAMU has noted a 2-4% increase in retention for continuing students.”
It added that: “Though the university continues to provide
residential housing for about 65% of its undergraduate students, including
students with families, the unprecedented growth has caused higher demand for
on-campus and near-campus housing.”
Interim President Ruth J. Simmons, who served as president of Brown University from 2001 to 2012, said PVAMU is
working hard to help the students that it isn’t able to house on-campus.
“Every year, the university does its best to plan for the number of students who will enroll. Increases in enrollment show us that the appeal of our offerings continues to grow,” Simmons said. “While we can carefully plan for the increase in demand, we can sometimes underestimate the number of students wanting to get that unique PVAMU experience. As on-campus housing reaches capacity, the university will continue to seek opportunities to partner with near-campus apartment properties. Additionally, students without vehicles will have access to university transportation options. We deeply regret the inconvenience to our students and families and are working diligently to accommodate these unexpected needs.”
PVAMU is also planning a new 466-bed on-campus housing
facility.
Florida A&M University Interim President Larry Robinson
recently announced that the school enrolled 9,913 students in Fall 2017. That is the first
enrollment increase since Fall 2013.
The interim administration decided to reopen the Palmetto
Street North Apartments, which had been closed since 2014, to help house more
students in response to the enrollment bump. But numerous students arrived on
move-in day to find their rooms in an unacceptable condition.
Robinson apologized for the problems.
“The first thing is I apologize to them personally,”
Robinson told WCTV-6 when asked what message he wanted to give the students and
their families. “Let them know that this wasn’t FAMU’s best day.”
“Every student who checked in for housing at Palmetto North
has been placed in an apartment or room on campus. All 164 spaces are now open
and fully operational, and all known issues have been corrected,” Robinson
explained later in a written statement.
“I want each of our stakeholders to know that we will not
accept anything less than excellence when it comes to housing – and all that is
associated with Florida A&M University,” he added.