Purdue’s plan to grow its summer school enrollment seems to be working. A month before the eight-week session begins, more students have signed up for key courses than did last year.
Provost Tim Sands says offering classes that are in high-demand during the fall and spring was the logical first step.
“And then we’ll build from there,” he says. “We’re looking at grouping courses, looking at the progression of our students and studying the combination of courses students like to take together.”
He says offering special programs, such as ones that will earn a student a certificate, is another possibility.
Purdue’s summer credit hour enrollment is roughly 7% what it is in the fall. Administrators say they want to get that up to around 20% in several years.
Sands says it’s all about changing the mindset of Boilermakers with some intentional planning and promotion.
“The idea that a combination of experience in undergraduate research or an internship with some summer classes – be they distance or on campus – would be a good thing to moving them toward their degree in a timely fashion.”
He says more enrollment activity usually occurs after the spring semester ends, so he’s hoping for as much as a 27% spike in summer credit hours.
Purdue President Mitch Daniels told the board of trustees last week that there’s a 13% increase in key courses, so far. He says other universities have declining summer enrollment, because the internship market is improving.