Welcoming a record class of Cowboys

Bustling foot traffic has covered the campus sidewalks since the beginning of classes this semester.

A girl with searching eyes, welling with tears stood repeated, "I don't know where I'm going."  

Only a moment or two passed before an upperclassmen stopped and pointed her toward the right building.  

This is not an unusual sight for the first day of classes at a university OSU's size. But with the largest freshman class since 1981 roaming the halls and sidewalks this situation is more likely to happen.

"On the first day of classes the 2010 freshman class total enrollment was 3,555," said Christie Hawkins, director of Institutional Research and Information Management.  

Last year's freshman class had 3,148 students, according to OSU 2009 enrollment trends research, which gives OSU 407 more freshman students crowding U-too dining, waiting in line at the bookstore and playing Frisbee on Library Lawn.

"We are extremely pleased by the increase in our enrollment this year," said President Burns Hargis in a press release.

"This is a direct result of our recruitment efforts to attract the best and brightest student form across the state, nation and world to our campus."

With an incoming class of this size new student orientation had to be modified to accommodate all the students.  

"With the number of students registered for enrollment we realized we would have to expand our summer enrollment programs," said Missy Wikle, director of New Student Orientation and Enrollment.  

The enrollment sessions were expanded 10 positions in each of the 20 programs.  

The Student Union was also offline all summer, which caused the freshman orientation staff to figure out new ways to accommodate the larger sessions.

"We worked closely with the Student Union staff and the University to get spaces like the atrium, library and breakout session space in the Classroom Building," Wikle said.  

"Even with the big numbers and the construction, we still wanted to provide the same service we had in the past."

But the summer enrollment sessions didn't even include the international freshman students that are from 22 countries, according to an OSU press release.  

"I am especially excited about the diversity in this new class of students, Hargis said in the press release.

"Diversity not only enhances our students' college experience, it also creates a learning and working environment filled with a variety of people and ideas, and nothing could be better for an institution of higher education."