38,700 Students Expected at UC When Classes Begin On Sept. 23
As UC welcomes a new president, the university also welcomes its largest freshman class in UC’s history and an overall crowd that’s a flashback to the 80s.
Photos By: Ashley Kempher, Dottie Stover
It’s a crowd of Bearcats that’s the largest since 1981. The University of Cincinnati is projecting a total enrollment of 38,700 students when classes get underway on Sept. 23 – the largest number of students in 28 years and more than 1,600 over last year’s total enrollment of 37,072. That includes a record freshman class numbering 6,000, the highest in UC’s history – as well an academically talented freshman class for the Uptown Campus that mirrors the record academic performance of the Uptown class last fall.
The record crowds are entering the university as Gregory H. Williams is named UC’s 27th president. Williams will formally take office on Nov. 1, after a presidential search that began March 17.
Freshman numbers for the Uptown Campus are at 4,400, up 15.3 percent from last fall. The average ACT score for the Uptown Campus is 24.8, the same in Autumn 2008, and the SAT score is up slightly from last autumn at 1130 (1129 in 2008). Convocation, the formal induction ceremony for new students, will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20, in Fifth Third Arena.
“UC continues to build on our Strategic Plan to ensure the academic success of students while also keeping our commitment to providing opportunity to students during these tough economic times,” says Mitchel D. Livingston, vice president of student affairs and chief diversity officer. “That includes awarding 207 Cincinnati Pride Grants, which provides full tuition and a book allowance for qualifying graduates of Cincinnati Public Schools.”
Click here for more background on UC’s record enrollment
UC’s growing enrollment is also in line with state efforts to strengthen Ohio’s future workforce in the STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine) professions, with recruitment efforts increasing undergraduate enrollment in the STEMM disciplines in the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences, College of Applied Science, College of Allied Health Sciences and College of Engineering. Choose Ohio First Scholarships – funded by the state to recruit and retain students in those fields – are supporting those efforts, including a STEMM Fellows program that gets underway this fall for qualifying education majors entering their junior year in college.
Reflecting a national trend, the number of UC’s distance learners is growing this fall, along with options for students who cannot match schedules with the traditional classroom. “Distance learning at UC is a fundamental part of UC’s 21st century approach to increasing access to high-quality educational programs, meeting the needs of students and integrating 21st century technology into higher education,” says UC Senior Vice President and Provost Anthony J. Perzigian. “Our new distance-learning additions this fall build on UC’s commitment to providing flexibility for student learning.”
UC is also reporting success in diversifying its undergraduate student population through building international undergraduate student enrollment. UC is expecting 450 international undergraduates this fall, compared with 380 in fall 2008.
Retention rates have increased slightly to 84 percent, compared with 83 percent in 2008 – a reflection of the admissions standards to grow UC’s retention and graduation rates in line with the university’s strategic plan. Another success of the strategic plan this fall is UC’s growing number of transfer students (1,727), up 11.4 percent from last year. UC awarded 56 UC|Pathways Scholarships to students coming the Uptown Campus from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Sinclair College, Clermont College, Raymond Walters College and other community colleges.
“As we come down to the wire, I have to say that this has been one of the most fascinating and exciting years ever in terms of university enrollments,” says Caroline Miller, senior associate vice president for Enrollment Management. “With our swirling economy, it is indeed gratifying to see the interest in and support of the University of Cincinnati. The growth in and strength of our entering class and our steadily improving retention and graduation rates bode well for UC and our students’ futures,” says Miller.
Students move into the residence halls Sept. 18-19. Peak times for the crowds are expected between 10 a.m. and noon. Green-minded volunteers are making sure the move-in cuts waste through Operation Move-in Recycle.
