New Mexico State University recorded an 8.3 percent increase in fall 2009 enrollment across all campuses. NMSU’s Grants campus gained the highest percentage: 26.8 percent. NMSU-Carlsbad grew by 20.9 percent, NMSU-Alamogordo gained 14.4 percent and NMSU-Doña Ana Community College increased 5.5 percent.

The Las Cruces campus gained 7.6 percent, from 17,198 in the fall of 2008 to 18,497 for fall 2009.

“We have seen outstanding enrollment growth across the entire university, both at the Las Cruces campus and at our community colleges,” said Waded Cruzado, executive vice president and provost at NMSU. “Our rapid growth is a reflection of the confidence the citizens of our state, in particular, are showing in NMSU. We are pleased to see so many people choosing to follow their academic dreams and transform their lives by joining us at New Mexico State University. We welcome these new Aggies!”

NMSU also recorded higher freshman enrollment with a 6.15 percent increase, topping last year’s freshman enrollment increase of 5.24 percent. And in another area, the university grew by 13.11 percent in student transfers from schools outside of the NMSU system.

The 8.3 percent increase reflects a hard number headcount of 29,468 students enrolled at all NMSU campuses. The 2008-2009 headcount was at 27,214.

One of the factors leading to the increase in enrollment at NMSU has been a combined recruiting effort from the enrollment office, all colleges and departments.

“I think our recruitment efforts have had a great impact on our enrollment,” said Bernadette Montoya, assistant vice president for enrollment management at NMSU. “There is a very formal rhyme and reason to our recruitment efforts at the admissions office.”

Montoya emphasized that university recruiters are helped by all faculty, administrators, staff and other students to recruit students to the university. Recruiters are also going into the western states to recruit students, where in some cases, like California, NMSU’s tuition is lower than California’s in-state tuition. Another factor, Montoya said, is the reception potential students and parents receive when visiting the campus.

“We see campus visits on a daily basis, families from all over,” Montoya said. “Some are formal, scheduled visits, others are walk-ins. We try to really individualize the campus tour experience.” Students and parents visiting the campus are taken to the college of their interest and meet faculty or see facilities of interest to them, Montoya said.

In an online survey conducted last year, potential and enrolled students cited parents’ or guardians’ influences, costs, programs offered and campus visits as determining factors in selecting NMSU. The ease of getting home was also a determining factor.

The College of Business Administration and Economics at New Mexico State University has achieved reaccreditation of its undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business administration by the board of directors of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

“This achievement is a high-water mark for the college,” said Danny Arnold, dean of the college of business. “The faculty, staff and administrators have been working toward this goal for the last 10 years. It provides concrete validation for the college’s efforts, particularly since the organization accredits achievement in excellence rather than simply meeting minimum standards. It provides the stamp of excellence.”

The accreditation is for 10 years. The college’s undergraduate program has been accredited by the AACSB since 1972 and the graduate program since 1981.

The business college has 2,061 undergraduate students and 158 graduate students.

To achieve AACSB International accreditation, business programs must satisfy the expectations of a wide range of quality standards relating to curriculum, faculty resources, admissions, degree requirement, library and computer facilities, financial resources and intellectual climate that are mission-linked.

As of November, there are 432 accredited members all over the world.

The AACSB, the premier accrediting agency and service organization for business schools, is a not-for-profit organization consisting of more than 900 educational organizations and corporations worldwide devoted to the promotion and improvement of higher education in business administration and management.

Las Cruces, New Mexico. The College of Business at New Mexico State University has achieved reaccreditation of its undergraduate/master’s/doctoral) degree programs in business administration and accounting by recent action of the Board of Directors of AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The official announcement was made November 18, 2002.

As of November 2002, there are 432 accredited members – 406 in North America (396 in the U.S., eight in Canada and two in Mexico), 15 in Europe, four in Asia, one in Australia, one in Central America, two in the Middle East, and three in South America.

To achieve AACSB International accreditation, business programs must satisfy the expectations of a wide range of quality standards relating to curriculum, faculty resources, admissions, degree requirement, library and computer facilities, financial resources, and intellectual climate that all are mission-linked.

During the accreditation process, College of Business was visited and evaluated by business school deans, accounting educators and corporate representatives, who are leaders in the field of management education, applying AACSB International accreditation standards that are widely accepted and adopted by the educational and business communities.

“This achievement is a high-water mark for the College. The faculty, staff and administrators have been working towards this goal for the last ten years. It provides concrete validation for the college’s efforts, particularly since the organization accredits achievement of excellence rather than simply meeting minimum standards,” stated Danny Arnold, Dean of the College of Business at New Mexico State University.

AACSB International is a not-for-profit organization consisting of more than 900 educational organizations and corporations, world-wide, devoted to the promotion and improvement of higher education in business administration and management. Its mission is to provide global leadership in advancing management education through accreditation and by fostering international interchanges, key business linkages, sharing of best practice, and professional development.

AACSB International is the premier accrediting agency and service organization for business schools and has its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. For more information, please contact Tom Weiser, Communications Manager, NMSU Business, 505-646-6290.

The New Mexico State University College of Business Administration and Economics will celebrate its 35th anniversary with a Sept. 1 reception in the Business Complex lobby.

The free, public event will begin at 1:30 p.m. and refreshments will be available. Speakers will include Dean Danny Arnold, NMSU President William Conroy and former and current college faculty members.

The business college registered its first students in September 1964. The college grew from the department of commerce, established under Arts and Sciences in 1920 and later renamed the department of business administration.

The business college began with 600 students in departments of accounting, economics and general business administration. It now enrolls more than 2,000 students in the departments of accounting and business computer systems; economics, international business and experimental statistics; finance, insurance and real estate; management; and marketing and general business.

For more information contact Beatriz Delgadillo at (505) 646-3587 or bdelgadi@nmsu.edu.