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October 27, 1997
Third-week census figures reveal that UCSC has its highest enrollment ever--up 4 percent, or 423 students, this fall from last year for a total of 10,638 students, according to figures released by the Office of Planning and Budget.
The enrollment total includes 6,970 continuing, 239 returning, and 3,429 new students. Of the total, 9,570 are undergraduates and 1,068 are graduate students.
"We met our target for new undergraduates, and we've maintained the diversity and quality of students," said J. Michael Thompson, associate vice chancellor for enrollment management and director of admissions. The boost, which follows a similar increase last year, is the result of a combination of factors, he said.
"There's increased interest in UCSC, and that's due to our success in communicating about the campus both through our outreach materials and the personal school visits made by admissions counselors, current students, and alumni volunteers," said Thompson. "But more importantly, the enrollment increase is the result of lots of hard work from every segment of the campus to support our enrollment goals."
Beginning this year, state funding is based almost entirely on the third-week census figures, so the campus made a concerted effort to reach students who had failed to pay their registration fees on time. That personal outreach helped ensure that the campus's census figures accurately reflected the number of students enrolled in classes, said Thompson.
"We are continuing to grow along the enrollment path that has been laid out for the campus," said Thompson. "We're encouraged by the interest in the campus and the effective academic planning done by the divisions, which has ensured that students are able to get the classes they want."