Ten years of growth at the University of Regina

News Release Release Date: October 16, 2018 9:40 a.m.

It's official - the University of Regina has achieved 10 consecutive years of increased student enrolment. The 15,568 students registered for classes this Fall are a 1.9 per cent increase from the 15,276 students registered in Fall 2017 and a 33 per cent increase from the 11,664 students registered in Fall 2008.

"This has been an exciting decade of growth and renewal for the University," said Dr. Vianne Timmons, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Regina. "We have worked diligently to keep up with the increased student demand by adding new tenure-track faculty positions, renewing and expanding campus spaces, and increasing program, distance, and online course offerings, all while remaining competitive with other post-secondary institutions."

Self-declared Indigenous students increased by 7 per cent over last year and now comprise 13.3 per cent of all students. This is a 97 per cent increase from Fall 2009. Efforts to support Indigenous students include:

Enhancing the Aboriginal Student Centre which aids in the transition to post-secondary education through unique programming and mentorship opportunities;
Implementing the OMA program, a support cohort for first-year students - over 90% of students retained from first to second year;
Creating the Neekaneewak Living Learning Community which offers programming including: academic support, mentorship, cultural events, and leadership development opportunities;
Creating the Cultural Protocol Series, a public education series that supports learning about traditional and cultural teachings, such as the protocols of giving tobacco and smudging;
Increasing access to Elders or Knowledge Keepers; and,
Incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing into course work.

International student enrolment grew by 14 per cent from last year and by 165 per cent from Fall 2009. These students now comprise 15.9 per cent of all students and 33.4 per cent of all graduate students. In support of these international students, UR International Student Services develops and provides personalized services and programs including life skills advising and transitioning to life in Canada. In addition, the Global Learning Centre assists students with their academic and non-academic needs. This includes free, focused English language services, as well as providing information for successfully transitioning and adjusting to learning in a new post-secondary environment at the University of Regina.

Efforts to support all University of Regina students include:

Additional faculty positions this year including new tenure-track positions in the faculties of Engineering and Applied Science, Kinesiology and Health Studies, Science (Computer Science) and Social Work;
Tutoring and study skills workshops, as well as, academic advising and peer advising;
Experiential learning components in our degree programs which result in our co-operative education students earning approximately $9 million in wages per year;
The UR Guarantee program whereby students who complete the program are eligible to take another year of undergraduate classes free of charge if they do not secure career-related employment within six months of graduation;
Accessibility supports and counselling services; and
New resources to support mental health and the prevention of sexual violence, including the new Sexual Violence and Prevention Response Coordinator.

Additionally, the University has re-opened the College Building on the College Avenue Campus, following extensive renovations that made it a modern, accessible place of learning. The University's 40-year-old College West Residence also reopened this fall after it closed for renovations in November 2016. Today, it is up to code - a modern, safe, bright, airy, and accessible space for 274 students.

"Our faculty and staff have embraced our commitment to student success, and their efforts have ensured we are the institution of choice for a growing number of local, national and international students," Timmons added. "We recognize that our students' success, and our overall success as an institution, is largely contingent on their experiences on our campus - in our classrooms, laboratories, and research centres - and the support that we provide to them. I'm extremely proud of everything our University community has achieved together."

The enrolment data discussed above reflects the number of students enrolled in classes as of the end of the 4th week of classes, which is also the end of the University's 50 per cent tuition refund period.

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About The University of Regina

The University of Regina-with campuses located on Treaty 4 and Treaty 6 territories, the ancestral lands of the Cree, Saulteaux, Dakota, and Lakota nations and the homeland of the Métis-is a comprehensive, mid-sized university that traces its roots back to the creation of Regina College in 1911. Today, more than 15,500 students study within the University's 10 faculties, 25 academic departments/schools, 18 research centres and institutes, and three federated colleges (Campion College, First Nations University of Canada, and Luther College). The University of Regina has an established reputation for excellence and innovative programs that lead to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees. In 2017, the University of Regina was ranked in the Top 200 Best Young Universities in the world by Times Higher Education.

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