Spring enrollment climbs to record level

The number of students enrolled on the Bloomington campus this semester has hit an all-time high. A total of 36,473 people are taking classes this spring, an increase of 200 from spring 2003. \nIU's eight campuses combine to a record level of 94,212, with 1,054,232 total credit hours being taken. The .6 percent increase in total spring 2003 enrollment is marked most significantly by increases at IU-East, IU-Kokomo and IU-Northwest.\n"Increased enrollment during the spring semester speaks to more returning students," IU Spokeswoman Jane Jankowski said. "This could be a reflection of retention programs that are in place throughout all IU campuses."\nThe higher enrollment has some students concerned about overcrowding in classrooms.\n"I am a psychology and history major, both of which seem to have larger classes, even at the higher levels," sophomore Jeff Gluckman said. "This can sometimes make it more difficult to interact with professors and get the most out of the material." \nThe average number of credit hours students take at Bloomington is 13.23, while the average student GPA is 3.19 for the fall semester, according to the IU registrar. Purdue's most current Data Digest statistics show an average of 14.01 credit hours per student and a 2.87 GPA at the West Lafayette campus.\nThe Indiana Commission for Higher Education numbers state 38,903 students were enrolled at IUB during the fall of 2002, while enrollment fell to 38,589 in fall 2003. This .8 percent decrease was the only decline among IU campuses for the fall, aside from the South Bend and IU Southeast locations, which experienced a 2.4 percent and 4.6 percent decrease, respectively. \nThe largest percentage of growth between spring 2002 and spring 2003 was found in Kokomo -- up 6.4 percent from last spring.\nIU continues to be a multifaceted University that attracts students from all over the world. IU is home to students from all 50 states, three U.S. territories and over 150 foreign countries. \n"It is not uncommon for me to encounter international students. In fact, I know someone from South Korea in my managerial accounting course," sophomore Andrew Huang said.\nA larger number of students yields increased demand for housing and other University services. Residential Programs and Services reveals IUB residence halls are designed to house only 12,167 students, according to its Web site. \nPlans are currently underway for the dismantling of Ashton Center to make room for a new structure capable of housing 900 students, nearly 80 people more than the current Ashton number listed with RPS. \nIU ranks seventh among Big Ten schools when comparing room and board rates. The IU rate of $5,872 is $832 less than the highest rate of $6,704 at the University of Michigan, and $702 more than the lowest rate of $5,170 at the University of Wisconsin. The current ranking is a drop from number six on the same list in 2002-2003.\n-- Contact staff writer Tim Callahan at tmcallah@indiana.edu.