Traffic Check
Students who commute to campus are reminded to allow plenty of morning lead time as they adjust to their schedules for fall quarter. Although this year is free of any major construction delays around campus, traffic is typically heavy and garage usage is very high as the new academic year begins. Final conversions also took place over the summer to make all UC parking garages on the Uptown West Campus pay-in-lane automated cashier facilities for those who don’t have parking keycards. Non-keycard guests can exit by paying into pay-in-lane equipment with cash, any major credit card or the Bearcat Card. For more information on parking at UC, go to: http://www.uc.edu/pubsafety/parking_services/
UC Plans For H1N1 Flu Contingencies
Officials at UC are continuing their preparations for the possibility of H1N1 flu cases once cooler weather and the beginning of fall quarter arrive. UC is following guidelines established by federal, state and local health officials, and also has its own pandemic response plan. Students and faculty are being urged to familiarize themselves with UC’s policies, as well as best practices for flu prevention. A distribution of door-hangers will take place in the days after fall quarter begins on-campus and off, with information for the UC community on how to recognize H1N1 symptoms, prevention tips and information on who to contact with concerns. To visit UC’s dedicated H1N1 flu Web page, go to: http://www.uc.edu/pubsafety/emergency_services/Swine_Flu.html
New Academic Programs
UC has more than 340 academic programs of study. A new pilot program paves the way for a new graduate program in interior design, and a new Health Informatics track in the Information Technology baccalaureate program prepares students for a growing field with strong starting salaries. UC Clermont begins offering a physical therapist assistant degree. UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) this fall begins offering a bachelor’s of science degree in athletic training through the Health Promotion & Education program. Students pursuing this field of study will get hands-on clinical experiences, with UC Athletics as the primary clinical site. Students will study the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sports injuries as well as nutrition. Graduates of the program can work at any competition level in sports as well as clinical and industrial settings.
UC on Track as a Leader in Electronic Classrooms
Over the summer, additional classrooms in the Zimmer Auditorium building and Crosley Tower were converted to full electronic status, increasing the percentage of UC’s centrally scheduled classrooms that are fully electronic to 76 percent. According to Michael Lieberman, UC’s interim vice president and chief information officer, funding is in place to have all remaining centrally scheduled classrooms reach the same standard within the next three years. Electronic classrooms create an enhanced environment for learning, with tools such as Internet connectivity, data projection, a document camera, video and audio systems and computer touch-panel control for instructors.
Joining in a national trend of universities seeking to upgrade e-mail service to students to a new level, the University of Cincinnati is launching in the coming months a new service called 'UConnect.'
Also this month, a new strategy will pair UC Police and Cincinnati Police officers on the streets together to keep the streets around UC’s perimeter safe.
Recognizing Veterans
Building on student recruitment efforts, UC takes significant step toward becoming a preeminent education destination for those who have honorably served the country by expanding free tuition for qualifying veterans. For the 2009-2010 academic year, UC will accommodate up to 50 qualifying veterans on a first-come, first-served bases under the Yellow Ribbon Program. Student recruitment continues through that program and the number of entering veterans through Yellow Ribbon and the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill is expected to grow substantially through the end of the month.
U.S. News & World Report and the Chronicle of Higher Education recently declared UC an “up-and-coming” university on the national forefront for its innovations in education. Also, for the third consecutive year, The Princeton Review identified UC as one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education, recognizing that excellence and diversity are part of a common fabric that defines the UC experience.
The University of Cincinnati is also one of the nation’s top research institutions with more than $350 million in research funding, and is the region’s largest employer.
Other Back-to-School News
Formal Ceremony Welcomes UC's Largest Freshman Class in History
Swelling Crowds Swell UC Student Housing
At UC, Move-In Also Means Recycling by the Ton
Major Publications Declare UC “Up and Coming”
UC Highlighted Among the Nation’s Best in The Princeton Review
UC Expands Distance Learning Options
Serving UC's Students from Around the World
New Police Strategy Aims to Improve Uptown Safety
UC to Offer New Health Informatics Track to Meet Growing Demand
Pilot Program Paves Way for Coming Master’s in Interior Design
Clermont College Begins Offering Physical Therapist Assistant Degree
UC Scholarships Launch New Era of Preparing Highly Qualified Teachers in Math and Science
New Students Invited to Join UC’s Facebook Page
UC Expands Free Tuition Benefits to Post-9/11 Veterans
UC ‘Saluted’ As One of the Nation’s Military Friendly Schools