As Brock University looks toward the Fall 2021 Term and its own recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, all indicators point toward a large incoming class.
Last week marked the deadline for Ontario secondary school students to accept their university admission offers and while there is an increase in applicants to universities across Ontario, the increase in those applying to Brock outpaces the provincial growth rate by a significant margin.
While the provincial average sees an increase of 1.9 per cent in first-year confirmations, Brock has received a 6.5 per cent increase in high school applicant confirmations, marking an important bounce back after an enrolment dip due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21.
Looking at the broader picture of all applications to Brock from across Ontario, Canada and around the world, the University is on pace to welcome more than 4,000 new students this fall. Total enrolment is expected to be nearly 19,000 students.
The University is continuing to plan for a significant return to campus in September with a mix of classes being offered in-person and online.
“At Brock, we have consistently placed a strong emphasis on the student experience and excellence in academic programs, making the University a special choice for students,” said Brock President Gervan Fearon. “We recently established new facilities, such as the Zone Fitness Centre in collaboration with our student organizations, so the return to campus this fall will be an enhanced experience for all students coming to Brock.”
In addition to the strong incoming class of high school students, applications from transfer students, international students and those pursuing school in non-traditional ways are also positive this year. Brock has also seen strong demand for residence spots, which is expected to rise further in the coming weeks.
While the increases in enrolment are indicated across the majority of Brock’s undergraduate and graduate programs, there has been particularly strong growth in the Faculty of Education, the Goodman School of Business and the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, where Nursing has proven to be very popular this year in response to an expanded number of available student spaces. “COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on the lives of all Canadians, as it has on everyone around the world,” said Brock Provost and Vice-President, Academic Lynn Wells. “As we begin to move towards the recovery phase of the pandemic, we look forward to welcoming both our new students and those who are returning back to campus in September.”
Geraldine Jones, University Registrar and Associate Vice-President, Enrolment Services, said the enrolment growth is a sign of Brock’s growing reputation, and the result of a lot of hard work by many people and teams across the University.
“When we look at the traditional ways recruiting teams get the word out to prospective students and their families, much of that is face-to-face through school visits and events like the Ontario Universities’ Fair,” she said. “This year, we’ve had to completely rethink how we tell the Brock story and show off our beautiful and scenic campuses.”
Instead, the University used virtual tours, online open houses and a significantly enhanced digital marketing campaign to attract attention at a time when all universities across the country were trying to set themselves apart.
While some programs are now completely full, there are still some open spaces for full- and part-time studies across all seven Faculties and the admissions process is ongoing.
Posted June 9, 2021 to thoroldtoday.ca by ThoroldTodayStaff