Demand for summer school places

Enrolment restrictions have made the University of Otago's next summer school somewhat smaller, but organisers say it remains a highly popular institution.

The school marked its 10th anniversary early this year, when its 80 papers attracted a record 2639 enrolments, involving 2043 students.

When enrolments for next year's school closed early this month, there were 66 papers, and about 2240 enrolments, involving about 1750 students, organisers said.

The annual school starts in early January and enables students to obtain academic credit for courses by undertaking intensive study for about six weeks.

School director Dr Claire Matthewson said the school remained "very popular" and was "perhaps even more so, now that students are experiencing some restriction on places".

The latest school would also continue to make a positive contribution to the Dunedin economy early next year, when the city was usually relatively quiet, Dr Matthewson said in an interview.

Otago University officials announced in June that the university was likely to cut student numbers at the school and tighten entry requirements for other university courses because overall student enrolments were increasing faster than the university or the government funding agency, the Tertiary Education Commission, had expected.

The university has been concerned to avoid carrying too many students beyond the agreed TEC funding level.

Restrictions have also apparently been imposed at other university summer schools elsewhere in the country.

Dr Matthewson said Otago students had responded to the restrictions by enrolling for the school "much earlier than usual".

"December used to be our busiest enrolment period but this year many papers had reached their maximum limit during October and November."

Asked whether students had taken the changes in their stride, Dr Matthewson said some had been "more philosophical than others, depending on how vital taking a particular paper in summer school seemed to be for their course planning".

Seven new papers are being offered this year, involving Environmental Politics; Jane Austen: The Phenomenon; Georgian Britain; Religions of Southeast Asia; Popular Media Cultures; Pop Art, Fashion and Consumer Culture; Colonisation, Globalisation and Pacific Legal Issues; and Sustainable Transportation.

All the new papers were fully subscribed and several had waiting lists, she said.

Organisers said many established papers also remained popular, with a paper on forensic biology attracting the maximum 95 takers and papers in statistics, commerce, and effective communication in English also well supported.