The fall 2002 application deadline for prospective freshman hit on Feb. 1, and as the number of applicants increases, the University is expecting next year’s total enrollment to be the largest ever.
The University had 8,600 freshman applications for fall 2001, and director of admissions Martha Pitts anticipates as many as 10,000 applications for the freshman class of 2002. Pitts said a definite number will not be available until early March, but the University usually accepts no more than 3,200 students for the freshman class.
“We are getting close to hitting our optimum size,” Pitts said.
Jim Buch, associate vice president of enrollment, said projected total enrollment could reach 20,000 students next fall. If the increases continue at this rate, Buch predicted that enrollment could reach 23,000 by 2005.
Enrollment at the University hit 18,000 in the late ’80s, but dropped in the early ’90s when the number of Oregon students began to decrease after Ballot Measure 5 went into effect. Approved in 1990, Measure 5 reduced Oregon property taxes, which were the state’s primary method of funding education. At the same time as in-state enrollment was dropping, the number of students from California began to increase, but the numbers were not enough to offset the decreased number of Oregon students. In 1993, enrollment gradually began to increase. Between 2000 and 2001, enrollment rose from 17,135 to 18,411, marking the most significant increase in the last four years.
Rather than placing limits on enrollment, the University is looking for alternative ways to accommodate students. With the number of students on the rise, the University is implementing different strategies to avoid overcrowded classes and to more fully utilize its resources.
The University began to look for ways to maximize the number of available rooms and to extend teaching hours when Gilbert Hall was closed for renovations. According to University facility services, the building , which houses 21 classrooms, will be closed for almost three years.
Forty percent of students take classes between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., but assistant registrar Gayle Freeman said it is becoming necessary to extend teaching hours to accommodate the majority of students.
Beginning winter term, the University registrar implemented a scheduling protocol system to more efficiently organize and schedule class times. One of the new developments involves expanding available class hours by asking departments to extend their teaching hours.
“Extending the teaching hours will allow more students to take more classes,” said University registrar Herbert Chereck. ” The University cannot handle the majority of students taking classes between those limited hours.”
The University is exploring other ways to improve scheduling procedures in order to cater to the increasing number of students rather than directly limiting enrollment. “We are an access-orientated university,” Pitts said, “and our goal is to serve as many Oregon students as possible.”