By Melissa Dunson

mdunson@joplinglobe.com

More college students are back to the classroom this summer than last, according to Missouri Southern State University’s recent enrollment figures.

Rod Surber, director of public relations at MSSU, said the Joplin university is seeing an increase in enrollment of about 4 percent compared with last year. The current summer enrollment is 1,850, an increase of 74 students compared with last summer’s enrollment of 1,776.

This increase comes on the heels of an increase in enrollment in the spring semester. Missouri Southern reported a nearly 5 percent increase in 2009 spring enrollment compared with last year’s figure. The number of students rose from 4,861 in the spring of 2008 to 5,090 in 2009.

“We’re like any other enterprise — we like increases,” Surber said.

The total number of credit hours students are taking at Missouri Southern this summer also increased by 963 hours. That’s a nearly 11 percent increase compared with last summer.

University officials think the increase is the result of a combination of factors, including the economic recession.

“I would expect that the economy may have some effect on our numbers,” Surber said. “We’re also getting more students enrolling for summer classes while they’re home from other institutions from wherever.”

Online classes have also made attending school full-time during the summer possible for some students who couldn’t fit it into their schedules before, Surber said.

Surber said it’s too early to announce any numbers, but enrollment for the fall looks positive. A good indication of possible fall enrollment growth is the summer semester’s growth of 27 first-time freshmen.

“That’s a positive indication for us,” he said.