The total number of equivalent fulltime students (EFTS) is sitting at 19,007, compared with 18,018 at the same time last year.
It is a rise of more than 5% on the previous year, and is likely to get another boost in the middle of the year, as an extra 1000 students are expected to enrol for the second semester.
Vice-chancellor Grant Robertson said the growth was ‘‘very positive’’.
‘‘We budgeted on achieving 3.4% EFTS growth overall this year and are presently running at 5.1% up on the same time last year, so we are strongly placed.’’
In terms of first-year enrolments, domestic students were up 10% and, within this, school-leaver enrolments were up 9.8%.
‘‘This growth has come from across Aotearoa New Zealand, and includes strong increases from Canterbury, West Coast, Wellington, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay,’’ Mr Robertson said.
The University of Waikato Institute for Population Research’s Prof Michael Cameron said the increase at Otago was ‘‘interesting’’.
‘‘Otago’s increase in first-year domestic enrolments looks too large to be explained mainly by demography.
‘‘The school-leaver cohort this year is not much bigger than the cohort last year, so a 10% rise in enrolments is unlikely to reflect population growth alone. That suggests a behavioural shift in student choices instead.’’
The most plausible explanation was a weaker school-leaver labour market, Prof Cameron said.
‘‘When entry-level jobs are harder to find, more young people tend to choose university rather than moving straight into work. That seems to fit the wider discussion in New Zealand at the moment about fewer opportunities for younger workers.’’
Meanwhile, international first-year enrolments are up 8.8%, significant growth coming from Kuwait, Indonesia, India, Germany and Canada.
The United States and China remain the university’s most significant sources of international enrolments.
The rise in international students has led to a shortage of beds in Dunedin, as all the university residential colleges are either full or oversubscribed. This is despite a record number of residential colleges open.
Otago University Students’ Association president Daniel Leamy said the organisation supported international students from the moment they accepted their offer.
‘‘We help students settle in and integrate into life in Dunedin through events such as meet-and-greets, breakout sessions, relevant Clubs and Societies and recreational programmes. Our services, such as Free Brekkie and $5 lunch, also give community opportunities and areas of involvement.
‘‘Our focus is on creating a ‘home away from home’ for students, building community connections, and supporting their wellbeing.’’
The organisation also worked alongside government agencies and university staff to help students navigate challenges such as visa renewals.
‘‘We encourage students to make the most of their time in Dunedin and leave a positive impact on the university and wider community.’’
In the past, higher student numbers have put pressure on rental prices and availability of flats, but OUSA residential representative Zoe Eckhoff advised potential tenants to be aware of their rights as tenants — and keep a record of all requests made to landlords.
‘‘In the rental market itself, of course my biggest thing I’d like to see is more investment by landlords back into their properties.
‘‘I think it’s very unfair to expect students to pay more for a property that has had no reinvestment to, at the bare minimum, upkeep the property to a healthy standard.’’
