Camosun College enrolment significantly up
September 11, 2009
Enrolment numbers at Camosun College are up 10.4% over this time last year, including a 31.5% increase in Aboriginal programs, and a 52% increase in sport education programs. Numbers are expected to increase even further when Camosun trades and technology programs begin in the third week of September.
Increasing enrolment at the 38-year-old community college partially reflects the current economic recession. “The economy is an important factor in helping students decide if it’s the right time to go to school,” says Baldev Pooni, VP Education and Student Services. “A slower economy is often seen as an opportunity to explore options, earn a credential or start a new career path.”
Enrolment increases are across the educational spectrum, from academic upgrading and “college prep” courses to four-year degrees in business and sport education. All six academic units at the college report strong numbers at the start of the 2009/10 academic year:
- Access and Aboriginal Education & Community Connections (academic upgrading; First Nations Community Studies; career preparation; ESL and more) —up 19.9%
- Arts and Science (university transfer, Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology; Environmental Technology; Music; Visual Arts; Archaeological Field Assistant and more)—up 4.6%;
- Business (Bachelor of Business Administration; Human Resource Management; Business Administration; Golf Management; Hotel and Restaurant Management; Public Administration; Hospital Unit Clerk and more)— up 10.9%
- Health and Human Services (BS Nursing; Dental Hygiene; Early Childhood Care and Education; Community Mental Health; Indigenous Family Support; Practical Nursing; Health Care Assistant and more)—up 11.8%
- Sport and Exercise Education (Bachelor of Athletic and Exercise Therapy; Bachelor of Sport and Fitness Leadership; Diploma in Exercise and Wellness and more)—up 52%
- Trades and Technology (trades and apprenticeship programs; electronics and computer engineering programs; nautical training and more)—numbers are unavailable at this time but indications are that enrolment in trades programs is on track, and above normal for technology engineering programs
“Today’s students expect their investment in education to yield positive, long-term career results,” says David Sovka, Associate Director of College and Community Relations. “Whether it’s an intensive four-month certificate program or one of the college’s new four-year degrees, Camosun’s focus is on applied studies that meet local labour market demands and satisfy both students’ and employers’ expectations,” says Sovka.
Camosun’s small class sizes, lower tuition, hands-on learning, and exceptional instruction all contribute to high student satisfaction, which is currently 95% as measured by the BC Ministry of Advanced Education’s province-wide 2008 student outcomes survey.
Contact
Baldev Pooni
Vice President, Education and Student Services
waterman@camosun.bc.ca
250–370–4543
Karla Sandwith, APR
Marketing and Communications Strategist
sandwith@camosun.bc.ca
250-370-4235
