Moves by the University of Auckland to restrict entry to undergraduate courses next year may have a lesser impact than first expected.
The university council last week approved first-year enrolment caps across a range of subjects including arts, sciences, education and law.
But the caps are set higher than 2008 enrolment levels, and although enrolments for 2009 are not yet known, it is likely they will not exceed the caps.
The bachelor of arts cap has been set at 2000, including 120 international students.
In semester one this year, 1679 students enrolled in that course.
The bachelor of education cap will be 650 - 50 places more than this year's enrolments, while bachelor of theology places have been capped at 60, against a 2008 admission of 47.
Universities are watching 2009 enrolment trends closely, as a new Tertiary Education Commission funding model introduced on January 1 this year funded institutions for an agreed number of students rather than for every student.
In February, the University of Otago's senate academic committee established a working party to investigate whether the university should further restrict entry to some courses.
Otago already restricts entry to courses such as medicine, dentistry, law, surveying and physical education but does not restrict first-year enrolments, providing students meet standard academic requirements.
Contacted this week, university vice-chancellor Prof David Skegg said the working party was expected to report back to the university council before the end of the year.
