With just one look at UBC Okanagan these days, it鈥檚 clear the campus is growing.
With the construction of the new Commons building wrapping up and the creation of new roads leading to and from campus, it鈥檚 a clear indication of an expanding community. And this year鈥檚 student enrolment numbers demonstrate that growth is a common thread throughout the university, said deputy registrar Fred Vogt.
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鈥淓arly indications point to the highest student numbers the Okanagan campus has ever seen,鈥� Vogt said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e expecting just over 2,400 first-year students in September. We are also seeing continuing students return in very high numbers, suggesting a very positive student experience on our campus. All of this leads to an expected student population of 9,945. That鈥檚 about 900 more students than we had on campus last September.鈥�
While the enrolment numbers aren鈥檛 finalized until mid-September, right now staff and faculty are gearing up for more than 3,680 new students who will be starting programs鈥攊ncluding 650 first-year international students, according to a UBCO news release. The international student population at UBC Okanagan represents 108 different countries.
鈥淚n just over 10 years, the campus student population has almost tripled,鈥� said UBC Okanagan鈥檚 deputy vice-chancellor and principal Deborah Buszard. 鈥淎n incredible transformation has taken place here and it鈥檚 wonderful to see more and more students from across B.C., Canada and around the world choosing to study at this campus of UBC.鈥�
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鈥淎long with new record highs in enrolment, we see our growing community connections as indicators of success,鈥� Buszard said. 鈥淔rom the new InnovationUBC hub at the Okanagan Centre for Innovation, to the very meaningful contributions UBC Okanagan researchers are making to communities in this region, our collective future grows brighter each year by working together.鈥�
As of Sept. 1, there are 8,996 undergraduate students, 950 students working towards their master鈥檚 or PhD degrees, for a grand total of 9,945 students. When the campus opened in September 2005, there were 3,500 registered students, the release said.
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