Enrollment

[bincitysioux]

If NDSU's fans, administrators, or stakeholders feel that online education is simply just a fad not to be taken seriously, then it is just another example of them being behind the times and continuing to lag behind................

[SooToo]

If NDSU's fans, administrators, or stakeholders feel that online education is simply just a fad not to be taken seriously, then it is just another example of them being behind the times and continuing to lag behind................

Gotta remember, though, its hard to learn milking on line.

[darell1976]

Gotta remember, though, its hard to learn milking on line.

Not when they take up Farmville for Facebook 101.

[dakotadan]

What is funny is that there is an ad for Texas A&M offering online degrees that pops up on SiouxSports. And right now my facebook is open with an ad for a Masters in Banking from Boston University and a Financial Planning Online Masters from the University of Alabama.

[tony]

Just for the record, I don't post as "Tony" on areavoices (I'm snowmiser.) If I'm going to get crap, I'd prefer it to be for something that I actually wrote - more enjoyable for everybody that way. Nor do I ever recall criticizing NDUS schools (other than UND and occasionally NDSU.)

My criticism of the NDUS centers on it's clearly-broken funding model. If UND is not overfunded, then what does it say about NDSU's funding when UND is getting 40% more per FTE than NDSU? Much as NDSU students are mocked on this site for "milking cows" and "riding tractors" (or doing anything related to farming or ranching), I don't think that even those people are seriously using that kind of smack to justify treating NDSU students like dirt.

Nor do I object to online education as a complementary delivery method. Heck, I took an online class while attending NDSU over 20 years ago (some 1 credit UNIX class) and it definitely has some advantages. My objections are aimed at the hypocricy of legislators who complain that NDSU has too many Minnesota kids while saying nothing about students who will never step foot in North Dakota. I also think that legitimate questions can be asked about the state subsidizing some Texan's desire to learn Norwegian without it be painted as an attack on the concept of online education.

I think UND is going in the right direction and your enrollment increase is a sign of that.

PS I thought that perpetually angry people with no identifiable sense of humor were stroke risks but thanks for your concern, star2city! BTW, it's a loft not a confo, but I'm considering a move. What address would make my views more acceptable? Note: Refrain from suggesting Hell (no broadband there.)

[Cratter]

It's simple. UND gets more money to help attract the best instructors, to teach the states best students, at the states most prestigious university in law, aerospace, and medicine.

It costs far less to hire a ND farmer to teach students agricultural studies.

[GeauxSioux]

Just for the record, I don't post as "Tony" on areavoices (I'm snowmiser.) If I'm going to get crap, I'd prefer it to be for something that I actually wrote - more enjoyable for everybody that way. Nor do I ever recall criticizing NDUS schools (other than UND and occasionally NDSU.)

My criticism of the NDUS centers on it's clearly-broken funding model. If UND is not overfunded, then what does it say about NDSU's funding when UND is getting 40% more per FTE than NDSU? Much as NDSU students are mocked on this site for "milking cows" and "riding tractors" (or doing anything related to farming or ranching), I don't think that even those people are seriously using that kind of smack to justify treating NDSU students like dirt.

Nor do I object to online education as a complementary delivery method. Heck, I took an online class while attending NDSU over 20 years ago (some 1 credit UNIX class) and it definitely has some advantages. My objections are aimed at the hypocricy of legislators who complain that NDSU has too many Minnesota kids while saying nothing about students who will never step foot in North Dakota. I also think that legitimate questions can be asked about the state subsidizing some Texan's desire to learn Norwegian without it be painted as an attack on the concept of online education.

I think UND is going in the right direction and your enrollment increase is a sign of that.

PS I thought that perpetually angry people with no identifiable sense of humor were stroke risks but thanks for your concern, star2city! BTW, it's a loft not a confo, but I'm considering a move. What address would make my views more acceptable? Note: Refrain from suggesting Hell (no broadband there.)

Tony, cow tipping is more expensive UND's way...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsR9Uq_TF1Q

[darell1976]

Just for the record, I don't post as "Tony" on areavoices (I'm snowmiser.) If I'm going to get crap, I'd prefer it to be for something that I actually wrote - more enjoyable for everybody that way. Nor do I ever recall criticizing NDUS schools (other than UND and occasionally NDSU.)

