Oregon State University - Cascades launched the academic year this week with an anticipated enrollment of 750 junior, senior and graduate students which translates to an increase of about 10 percent in headcount and 16 percent in FTE* over fall 2010. Enrollment numbers are not considered final until the fourth week of the 10-week term.
Additional students are enrolled at OSU-Cascades and taking freshman and sophomore courses at Central Oregon Community College, through a partnership between the two institutions.
OSU-Cascades' enrollment growth is spread across many academic programs. American Studies, Counseling, Energy Engineering Management, Human Development and Family Sciences, and Natural Resources, show the most growth.
The EEM program increased from four students in fall 2010, when the degree program was launched, to 22 students this fall. Current COCC pre-engineering students are showing interest in the EEM program and faculty project a continuing steady pipeline of students from COCC.
The percentage of male students increased three percent, to almost 40 percent of the student body. The youngest enrolled student is 18; the oldest is 65.
* Full-time equivalence (FTE) measures the total credit-bearing activity of a campus. The definition varies depending on the level of the student. The full-time equivalent for an undergraduate is assumed to be 15 term credit hours (or 45 annual credit hours). For master's and professional level students, the number is 12 credit hours (36 annual credit hours).