By Mandy Leggio
UHCLIDIAN STAFF

Photo by Holly Smith
Student enrollment at UH-Clear Lake grows
despite tuition increase.

For the third consecutive year, fall enrollment has reached an all-time high. For the 2001 fall semester, 7,762 students enrolled at UH-Clear Lake. This is an increase of 4.82 percent from the previous year and more than 14 percent higher than 1998 enrollment.

According to university President Dr. William Staples and Executive Director of Enrollment Services John F. Smith, there are a number of reasons why enrollment has continued to increase.

Some of the reasons include a very good working relationship with area community colleges, which has helped establish the 2+2 programs for students transferring from community colleges; an increase in marketing; more admission seminars; and the addition of five new programs. Both point out that students also serve as promoters for the university, which helps a great deal. "Students are our best marketing tool and a big reason why we have seen an increase in enrollment," Smith said.

However, according to Staples, the primary reason for students attending UH-Clear Lake is a strong academic environment.

UH-Clear Lake offers more than 30 undergraduate degrees and 40 graduate degrees, with five new programs added in the past four years.

These new programs include bachelor and master's degrees in management information systems in the School of Business and Public Administration, a master's degree in systems engineering in the School of Natural and Applied Sciences, a bachelor's degree in social work in the School of Human Sciences and Humanities, and a bachelor's degree in geography in the School of Education.

"Bottom line is if we don't have the programs that cater to the students' needs, they won't want to come here, and we feel that we meet their needs," Staples said.

Although pleased with an overall increase in attendance at UH-Clear Lake, Staples is concerned about statewide attendance. The number of students per capita in the state of Texas going to universities is 18 percent below the national average. The percentage drops to 10 percent below when community colleges are included. "This is a major concern," Staples said. "We need to have a greater percentage of the population of this state enter and graduate from college."

Both Staples and Smith credit the university's relationship with community colleges for the increase in attendance for all students. Approximately 80 percent of students at UH-Clear Lake transfer from community colleges.

The university has established 2+2 programs with area community colleges to allow for an easier transfer process. The 2+2 programs allow students to attend a community college for two years then transfer to UH-Clear Lake without losing any college credits.

There are nine community colleges in a 50-mile radius of UH-Clear Lake. "This area is blessed with so many community colleges; that's why we don't offer freshman and sophomore classes," Staples said. "There are more than 20,000 students enrolled at San Jacinto College alone."

There are also 2+2 and 3+1 arrangements set up for international students. Figures show that since 1996 the number of international students has almost doubled, and according to Smith, the increase is due to the 2+2 arrangements UH-Clear Lake has developed in countries all over the world. Students from more than 60 countries are currently attending UH-Clear Lake.

In fact, UH-Clear Lake is one of the first American universities to have students enrolled from Vietnam through a 2+2 program.

These arrangements encouraged six new Vietnamese students to enroll for the 2001 fall semester. With such an increase in enrollment over the past three years, who exactly makes up our campus? Student demographics show that, out of 7,762 students who are enrolled at UH-Clear Lake for the fall semester, more than 60 percent are women.

The average age of a UH-Clear Lake student is 32 years old, and 70 percent of the student population attends classes at night.

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