UIS Enrollment Drop "Better Than Expected"

Despite a global health threat and concerns of students taking a gap year, enrollment on the University of Illinois Springfield campus saw only a slight decline. That gives hope the school might be able to weather the disruption brought on by the pandemic.

After the first ten days of the fall semester, officials announced the number of students taking classes dropped three percent from a year ago.

“So actually we were bracing for a lower enrollment, so that’s why I can tell you it was better than expected," said Interim Chancellor Karen Whitney. "So financially we are in a stronger position that we anticipated.”

Whitney said COVID-19 testing on the campus for all students, faculty and staff appears to be working and she has confidence about completing the semester as planned. In addition, new classes will be offered starting in October and during the traditional winter break.

The drop might have been larger, except for a six percent increase in online class enrollment. That does not include hybrid and remote classes. Whitney said more students are using that option during the pandemic. Students in 46 states and nine foreign countries have signed up.

This story appeared on NPR Illinois on September 9, 2020.

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Examining ways to improve enrollment

One U of I campus is seeing a record-number of freshmen but their overall enrollment fell from last year.

Leaders in admissions said they are pleased with the record breaking number of freshmen.

Now, they want to work on retaining the transfer and graduate students. They said their campus is seeing a decline in part-time students.

The 373 new freshmen could not make up for the departure of hundreds of graduate and part-time students who did not return.

The number of full-time undergraduate students did not change.

The school was recently named one of the most ethnically diverse campuses.

Despite all of the positive news changes in their student population, enrollment managers acknowledge there is work to be done. “We’re making partnerships with community colleges, we are attending more graduate school fairs, we are trying to create strategic enrollment plans for the entire university for all of our students,” said Associate Provost of Enrollment Management Natalie Herring.

This story aired on WCIA on September 17, 2019.

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UI Springfield sees freshmen bump

University of Illinois Springfield has grown by 14 percent according to new numbers.

The fall semester enrollment numbers show that the total number of first-year students sits at 316, compared to the 278 counted in the fall semester last year.

Additionally, 90 percent of the new freshmen are Illinois residents and 47 percent are self-reporting as a minority.

Of the university’s 4,575 students, 9.5 percent of students are international students.

UIS saw an increase of students from Illinois, from 72.2 last year to 75.5 this year, according to the school.

The total student body has fallen from 4,956 last year and total undergraduate stands at 2,814 down from 2,932 recorded last year.

This story appeared online on MyJournalCourier on September 12, 2018.

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UIS enrollment drops 7.7 percent compared to last year

Fall semester enrollment at the University of Illinois Springfield fell by 7.7 percent compared to last fall, according to statistics released by the university on Wednesday.

After the first 10 days of classes, the total number of students enrolled in fall classes at UIS stands at 4,575 compared to 4,956 students in fall 2017.

It’s the second year in a row UIS has seen enrollment losses and the lowest the campus’ headcount has been since 2005, when fall enrollment was 4,517.

UIS Chancellor Susan Koch said the university was “fully expecting” the drop, given the large graduating class last year and the decline in the international student population, a nationwide trend brought on by prospective students’ safety concerns and uncertainty over visa statuses.

“Of course, we’d love to say that our headcount is higher this year than last year,” Koch said. “But we were expecting this and that’s OK.”

UIS is not alone in losing students. Northern Illinois University, Western Illinois University and both Southern Illinois University campuses also announced enrollment drops. The continued declines illustrate the reputational challenges many of Illinois’ public universities still face as they continue to recover from the two-year state budget impasse, which decimated funding for higher education. 

“Of course, it helps tremendously that we’re a part of the University of Illinois system,” Koch said. “That’s a big part of our ability to continue to press on and position ourselves for growth. So we’re going to continue with the strategy that we’re currently employing because we believe it’s working well. “At the same time, we’d like to build back that international enrollment that we’ve lost,” Koch continued. “We’ve had delegations go to India and China, and we’ll be continuing to do that.”

In the past few years, the university has added new academic programs ranging from a nursing partnership with UIC to degrees in growing fields like exercise science and data analytics.

The university also has made a number of facility improvements to its campus, including the opening of the new student union. Such investments are yielding results, Koch said. Most notably, there’s been a 14 percent increase in freshman enrollment, which jumped from 278 last fall to 316 now.

Of this group, nearly 90 percent were from Illinois. “We have made a commitment to focus, first and foremost, on serving Illinois families,” Koch said. “And I think we see that across the system this year in the success we’ve had. And part of the strategy that we’re using is to continue those efforts to make the University of Illinois experience both affordable and to continue the excellence.”

This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on September 12, 2018.

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UIS enrollment drops 8.7 percent compared to last year

Total enrollment at the University of Illinois Springfield decreased 8.7 percent compared to last fall, while the three-campus U of I system as a whole is up nearly 3 percent, university officials announced Wednesday.

