Note: This article appeared in the Ruston Daily Leader on Oct. 14, 2018.

Business is booming at Louisiana Tech University.

Especially for the university’s College of Business, which is boasting this fall its largest enrollment ever with 1,393 undergraduate and graduate students, including 264 first-time freshmen.

They’re part of a record number of first-time freshmen at Tech, which welcomed 2,169 to campus last month.

That’s an increase of 13 percent over the 2017 class of incoming freshmen.

Just as important, the largest freshman class ever for Tech is also one of the smartest.

The average ACT score of Tech’s first-year freshmen is 25, eclipsing last year’s all-time-high average ACT score of 24.7.

Tech COB Dean Chris Martin can’t hold back his excitement over the numbers.

“We’re thrilled that these outstanding students have chosen the College of Business to learn how to leverage technology in business and lead innovation,” Martin said. “Our increase in enrollment — including a 31 percent increase in first-time freshmen year-over-year — is a testament to the innovative programs offered in and outside our classrooms.”

But Martin has reason to be excited about his older students, too. Tech’s COB also introduced several new academic programs on the graduate level, including the Graduate Certificate in Business Administration, which provides professionals with a milestone accomplishment for career advancement and a pathway into Louisiana Tech’s Master of Business Administration program.

Graduate students in Tech’s COB also now have the opportunity to earn a Green Belt or Black Belt Six Sigma certification alongside the MBA. That online option offers highly sought-after technical and analytical skills to improve quality of the output of a process in organizations and is a collaboration between Tech’s COB and the College of Engineering and Science.

Tech’s COB is also looking out for the working man or woman. The new “2+2 Pathway to Tech” in computer information systems, designed for place-bound students living and working in Shreveport or Bossier City, provides professionals with 60 hours of college credit with the chance to earn a bachelor of science degree at Tech’s Bossier City Academic Success Center.

The Leader congratulates and appreciates Louisiana Tech for taking care of business for all of its students.