For the second time this school year, increases in enrollment at Kaua’i Community College are the largest, percentage-wise, in the University of Hawai’i system. The Puhi campus as of yesterday had 1,144 students registered for the current spring semester, an
For the second time this school year, increases in enrollment at Kaua’i Community College are the largest, percentage-wise, in the University of Hawai’i system.
The Puhi campus as of yesterday had 1,144 students registered for the current spring semester, an increase of 11.3 percent compared to the 1,028 students attending in spring 2001.
In fall 2001, some 1,168 students attended Kaua’i Community College, which was an increase of 10.5 percent compared to the fall 2000 enrollment of 1,057. In the fall, that was the largest percentage increase in the UH system as well.
Marilyn Walsh, UH spokeswoman for community colleges, said a down economy, good marketing and outreach, a wide variety of programs and courses, increased efforts at enrollment management (encouraging students who register to remain in college and finish degrees and other programs), and other reasons may be behind the enrollment increase.
Joyce Tsunoda, senior vice president and chancellor for community colleges, said that having associate’s and other degree programs available both online and on TV through distance-learning opportunities likely boost enrollment, as well.
Spring enrollment, historically lower than fall enrollment, is up at UH campuses from Hilo to Puhi, compared to spring 2001. There are 44,627 students in the UH system this semester, an increase of 6.6 percent from spring last year.
“Often times during a tough economy, individuals seek additional training and education as a means of expanding their career options,” said Deane Neubauer, interim chancellor at UH-Manoa.
“We’ve had great success with our distance-delivered associate’s in arts degree program, and this is evident in our increased enrollment numbers this spring,” Tsunoda said.
The spring systemwide enrollment increase is the first for that semester since 1995.
Walsh said she doesn’t think the offering of tuition waivers to Hawai’i residents after the events of Sept. 11 had much of an impact on spring enrollment. Not many people applied for the waivers, and those who had pre-existing financial needs were most likely already being assisted with some form of financial aid, she noted.
Staff writer Paul C. Curtis contributed to this report.