 UIS enrollment went from 5,428 to 4,956 this year, according to student counts taken on Monday, the 10th day of classes.

Chancellor Susan Koch said the enrollment figures released Wednesday were not a surprise and described them as a mixed report.

The university, she said, expected to see a drop in the number of international students, a problem occurring at universities across the country.

UIS has 420 fewer international students at the graduate level this year compared to last, contributing to the overall drop in graduate students from 2,469 in 2016 to 2,024 in 2017.

Koch noted UIS had a record number of graduates last year and concerns from international students regarding whether their visa status could change contributed to the decline.

The majority of international students at UIS hail from India and are drawn to UIS because it offers strong computer science and information management programs, Koch said. “It was beyond our control, and we’re working hard to build it back up,” she said.

While UIS saw a decrease overall, the number of undergraduate students held steady, with 2,932 students enrolled this year, down just 27 from last year.

In addition, the number of students taking classes completely online through UIS increased, with 1,681 students (34 percent of the campus’ total) enrolled in online degree or certificate programs, an increase of 16 students from last year.

UIS also saw an increase in Illinois residents, up from 67 percent last year to 72 percent this year. 

UIS spokesman Derek Schnapp said the number of incoming freshmen from 14 counties in central Illinois has increased from 55 to 84 students in the last 5 years.

Koch said she is optimistic UIS can turn around enrollment and reach the university’s strategic goal of adding 1,000 students by 2025.

Finally getting a state budget in place provides more certainty for Illinois families, Koch said, also noting the university has added several new academic programs, including biochemistry, data analytics, exercise science, information systems security, theater and nursing.

Furthermore, a new student union expected to open in January should improve student life on campus, Koch said. “We’re continuing to make progress and promote the campus and increase our visibility,” she said.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on September 13, 2017.

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UIS enrollment up slightly for fall semester

University of Illinois Springfield enrollment is up slightly for the fall semester and makes up the second-largest student body in the school's history.

Census numbers on the 10th day of classes showed 5,428 students enrolled this fall, up from 5,402 in fall 2015.

That's an increase of about one-half of 1 percent.

UIS' largest enrollment was in fall 2014 when 5,431 students were enrolled.

"One of our highest priorities has been growing our enrollment, and we are pleased with this fall's census," said UIS Chancellor Susan Koch. "When students and families make the decision to pursue their educational goals at UIS, they know they will receive a high-quality, personalized experience at the same time they are earning their University of Illinois diploma."

Online enrollment also continues to grow at the university, with 1,665 students enrolled in online degree or certificate programs. That accounts for 30.7 percent of the student body and reflects an increase of 4.3 percent from fall 2015.

The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on September 9, 2016.

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UIS experiences highest summer school enrollment to date

More than 2,000 students have enrolled in classes at the University of Illinois Springfield already this summer.

According to the UIS Admission's Office, a record breaking total of 2,312 students enrolled for the summer.

A closer look at the data shows that 75 percent of those students are ages 20 through 34 years old, half of them are part-time students; 37 percent of those students are taking their classes online, and almost all of them are currently pursuing a degree.

The Director of Admissions for UIS, Fernando Planas, says this is a trend he expects to continue.

"They're seeing that there may be some costs and they're unsure about what's going to be happening in the next year. And so they're much more careful in planning than perhaps I've seen in the past," said Planas.

The story was reported by WICS-TV 20 on July 6, 2016.

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UIS enrollment stable for fall, down slightly from last year

Fall enrollment at the University of Illinois Springfield is down slightly compared to last year but has topped 5,000 students for the sixth consecutive year.

The official fall census puts total enrollment at 5,402 after the first 10 days of classes, the second-largest student body in the history of the school.

Last year’s fall enrollment was a record 5,431.

UIS Chancellor Susan Koch said she’s pleased with many of the things she sees in the enrollment report.

“It continues to be a competitive higher education environment,” she said. “We know students and their families have many options, but when they choose UIS, they know they are getting a high quality and affordable educational experience and a community where faculty and staff care about their success.”

Overall credit hours are up more than 300, from 53,507 in fall 2014 to 53,847 this year.

“That shows that they are working very hard to be full-time students,” Koch said.

The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on September 9, 2015.

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International student enrollment rises at UIS

Efforts to increase the number of international students at the University of Illinois Springfield paid off in a big way this fall, with their numbers increasing to 827.

That’s more than 15 percent of the student body, and it is by design.

“We’ve been working very, very hard for the past three years to open our doors more effectively to international students,” UIS Chancellor Susan Koch said.

Many of the students came to UIS from India and China, with computer science and management information systems the most common majors chosen by international students.

