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The University of Nebraska-Lincoln seems to be thriving in the bad economy.
Enrollment is up at all NU campuses. Graphic: Elizabeth Gamez
Fall enrollment is at its highest point since 1995, with 24,100 students enrolled, a 2.2-percent increase over last year.
The freshman class shrank by 214 students this year. William Nunez, director the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, had speculated before the final figures were released that the recession might be behind the decline in freshman deposits. He had called the drop "a pretty good indicator" of tough times.
A quick check of colleges and departments across campus suggests that many classes are full this fall.
• John Osterman, vice director of biological sciences, said the economy could actually be boosting the numbers of students taking classes in his department. "Historically, when the economy goes down, our enrollment goes up," he said, "because biological sciences lead to medicine, which is reliable."
• In the College of Business Administration, one professor noticed an interesting trend. Carlos J. Asarta, an assistant professor of practice in the department of economics, saw that many students enrolling in his intermediate courses had returned to school after losing their jobs. Asarta said those students wanted to "further their business knowledge in order to become more marketable." He said he believes economics and other areas in business were currently appealing fields of study because of the current recession.
• Classics and religious studies, the smallest department in the College of Arts and Sciences, is boasting full capacity. "We are where we are supposed to be at this time," said Sidnie Crawford, a professor and the department chair.
• In the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Jack Schinstock, a professor of biological systems engineering and the associate dean, said all of the freshman-level classes were full.
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