Students' return energizes campus on the first day of class at UC

Madison Wesley knows UC is pretty special. 

“We have this tight-knit community here at the University of Cincinnati,” says Wesley. “It’s one of my favorite things about our campus.”

Wesley, UC student body president, and other students made the rounds early morning Monday, Aug. 26, as journalists from across Greater Cincinnati arrived on campus looking to tell the campus story.

“If you have been here for a Game Day it gets really electric, and not just the students on campus but the alumni and the families all coming together,” Wesley told Fox 19. “It’s something I never experienced until coming to UC and it’s something I am very proud to participate in. That is what makes a senior year really bittersweet — seeing the end of it.”

Multiple stories from WCPO, WLWT, Local 12 News and Fox 19 aired throughout the first day. Growth and the student experience are important components of the UC story.

UC officials are projecting another record enrollment with a projected 52,000 students — a 2.1% increase over last year. It’s the result of the university’s strategy to attract more online learners, boost the number of transfer and first-generation students along with encouraging growth at regional campuses at Blue Ash and Clermont.

• Online student enrollment increased 11% to 9,300 students;
• New transfer student enrollment increased 6% to 2,000 students;
• UC Clermont projected enrollment is up 16% with more than 3,000 total students;
• UC Blue Ash projected enrollment is up 6.5% with 4,500 total students. 
• First-year student enrollment at the university will dip slightly by 1.8% with 8,700 students expected this fall.
• Students of color will make up 28% of the total UC student body.
• There’s an 11% increase in first-generation students for the whole student body.

Journalists captured scenes at Bearcat Commons, University Pavilion, Siddall Hall and Sigma Sigma Commons.

"We look at what we're trying to do and why we've been growing so significantly: It's about trying to provide more people in the Cincinnati region with a degree,” Jack Miner, vice provost for enrollment management, told WLWT.  “Making sure that all of the businesses in the area have the appropriate, credentialed folks to fill the jobs that they have, but also to allow this city to grow and to attract some of the best jobs in the country.”

Last year UC’s cooperative education efforts helped more than 8,300 students obtain co-op experiences and collectively earned $88.8 million. That’s nearly $10,700 per student per semester: yearly tuition at UC’s main campus is roughly $13,976, so co-op experiences could, in theory, cover tuition costs. 

The freshly minted Siddall Hall, reopened this month, and also continued to attract media attention on the first day. Carl Dieso, assistant vice president for housing, gave an early morning tour to Local 12 News.

See media coverage:

• Local 12 News
• WLWT
• WCPO
• Fox 19
• Cincinnati Business Courier

Read the full Back-to-School story.