For the fourth straight academic year Trent University has seen its enrolment rise to 5,571 undergraduate and graduate students. University Registrar, Susan Salusbury says she has witnessed a steady increase in applications to the university over the past four recruitment cycles and this has translated to an additional 594 more students compared to the 1998-99 academic year or a 12 per cent increase. "These figures clearly indicate a robust demand for Trent's liberal arts and science programs as we prepare to embrace the double cohort in fall 2003."

A highlight of the 2001 enrolment picture is the new Trent - Fleming B.Sc. in Nursing program. Approximately, 100 students out of the 1,212 first year students are studying Nursing and this represents 8 per cent of Trent's intake for the 2001-02 academic year. Dr. Lesley Lewis, Director of the Nursing Program feels the caliber of students in enrolled in the program is outstanding. "I'm delighted at the enthusiasm and motivation shown by students currently in the program."

Overall full-time undergraduate enrolment is up by six per cent over 2000-01 levels with 4,153 students taking arts, science, business and nursing courses in Peterborough and Oshawa. Enrolment in part-time studies declined by 2.6 per cent or 34 students from last year's levels of 1,263 to 1,229 in 2001-02. In addition, full and part-time graduate enrolment has increased nine percent over 2000-01 levels with 189 students studying in Master and Doctoral programs in Anthropology, Applications in Modelling and Design, Watershed Ecosystems, Methodologies, Native Studies, and Canadian Studies.

The University under its capital development strategy plans to add another 1,295 domestic students over 1998-99 levels as the province prepares to expand by an additional 78,000 student spaces by fall 2003. The Office of Institutional Research and Planning at Trent University predicts that approximately 80 per cent of Trent's enrolment growth resulting from the double cohort will come from the following five counties; Peterborough, Ottawa-Carleton, York, Metro Toronto and Durham County the fastest growing region in the province. The Office's Co-ordinator, Christopher Michael predicts the demand for Trent's programs will go well beyond the double cohort levels in 2003. "With demographic growth in the youth population rate of 18-24 year olds, approximately 53,000 more students will be graduating from Ontario's high schools and will go on to seek a university level education by 2014." Michael, also predicts that this will translate into another 775 more students demanding a liberal arts and science education at Trent University over current enrolment levels by the year of 2014.