Preliminary Fall 2020 Enrollment Numbers on First Day of Classes
August 24, 2020
The University of Northern Colorado’s fall semester officially started Monday, Aug. 24, with in-person classes being held for the first time since March when the university moved to a virtual environment for the remainder of the spring semester due to COVID-19.
Preliminary enrollment figures show that more than 10,700 students -undergraduate and graduate - are taking classes at UNC this fall, with over 2,000 residing on campus. The number of master's degree students has increased from 2019, suggesting that students are seeking additional ways to further advance their respective careers.
Final enrollment figures will not be available until they are confirmed in early September after the class drop deadline.
Compared to previous academic years, the fall semester looks very different because of COVID-19. Approximately 50% of the more than 2,000 courses offered this term are taught in-person or in a hybrid manner. The university has also reconfigured classrooms, shared spaces, and modified air flow exchange rates to meet Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, CDC and local public health guidelines. Also, masks are required in class and shared spaces on campus, as stated in UNC's mask policy.
Over the summer, UNC faculty finalized the fall schedule to determined how courses would be delivered, whether in person, online, or in a hybrid format. Decisions were made after extensive review of course objectives and best practices that followed professional standards in each academic program. Nearly six out of 10 UNC students who are currently enrolled indicated they preferred in-person instruction over online delivery. The results informed decisions and the changes that have been made to the fall course schedule, as well as other campus operations such as housing and dining.
UNC is also assisting students through these unprecedented times including dispersing funds from the CARES Act to qualifying students, offering virtual resources and COVID-19 training and more.
More details are available on UNC’s Spring Operations website.
