Kent State set a record high for spring enrollment this semester. The university reported yesterday that its Spring 2011 student enrollment for the eight-campus system is 39,936, up 4.56 percent compared to one year ago.

President Lester Lefton attributed the record to the national and international reputation Kent State has built recently. In 2010, the university ranked among other top universities in two different reports.

“Kent State’s reputation is reaching those beyond our campuses and Northeast Ohio, drawing students near and far who recognize the value of a Kent State education,” Lefton said in a press release.

We agree that the university’s national and global notoriety has directly impacted enrollment figures. But we also believe we ought to credit these enrollment numbers to a group of people who on a daily basis build Kent State’s reputation: faculty.

Every day, in the eight regional campuses, hundreds of faculty members stand in front of a classroom and teach their hearts out, striving to prepare us for a successful career. Granted, we have all had great and not-so-great educational experiences, but all professors have taught us a lesson that will help us face our future with clearer eyes. These people are the ones who inspire us to go to class, return semester after semester and not give up on our goal of obtaining our diploma.

We are glad to know that the university’s national and international recruitment initiatives have paid off resulting in a larger, diversified student body. But our congratulations go to the faculty that purposely – or not – have worked to retain the undergraduates and graduates who have made a commitment with Kent State.

We applaud the university for setting this enrollment record and encourage its administrators to continue to improve Kent State’s reputation. However, we also hope that as administrators continue on making Kent State competitive in the global arena, they don’t lose sight of the faculty who help bring students back to campus.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent State editorial board.