The university released its numbers today showing just under 20,000 students were enrolled at the university for this year, a decline of about 2% on the same time last year.
Acting vice-chancellor Prof Helen Nicholson said further analysis was being undertaken to fully assess the likely impact in terms of funding, but ‘‘early indications are that once likely semester 2 enrolments are accounted for, the university is tracking to a shortfall in the range of $3 to $5 million’’.
‘‘While these figures are indicative only, the above shortfalls are modest compared to the $20 million shortfall we faced this time last year. I have been advised that we have the capacity to absorb most, if not all of this shortfall centrally.”
After several weeks of fluctuation, enrolments have settled at about 380 Equivalent Full-time Student (EFTS) enrolments fewer than last year with an equivalent drop in headcount.
Current totals are 19,656 fully-enrolled students, generating 17,590 EFTS.
At the same time last year, the headcount was 20,022, generating 17,968 EFTS. Overall, enrolments in commerce have increased, health sciences are on par with last year, and humanities and sciences are down.
Prof Nicholson said the university had expected a decline in domestic enrolments this year, but that this would be offset by international growth, resulting in minimal enrolment change from 2023.
However, the domestic decline has been greater than forecast and international growth is at the moment running behind expectations.
‘‘We anticipated domestic first year decline due to demographic factors, and while this has eventuated, it has not been to quite the extent anticipated. Conversely, the impacts of pipeline decline and - despite improved academic performance in 2023 – a second year of reduced retention have been greater than anticipated.”
As a result, domestic enrolments are down 413 on the same time last year. A portion of this appears to be timing related, as fewer returning students than usual have selected their Semester 2 papers.
International enrolments are 35 up on the same time last year, with some late arriving internationals still to come this month, and early indications that the incoming cohort in semester two will also be up on last year.
“In the international sphere we have seen pleasing increases in single semester study abroad and postgraduate course work enrolments.
“On the other hand, we have had some challenges with late-arriving internationals due in some instances to delays with the issuing of visas.”
