By
Ayse Guner
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Additional residences and classrooms might be needed to ease strain caused by increase
The UA enrolled more freshmen this year than any other year in university history.
The University of Arizona has 5,526 freshmen this year, compared to 5,238 freshmen last year.
The increase in the number of freshmen is mainly the result of an increase in the numbers of college-aged people and high school graduates, said Randall Richardson, interim vice president of undergraduate education.
"We predicted this class size and anticipated in advance," he said.
Arizona's population growth also contributes to the increase, Richardson said.
In 1989, when the freshman enrollment was 5,491, students faced a series of problems including crowded class sizes and residences, said Rick Kroc, director of assessment and enrollment.
However, this year "we want to provide students with what they need."
In order to manage the high enrollment needs, the university plans to add more rooms in residence halls.
The expansion of Pima Hall and additional apartment rooms helped to meet the student demands, Kroc said.
"If we didn't have these, we would have problems," he said.
The university also expects the Integrated Learning Center to fill the needs of new students by adding new classrooms and more computer facilities.
"We have enough seats in terms of foundation and general education classes," Richardson said. "We work very hard to not be surprised with the changes in the enrollment."
The university has also created programs to help students graduate in four years.
As a result, the number of students who graduated in four years increased from 17 percent in 1987 to 26 percent in 1999, Kroc said.
With an increase in enrollment, there has been an increase in the number of students with science-related majors.
Biology is the most popular major among freshmen mainly because health-related professions are seen as highly desirable career choices, Richardson said.
"Biology is seen by students as the most appropriate way for entrance to the medical school," he added.
Sharon Kha, UA spokeswoman, said the reason students come to UA is the variety of opportunities it offers.
"The UA offers students very distinctive choices in Arizona," she said. "It is a campus where students are excited about discovery and, in many cases, interested in academic challenge."
The student population at the UA is 34,488, an increase of 162 students from last year.
