UI prepares for record international, new students

The University of Iowa expects record fall enrollments of new students and of international undergraduates, officials said today.

About 4,500 first-year students are expected to enroll in fall classes, which begin Aug. 23. That's about 450 more freshman than last year, and about 200 more than the previous record class from 2006.

The large incoming class also will be among the UI's most diverse, officials said. Of the incoming students, 12.7 percent identified as U.S. minorities, up from 10 percent last year.  And international enrollment is estimated to be about 9 percent of the incoming class, according to the Office of Admissions. Official enrollment counts will be taken on the 10th day of classes.

An estimated 500 to 550 new undergraduate international students are likely to enroll, which would be the largest in UI history, officials said. Oritentation for international undergraduates begins Saturday.

That's up from 364 international undergraduate students last year, Downing Thomas, associate provost and dean of UI International Programs, said.

In addition, about 300 new graduate international students will arrive on campus, for a total of nearly 800 new international students this fall, bringing the UI's overall international enrollment near 2,800, or about 9 percent of the overall student body.

The increase is part of a strategy aimed at bringing more diversity to campus, Thomas said. UI officials had set the goal of increasing the international student body to 9 percent of the overall student body by 2010.

In addition to strong enrollment from countries where the UI has traditionally attracted the most students - China, India and South Korea – the UI expanded recruitment to the Middle East, Latin America, Turkey and other parts of Asia. In particular, the UI is seeing more students from Iraq, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Vietnam and United Arab Emirates.

While the percentage of in-state students is lower than it was last year, the actual number of Iowans admitted to the UI is up this fall, officials said. The university admits all qualified Iowa residents who apply.

The growth in enrollment was part of a long-term plan to increase the incoming class by 100 students each year for five years, beginning this fall.

To deal with the growth, the UI hired more instructors for high-demand first-year courses, such as rhetoric, math, science and world languages.

The university also had to rent some off-campus apartment space to meet housing demand. The UI leased a section of The Lodge, a privately owned complex near the Studio Arts Building. That space will operate as a residence hall for transfer and returning students, freeing up space for first-year students in residences closer to the main campus.

Plans are in the works for the UI to build a new residence hall in the coming years.