Simpson University sees growing attendance for fifth year in a row

REDDING, Calif. — Students have just returned to the Simpson University Campus this week to start another school year. The pace has picked up at the Redding university.

With more than 200 new and transfer students, Simpson is bucking a national trend by growing for the fifth year in a row, while many colleges and universities are seeing a 6% to 9% decline in enrollment.

University President Dr. Norman Hall says the warm and welcoming Redding community is a big reason, as well as, "working really hard on making transfers, from two-year colleges to Simpson University, work well for the students to finish up in four years," Norman told KRCR's Mike Mangas on Thursday. "So that, combined with our new digital media major, engineering, computer information systems, kinesiology, sports managementthose are the things we feel like are being set up to meaningfully engage students in careers that will support the Northstate.”

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The number of international students has grown, including Senior Pablo Ortega from Spain.

"The biggest thing about Simpson is the small community that we have," explained Pablo. "It enables us to make connections and make a lot of friends; meet new people, which is really great because when you go to a bigger institution it can be king of hard to make those connections."

Simpson's coffee house, The Bean Scene, is busy at all hours during the week.

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Another senior. Haylee Ward, is a transfer student from Washington state who knows Simpson is for her.

"I knew when I came on campus that this is the place where I needed to be. Everybody that I met showed such a loving persona and deeply cared about me as more than just a student, more than just a person, more than just an athlete, but care to kind of develop me into who I wanted to see in the future," Haylee told Mangas.

And if you're a football fan, this year's Simpson business luncheon features Rudy Ruettiger. The movie "Rudy" is based on his experience with the Notre Dame football program.

The luncheon is Sept. 27 and tickets are still available, but they're anticipating a sellout.

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