UM posts positive summer enrollment numbers

Summer session enrollment at UM jumped 90 students from a year ago. Total enrollment for summer 2009 was 3,655, compared with 3,565 students last summer.

Most gains were at UM’s College of Technology, which saw its head count increase 56 students from a year ago to 324. UM’s main “mountain” campus increased its summer enrollment by 34 students from last year to 3,331.

“The increased enrollment provides additional evidence that people seek education during difficult economic times,” UM President George Dennison said. “However, we did see a decline in the number of nonresident students, also indicating the effects of the economic conditions.”

While the overall head count at UM climbed this summer, full-time equivalents at the mountain campus declined 20.43 from a year ago to 1,107.42. (An FTE represents 15 undergraduate or 12 graduate semester credits.) The majority of this decrease is from decline in nonresident students.

FTEs at the COT increased 21.93 to 145.93 from last summer, offsetting the FTE decline at the mountain campus. The overall UM FTE increase was 1.5 over last summer.

“As we plan for the coming year, we will take into account the changes we have identified,” Dennison said. “First and foremost, we must make certain that we offer the courses and experiences people need to prepare for re-entry into the work place. The growth of College of Technology FTEs indicates we are on the right track.”