With increasing enrollment, need to improve LU education, community

Getting more students to attend Lincoln University is a goal that can bring many benefits, President Kevin Rome said last week.

Rome is in his second year as Lincoln's president, and he reminded curators during last week's meeting that more students means more tuition paid in - and more tuition payments can lead to employee raises.

After last week's meeting, he told the News Tribune: "We could not address those issues when we had declining enrollment.

"Now that enrollment seems to be going in the right direction, hopefully we can maintain have it and surpass it next year - that gives us the continuous revenue to be able to support raises (and) impact some of those lingering issues that just haven't been addressed" in recent years.

Amy Gossett, a political science professor who also heads LU's Faculty Senate, reminded the board that Lincoln's teachers and staff haven't had raises since 2008.

Rome said that's not an indictment of previous administrations.

"It was the whole economy," he explained. "The economy really hit hard, and it hit education - and smaller schools felt it much more than, maybe, some of the larger institutions.

"And, so, Lincoln has been greatly impacted by budgetary issues that have plagued the state - or all states - and higher education."

Especially at smaller schools, there's not enough money to build large endowments - that can serve as a cushion in tough times.

Lincoln reported having 3,117 full- and part-time students enrolled this fall - up about 200 from last year.

But that's still nearly 1,000 fewer students than LU's record enrollment established in Fall 1991, when the school reported 4,101 full- and part-time students on campus.

Former President Carolyn Mahoney wanted to see Lincoln grow to 5,000 students - and current President Rome has the same goal.

"I would love to reach 5,000," he said. "(But) it's going to take us a few years.

"And you don't want overnight growth, because the infrastructure would deteriorate.

"So, if we increase a few hundred students each year, we hope to get to a number around 5,000."

He said the emphasis is on getting more full-time students, although growth will add more part-time students, as well.

"Full-time students generate more revenue for the institution to sustain itself," he said. "So, I think it's very feasible for us to look at growing by a couple of thousand students, and I think it (also) would benefit Jefferson City's landlords, apartment owners, restaurants (and) stores."