TWU Posts 15.2 Percent Enrollment Growth

1/30/03

DENTON — Texas Woman's University's spring enrollment is up 15.2 percent compared to spring 2002, continuing double-digit enrollment gains which began last fall.

Enrollment at TWU's four campuses is 8,346 students. Enrollment for the spring 2002 semester was 7,241. More significantly, TWU's total semester credit hours are up 15.4 percent from 70,308 hours last spring to 81,196 hours. Semester credit hours, not headcount, are used to determine the amount of state formula funding to the university.

Enrollment on the Denton campus increased by 825 students, from 5,535 in spring 2002 to 6,360 for spring 2003. Enrollment at the Dallas centers increased from 849 to 948 students. Houston center enrollment increased from 857 to 1,038 students.

Overall undergraduate enrollment is 4,626 students, up from 4,140 students last spring. Graduate student enrollment increased from 3,101 students last spring to 3,720 for spring 2003.

"We have made significant progress," said Dr. Lois Smith, TWU provost and vice president for academic affairs. "Undergraduate and graduate enrollment gains are equally impressive. Our strategies to increase enrollment are proving successful."

Typically, universities see a drop in enrollment from the fall to spring semester — with a 10 percent decline not being unusual. TWU's spring enrollment is less than 4 1/2 percent off the fall 2002 enrollment of 8,736 students. Fall 2002 enrollment increased 10.2 percent from fall 2001.

Many undergraduate and graduate programs reported enrollment gains this spring. TWU's undergraduate kinesiology program posted a 30 percent increase in enrollment from spring 2002 to spring 2003 — 57 new students.

"The university's admissions office and our faculty have worked with community colleges and high schools to boost our enrollment," said Dr. Jerry Wilkerson, chair of the Department of Kinesiology. "Being a stepping stone into a school of physical therapy and being able to offer certification and not just a degree also has helped," Dr. Wilkerson said. TWU students earning a degree in kinesiology also can earn American College of Sports Medicine health fitness instruction certification, athletic training certification and ropes course facilitator certification.

Graduate student enrollment is up nearly 20 percent, noted Dr. Jennifer Martin, dean of graduate studies. "We're up 106 doctoral students alone," she said.

"The number of full-time graduate students also is up 340 students. I think that's partly because of the economy and partly because of our executive master's in business administration (EMBA) program. EMBA students are full-time students even though most work full-time," Dr. Martin said.

TWU launched its EMBA program in the fall 2002 semester with nearly 80 students. Total EMBA enrollment for the spring 2003 semester is 138 students.

The graduate program in library science experienced a 45 percent increase in enrollment, growing from 215 students last spring to 312 this semester.

"There's a two-fold reason for that increase," said Dr. Keith Swigger, dean of the College of Professional Education. "One reason is an expansion of the Houston program for health science librarianship and information services. The other is offering the master's in library science degree as a distance education-based program where students can earn the degree completely online."

Marketing efforts targeted at Hispanic students helped increase Hispanic enrollment by 23.9 percent this spring. Hispanic enrollment is 894 students — almost 11 percent of TWU's total enrollment.

TWU's College of Nursing also recorded gains. Undergraduate nursing majors increased from 1,117 to 1,379 students this spring. The College of Nursing also will receive an additional $1,105,921 in state funding — more than twice the amount any other Texas university will receive — for increasing its undergraduate upper-level nursing student enrollment by 20.1 percent from fall 2001 to fall 2002.

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For Further Information Contact:

Roy Kron]
Director of News and Information
Tel: (940) 898-3456
e-mail: rkron@twu.edu