My criticism of the NDUS centers on it's clearly-broken funding model. If UND is not overfunded, then what does it say about NDSU's funding when UND is getting 40% more per FTE than NDSU? Much as NDSU students are mocked on this site for "milking cows" and "riding tractors" (or doing anything related to farming or ranching), I don't think that even those people are seriously using that kind of smack to justify treating NDSU students like dirt.

Nor do I object to online education as a complementary delivery method. Heck, I took an online class while attending NDSU over 20 years ago (some 1 credit UNIX class) and it definitely has some advantages. My objections are aimed at the hypocricy of legislators who complain that NDSU has too many Minnesota kids while saying nothing about students who will never step foot in North Dakota. I also think that legitimate questions can be asked about the state subsidizing some Texan's desire to learn Norwegian without it be painted as an attack on the concept of online education.

I think UND is going in the right direction and your enrollment increase is a sign of that.

PS I thought that perpetually angry people with no identifiable sense of humor were stroke risks but thanks for your concern, star2city! BTW, it's a loft not a confo, but I'm considering a move. What address would make my views more acceptable? Note: Refrain from suggesting Hell (no broadband there.)

Since ND has a budget surplus why not make the 2 largest schools equally funded. Would it make that much of a dent in the states budget...I doubt it. Why doesn't NDSU have their alumn Al Carlson write up a bill and bring it up instead of Al getting into the middle of a already done nickname debate. IMO I think as NDSU grows basically equal to UND the funding should have grown with it and be equal to UND. As I dislike NDSU's athletic team, this has nothing to do with sports, but what is taught in the classroom.

[Dagger]

How do UND and NDSU enrollments compare this Spring? Did they ever announce figures?

[Teeder11]

UND had a 1st day spring enrollment of about 13,500. As of Jan. 27, it had grown to about 13,800. The all-time spring enrollment record was set last year at 13,458, so UND has already eclipsed the record this year and it's still growing. The final UND spring number for this year should be realsed next week. I have no idea on NDSU. They have been pretty mum on those figures in recent years.

[Teeder11]

Final Spring enrollment number is 13,950..... which would have been a huge fall enrollment number only a few years ago. Only 50 students shy of 14,000 is pretty impressive.

[Cratter]

Final Spring enrollment number is 13,950..... which would have been a huge fall enrollment number only a few years ago. Only 50 students shy of 14,000 is pretty impressive.

But aren't more people actually walking on NDSU's campus?

[Teeder11]

But aren't more people actually walking on NDSU's campus?

I never did get that whole B.S. assertion. Who cares who is on campus and who is going to UND at a distance? They're all taking classes from UND instructors who are using UND time and resources to educate people who have chosen UND over other schools for one reason or another. It's not like they're phantom students. They are paying tuition and getting an education in exchange, just like thousands of others who do the same thing in on-campus classrooms. This is a different time than the ye ol' days of the 1960s-90s when you went to your parent's alma mater when you were 18 and graduated four to six years later, depending on how many brain cells you wasted on alcohol. We have technology now that allows us to do more than ever and to cast a wider net to deliver our education at a cheaper cost to both the institution and the student. Students tend to be older and more savvy than the days of old, and many take advantage of distance learning to go back and advance their education while they continue in the workforce. It's a win-win for both the University and the student. Why not take advantage and exploit it? Every other school in this country has the same opportunity to do the same thing; it just so happens that UND has been doing it since 1995 and has a leg up on most of this region and ranks high in online education delivery across the country.

This whole attitude where jealous Jan Brady types poo poo online enrollments and suggest that on-campus enrollment is somehow more genuine is akin to jack-hole Minnesota Gopher faithfuls who diminish UND's success in hockey because we choose to recruit nationally and internationally instead of drawing our talent from in state like they do in the "State of Hockey." What's the difference, I say? Get the best players from wherever you can. Don't limit yourself to self-imposed parameters and then turn around and criticize others who choose not to. The same goes for university students: attract them anyway you can, and if an online program is one means of doing it and doing it well-- so be it.

