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Kokomo enrollment up highest percentage of all IU campuses
September 17, 2003 | |||||
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KOKOMO, Ind.—Total fall semester enrollment at IU Kokomo is up 6.6 percent from fall 2002, with 2,954 students enrolled as compared to 2,772 students a year ago. Total credit hours being pursued on the campus rose by 7.98 percent, from 25,828 credit hours in fall 2002 to 27,860 in 2003. “The last time I saw this sea change in numbers, it was 10 years ago, and it was in the opposite direction,” said Vice Chancellor for Student Services Jack Tharp. IU Kokomo experienced the highest percentage increase for all eight Indiana University campuses in both students and credit hours. IU has a record 99,164 students enrolled in 1,119,493 credit hours for fall 2003. That is a 0.5 percent increase in enrollment and a 1.6 percent increase in credit hours taken over levels a year ago. Tharp said a “primary driver” of IU Kokomo’s enrollment growth is the large number of first-time students, 637 in 2003 versus 540 in 2002. “Class of ’03 high school grads make up more than 50 percent of our new students.” While new students range in age from 17 to 53, more than three-quarters of them are age 20 or less, according to Tharp. IU Kokomo’s nursing and radiography degree programs registered the largest one-year increases in enrollment among academic programs. The Associate of Science in Nursing program has 372 students enrolled, compared up 302 students from fall 2002. Enrollment for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is at 222, versus 183 last fall. Dean of Nursing Penny Cass, Ph.D., said the wide availability of nursing jobs as well as rising salaries in that field are attracting students. “In addition, IU Kokomo has been very responsive to the needs of the community and nursing students regarding progressive learning methods and course scheduling,” Cass said. A total of 81 students enrolled for the campus’ first formal radiography classes, which leads to an associate degree. In fall 2002, 39 students enrolled in prerequisite classes for the radiography major. “Our department is taking steps to offer a baccalaureate degree in Medical Imaging Technology, as at IUPUI,” said Radiography Program Director John Hughey. “We anticipate our enrollment increasing even more if the proposal comes to fruition.” The most significant aspect of the IU Kokomo’s overall enrollment growth is the increase in full-time undergraduate students, Jack Tharp said. In the last three years, full-time undergraduates went from 1,098 to 1,423 on campus. Fall of 2001 marked the first time that a majority (51.3 percent) of IU Kokomo’s undergraduates were full-time, according to Tharp. “Last fall (2002), full-time undergrads increased 10.4 percent, and, this fall, they increased again at double digits—10.5 percent (1,423 vs. 1,288),” he said. Full-time students make up 56.4 percent of this fall’s undergrad total.
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