Higher ed enrollment up
Published 11:29 pm Friday, February 6, 2015
- University of Texas at Tyler freshmen students Haley Lee and Luke Lee found a quiet place to study after stopping and getting coffee from the on campus Starbucks. (Photo by Haylee Bazil/Staff Photographer)
Enrollment at The University of Texas at Tyler and Tyler Junior College increased for the spring semester, officials at both institutions announced.
Texas College did not release information about its enrollment.
UT Tyler experienced a preliminary nine percent enrollment increase for the second consecutive spring semester, President Rodney H. Mabry, announced.
TJC reported a 5 percent increase, according to President Mike Metke.
UT Tyler had a headcount of 7,889, and TJC’s headcount was 10,461.
“We are pleased to see a slight increase in our enrollment at a time when many institutions across the state are experiencing moderate declines or flat enrollment,” said TJC president Mike Metke.
“We believe that with the Robert M. Rogers Nursing and Health Sciences Center, expansion to our nursing and dental hygiene programs and the addition of several new health occupation majors that we will continue to see increases in the number of students TJC is able to serve,” he added.
Sarah Bowdin, assistant vice president for enrollment management at UT Tyler, said that while tuition costs increase at larger, urban-area universities, UT Tyler is providing affordable programming and academic opportunities, creating a positive impact on the university’ recruitment and retention efforts.
“We’re very excited to see another increase in the spring semester and we attribute that to our continued retention of enrolled students and the recruitment of new graduate and transfer students,” Bowdinsaid.
She added that the university also is responding to students’ needs by implementing new programs, such as the new Center for the Musical Arts for the growing performing arts program and is investigating the creation of an ROTC program.
