D'Youville University and SUNY University at Buffalo are among local higher education institutions reporting an uptick in student enrollment this fall.
Both have been able to buck a trend of colleges and universities having trouble reaching enrollment numbers of a decade or two ago due to changing demographics in undergraduate students, including the decline in the number of traditional college age students.
D'Youville is projecting up to a 13% increase in enrollment from the fall 2024 semester, according to the university's preliminary data. Enrollment is projected to approach the university's pre-pandemic high of 3,048 students in 2019.
Student housing is already at 95% capacity, driven in part by the expansion to 21 NCAA Division II athletic programs. The growth is prompting the launch of a new, fully furnished student residence, scheduled to break ground in January.
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Lorrie Clemo, president of D'Youville, said the university's momentum is also the result of focusing on creating pathways that prepare students for in-demand careers while providing the resources and support needed.
Several academic programs are fueling enrollment growth, including accelerated professional degrees. They include doctorate programs of pharmacy, physical therapy, chiropractic and medical sciences. Another draw has been D'Youville's online offerings in subject areas such as clinical mental health counseling, nursing concentrations, pharmacy and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.
Official numbers will be finalized later this semester.
UB is anticipating an overall enrollment this fall of more than 30,000 students for the seventh straight year, bolstered by significant growth at the undergraduate level.
The university is projecting a record first-year enrollment of more than 5,000 students for the fall, compared to 4,146 first-year students in fall 2024, A. Scott Weber, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said in an email to faculty and staff.
This growth is despite the university projecting a decline of as many as 1,000 international students from the 2024-25 school year, mostly at the master's degree level. International students accounted for more than 16% of overall student enrollment at UB last year.
Enrollment for international graduate students has gone down in select master's programs, due to visa processing delays, challenges securing visa appointments and U.S. labor market corrections, particularly in the tech sector. It is an issue facing most major research universities across the country, Weber said.
UB officials said they don't know yet how the visa delays will impact the final numbers of international students on campus this fall.
Daemen adds four degree programs
Daemen University has introduced four new bachelor's degree programs to help spike its own enrollment.
They include health, wellness and fitness management, marketing, strategic communications and studio arts.
The health, wellness and fitness management degree combines health promotion, applied fitness, and business courses to prepare graduates for a variety of careers, including with nonprofit community health agencies, government public health agencies and corporate or worksite wellness.
The marketing degree offers advanced marketing knowledge and tools with business fundamentals, while the strategic communications degree fosters critical thinking, ethical communication and adaptability across diverse applications, from digital media to corporate, public and nonprofit sectors.
Daemen's B.F.A. degree provides students with a broad overview of multiple artistic disciplines within studio arts.
Classes start at Daemen on Sept. 2.
New tennis complex for St. Bonaventure
Two St. Bonaventure alums are funding the construction of a new outdoor tennis complex.
Michael and Kristeen Hickey, both from the Class of 1984, gave a "significant gift" to St. Bonaventure to build a six-court facility, located southeast of the Bonnies' softball field. Michael Hickey is chair of the university's Board of Trustees, while Kristeen Hickey played tennis for the Bonnies.
Their gift will cover the entire cost of the project, which will include lighting, bleachers and parking. The project is expected to be completed by the end of October.
The tennis courts on the west side of campus, constructed more than 20 years ago, are beyond repair and no longer a viable training option for a Division I college program. The new location was selected as the university continues to build out the entire athletics complex with all facilities in one general location.
Canisius adds sport data analytics major
Canisius University is getting into the sport data analytics game by launching an online, 12-credit advanced certificate in the area this fall.
The program, which is designed to be completed in one year or less, is expected to prepare students for a $4.4 billion global market that is projected to grow by more than 30% annually, the university says.
The curriculum emphasizes skills in data management, reproducible research and ethical data practices, along with advanced visualization techniques and predictive modeling. Students also explore emerging areas such as player tracking analysis, biomechanics and sports betting analytics, while developing specialized expertise in risk modeling and market analytics.
Graduates will prepare for careers such as sport data analysts, performance analysts or sport technology specialists.
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