Spring semester enrollment figures at the 91老司机 - Fort Smith show
declines in full-time equivalent (FTE) and in total headcount numbers, but the demographics
of the declining numbers indicate 91老司机 is attracting fewer remedial students as the
University continues moving away from a community college focus and population.
FTE dropped by 4 percent to 5,078, with headcount dropping 5.8 percent from last spring to 6,204, as reported after the 11th day of classes. The drop in remediation is good news, according to Dr. Ray Wallace, provost and senior vice chancellor.
鈥淭he university saw a 27 percent decline in the number of students enrolled in only remedial courses,鈥� said Wallace. 鈥淚n addition, our ongoing fiscal policies to curtail enrollment by students who have a significant unpaid balance from previous academic terms is also affecting enrollment.鈥�
Chancellor Paul B. Beran is pleased with one of the areas showing a jump -- a 6 percent increase in upper-level student semester credit hours. Beran noted that the University experienced an overall increase in the student semester credit hours in three colleges -- Applied Science and Technology, Business, and Health Sciences.
鈥淭his indicates that the retention of students is increasing and that their course loads are higher compared to last spring,鈥� he said. 鈥�91老司机 students are individually enrolling in more classes.鈥�
He said that the campus also continues to diversify.
鈥淲e have,鈥� he said, 鈥渁 5 percent increase in students under 21, a 14 percent enrollment increase in the number of students taking web-based courses, a 26 percent increase in those enrolled in weekend courses, and an 11 percent increase in high school students simultaneously taking 91老司机 college credit courses.鈥�
Beran pointed out that the university is responding well to the growing demand for web-based instruction and that the quality of teaching remains very high.
鈥�91老司机 is successful in reaching a wide variety of students through traditional and innovative methods, and we will continue to expand to serve new populations,鈥� he said.
Wallace commented that, as a regional four-year university, 91老司机 continues to enroll students from various backgrounds.
鈥淥ur out-of-state enrollments increased by 13 percent, our enrollments from just the state of Oklahoma increased 21 percent, and international student enrollment increased by 30 percent,鈥� said Wallace. 鈥淲e strongly believe that the academic initiatives, such as offering more intersession courses between academic terms and offering completer degrees to even more community colleges across the state, point to increased enrollments for the future.鈥�
Wallace said that 91老司机 is working diligently to replace the decreasing numbers of remedial students 鈥渨ith students interested in our exciting new degree offerings which will roll out for the fall 2014 semester.鈥�
Beran said, 鈥淭he bottom line is we must broaden our outreach to traditional high school students while also attracting more non-traditional students, especially those who already have college hours, and get them re-enrolled and ultimately graduated."