TWU Posts 11 Percent Enrollment Gain For Fall 2003 Semester
9/11/03
DENTON — Enrollment
at Texas Woman’s University is up 11 percent. Fall 2003 enrollment is
9,705 students, up from 8,736 students last fall when TWU posted a 10 percent
enrollment increase.
“TWU’s
faculty and staff are the key to the university’s strategic growth,”
said TWU Chancellor Dr. Ann Stuart. “I am proud of the work they’ve
accomplished and applaud them for their tireless efforts.”
Enrollment on the
Denton campus increased by 781 students, from 6,666 students in fall 2002
to 7,447 in fall 2003. Enrollment at the Dallas centers increased from 921
students to 989. Houston center enrollment increased from 971 students to
1,173. Ninety-six students are classified as off-campus this fall.
Overall, undergraduate
enrollment increased from 4,817 to 5,535 students. Graduate student enrollment
increased from 3,877 to 4,370.
“It’s
exciting to have so many new students and to have exceeded our goals for the
semester,” said Dr. Carolyn Gunning, interim provost. This fall’s
enrollment goal was 8,976 students.
Most important, TWU's total semester credit hours are up 15.3 percent from
82,134 hours last fall to 95,111 hours. Student credit hours, not headcount,
determine the university’s state funding.
Full-time graduate
student enrollment is up by more than 46 percent. Master’s degree-level
enrollment is up by 12.3 percent and doctoral student enrollment is up by
10.2 percent. Graduate students taking nine or more hours during a semester
are considered full-time.
“Distance learning
is an important component in the increase of full-time graduate students,”
said Dr. Jennifer Martin, dean of the Graduate School. “Online classes
make it more convenient to take more hours and take classes during different
times of the day.”
Graduate programs
with an online component that have experienced dramatic enrollment growth
include family studies, which grew from 66 to 113 students; library sciences,
up from 286 to 499 students; speech pathology, which grew from 89 to 162 students;
and the executive master’s in business administration program, up from
77 to 232 students. Enrollment in the graduate kinesiology program, which
offers both online classes as well as traditional classroom instruction at
remote sites, increased from 78 to 115 students.
Overall the number
of TWU students taking at least one distance learning class increased from
1,316 to 2,408. Students taking only distance learning classes increased from
580 to 1,077.
Traditional graduate programs also have experienced enrollment growth. “Women’s
studies, which is a small program, also saw a large increase going from 18
to 30 students,” Dr. Martin said. And TWU launched its master of arts
in teaching program (MAT) this fall with 77 students, nearly double the program’s
goal. The MAT program is designed to prepare students who have a bachelor’s
degree, but do not have teaching credentials, for initial teacher certification.
Students successfully completing the program earn their teacher certification
and master’s degree at the same time.
On the undergraduate
level, new freshman enrollment grew from 532 students last fall to 627. “TWU
not only is increasing the quantity, but the quality of incoming freshmen,”
said Teresa Mauk, executive director of enrollment management. Twenty-six
of the new freshman were either valedictorians or salutatorians of their high
school class, and 106 graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school
class.
“We had almost
as many freshmen in the last orientation session this summer than we had in
the freshman class two years ago,” noted Dr. Richard Nicholas, vice
president for student life.
The Honors Scholars program — which has an emphasis on research, writing and technology — enrolled 48 new freshmen this fall, up from 37 in fall 2002. The program was started in 2000 with 25 students and currently boasts more than 200 students, freshmen through seniors.
Program participants have smaller classes, have the option of living in honors
housing, enjoy social and cultural opportunities and can take advantage of
a variety of honors-related privileges. To be eligible for the program, a
freshman must either have scored 1,200 or better on the SAT or have graduated
in the top 10 percent of his or her high school class.
The First Year Connection
scholars housing community was launched this fall with 55 freshman students,
at capacity for the semester. The housing community has two theme tracks —
leadership and wellness.
Students in each track
live on a dormitory floor with other First Year Connection students interested
in the same theme. Along with living in a community, the students also take
coursework together that relates to their particular theme. For example, students
in the leadership track take coursework that will help them develop their
leadership skills.
First Year Connection
is modeled after TWU’s highly successful Neighbors Educated Together
(NET) program. The NET program offers freshmen the opportunity to take courses
together while residing in a clustered living environment in the residence
hall.
Combined, more than
200 students are participating in the NET or First Year Connection programs
this fall.
University housing
is full with 1,345 spaces filled — a 10 percent increase over last fall.
Some students were housed in temporary accommodations the first days of the
semester while permanent spaces were prepared for them.
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For Further Information Contact:
Roy Kron
Director of News and Information
Tel: (940) 898-3456
e-mail: rkron@twu.edu