Students speak out as population soars

For 16 consecutive years Texas State University has set a new record for total enrollment and the fall 2013 semester has proven no different with a total enrollment of 35,568 students.

While the image of cranes looming over the sites of demolished dormitories and scaffolding scaling the sides of existing buildings may be unsettling, the ever-present construction at Texas State is providing a glimpse into the university’s future. 

“We take our role in preparing the next-generation workforce in Texas very seriously, so it is gratifying to see that so many incoming students are choosing to attend Texas State,” Texas State University President Denise M. Trauth said in a statement.

However, the students at Texas State have mixed feelings about the rapid population increase. 

“People have complained about traffic and I will agree there's a lot of cars on the road. Construction is so frustrating because it seems like it's always going on," Mason Randolph said. Randolph, an environmental studies major, knows a thing or two about how to go green on campus by using his bike to get around. 

Many students see eye-to-eye with Randolph on this matter.

Students of the university want to see their school grow and create a more diverse community, as long as the school adapts to the population increase. “I mean it's a pain, especially with driving to school, but I think that parking is definitely an issue. In order to create more parking, there has to be construction,” Sydney Afflitto said.

The student body is growing pretty fast, but is it growing too fast too soon? "San Marcos as an entire community needs to grow and improve before it can accommodate more students. We have enough troubles as it is, waiting for buses or trying to get places because some places are only one lane," dance major Mason Hornsby said.  

Texas State values and honors diverse experiences and perspectives, it strives to create welcoming and respectful learning environments, and promotes access, opportunity, and justice for all. The school’s student body continues to diversify, with minorities making up 42 percent of the student body.

“As the demographics of Texas continue to shift, it is important that our institutions of higher learning adequately reflect the growing diversity of this state,” Texas State Provost Eugene Bourgeois said.

Construction and expansion is necessary in order for the university to accommodate its growing number of students.  It is Texas State’s exceptional academic programs and the “not too big but not too small” community that attracts students from all backgrounds. 

“As the demographics of Texas continue to shift, it is important that our institutions of higher learning adequately reflect the growing diversity of this state, so we are most pleased that our efforts to recruit students from all backgrounds has led to a truly diverse population at Texas State,” Bourgeois said in a statement.