DALLAS – On-site enrollment at the University of North Texas Dallas Campus has reached an all time high headcount of 1,876 students, according to unofficial census figures for fall 2007 (taken on the semester's 12th day of classes). That figure represents a 22 percent increase over the 12th class day headcount of 1,538 in fall 2006.
But most important for the campus is its increase in student full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment. The campus reached 815.4 full-time equivalents, a 32.2 percent increase over the fall 2006 figure of 616.7.
Under Texas state law, the UNT Dallas Campus will earn free-standing status when student full-time equivalent enrollment exceeds 1,000. Reaching that milestone will also release additional state funding for further development of the campus.
"We are extremely excited about our fall numbers. They are proof that our staff and faculty have been working hard to offer quality education to the residents of Dallas and the surrounding areas," John Price, vice provost of the UNT Dallas Campus, said.
"We are on target for reaching our goal of 1,000 student full-time equivalents in the fall of 2008 and for keeping our commitment to the people of Dallas to establish the first public university within the city limits," Price said, adding that one of the greatest factors leading to the enrollment increase was the campus's graduate degree programs.
"We had a phenomenal increase of 205 percent in new graduate admissions, mainly because of heavy interest in our master's program in educational administration with principal certification," Price said. "We also admitted our first students in the Texas Instruments Foundation Math Scholars program, a full scholarship program for future math teachers in the Dallas metropolitan area."
The UNT Dallas Campus still has 19 undergraduate TI Foundation math scholarships available for the spring 2008 semester.
Rapid growth at the UNT Dallas Campus is forcing Price and other administrators to consider alternative solutions for classroom and office space. He said the campus may soon begin offering some of its courses at the facilities of local community college partners.
The first permanent building on the UNT Dallas Campus site was occupied in January 2007. The building sits on 264 acres near the intersection of I-35E and I-20 on Houston School Road. Construction of that building was made possible by a state bond initiative of $25.5 million. Under current legislation, an additional $25 million will be released for the construction of a second building when the UNT Dallas Campus reaches 1,500 student full-time equivalents.
In addition to faculty who teach from the UNT flagship in Denton, the Dallas campus has 27 faculty with plans to increase that number to 45 (an increase of 18) by the beginning of the 2008-2009 academic year.
Until the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board verifies enrollment numbers and certifies them official later in the fall, all enrollment statistics are unofficial, 12th class day numbers.
For More Information:
Gregory Tomlin
Director of Marketing, News and Information
(972) 780-3615
(817) 798-9260 (Cell)
greg.tomlin@unt.edu