UW-Whitewater posts modest enrollment gains for fall 2002
Released: September 27, 2002
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s fall 2002 enrollment of 10,792 students is a slight increase over last year, with gains primarily in new freshmen and graduate students.
According to figures released this week to the UW System, UW-Whitewater’s fall semester enrollment includes 2,026 new freshmen and 1,231 total graduate students, gains over last year of 146 and 73 students, respectively. The total increase in enrollment over last year is fewer than 200 students.
“Enrollment is relatively close to our projections for this year,” said Interim Provost Richard Telfer. “While freshman enrollment is up, the current class is actually smaller than the freshman class from two years ago. So overall, we are keeping enrollment within manageable levels in relation to staffing and resources.”
Telfer said some enrollment increases were anticipated in UW-Whitewater’s technology degree programs, in response to a state funding initiative for programs that stimulate economic growth. Programs targeted for increased students include Computer End-User Technologies, Management Computer Systems, Multimedia and the Online MBA program.
The class breakdown for fall 2002 also includes 2,709 sophomores, 1,872 juniors and 2,255 seniors. The 2002 figures suggest that efforts to improve year-to-year retention rates are also improving, Telfer said.
The report to UW System is based on so-called “tenth-day” figures, which are a snapshot of enrollment after ten full days of classes. Telfer said enrollment typically declines slightly as the semester progresses.
Brian Mattmiller ,npa@uww.edu
