Spring enrollment at the University has grown for the sixth straight year, according to University Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Stuart Bell. Data released Wednesday from the Office of Budget and Planning showed a 2 percent increase from last spring.
Though current enrollment has grown from last spring, the total University enrollment dropped by approximately 2,000 students from fall 2013 to spring 2014, following a trend of past years, according to the data. Bell said the loss is because of students finishing their academic careers. The University doesn’t end up “refilling” until fall of the next semester, Bell said.
The Office of Budget and Planning’s data doesn’t specify how the students were lost between semesters, said Director of Institutional Research Bernie Braun. Bell said the amount of students who dropped out after the first semester must be compiled individually and will come out in the coming weeks.
The number of part-time students increased from 2,120 in fall 2013 to 2,577 in spring 2014, according to the data. This increase follows a trend of increases in part-time students from fall to spring, with the number of part-time students increasing by approximately 400 from fall 2012 to spring 2013, according to the data.
Bell noted the number of part-time students includes dual-enrolled students in high school. He said the University is continually offering more dual-enrollment courses, and the increases may be because of the number of dual-enrollment courses offered, which increase from semester to semester.
The total number of credit hours taken by students dropped from fall to spring, with 29,795 fewer credit hours of classes taken in spring 2014. This decrease follows the trend from spring 2013, when undergraduates took 33,511 fewer credit hours than in the fall 2012 semester.
Bell said the majority of the difference in credit hours can likely be attributed to graduating students. He said another reason could be some colleges offering more courses or more students enrolling in the fall as opposed to the spring. Bell pointed out students could go either way with the number of credit hours taken, with some students possibly taking on more classes because they think they can handle more, or some students possibly taking less because of an excessive load in the previous semester.
The University receives more transfer students in the fall semesters than spring, according to the data. The University admitted 866 transfer students in fall 2013, compared to 313 in spring 2014, according to the data. This difference continues the trend from 2012-13, with 825 students transferring in fall 2012 and 286 in spring 2013.
Bell said the reason the University sees fewer transfers in the spring is because students tend to act on a yearly basis. He gave the example of someone attending a two year university before transferring to the University.