NORTHWEST
MISSOURIAN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
MARYVILLE, MISSOURI
NWMISSOURINEWS.COM
VOL. 110, NO. 7
@THEMISSOURIAN
SILVIA ALBERTI | NW MISSOURIAN
David Croney from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources explains Mozingo Lake’s water quality issues and addresses the Mozingo Monitoring Plan at the Maryville City Council meetingSept. 27.
State plans to monitor Mozingo QUENTIN MORRIS News Reporter | @TheMissourian
T
he Missouri Department of Natural Resources has created a plan to monitor Lake Mozingo after observing continual increases in harmful algal blooms that could affect wildlife and humans. Maryville’s City Council hosted David Croney from the Missouri DNR Sept. 27, who outlined the next steps the city should take to gather more information about Mozingo Lake’s water quality issues. The Environmental Protection Agency and Missouri DNR put Lake Mozingo on the 303 (d) list back in 2020. The 303 (d) list is
Census shows drop in freshmen students SIDNEY LOWRY News Editor | @sidney_lowry
Northwest’s official census showed an increase in enrollment for the fourth consecutive year, with an 8% increase to 7,870 students, and a jump in international, graduate, online and dual-credit enrollment. Though many groups of students experienced an increase in enrollment, freshman enrollment saw a decrease. Last fall, Northwest had 1,221 first-time freshmen, but a year later saw 257 less students, bringing the number down to 964 first-time freshmen. Despite enrollment being down, there was a 76% retention rate from last year’s freshman to their second year of school, showing the second-highest retention rate in University history. Of the headcount, the highest jump in enrollment numbers was from international students, with a 59% increase. International Involvement Center Director Phil Hull said the rise in numbers compared to last year came from the limited ability for international travel, and now some of those restrictions are being lifted. “After about a year and a half with very little international student mobility due to COVID-19, we found students finally able to leave their home countries and come to the United States,” Hull said. “For the better part of a year, embassy and consular offices were closed, disallowing
algal blooms. Mozingo Lake’s blue-green algal blooms went above that threshold in April and August of 2021 and got close to that threshold in July. “The issue of the persistent, harmful algal blooms is these blooms can cause a huge impact to human and recreational impact as well as impact aquatic life in the lake,” said Croney. Because Mozingo Lake has continued to have these problems, the Missouri DNR wants to gather more data about the lake. To gather more information on Mozingo Lake, the Missouri DNR is creating a monitoring plan.
a classification used by both governmental agencies to identify impaired waterbodies. An impaired waterbody is a water source that has some pollutants that may impact human or aquatic life. This list was created under the Clean Water Act as a way to define and regulate the maximum allowed pollutants that could contaminate a water source. While the lake is not harmful to the public for drinking water or for recreational purposes, the amount of blue-green algae that causes harmful blooms to form went above 100,000 cell parts per milliliter. That is the threshold used for determining the potential presence of harmful
students from making visa appointments and, therefore, obtaining student visas. Flights were limited and borders were closed.” There are 702 international students, comprising 9% of the student population and representing 38 countries, with students mainly from India, Nepal, Nigeria and Brazil. Hull said Northwest also welcomed eight exchange students, six of whom are here for the fall semester, and the other two are here for the full year. Due to the pandemic, many study-abroad partner universities either canceled their programs or limited them to virtual settings. With the slight lift of travel and visa restrictions, those universities are now bringing back study-abroad programs to students. “After no study-abroad mobility since spring 2020, we’re seeing programs open their doors, and the Study Abroad Office is looking forward to sending Northwest students abroad again this spring,” Hull said. The next group of students to see an increase in enrollment was graduate students, with an increase of 44%. Associate Provost of Graduate and Professional Studies Gregory Haddock said this increase was slightly over what the enrollment team had projected. There was an anticipated growth of around 41%, Haddock said, so the growth in enrollment
SEE MOZINGO | A6
OFFICIAL NW ENROLLMENT NUMBERS
702 Total International students attending Northwest
38
Different countries are represented by students at Northwest
23% FRESHMAN
59% INTERNATIONAL
44% GRADUATE
19% ONLINE
964
First-time freshman for Fall 2021, down from 1,221 in 2020
MAKAYLA POLAK | NW MISSOURIAN
was not much more than they expected. However,in comparison to previous years, it is 10% more than what they have seen. “The previous three years had grown a little less than 30% per year, so tracking ahead of that performance for the past 12 months has helped the institution’s overall headcount,” Haddock said. “The strategy to bolster graduate enrollment with online programs began in 20162017 when just under 15% of the graduate population were in on-
line programs.” He said the programming in the graduate school enrolls around a third of the overall students on campus and two-thirds of Northwest online students. This year, online student enrollment increased by 19%. Northwest also saw a 16% increase in dual-credit students, along with more transfer students. Compared to last year, there was a 4% increase, and Northwest welcomed 302 transfer students for the fall semester.
Freshman found dead in Millikan Northwest freshman Samuel Davis was found dead in his Millikan Hall room Sept. 23. University Police Chief Clarence Green said Davis was found at approximately 8 p.m last Thursday, upon which UPD began an investigation. Green said there is no foul play suspected in Davis’ death. Davis was a first-year radiologic science major from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and was employed as a student security officer with the University Police Department. Green said Davis completed his training and was scheduled to begin work the week he was found dead. The University sent an email to students and staff the night Davis’ body was found. The email included a message from Northwest President John Jasinski asking students to be mindful of the situation throughout Family Weekend. “As we gather for Family Weekend activities on our campus, it is especially important that we keep his family and friends in our thoughts and prayers,” Jasinski said in the email. UPD was able to determine that no foul play was suspected after initial autopsy results showed no immediate concern; however, it will take eight to 10 weeks for the department to receive official autopsy results.
SEE UPD| A6
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