Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume. 34, Number 9. 1971
Undergraduate unit enrolment
Undergraduate unit enrolment.
A clearer indication of teaching and other pressures generated by enrolments, taking into account proportions of full-time and part-time students and the distribution of students among departments and faculties, is given by an anlysis of undergraduate unit enrolment.
(The following totals are derived from figures at the end of each enrolment period, and do not take into account changes in course or late enrolments.
They do, however, provide a useful indication of enrolment movements. In the table below Q represents the figures supplied in the Quinquennial Submissions; G the forecasts in line with the Grants Committee's practices; and A the actual enrolments.
Year | Arts | Law | Science | Commerce | Misc. | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1968 | A 5997 | 1643 | 1838 | 2022 | 847 | 12347 | |
1969 | Q 6516 | 1810 | 2116 | 2310 | 749 | 13501 | |
1969 | G 6223 | 1728 | 2020 | 2206 | 715 | 12892 | |
1969 | A 6232 | 1800 | 1999 | 2150 | 546 | 12727 | |
1970 | Q 6703 | 1880 | 2310 | 2541 | 789 | 14223 | |
1970 | G 6414 | 1800 | 2210 | 2431 | 755 | 13610 | |
1970 | A 7141 | 2030 | 2244 | 2389 | 216 | 14020 | |
1971 | Q | 6990 | 1980 | 2555 | 2828 | 821 | 15174 |
1971 | G 6703 | 1898 | 2450 | 2712 | 787 | 14550 | |
1971 | A 7051 | 2075 | 2335 | 3094 | 90 | 14645 |
The decreasing figures in the Miscellaneous group represent mainly reading knowledge half-units for Arts and Science. (In 1969 the compulsory language requirement for a BA was dropped.)
Arts | Law | Science | Commerce |
---|---|---|---|
17.5 | 26.2 | 27.0 | 53.0 |
The overall increase in this group is 26.5%, against an (adjusted) forecast increase of 19.6%.)
"Growth to this extent has placed major strains on almost all types of accommodation within the University and should it continue at the present rate 'without the urgent provision of further accommodation it is doubtful whether teaching could continue at the present level."
With the onslaught of Muldoonism in 1967-68, these figures record a shift in emphasis towards units in economics and administration; although without a more substantial breakdown of faculty enrolment totals for full and part-time students, the effect on undergraduates of Muldoon's "education" policy can only be guessed at. Remarkably, as the memorandum observes without comment, the figures for unit enrolment are not in excess of expectation as are the total enrolments.