The Shorthorn - Spring enrollment jumps 19.4 percent from last year

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Spring enrollment jumps 19.4 percent from last year

Written by Shelby Weir, The Shorthorn staff

Wednesday, 17 February 2010 10:32 PM

For the first time in university history, spring 2010 enrollment numbers surpassed fall enrollment.

According to a university press release, Texas public higher education institutions reported that spring 2010 enrollment totaled 28,826 students — a 19.4 percent increase from last spring.

The highest increase seen from all colleges at UTA is the College of Nursing, which is up 102 percent from spring 2009.

“We want to meet the huge demand for registered nurses,” Nursing Associate Dean Mary Schira said. “Our overall goal is increased enrollment, and we’ve seen very nice growth.”

Because of the influx of students, the college is diligently working on the continued expansion of the Smart Hospital and a new online undergraduate program, she said.

“We launched our online program in January with 37 students currently enrolled,” said Jean Ashwill, undergraduate student services assistant dean. “We plan to enroll a second class in June and one in September.”

Ashwill said the College of Nursing plans to double its enrollment by 2012.

The college is able to continue these expansions because of a strong initiative in funding, Schira said.

Although the undergraduate program is seeing the majority of the increase, the graduate program is seeing increase in enrollment as well, she said.

“There is an increase in the knowledge and skills for nursing,” she said. “We are having already-registered nurses coming back to get their graduate degree.”

Another college seeing an increase in enrollment is the College of Education and Health Professions.

Since spring 2009, their enrollment is up more than 33 percent.

“Over the past year, we’ve had more and more students coming to our programs,” said Jeanne Gerlach, Education and Health Professions dean. “We’re a nationally accredited college.”

According to the press release, the college’s Ph.D. program, K-16 educational policy and leadership studies, is the only doctoral program of its kind in the nation.

“We offer many different sections, and if we know they’re getting too full then we have ways to accommodate,” Gerlach said. “We always like to grow our numbers in the student population.”

The College of Science also has seen an increase in enrollment of over 15 percent since spring 2009.

“Preparation in the sciences and mathematics is critical within our technologically based society,” Science Dean Pamela Jansma said. “Students are recognizing that they can have productive and rewarding careers pursuing those fields.”

Jansma said a number of extra sections were opened in general courses to accommodate the increase in students and to also plan ahead for increased demand during the summer.

“The immediate response was to open additional sections in areas that saw the greatest surge of enrollments, such as biology,” she said. “Given trends for UTA and the nation during the past year, we anticipate the enrollment will continue to grow.”

Some long-term goals include increasing the number of faculty within the college and innovating methods to incorporate online instruction as demands on classrooms increase, she said.
“The college is extremely pleased to bring excitement of the sciences and mathematics to more students and prepare even greater numbers of future leaders,” Jansma said. “We love what we study and think it’s wonderful that more students do as well.”

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