[Cratter]

Who cares who is on campus and who is going to UND at a distance?

I think it is important to the economic impact of the University on Grand Forks. The athletic teams that benefit from having student fans at the games. The employees whose job depends on serving students food and shoveling sidewalks.

In no way was I "degrading" online courses/degrees.

I think physical bodies are important. More important than online degrees.

[Teeder11]

I think it is important to the economic impact of the University on Grand Forks. The athletic teams that benefit from having student fans at the games. The employees whose job depends on serving students food and shoveling sidewalks.

In no way was I "degrading" online courses/degrees.

I think physical bodies is important. More important than online degrees.

I know you weren't. My comment wasn't directed toward you, but rather those from other regional schools who take this argument as a battle cry in their own little pi$$ing contest with UND.

Certainly, on-campus enrollment is important, but you have to remember that UND is raking in a ton of cash from online tuition, too, and it is also sustaining on-campus teaching, technology support and administrative jobs and paychecks that get spent locally. It is also important to realize that UND's on campus enrollment is growing along with the online gains, so it's a win-win all around. There are more students on campus spending money in the community and more money being pumped in from elsewhere in the form of online student tuition and fees.

[Snake]

I think it is important to the economic impact of the University on Grand Forks. The athletic teams that benefit from having student fans at the games. The employees whose job depends on serving students food and shoveling sidewalks.

In no way was I "degrading" online courses/degrees.

I think physical bodies are important. More important than online degrees.

For your argument to have merit, online students would have to be enrolling at the expense of the "physical" student. Whether or not that's the case, I don't know.

If a student's only option is an online education, would you rather they pursue it elsewhere? Online degrees can turn into successful careers just the same...and those people can donate just as easily to the University in the future. Let's not limit the impact to the time they're actually in school.

[siouxu31]

For your argument to have merit, online students would have to be enrolling at the expense of the "physical" student. Whether or not that's the case, I don't know.

If a student's only option is an online education, would you rather they pursue it elsewhere? Online degrees can turn into successful careers just the same...and those people can donate just as easily to the University in the future. Let's not limit the impact to the time they're actually in school.

When I went to UND in the Engineerihng program they recorded all of our classes so that the distance students could watch them online. The distance students were required to follow the same curriculum as the on campus students such as same homework assignments, same tests that were proctored at Universities outside of Grand Forks, involved in group projects with on campus students, etc. These distance students would then have to come to campus in the summer to complete all the hands on labs that we did during the previous semesters. These distance students would spend roughly a couple weeks on campus in the summer going to labs 6-8 hours a day to complete the same work that the on campus students had completed during the past semesters. On top of the work equality the distance students have to pay alot more (used to be roughly twice as much per credit) to attend UND. In the distance student fees things such as the wellness center fees were also included even though these students were never going to be able to use it. To sum it up the only difference between a distance student and an on campus student is the "distance" aspect of it.

[Cratter]

For your argument to have merit, online students would have to be enrolling at the expense of the "physical" student. Whether or not that's the case, I don't know.

If a student's only option is an online education, would you rather they pursue it elsewhere? Online degrees can turn into successful careers just the same...and those people can donate just as easily to the University in the future. Let's not limit the impact to the time they're actually in school.

The point is when UND says enrollment of 14,000, lots of people think its 14,000 students walking around UND campus....right or wrong..."old fashion" thinking.

But a certain percent of 14,000 students will never set foot on UND's campus or will for only a week or two a year. I forget the number but 20-30% of UND's enrollment is strictly online?

Yeah its great people are getting online degrees. I got no qualm about it. Other than the fact it's easier to cheat. (save your comments I took an online class from UND).

All this because, I was just wondering if NDSU actually has more students physically on campus.

[GeauxSioux]

UND breaks spring enrollment record

UND broke another spring enrollment record this semester after final numbers came in this week, the university said.

There are now 13,950 students at UND, which is 3.7 percent more than in spring 2011.

Among the biggest gains were at the School of Engineering and Mines and the Graduate School, the university said.

[bincitysioux]

I like the idea of having a ton of students in the dorms too..................

