Summer enrolment up at universities despite online shift

Enrolment in spring and summer courses has jumped at many Canadian universities despite the shift to online classes. The increase likely reflects a depressed summer jobs market, but may also raise hopes that online learning won’t produce a steep enrolment drop this fall, as some university leaders have feared, writes Joe Friesen for The Globe and Mail.

The surprising boost, in the absence of in-school classes during the pandemic, can be seen right across the country. At the University of British Columbia, enrolment for its two summer terms is up 32% at the Vancouver campus and 45% at the Okanagan campus. At the University of Toronto, registration for summer courses is up more than 20% compared with a year ago, and the university is adding classes to meet demand.

Dalhousie University is up 8%. The University of Winnipeg has more than doubled its spring course registrations, to more than 3,600 this year from 1,500 last year. Applications for Ontario universities also suggest that interest in fall entrance remains steady, despite the uncertainty surrounding whether in-person classes will be possible.
Full report on The Globe and Mail site