UPEI
      Enrollment
      Higher
      than
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Expected
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Early
      and
      tentative
      figures
      on
      UPEI
     
     
      enrollment
      are
      much
      higher
      than
      the
     
     
      University
      had
      budgeted
      for.
      Figures
     
     
      presented
      on
      September
      11th
      at
      the
      first
     
     
      University
      Senate
      meeting
      of
      1992-93
      by
     
     
      the
      Registrar,
      John
      deGrace,
      show
     
     
      enrollment
      to
      be
      higher
      than
      both
      at
      this
     
     
      time
      last
      year
      and
      the
      estimate
      around
     
     
      which
      the
      university
      had
      constructed
      this
     
     
      year’s
      budget.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      total
      number
      of
      full-time
      students
     
     
      registered
      as
      of
      September
      was
      listed
      as
     
     
      2834
      students,
      as
      opposed
      to
      the
      2500
     
     
      used
      as
      a
      base
      figure
      by
      the
      Board
      of
     
     
      Governors
      when
      drafting
      the
      1992-93
     
     
      Budget.
      This
      figure
      includes
      200
     
     
      veterinary
      students,
      35
      Master
      of
      Science
     
     
      students,
      and
      36
      nursing
      students
      who
      are
     
     
      the
      first
      students
      to
      enter
      UPEI’s
      new
     
     
      BSc.
      in
      Nursing
      Program.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      further
      breakdown
      of
      the
      figures
      (for
     
     
      full-time
      students)
      include:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Faculty:
      Sept
      1192
      Sept.
      11
      91
     
     
      Arts
      1203
      1146
     
     
      Education
      205
      237
     
     
      Science
      629
      584
     
     
      Business
      516
      507
     
     
      Nursing
      36
      --
     
    

    
     
      Vet.
      Med.
      200
      200
     
    

    
     
      MSc.
      35
      35
     
     
      TOTAL:
      2824
      2709
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      These
      figures
      did
      not
      include
      some
      late
     
     
      registrations
      or
      people
      who
      preregistered
     
     
      but
      then
      decided
      not
      to
      attend
      UPEI.
     
     
      There
      is
      also
      no
      indication
      of
      how
      many
     
     
      students
      may
      drop
      out
      at
      various
      points
     
     
      over
      the
      academic
      year.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      estimate
      of
      2500
      that
      was
      used
      by
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Board
      of
      Governors
      was
      admitted
      at
      the
     
     
      time
      to
      be
      conservative,
      but
      it
      was
      felt
      that
     
     
      a
      decrease
      in
      enrollment-was
      likely.
      The
     
     
      only
      two
      groups
      on
      campus
      showing
     
     
      decreases
      during
      the
      first
      week
      of
      1992-93
     
     
      were
      part-time
      students,
      at
      901
      as
      opposed
     
     
      to
      957
      at
      this
      point
      last
      year,
      and
     
     
      Education
      students,
      at
      205
      this
      year
      and
     
     
      237
      last
      year.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Higher
      than
      expected
      enrollment,
     
     
      assuming
      that
      figures
      remain
      close
      to
      these
     
     
      levels,
      may
      create
      serious
      problems
      for
      an
     
     
      already
      financially
      strained
      university.
     
     
      UPEI’s
      operating
      grant
      from
      the
     
     
      Provincial
      Government
      has
      remained
      at
     
     
      almost
      the
      same
      level
      since
      1990-91.
      In
     
     
      effect,
      this
      means
      that
      because
      of
      inflation
      -
     
     
      the
      university
      has
      been
      operating
      on
      less
     
     
      money
      every
      year.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Having
      more
      students
      attending
      than
      it
     
     
      had
      budgeted
      for
      is
      likely
      to
      put
      more
     
     
      pressure
      on
      the
      umiversity’s
      already
     
     
      stretched
      budget.
      While
      it
      is
      true
      that
     
     
      more
      students
      means
      more
      money
      coming
     
     
      in
      from
      tuition
      fees,
      they
      provide
      only
      a
     
     
      quarter
      or
      less
      of
      the
      university’s
      budget.
     
     
      Because
      the
      operating
      grant
      from
      the
     
     
      Provincial
      Government
      is
      not
      directly
      tied
     
     
      to
      the
      number
      of
      students
      attending,
      the
     
     
      university
      is
      left
      with
      less
      money
      per
     
     
      student.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      fact
      that
      significantly
      more
      people
      are
     
     
      finding
      it
      necessary
      to
      obtain
      a
      university
     
     
      education
      should
      give
      those
      who
      feel
      that
     
     
      more
      government
      funding
      should
      not
      be
     
     
      made
      available
      to
      UPEI
      cause
      to
      think.