Dr. Chris Maggio, president of Northwestern State University, was the featured speaker at the United Methodist Men’s meeting Aug. 20. He gave a presentation of the background of higher education in Louisiana and specifically about NSU.

Northwestern had 9,811 students last year. While the final figures for this year are not available yet, all signs point to another increase in enrollment. NSU accounts for a bit over 10 percent of the approximately 90,000 students in the University of Louisiana system and has an annual budget of $74 million. The university is an integral part of the area’s economic and cultural life. From sports to theater and music, the campus’ programs enrich people’s lives throughout northwest Louisiana, while the university’s 3,000 online students bring NSU to a world-wide audience.