But then I think of all the things I do online today that I didn't do 15 years ago when I was in college:

-I pay most of my bills

-I pay my taxes

-I do 70% of my shopping, both personal and business

-I renew my license plates

-I read the newspaper

-I visit Siouxsports.com

-I get my hunting license

-I watch TV

-I bought a car

-I sold a car

-I bought a tractor

-I sold a tractor

-I bought Fighting Sioux tickets

-I booked a flight

-I reserved a hotel room

-I got my paycheck

I'm thinking that "online students" are not only going to continue to rise at UND, but they will at NDSU, Valley City, Aaker's Business College, Minnesota, Arizona St., Kansas, Conneticut, blah, blah, blah.

The impressive thing is that UND has been a leader in this area.............

We are ahead of the curve...................

[mg2009]

I never did get that whole B.S. assertion. Who cares who is on campus and who is going to UND at a distance? They're all taking classes from UND instructors who are using UND time and resources to educate people who have chosen UND over other schools for one reason or another. It's not like they're phantom students. They are paying tuition and getting an education in exchange, just like thousands of others who do the same thing in on-campus classrooms. This is a different time than the ye ol' days of the 1960s-90s when you went to your parent's alma mater when you were 18 and graduated four to six years later, depending on how many brain cells you wasted on alcohol. We have technology now that allows us to do more than ever and to cast a wider net to deliver our education at a cheaper cost to both the institution and the student. Students tend to be older and more savvy than the days of old, and many take advantage of distance learning to go back and advance their education while they continue in the workforce. It's a win-win for both the University and the student. Why not take advantage and exploit it? Every other school in this country has the same opportunity to do the same thing; it just so happens that UND has been doing it since 1995 and has a leg up on most of this region and ranks high in online education delivery across the country.

This whole attitude where jealous Jan Brady types poo poo online enrollments and suggest that on-campus enrollment is somehow more genuine is akin to jack-hole Minnesota Gopher faithfuls who diminish UND's success in hockey because we choose to recruit nationally and internationally instead of drawing our talent from in state like they do in the "State of Hockey." What's the difference, I say? Get the best players from wherever you can. Don't limit yourself to self-imposed parameters and then turn around and criticize others who choose not to. The same goes for university students: attract them anyway you can, and if an online program is one means of doing it and doing it well-- so be it.

It comes down to funding revenue. Their marginal cost is much lower than on campus students but UND get's the same funding from the state per student, which is already higher than NDSU on a per-person basis, while these people pay far more than regular tuition.

[mg2009]

It's simple. UND gets more money to help attract the best instructors, to teach the states best students, at the states most prestigious university in law, aerospace, and medicine.

It costs far less to hire a ND farmer to teach students agricultural studies.

NDSU has higher median act scores (by a trivial amount). UND has gotten the rep for the school you go to party at, while NDSU is the school your go to study at, which is why UND has been fighting the drinking so hard lately. The state's best students leave, which is why UND and NDSU both have median act scores equal to the states average.

[mg2009]

oh and NDSU's enrollment declined by 120 students to 13413, led by a 150 student drop in it's freshman class from this time last year.

[SooToo]

It comes down to funding revenue. Their marginal cost is much lower than on campus students but UND get's the same funding from the state per student, which is already higher than NDSU on a per-person basis, while these people pay far more than regular tuition.

I realize this is the mantra down at Bisonville and among boosters of the AC in general, but the state doesn't and never has funded higher ed on a "per student" basis. It's not elementary ed. While enrollment obviously is a factor, funding also hinges on the costs associated with that institution's physical plant (which can vary greatly due to age and other factors), historic program costs and, in most recent years, funding levels at comparable peer institutions. I'm also interested in your assertion that the "marginal cost is much lower" for on-line students. Do you base that on specific program budget numbers or just your general sense that on-line students cost less because they're not taking up floor space at the student union?

[FSSD]

NDSU has higher median act scores (by a trivial amount). UND has gotten the rep for the school you go to party at, while NDSU is the school your go to study at, which is why UND has been fighting the drinking so hard lately. The state's best students leave, which is why UND and NDSU both have median act scores equal to the states average.

I thought NDSU was the school you learned how to rip off Best Buy - thats what I heard. See how simple labels are to apply.