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University
enrollment
surpasses 13,000
The
number of students attending The University of Montana this
fall has climbed above 13,000, marking the highest enrollment
ever on the 109-year-old Missoula campus.
A
record 13,058 students are registered for classes this fall
-- an increase of 390 or 3.1 percent over last fall's 12,668
enrollment.
This
goes down in the books as the largest increase in head count
for fall semester that UM has experienced in at least a
decade. Enrollment traditionally has grown by between 100
and 200 students each fall since 1990.
Full-time
equivalents (FTEs) also rose from 11,191 during fall 2001
to 11,388 this fall for an overall increase of 1.8 percent.
An FTE represents 15 undergraduate or 12 graduate semester
credits.
UM
President George Dennison attributes the increase to University
employees working harder to recruit and to maintain academic
quality during financially tough times.
"It's
very gratifying that the students continue to come the University,"
Dennison said. "Apparently they find an appropriate
exchange between what they pay for and what they get. I
think the enrollment increase is a tribute to our faculty
and staff. It shows that we do deliver on our promise."
Dennison
was particularly pleased with the record enrollment of 455
American Indian students. Recruiting more minority students,
especially Indians, has been an emphasis for the president
since he arrived at UM in 1990. That year's Indian enrollment
was 239. It has steadily climbed, especially in the last
two years when 376 Indian students were enrolled during
fall 2000 and 415 during fall 2001.
"We
made rapid progress on a goal we set several years ago,"
said Ray Carlisle, director of UM's Educational Opportunity
Program. "President Dennison is determined to increase
diversity across the board, including student enrollment."
With
more transfer and graduate students and undergraduate Montana
residents this year, the overall enrollment increase is
consistent across most levels, said UM Registrar Phil Bain.
The University's seven professional schools and the College
of Technology all experienced a boost in enrollment. The
COT posted the single largest increase -- 10 percent with
933 students this semester. Enrollment of nonresident students
declined slightly from 3,089 last fall to 3,051 this semester.
Enrollment
of UM students with disabilities also jumped significantly
during the past year, from 514 to 642. This was an increase
of 128 students -- a 24.9 percent increase.
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