Covid still affecting numbers

Another drop of 400 international students has been forecast at the University of Otago this year while New Zealand’s borders remain closed.

University of Otago international director Jason Cushen said the school’s 2021 enrolments would not become clear until March when the first semester was fully under way — but the university had forecast 983 international students for the year.

Any new international enrolments would be made up of those students already in the country, mostly those who were in year 13 in New Zealand last year, as well as new enrolments from students overseas studying online in typically postgraduate qualifications, Mr Cushen said.

In April last year, while the country remained in lockdown, Mr Cushen said the university expected about 2200 international students for the 2020 year. And even with a cap on intake of 15% of enrolments, and international students enrolling for online study, he predicted Covid-19 would have a substantial impact on the institution.

In a report tabled at yesterday’s university council meeting, vice-chancellor Harlene Hayne said the university ended 2020 with a final total of 17,326 domestic and 1396 full-fee international students.

The result was "slightly stronger" than forecasts from late last year, Prof Hayne said.

But the stable enrolment levels were due to the number of domestic students enrolling.

The final total of New Zealand students represented a 164 equivalent full-time student (EFTS) increase over the final total for 2019, and was only 4EFTS short of the university’s original pre-Covid budget forecast for 2020 domestic enrolment.

She praised the work of staff at the meeting and said results for the university last year in the face of such uncertainty "well exceeded expectations".

At the start of the year Mr Cushen said the university would contact international students who could return to finish their studies in Dunedin as early as April after the Government moved to ease border restrictions for up to 1000 international students.

The exception will allow 300 students to return to New Zealand from April, and more students to enter the country over the course of the year as capacity at managed isolation facilities allows.

At the time, Mr Cushen said it was too early to speculate how many students would return to Otago as a result of the announcement.

hamish.maclean@odt.co.nz