Although the number of first-year students expected to attend Miami University this fall is down by hundreds, Provost Jeffrey Herbst explained the class includes more confirmations in diverse and scholarship-aided students than previous years.

"Students who come from backgrounds reflecting ethnic and racial diversity will make up about 11.55 percent of the first-year class," Herbst said. "That's up from 8 percent in 2006."

He said the university hoped for a first-year class of 3,500, but is only projecting a class of 3,100 to 3,150 students.

Herbst said the university is taking measures to reach enrollment goals in the future because of this shortfall. These measures include an increase in communication sent to high school sophomores as well as a change in the nature of yield efforts after students have been accepted.

The international student population at Miami will continue to grow with the new first-year class this fall, Herbst said.

"We're projecting 110 or so international students, which is the same number as last year," Herbst said. "A couple of years ago, the university was getting 20 or 40."

Herbst said he is proud to have these students attend Miami, as he said there is global competition for these students from various parts of Europe and Australia, but he added these students receive little scholarship money from the university.

International students also pay an extra fee, new this year, for the two to three week orientation they must attend before starting classes.

After one year, Herbst said the GPA of international students is almost indistinguishable from the entire class.

In addition to seeing success with international students, Miami will see even more students in the University Honors Program.

Due to a change in the program, Herbst said this year's first-year class would see about 422 Honors students, while the university's target was only around 400.

"Honors changed not only its curriculum, but its recruitment patterns," Herbst said. "There was a lot of (current) student contact with (potential) students."

The changes made included the removal of the University Scholars Program and expansion of the University Honors Program.

University President David Hodge agreed with Herbst.

"The students themselves deserve a huge amount of credit for this," Hodge said.

Hodge added the summer orientation program for incoming first-years has been revamped.

"There is no more group advising for academic advising," Hodge said. "There is individual advising for picking classes. Faculty are finding it a much more productive way to go about it, it's less frantic and students feel a bit more engaged. Faculty appreciate the one-on-one with students."

As for fall enrollment on the regional campuses, Herbst said numbers wouldn't be available until the semester begins.

"Enrollment is very soft numbers on the regional campuses because their enrollment cycle is different," Herbst said. "Their enrollments don't really solidify until the first week of class."

Though Herbst couldn't confirm any numbers, he said both the Hamilton and Middletown campuses would see double digit increases in enrollment.