The number of UIS international students increased 115 percent this fall over fall 2013.

“We’ve developed partnerships with higher education institutions in China, and our India connection is related to computer science,” she said. “Several years ago, students came over from India and did very well here. Through word of mouth, that connection has really spread.”

The increase was reported by The State Journal-Register on October 25, 2014.

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UIS grows in student diversity

Students from across the world are coming to the University of Illinois Springfield in record numbers.

The number of international students increased 115 percent over last fall, to 827, making it one of the university's fastest growing populations.

The majority of international students come from either India or China.

Rishika Naha is the vice president of the Indian Student Association on campus.  She says new students need help transitioning.

"We have to adapt to new things, from the food to dressing to behavior, body language, etiquette and everything," Naha said.

Naha said American schools have become a magnet because her country places a high value on an American degree.

This story was featured on WCIA on Monday, September 15th.

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Record enrollment at UIS again tops 5,000 students

Enrollment at the University of Illinois Springfield is at a record high this fall after topping 5,000 students for the fifth consecutive year.

The official fall census taken on the 10th day of classes shows 5,431 students enrolled at UIS compared to 5,137 last year. The previous highest enrollment was 5,174 students in 2010.

“One of our highest priorities has been growing our enrollment, and we are pleased with this fall’s census,” said UIS Chancellor Susan Koch. She said growth is one of the university’s three strategic priorities.

“We’ve been very deliberate about pushing our reputation out there, both locally and throughout Illinois,” she said. “I think word of mouth has a lot to do with it. We have more alumni out there who have good things to say about the university and their experience.”

The story was featured in The State Journal-Register on September 9, 2014.

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Freshman numbers up at many Illinois universities

Many of Illinois' public universities are bucking a national trend of generally declining enrollment, welcoming larger freshmen classes to their campuses this fall.

Other universities with increases included the University of Illinois' flagship campus in Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois Springfield, Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

The University of Illinois-Springfield's 19.8 percent increase in freshman enrollment — to 339 students — is probably a direct result of the school's Chicago-area marketing push and increases in scholarship money, according to Tim Barnett, the school's vice chancellor of student affairs.

Direct mail, email, billboards and radio spots are all being used to persuade students who might otherwise look outside of Illinois to come to the state capital, he said.

The Associated Press story was published on September 12, 2013.

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UIS enrollment tops 5,000 for fourth year in row

Fall enrollment at the University of Illinois Springfield matched its second-highest total and topped 5,000 students for a fourth consecutive year.

The increase from 5,048 students in fall 2012 to 5,137 students this year — a 1.8 percent increase — comes as many other state universities see declining enrollment.

The University of Illinois will release enrollment figures for its Urbana-Champaign campus today.

“Growth is a high priority for the UIS campus, and we are very encouraged that more and more students are choosing the Springfield campus of the University of Illinois because of the high-quality educational experience they receive,” said UIS Chancellor Susan Koch.

The story was published in The State Journal-Register on Sept. 11, 2013.

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UIS enrollment dips; still tops 5,000

Although both undergraduate and graduate student enrollment dropped slightly, the University of Illinois Springfield’s fall 2012 enrollment has topped 5,000 students for the third consecutive year.

The total number of enrolled students at UIS after the first 10 days of classes — the day enrollment figures are officially established — is 5,048.

“Students choose the Springfield campus of the University of Illinois, and parents encourage them to come to UIS, because of the personalized, high quality experience that we provide every day,” said UIS Chancellor Susan Koch. “It is a right-sized, supportive community."

There are 3,054 undergraduates at UIS this fall, compared to 3,112 last fall semester, a decline of 1.9 percent.

However, the number of freshmen attending UIS increased by nearly 16 percent this semester. A total of 283 freshmen are enrolled compared to 244 in fall 2011.

The numbers were featured by the State Journal-Register on Sept. 12, 2012.

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UIS enrollment numbers released

Fall enrollment at the University of Illinois Springfield has topped 5,000 students for the second year in a row. The total number of enrolled students at UIS is 5,137, a decrease of 37 students from the record 5,174 enrolled last fall.

“We continue to pursue our strategic goal of 6,000 students at UIS,” said University of Illinois vice president and UIS Chancellor Susan Koch. “I’m particularly pleased this fall with the increase in enrollment at the graduate level and in the online programs."

There are 3,112 undergraduates at UIS this fall, compared to 3,197 last fall semester. The number of graduate students rose to 2,025, an increase of 48 students over last year.

Growth in online learning continues, with a total of 1,425 students enrolled in online degree or certificate programs, a 4.5% increase over fall 2010.

The numbers were featured in an September 8, 2011, article in The State Journal-Register.

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Spring enrollment hits new high at UIS

The University of Illinois Springfield, which topped the 5,000 mark in enrollment last fall, has fallen below that number but still has a record number of students enrolled for the spring semester.

