A report to yesterday’s university council meeting showed equivalent full-time students (Efts) enrolments for 2022 totalled 18,467.
Although it was 266 Efts (1.4%) down on the same point in 2021, it was still substantially (about 3.3%) ahead of the situation at the corresponding time in 2020, or 2019 which was before Covid-19 started having an effect in New Zealand.
The University of Otago vice-chancellor, Prof David Murdoch, said that across all levels of study, total domestic enrolments were down very slightly (0.5%) on the corresponding time last year, at 17,732 Efts.
‘‘This still represents the second-highest domestic enrolment in the university’s history, bettered only by 2021.
‘‘We have solid undergraduate growth, underpinned by strong retention and an increase of 2.1% in school leaver recruitment.
‘‘What is pleasing to see is that further records are being set for the number of Maori enrolled at Otago, which are up by 4.1% overall and by 11.1% at first year, and Pacific enrolments which are up by 4.7% overall too.’’
However, he said there had been a ‘‘softening’’ of postgraduate enrolments, and commencing enrolments by mature students were also down.
He believed it was because study decisions for 2021 had been made at a time of significant economic and labour market uncertainty, and the number of mature students starting tertiary study rose, while a proportion of existing students extended their studies in a ‘‘marking time’’ fashion.
‘‘For 2022, this marking time behaviour washed out, and both completing and potential mature students tended to opt to remain in what has been an unexpectedly strong labour market for graduates and experienced workers.’’
International full-fee enrolments were also down 18.8% to 735 Efts, but the university had still managed to recruit about 200 international students who would begin study this year.
Prof Murdoch said of this total, 67 were already in New Zealand because they were undertaking their secondary schooling here, and the remainder commenced their studies online while overseas.
The general enrolment trends at Otago appeared to be broadly consistent with those being seen across the New Zealand university sector this year, he said.
