A 21 percent increase in summer enrollment this year marks a record-high for Kennesaw State University, according to data from the KSU Fact Book.
As the university’s population continues to grow, summer enrollment has seen a drastic increase from last year, with 21 percent more students taking summer courses this year than in 2016. More than 17,500 students are enrolled this summer, compared to 14,500 students enrolled in summer 2016.
Ken Harmon, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, believes the increase provides a snapshot of the university’s growth, as well as of the increase in demand for adequate class selections in other semesters.
“I think this mostly reflects an overall increase in demand for classes at KSU, which we have seen virtually every semester, including summer,” Harmon said. “Also, many of our students work or have other obligations outside the university, so they take summer classes in order to stay on track to graduate in a reasonable time.”
Students like senior sociology major Kayla Duncan have felt the increase in demand for class sections during the fall and spring semesters and believe difficulty registering contributed to the number of students taking summer courses.
“It wasn’t very difficult to get into any of my summer classes but I have had issues with getting all of the classes I needed for a fall and spring semester,” Duncan said.
Other students, like sophomore and history education major Brian Henley, are aware of these registration difficulties but are optimistic that the university will be able to provide students with more class sections as enrollment continues to grow.
“I honestly have full faith that the administration here will come through for the betterment of the students, because I trust this institution and I believe I will be provided with the best educational opportunities,” Henley said.
Harmon considers every year somewhat of a milestone for the university as KSU has grown in enrollment each summer over the past several years.