Spring enrollment figures are typically lower than those in the fall because of transfers and students failing to return for the second semester.

UIS has 4,920 students enrolled this spring, an increase of 58 students, or 1.2 percent, over last spring.

The increase is primarily due to carryover from the big increase in fall enrollment, UIS officials said. Enrollment at UIS in fall 2010 was the largest in the institution’s 40-year history at 5,174 students, up 4.3 percent from the previous fall.

“We are pleased about this spring’s increase in enrollment and anticipate enrollment growth again next fall, as statewide recognition of the quality and affordability of education at UIS — for freshmen, transfer and graduate students — increases,” said UIS Chancellor Harry Berman.

Additionally, the number of students majoring in degree programs at UIS that are fully online increased this spring by 67 students, according to Ray Schroeder, director of UIS’ Center for Online Learning, Research and Service. The total number of students with online majors is 1,364, which is an increase of 5.2 percent over last spring.

UIS offers 16 online degree programs, both undergraduate and graduate. More than one-fourth of UIS students are online degree program students, and more than half of all students at UIS are taking at least one online class.

UIS has a total of 2,997 undergraduate students and 1,923 graduate students enrolled.

The enrollment numbers were featured in a February 8, 2011, article in The State Journal-Register.

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UIS sets record enrollment

High unemployment and high college enrollment appear to continue to go hand-in-hand. The University of Illinois at Springfield has once again achieved record enrollment.

Enrollment for the Spring semester is recorded at 4,920 students. Last (Fall) semester's enrollment records was at 5,174, which was the highest ever in the Springfield campus' 40-year history. The Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs says the biggest increase is in non-traditional students who want to compete for better jobs.

"We see increased numbers of online students in particular. And those are individuals who are busy with family or work or other responsibilities," said Tim Barnett. "And they're trying to find a way to get an education. Many of them don't even live in the Springfield area."

UIS offers 16 online degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. More than one-fourth of the students are online degree program students, and more than half of all students at UIS are taking at least one online class.

The increase was featured by WICS-TV 20 in a February 7, 2011, report.

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Editorial: Enrollment milestone at UIS

The following is a portion of an editorial published in a September 14, 2010, edition of The State Journal-Register.

When Richard Ringeisen took the reins as chancellor of the University of Illinois Springfield in early 2001, he spoke of big plans.

"We plan to create a new kind of public university, one which numbers among the best liberal arts universities in the country, while retaining and, in fact, enhancing its ties to state government," Ringeisen said.

That fall, the university welcomed the first freshman class in its history. As the decade progressed, the campus grew both physically — it now truly has the look and feel of a college campus — and in enrollment. Perhaps it’s fitting that UIS’s latest milestone comes as Ringeisen prepares to retire at the end of next month.

UIS announced last week that its enrollment for the current academic year topped 5,000 for the first time in the school’s history. The 5,174 students enrolled this year is a 4.3 percent increase over last year.

“To say we are excited would be an understatement. For our enrollment to surpass 5,000 marks a milestone for us,” Ringeisen said.

Download a PDF of the full editorial

UIS enrollment tops 5,000

Now that it has crossed the 5,000 threshold in enrollment that includes students taking classes via the Internet, the University of Illinois Springfield would like to see that many attending classes on campus.

“We need to decide how big we want to be,” said UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen. “Our next goal will probably be to have 5,000 students taking classes on campus and 2,000 living on campus.”

UIS enrollment topped 5,000 for the first time this fall with a 4.3 percent increase over last fall’s total.

The number of enrolled students this year is 5,174, up 213 students over the 2009 total of 4,961 students. The fall 2010 number includes 1,626 exclusively online students.

“Those are targets that my successor will have to deal with,” said Ringeisen, who is retiring Oct. 31. He added that UIS currently doesn’t have enough on-campus housing to accommodate 2,000 students.

“When we first added freshmen (in 2001), we geared up for having more students,” he said. “We thought we’d make it to 5,000 last year, but this year we blew by it.

The record enrollment was featured in a September 10, 2010, article in The State Journal-Register.

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University of Illinois Springfield reaches milestone

The University of Illinois Springfield marks not one, but two major milestones. For the first time in the university's history, more than 5,000 students are earning a degree at UIS. The record high enrollment comes as the school celebrates its 40th birthday.

UIS has come a long way since 1970. The first class to attend, what was then Sangamon State University, had just over 800 students. They've now grown to over 5,000.

"Its kind of a special number we've been shooting at for awhile. We thought we were going to make it last year, but we came up 30 something students short. This time we blew past it," said UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen.

Record enrollment was featured in a September 9, 2010, report by WICS-TV 20.

Watch the story on News Channel 20's website