Enrollment is up this summer at SIU-Carbondale.
Chancellor Austin Lane says the number of students is up 3.4 percent from last year. Overall enrollment for summer 2024 is 5,025, 163 students more than last year.
Lane says his office has focused on increasing summer enrollment for the past three years. He says summer is often considered the lost semester, but it is important for the university.
"Tuition revenue, we need the course offerings, so our students have the ability to graduate on time. A lot of times you have to take those three or six hours in the summer to be able to do it, right? You can't just do 12 in the fall and 12 in the spring. It keeps our students connected to the university, so they don't go back home and maybe take classes at another university. It gives them the option to do it right here at SIU-Carbondale."
Lane says they also saw an almost 7 percent increase in students taking online courses.
School officials say the student body is diverse, with more students who identify as Asian (up 6.5%), Black (up 5.7%), Hispanic (up 9.1%) and international (up 6.9%).
Lane says the administration is working hard to continue the momentum into the upcoming fall semester, which starts on August 19.
You can hear more from Chancellor Lane on WSIU In Focus this Monday at 8:44 a.m. and 5:44 p.m. and an expanded interview here at wsiu.org.
