Enrolment report indicates “unprecedented domestic demand”

At the February 24 meeting of the University of Alberta’s General Faculties Council (GFC), an annual report on enrolment was presented. Norma Rodenburg, vice-provost and registrar, and Tracy Raivio, vice-provost and dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies, presented the report.

The report was given after the motion to recommend approval of Built for Purpose: The University’s Strategic Campus Plan by the Board of Governors (BoG) was passed. Built for Purpose is a strategic plan aimed at physically accommodating the U of A’s projected enrolment growth.

U of A hits record enrolment of Indigenous students

According to the report, the U of A has a total student population of 46,201. Undergraduate students make up 82 per cent of the population and graduate students make up 18 per cent. As outlined in its 10-year strategic plan SHAPE, the U of A is aiming to increase student enrolment by 16,000 by 2033.

The report also indicates “unprecedented domestic demand.” Undergraduate programs saw an 8.1 per cent increase in domestic applicants, and graduate programs saw a 23.9 per cent increase in domestic applicants.

There are currently 2,184 Indigenous students. This is an 11.3 per cent increase from last year. These students represent 4.6 per cent of the U of A’s total population, Rodenburg said.

“This is the highest number we’ve ever had, but we’re continuing to work with a number of offices to continue to increase the number of Indigenous students who are both applying and attending the U of A,” Rodenburg added.

U of A remains “well positioned” in international post-secondary education market, Rodenburg says

The U of A has 8,299 international students from 134 countries. The report mentioned that federal restrictions on study permits by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have “affected how Canada is perceived as a destination for post-secondary studies.”

Rodenburg emphasized that “admissions are up this year for international students, even though the applications are down.”

Erin Pollock, School of Public Health representative, asked about the impact of IRCC changes on applications and admissions.

“The message out there is [that] Canada is not welcoming to international students. The U of A, however, is still very well positioned in our international markets,” Rodenburg said.

According to Rodenburg, the U of A is “putting in more study permits than other schools [across Canada] in some cases.”

“We believe that the U of A is going to weather this international turmoil that we’re experiencing,” Rodenburg added.