Record Enrollment at APSU

22 • CLARKSVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL A s the city of Clarksville continues its meteoric rise, signs of growth can be seen everywhere. New businesses and neighborhoods tell part of the story, but have you taken a close look at Austin Peay State University lately? “The enrollment story at APSU is multifaceted,” Dr. Mickey Hepner, Dean, APSU College of Business said. “Several years ago the university began a concerted effort, under President, Dr. Alisa White’s leadership, to grow enrollment. That has been our primary strategic goal, and it has helped create new opportunities and experiences for our students, attract additional resources, and create a more vibrant, dynamic university. “We set out to become more aggressive at recruiting students. As a result, we’ve had a number of years of strong freshman recruitment, so our numbers have grown, and grown. At the same time, we’ve made an effort to reach out internationally, and working with ClarksvilleMontgomery County School System has allowed us to expand our dual enrollment programs.” Dr. Hepner says the university has begun and will continue to reach out to new groups of students, in an effort to better serve the community. “So, that’s the big story about APSU’s enrollment gains. It has been a concerted effort here and around the region,” Dr. Hepner said. “Here in the College of Business, we had a strategic emphasis on growth as well. Our growth has contributed to that dynamic energy and vibrancy that you want to have at a school.” APSU’s College of Business enrollment has surpassed BY TONY CENTONZE

1,000 students for the first time in school history. Gains have also been made in number of scholarships, scholarship dollars, internships and more.

“We’ve undertaken a number of steps to create new learning experiences, and new opportunities for our students to engage with faculty,” Dr. Hepner said. “We are working on ways to enhance our outreach and promotional efforts, and to ensure processes are put in place to help serve student needs. We are committed to their success. So, we too have had a multipronged strategy in place. While the university has hit record enrollment (11,048 students enrolled Fall of 2019), so has the College of Business. We’ve seen 30% growth in the two years I’ve been here. APSU is the fastest growing university in Tennessee, and we are the fastest growing College within APSU.”

Hepner says that business programs are staying strong. A recent National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) job outlook survey shows the most sought-after majors are business related.

“Surveys show that employers are most likely to hire business majors,” Dr. Hepner said. “Business degrees are always in the top ten. We offer four of the five most in-demand majors; Accounting, Finance, Marketing, and Management.

“Business education is incredibly important to supporting a growing local economy and workforce. It’s important for us to thrive, because we need to be the business school for Clarksville. Which, in turn, helps the city thrive and be dynamic in its own right.”

An undeniable synergy exists between the fast-growing university and this busy community, which is estimated to add 90,000 residents over the next ten years.

“We work with some of the local high schools,” Dr. Hepner said. “Our students and faculty sometimes assist with their programs. We are always looking to create more partnerships with CMCSS. Competition for new students is about to become a more critical issue. The number of high school seniors will be declining for the next few years, so we’ll be competing with other universities for a smaller pool of graduates. Some are predicting that universities in rural communities might struggle a lot more in the coming years.” “It’s important to be at a school like APSU that has proactively put such an emphasis on enrollment growth. We’ve already been working on this for several years. We’ve grown with regular undergraduate students, but have started to identify those populations where we need to expand. There are areas where we haven’t served students particularly well. In our case, it’s graduate programs. We have a small graduate population, compared to other regional comprehensive universities.” area in the country that doesn’t have a thriving business school supporting that community by pumping out trained, knowledgeable, future leaders. The very people that will help move that economy along.” Even acknowledging the upcoming challenges, like the declining number of traditionalaged students and the increased level of competition, Dr. Hepner remains optimistic. “Even with these factors continuing to shape our market, it’s hard to imagine being placed in any better spot than where we are,” Dr. Hepner said. “We are part of a university with strong leadership, that is thriving athletically, and academically. We’re in the middle of a city that is one of the best places in the county to live, with an economy that continues to blow people away. This city is transforming every year. We see new ideas, new industry and new opportunities, in a region that is arguably the most dynamic economic region in the country.

“We are part of a university with strong leadership, that is thriving athletically, and academically.” - Dr. Mickey Hepner

APSU currently offers an MS in Management, but Dr. Hepner says an MBA may only be a couple of years away.

“We are beginning to pursue an MBA program,” Dr. Hepner said. “Graduate business education is important if any city is to continue to grow, and thrive, and be dynamic. There isn’t a metro “What’s happening right now in middle Tennessee is phenomenal. We are in the perfect spot to shape, fuel, and facilitate the next big wave in Clarksville, and in this region. We’re excited to be a part of it.”