Preliminary enrolment numbers at the University of Regina are up for the second consecutive year.

Enrolment at the University of Regina itself is on track to experience an increase of approximately four per cent compared to last year, and when combined with overall enrolment, including the three Federated Colleges, is on pace to increase by approximately two per cent. This means that enrolment across the entire University will exceed 12,000 for the first time since the fall of 2006, helped by the presence of more than 2,300 first-time undergraduate students and more than 1,000 international students.

"We are pleased to see an increase in our overall enrolment numbers," says Vianne Timmons, President of the University of Regina. "We have been reaching out to communities across the province so that as a provincial university we can better meet the needs of Saskatchewan people. At the same time, we've been working to make the University of Regina a more attractive destination for students from other countries who are interested in adding an international dimension to their education."

President Timmons also attributes the growth to a number of student-focused changes at the University resulting from the new strategic plan, which was developed in conjunction with the larger community and provides direction to 2014 and beyond.  Implementation of the plan has included the introduction of programs like the UR Guarantee.

The only initiative of its kind at a Canadian university, the UR Guarantee provides participating students with academic, leadership and service opportunities throughout their undergraduate programs. If these students do not find career-related employment within six months of completing their degrees, the University will cover the cost of their tuition for up to another 30 credit hours of undergraduate courses. Information sessions on the UR Guarantee program are being held throughout September. Further information about the program and the strategic plan can be found at http://www.uregina.ca/.

The University's preliminary enrolment numbers are as of the end of the first week of classes, September 14, 2010, and are compared to the same period in 2009. Specific numbers will fluctuate in the early weeks of the semester.

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