UNE set for another record year of enrolments.
The University of New England is on track for another record year, with more than 700 additional students enrolled than at the same time last year.
Chancellor Richard Torbay said it was a tremendous recognition of the University’s quality courses and staff that total enrolments are already up 4.5 per cent with further growth to come in Trimesters 2 and 3.
“This is a great result and comes on the back of record growth at UNE over the last three years. “
“While qualifications in arts, education, law, nursing and science remain popular with commencing students, we have also experienced significant growth in other disciplines.
“Our biggest increases in undergraduate enrolments this year have been in our bachelor of ecology, diploma of the sciences, diploma of town planning, bachelor of exercise and sports sciences, bachelor of pharmacy, bachelor of agriculture and bachelor of education (combined).
“In postgraduate studies we have seen significant growth in enrolments in the graduate certificate of agriculture, master of agriculture and graduate diploma of applied anatomy,” Mr Torbay said.
Vice-Chancellor Jim Barber said it was encouraging to see growth in key areas such as agriculture, given UNE’s regional base.
“Even better news is the figures underlying that growth, which show that while UNE has more students graduating than ever before, the number of new applicants wishing to study at
UNE rose an incredible 13.8 per cent,” Professor Barber said.
“This is more than triple the national average growth in new university applications of just 4.2 per cent in 2012.
“I have no doubt last year’s excellence in research Australia results, which showed we have world class or better research in 29 disciplines, convinced many students to make the decision to study at UNE.
“On top of that the exceptional student experience we offer at UNE, both on-campus and via distance education, continues to set UNE apart from the competition.
“Year after year, we continue to achieve a five-star rating for student and graduate satisfaction in the Good Universities Guide.
“Our innovative use of online technologies and flexible learning options continually make us the educator of choice for thousands of external students, while our focus on providing a formative lifestyle through our on-campus experience is paying dividends in on-campus enrolments,” Professor Barber said.