In 1855, the state Legislature passed an law to establish the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan. It later became known as Michigan Agriculture College and now is known and loved as MSU.
MSU began as a land-grant school to provide higher education to an array of students from all areas of the globe, and university officials cannot forget this foundation as they attempt to curb enrollment.
Preliminary enrollment numbers were released Friday that show a decrease in students by about 437 from last year.
University officials have said this decrease will help provide individualized attention to students.
But when 44,500 students are enrolled, it is doubtful that a decrease of 437 will make a substantial impact on campus.
It's no secret that MSU is a large university.
It would take a naïve student to be surprised if his or her class has more than 400 people.
MSU simply is not a place where students enroll because they need to have personal, one-on-one attention with only 20 other people in every classroom.
But MSU has managed to provide some avenues for individual attention regardless of the high enrollment numbers.
James Madison College, Lyman Briggs School and the Honors College program are examples of how students who wish to concentrate on a specific academic area can enjoy a personalized learning environment.
But these programs are an exception to the rule.
Although MSU needs to continue offering education to those that seek it, it must remain reserved until resources are increased. More residence halls and faculty need to be available to accommodate any increase in students.
Luckily, the caliber of incoming students continues to rise as enrollment numbers decrease.
According to information released at the MSU Board of Trustees meeting, the freshman class is expected to have an increased GPA of 3.58 from last year's 3.55.
Also, ACT scores are projected to increase from 24.2 to 24.5.
It is good to see qualified students looking to MSU as their choice for higher education.
But the administration needs to remember the school's history when determining who is eligible to become a Spartan as they keep enrollment at a standstill.
It was not the goal of the Legislature to have MSU become an elitist institution.
Although keeping enrollment numbers low for the time-being is acceptable, university officials cannot continue this pace forever.
Keeping enrollment down over time only limits the variety of students who come to MSU and further separates the university from another important goal - diversity on campus.
University officials have done a good job of increasing diversity on campus throughout the years - including a freshman class with 1,305 minority students - and should continue on this path.
The goal of a land-grant institution should always be to provide access to all students.
